Healthy Air Fryer Fish Tacos

 

This quick, easy, and healthy recipe for healthy air fryer fish tacos is perfect for a fast supper any night of the week. The fish is perfectly crispy and flavourful and comes together in a flash with simple taco ingredients. Gluten free, dairy free, and made with whole foods too!

 

Fish Tacos Made Fast in the Air Fryer

If you don’t own an Air Fryer yet (*affiliate link), I definitely recommend adding one to your must-have list. This small kitchen appliance is really easy to use and gives so many different foods that delicious crispy, crunchy fried edge that a deep fryer does… just without the deep frying! This simple recipe for healthy air fryer tacos shows just how easy it is to use the air fryer and how incredibly quickly you can get a wonderful, crispy, and delicious dinner on the table.

These fish tacos are made with cod but you can use any fish you desire, such as sole, tilapia, halibut, or you could even swap out the fish for shrimp! The toppings are simple and minimal, perfect accompaniments for crispy and tender air fryer fish. 

Is an Air Fryer good for fish?

Totally! When you think of “air frying” you might think of foods that are more common to be deep fried like fries, chicken wings, and mozzarella sticks, but you can seriously put almost anything “fryable” in an air fryer and get great results, including fish. 

What I love about this recipe is that I used barely any outer coating for the fish, just some spices and a small amount of flour and tapioca starch (cornstarch is totally fine too), and the fish still came out perfectly flaky and tender with a crispy outer crust. 

When it comes to fish products you can most definitely use fresh fish, frozen fish, fish sticks, and the like in an air fryer. 

Air Fryer Fish Tacos Ingredients

For this recipe I really wanted the perfectly air fried fish to be the star, so I kept the taco fillings really simple . The ingredients are common, healthy, and most of them you likely already have in your fridge and pantry. All you need to make this tasty dish is:

• Fresh cod filets (or another white fish of your choice)
• Taco seasoning (homemade or store-bought)
• Flour (regular or gluten free if needed)
• Tapioca starch (or cornstarch) 
• Salt and pepper
• Avocado
• Red cabbage
• Fresh salsa (homemade or store-bought)
• Limes
• Cilantro
• Corn or flour tortilla shells
• Taco aioli (optional, see recipe)

How long does it take to cook whole fish in the air fryer?

To cook fish in the air fryer it doesn’t take long at all! While the type of fish you use (fresh, frozen, etc.) will vary the cooking time, here are general recommendations:

First, I recommend preheating the air fryer for 3-5 minutes before cooking fish for best results!

• Fresh whole fish filets: 8-10 minutes at 400 degrees, flipping once halfway through 
• Frozen fish filets (unbreaded): 10-12 minutes at 370 degrees, flipping once halfway through
• Frozen breaded fish sticks/bites/etc: 8-10 minutes at 400 degrees, flipping once halfway through

I also recommend placing parchment paper at the bottom of the air fryer when cooking fish to prevent sticking and make clean-up easier!

Note: These are general cooking times and may vary depending on the brand/size of the fish. 

Preparing Air Fryer Fish Tacos

Do you have an air fryer? What kind of delicious and healthy air fried meals or snacks have you been making? Tell me about it in the comments and be sure to pin the photo below the recipe to save this one for later!

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Healthy Air Fryer Fish Tacos

Yield: Makes 2 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 8 minutes

Total Time: 18 minutes

These simple and healthy air fryer fish tacos are gluten free, dairy free, tender on the inside and crispy on the outside with fresh toppings!

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Ingredients

• 2 fresh cod filets (or other white fish of your choice, approx 4-5oz each)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons gluten free or regular all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon tapioca starch or cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon taco seasoning (homemade or store-bought)
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper

Toppings

• 1 avocado, pitted and sliced into thick strips
• 1/2 cup shredded red cabbage
• 1/4 cup homemade fresh salsa (or your fave store-bought salsa)
• 2 limes
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 4-6 small corn or flour tortilla shells

Taco Aioli (optional)

• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1/2 tablespoon taco seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon honey

Instructions

1. Prepare the aioli, if using, by mixing the aioli ingredients in a small bowl then placing in the fridge.
2. Preheat the air fryer for 5 minutes (turn on, set time to 5 minutes at 360 degrees, the air fryer should automatically start preheating).
3. In a shallow dish combine flour, starch, taco seasoning, salt, and pepper and mix.
4. Pat cod filets dry with a paper towel then place in the dish with the seasoning mixture and toss to lightly coat the fish filets on all sides.
5. Place parchment paper in the bottom of the preheated air fryer basket and add in the fish filets.
6. Set the temperature to 400 degrees, the time to 8 minutes, and start.
7. After 4 minutes, remove the basket and flip the fish (this is optional but it will help the fish get crispy on both sides).
8. Place the basket back in the air fryer and continue cooking for the remaining 4 minutes.
9. Once done, warm the taco shells and top with 1/2 to 1/3 of each fish filet per taco, then layer with the sliced avocado, shredded cabbage, fresh salsa, cilantro, a drizzle of aioli (optional), and a squeeze of fresh lime.
10. Enjoy immediately while the fish is hot and crispy!

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More Taco Recipes You’ll Love:

• Healthy Buffalo Cauliflower Tacos(tip: try the buffalo cauliflower in the air fryer if you have one!)
• Healthy Ahi Fish Tacos with Fresh Mango Salsa
• Easy Shredded Chicken Tinga Tacos
• Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas

Also, try my Air Fryer Tilapia with Easy Mango Salsa, or Loaded Air Fryer Nachos, or Juicy Air Fryer Burger!