You’ll have a hard time resisting the buttery crunch of my lightened-up air fryer fish and chips, especially when served with creamy tartar sauce and tangy malt vinegar. Consider them the grown-up version of fish sticks—mild, flaky fish encased in a crispy coating, paired with french fries and eaten by hand. What’s not to love?
This air fryer version of the traditional British recipe makes fish and chips accessible to any home cook, as there’s no need to heat a pot of oil. Better yet, my easy recipe is made with just 10 simple ingredients, most of which are pantry staples! For more air fryer recipes, try my air fryer fish sticks, air fryer cod, and air fryer salmon next!
Ingredients
Russet potatoes, olive oil, and salt — you only need these three ingredients to make deliciously crisp-on-the-outside, fluffy-on-the-inside air fryer french fries. Feel free to swap in any other starchy potato variety as well (e.g., Idaho).
All-purpose flour, salt, ground black pepper, and garlic powder — this simple dredge mixture simultaneously seasons the fish and gives the egg mixture something to cling to, which in turn helps the breading to stick.
Large eggs — this is a key ingredient in the standard breading, helping the breadcrumbs adhere to the fish.
Panko breadcrumbs — these Japanese bread crumbs are lighter and flakier than the standard dry breadcrumbs, offering superior crispiness.
Cod fillets — either frozen or fresh fish will work, but defrost them first if using frozen.
Cooking spray — I like to use a non-aerosolized spray oil like light olive oil or avocado oil for air frying.
What’s The Best Fish To Use?
Cod is the traditional choice, but you don’t have to feel limited. Other varieties of flaky white fish work, too—just make sure to choose one with a relatively thick filet that holds its shape well after cooking. I’ve tried and enjoyed pollock, haddock, halibut, and grouper for this recipe.
How To Make Air Fryer Fish and Chips
1. Scrub the potatoes well (there is no need to peel them). Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise, then turn the halves onto their flat sides, and cut them into ¼-inch-thick planks. Cut each plank into ¼-inch-thick sticks.
2. Place the potatoes in a large bowl of cold water and soak for 10 minutes to remove excess starch. Drain the potatoes, then return them to the bowl and refill with cold water. Mix with your hands to clean the potatoes of more starch, then drain well again.
3. Spread them out in a single layer on a lint-free tea towel or paper towel-lined plate to drain any excess moisture, then pat them very dry. Wipe the same bowl dry and add the potatoes to it.
4. Drizzle the potatoes all over with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Toss well to combine.
5. Preheat the air fryer to 325°F. Place the potatoes in the air fryer basket, reserving the bowl. Cook for 12 minutes. Remove half of the par-cooked potatoes to the reserved bowl, then spread the remaining half in the air fryer into a single layer. Cook again for 12 more minutes, shaking the basket halfway through, until golden and crispy. Immediately sprinkle the crispy fries with more salt and pepper to taste. Set aside on a cooling rack or baking sheet and keep warm. Repeat with the remaining half of the par-cooked potatoes.
6. While the potatoes are cooking, set up your dredging station. Whisk together the flour, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a shallow bowl. In a second shallow dish, beat the eggs until well combined. Place the bread crumbs in a third bowl.
7. Cut the cod filets into 4 to 6 similarly sized pieces. Dredge each piece of fish by first coating it in the flour mixture.
8. Then, coat it with the egg, letting the excess drip off, and lastly, coat it with the Panko. When the potatoes are done, reduce the air fryer temperature to 375°F. Spray the basket with cooking spray.
9. Place half of the breaded fish pieces in the air fryer in a single layer, leaving a small amount of space in between each piece. Spray the fish well with cooking spray. Cook for 5 minutes.
10. Flip the fish pieces and spray the other side well with cooking spray. Continue to cook for 5 more minutes or until golden brown and the internal temperature of each piece reaches 145°F. Remove, immediately season with salt to taste, and keep them warm. Continue cooking the remaining fish. If desired, carefully wipe out any crumbs from the air fryer basket and reheat the fries in the air fryer for 3 minutes at 400°F. Serve the fish and chips with tartar sauce, lemon wedges, and malt vinegar.
How To Serve
As with most crispy breaded dishes, these air fryer fish and chips are best served fresh from the basket while they’re still piping hot.
Malt vinegar and lemon wedges are traditional accompaniments in the UK—the acidity helps cut through the richness. Creamy mayo-based tartar sauce is another common pairing and one I love, though ketchup is pretty tasty too! If you’d like a veggie side dish, you can’t go wrong with tangy coleslaw.
Storing And Reheating Leftovers
Storing: Allow any leftovers to cool completely to room temperature. This will prevent condensation from forming and making the breading soggy. Then transfer to an airtight container. They should keep well in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days.
Reheating: The best way to reheat leftovers is in the air fryer! Set it to 350ºF and reheat the air-fried fish and chips for 5 to 7 minutes or until re-crisped and warmed all the way through.
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
- Whenever you’re cooking in batches, you can use your oven to keep everything warm. Preheat the oven to 180°F and place a wire rack set on a baking sheet inside the oven. Once you finish a batch, place the cooked items on the wire rack in the oven and continue air frying.
