Air Fryer Fish And Chips designed for fast weeknight cooking with simple prep and bold flavor.
Weeknight Crunch: Air-Fried Cod with Golden Fries
A fast, flavor-forward riff on fish and chips that trades deep-frying for an airy panko crust and crisp, oven-like fries from the air fryer.
Think crackling, flaky cod wrapped in an impossibly light, bubbly batter and studded with panko for extra crunch — paired with long, golden fries that sing of paprika and sea salt. The contrast is what sells this plate: the fish’s delicate flake against a crisp shell, and fries that shatter on the outside and stay tender inside. It’s a comfort dinner with a modern, weeknight-friendly twist from The Snap Skillet.
The trick is in the prep and the little chemistry behind the coating. Rinsing and soaking the cut potatoes pulls surface starch, which helps them crisp up when air-fried; a quick toss with olive oil, paprika, salt and pepper builds savory, bronzed edges. For the fish, a mix of all-purpose flour and cornstarch with a pinch of baking powder makes a batter that browns quickly without getting gummy — whisked with sparkling water and an egg it puffs into a feather-light shell. Panko finishes the outside with an appealing crunch that the air fryer loves.
This is pure weeknight choreography: scrub and cut the potatoes while the air fryer preheats, slide the fries in, then whisk the batter and bread the fish while the first batch cooks. Work in single-layer batches for the crispiest results, and keep finished fries loosely tented if you need a moment to get everything plated together. Serve simply — lemon wedges, tartar, or a garlicky mayo — and you’ve got a fast, satisfying dinner that tastes like you took the time.
Leo Grant’s weeknight approach shows up here: minimal fuss, maximal texture, and flavors that come together quickly. It’s an easy, reliable dinner for busy nights when you still want something worth lingering over.
Ingredients
How to Make Air Fryer Fish And Chips
- Scrub the potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch sticks; place in a bowl of cold water and soak 10 minutes to remove surface starch, then drain and pat completely dry with a kitchen towel or paper towels.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F (200°C). Toss the dried potato sticks with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 3/4 tsp of the kosher salt, 1/2 tsp paprika and 1/4 tsp black pepper until evenly coated.
- Spread the fries in a single layer in the air fryer basket (work in batches if needed). Air fry at 400°F for 18–22 minutes, shaking the basket or flipping the fries every 6–7 minutes, until golden and crisp.
- While the fries cook, combine the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, remaining 1/4 tsp kosher salt, remaining 1/4 tsp black pepper and garlic powder in a shallow bowl; whisk in the sparkling water until smooth, then whisk in the egg to make a light batter.
- Pat the cod fillets dry and cut into four even portions. Put the panko on a separate plate. Lightly dredge each fillet in a spoonful of the dry flour/cornstarch mixture to remove excess moisture, dip into the batter, then press into the panko to form an even coating.
- When fries are done, transfer them to a warm plate and leave the air fryer at the same temperature; brush or spray the fish lightly with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil (or brush each piece), then place fish in the basket in a single layer.
- Air fry the fish at 380°F (190°C) for 10–12 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until the coating is golden and the fish reads 145°F in the thickest part and flakes easily.
- Serve fish and chips hot with lemon wedges and a sprinkle of chopped parsley. Taste and add extra salt or a squeeze of lemon as desired.
Recipe Card
Air Fryer Fish And Chips
Air Fryer Fish And Chips designed for fast weeknight cooking with simple prep and bold flavor.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 32 min
- Servings
- 4
Ingredients
Instructions
- Scrub the potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch sticks; place in a bowl of cold water and soak 10 minutes to remove surface starch, then drain and pat completely dry with a kitchen towel or paper towels.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F (200°C). Toss the dried potato sticks with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 3/4 tsp of the kosher salt, 1/2 tsp paprika and 1/4 tsp black pepper until evenly coated.
- Spread the fries in a single layer in the air fryer basket (work in batches if needed). Air fry at 400°F for 18–22 minutes, shaking the basket or flipping the fries every 6–7 minutes, until golden and crisp.
- While the fries cook, combine the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, remaining 1/4 tsp kosher salt, remaining 1/4 tsp black pepper and garlic powder in a shallow bowl; whisk in the sparkling water until smooth, then whisk in the egg to make a light batter.
- Pat the cod fillets dry and cut into four even portions. Put the panko on a separate plate. Lightly dredge each fillet in a spoonful of the dry flour/cornstarch mixture to remove excess moisture, dip into the batter, then press into the panko to form an even coating.
- When fries are done, transfer them to a warm plate and leave the air fryer at the same temperature; brush or spray the fish lightly with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil (or brush each piece), then place fish in the basket in a single layer.
- Air fry the fish at 380°F (190°C) for 10–12 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until the coating is golden and the fish reads 145°F in the thickest part and flakes easily.
- Serve fish and chips hot with lemon wedges and a sprinkle of chopped parsley. Taste and add extra salt or a squeeze of lemon as desired.
Nutrition
- Carbohydrates
- 66
- Saturated Fat
- 2.2
- Sodium
- 950
- Fiber
- 5
- Unsaturated Fat
- 12
- Protein
- 35
- Fat
- 14
- Cholesterol
- 105
- Trans Fat
- 0
- Calories
- 535
- Sugar
- 2