- For an even crispier piece of fish, replace half of the flour with cornstarch in the dredge.
- Make sure to dry the potatoes very well after soaking. Moisture is the enemy of crispiness and crunch!
- The number of batches will depend on the shape of the fish fillets and size of your air fryer. If your cod filets are shorter and thicker, they should all be cooked in 2 batches. If you are using thinner filets (typically longer in size), it may take 3 batches. You want to leave about ½ inch of space between each piece of fish. Note that the cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of your fish as well.
- For smaller cod strips, you can cut the filets into 12 pieces before breading them. Air fry for 5 minutes per side, until the internal temperature reaches 145°F.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! While I tend to prefer using fresh fish, frozen cod will work just fine. Remember to unwrap any individually wrapped filets, then defrost completely on a plate in the fridge before beginning. Frozen fish will release more moisture once thawed, so be sure to pat the pieces very dry before breading them.
The most accurate method is to use a quick-read thermometer; the filets should read 145ºF in the middle of the thickest pieces. If you don’t have a thermometer on hand, the cooked fish should feel a bit firm, and the flesh should be opaque white. You should also be able to easily separate the flakes with a fork.
Yes! Feel free to use cornstarch instead of flour and use gluten-free Panko. Or, make my easy air fryer cod recipe to serve alongside the chips (it’s breading-free!).
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this Air Fryer Fish and Chips recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Air Fryer Fish and Chips
Equipment
- 3 shallow bowls
- Large mixing bowl
- Small cooling rack set over sheet tray
- Air fryer with 6-quart basket
Ingredients
For the Chips:
- 1¼ pounds russet potatoes (562g)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the Fish:
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour (40g)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3 large eggs
- 1½ cups panko bread crumbs (120g)
- 1½ pounds cod filets (675g)
- Cooking spray
- Tartar sauce for serving
- Lemon wedges and malt vinegar for serving
Instructions
For the Chips:
- Scrub the potatoes well (there is no need to peel them). Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise, then turn the halves onto their flat sides, and cut them into ¼-inch-thick planks. Cut each plank into ¼-inch-thick sticks.
- Place the potatoes in a bowl of cold water and soak for 10 minutes to remove excess starch. Drain the potatoes, then return them to the bowl and refill with cold water. Mix with your hands to clean the potatoes of more starch, then drain well again.
- Spread them out in a single layer on a lint-free tea towel or paper towels, and pat them very dry. Wipe the same bowl dry and add the potatoes to it. Drizzle the potatoes all over with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Toss well to combine.
- Preheat the air fryer to 325°F.
- Place the potatoes in the air fryer basket, reserving the bowl. Cook for 12 minutes.
- Remove half of the par-cooked potatoes to the reserved bowl, then spread the remaining half in the air fryer into a single layer. Cook again for 12 more minutes, shaking the basket halfway through, until golden and crispy. Immediately sprinkle the crispy fries with more salt and pepper to taste. Set aside on a cooling rack or baking sheet and keep warm.
- Repeat with the remaining half of the par-cooked potatoes.
For the Fish:
- While the potatoes are cooking, whisk together the flour, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a shallow dish. In a second shallow dish, beat the eggs until well combined. Place the Panko in a third shallow bowl.
- Cut the cod filets into 4 to 6 similarly sized pieces. Dredge each piece of fish by first coating it in the flour mixture, then with the egg, and lastly, coating it with the Panko.
- When the potatoes are done, reduce the air fryer temperature to 375°F.
- Spray the basket with cooking spray. Place half of the breaded fish pieces in the air fryer in a single layer, leaving a small amount of space in between each piece. Spray the fish well with cooking spray.
- Cook for 6 minutes. Flip the fish pieces and spray the other side well with cooking spray. Continue to cook for 6 more minutes, or until golden brown and the internal temperature of each piece reaches 145°F. Remove, immediately season with salt to taste, and keep the warm.
- Continue cooking the remaining fish. If desired, carefully wipe out any crumbs from the air fryer basket and reheat the fries in the air fryer for 3 minutes at 400°F. Serve the fish and chips with tartar sauce, lemon wedges, and malt vinegar.
Notes
- Whenever you’re cooking in batches, you can use your oven to keep everything warm. Preheat the oven to 180°F and place a wire rack set on a baking sheet inside the oven. Once you finish a batch, place the cooked items on the wire rack in the oven and continue air frying.
- For an even crispier piece of fish, replace half of the flour with cornstarch in the dredge.
- Make sure to dry the potatoes very well after soaking. Moisture is the enemy of crispiness and crunch!
- The number of batches will depend on the shape of the fish fillets and size of your air fryer. If your cod filets are shorter and thicker, they should all be cooked in 2 batches. If you are using thinner filets (typically longer in size), it may take 3 batches. You want to leave about ½ inch of space between each piece of fish. Note that the cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of your fish as well.
- For smaller cod strips, you can cut the filets into 12 pieces before breading them. Air fry for 5 minutes per side, until the internal temperature reaches 145°F.
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