Air Fryer Beer Battered Fish
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Whether you’re a beginner at cooking fish, or an expert, this Air Fryer Beer Battered Fish is sure to impress. It’s simple to make and yields excellent results in less than 20 minutes!
Air Fryer Beer Battered Fish Recipe
Flaky white fish coated in a delicious beer batter that turns golden brown and crispy is about to be your new favorite dinner.
Crispy fish tacos are one of my all-time favorite air fryer recipes to make because they’re incredibly easy, only require a few ingredients, and can be on the table fast.
They’re great for a busy weeknight, a weekend party with friends, or Sunday family dinner.
You can add beer-battered fish to so many different recipes. Enjoy them as a homemade fish and chips basket, or make fish tacos and add a delicious fish taco slaw, and drizzle them with a creamy fish taco sauce.
Can beer batter fish be cooked in an air fryer?
Yes. This is because for this recipe, you’re not using an overly large amount of beer batter on your filets, which will allow them to cook evenly without making a huge mess in your air fryer.
Be sure to always pat your filets after dipping them in the beer and egg so that you get the perfect amount of batter.
What does beer-battered fish taste like?
Air fryer beer battered fish is a delightful dish that combines the satisfying crunch on the outside with the moist and flavorful fish inside.
Inside the crispy exterior, the fish filets remain juicy and tender. The cooking process in the air fryer helps retain the natural juices of the fish, resulting in a flavorful recipe.
Air fryer fish ingredients
Light Beer: you’re welcome to use any of your favorite light beer for this recipe. Adding beer to the batter creates an airy coating as it brings air bubbles to the surface while cooking.
All-Purpose Flour: is the main dry ingredient in the batter and will help absorb moisture, ensuring your fish become golden brown and crispy.
Egg: acts as an adhesive with your dry ingredients to your fish.
Garlic Powder: gives your fish a deliciously savory and pungent flavor. I recommend using powder for this recipe, not fresh or dried minced garlic. You can add some onion powder too if you like.
Corn Starch: helps absorb excess water while your fish is cooking which leads to perfectly crisp filets.
Smoked Paprika: adds a smoky and slightly spicy, flavor to your fish batter.
Fish Filets: the best kind of fish to use for this recipe are a mild, firm, flaky white fish such as cod, haddock, or tilapia. You can use fresh or frozen. If you’re using frozen be sure to thaw completely before cooking.
Optional: try serving with ketchup, homemade french fries, malt vinegar, fresh lemon wedges.
Tip: you can add panko breadcrumbs to the flour for an extra crunch! I like to sprinkle Old Bay Seasoning on top just before serving.
How to make air fryer beer battered fish
- Prepare the beer mixture. Add the beer, egg, and flour in a large bowl and stir until well combined. Chill in the refrigerator while preparing the flour mixture.
- Prepare the flour mixture. In a small bowl, mix 1 cup of all-purpose flour, garlic powder, cornstarch, paprika, ground black pepper, and salt. Move the flour mixture into a shallow dish.
- Preheat the air fryer. Preheat the air fryer to 375° F.
- Prepare the fish. Dip the fish filets into the beer mixture. One by one, remove the fish fillets from the beer mixture draining the excess moisture. Then, dip the fish fillets into the flour mixture. Cover all the fish filets with the seasoned flour and press gently.
- Air fry the fish. Move the coated fish filets into the air fryer basket on a single layer and spritz some cooking spray over both sides. Place the fish in the air fryer basket in a single layer and air fry for 12 minutes, or until crispy and golden brown.
- Serve. To serve, transfer the beer-battered fish onto a platter, serve it with French fries, ketchup, and lemon wedges.
Recipe tips
Choose your fish. For this beer-battered fish recipe, you’ll want to use a firm, mild white fish so they’ll hold their shape while cooking. The best fish to choose are fresh cod, haddock, or tilapia.
Dry your fish. To make your fish extra crispy pat your filet down with a paper towel before placing it in the batter. Your batter will stick to your fish better if there is less liquid.
Spray your fish. Be sure to spray your fish filets with cooking oil, like an olive oil spray, to make them extra golden brown and crispy.
Do not overlap. When placing your battered fish in the air fryer, be sure not to overlap your filets as they will not cook evenly.
What kind of beer is used for beer batter?
When adding beer to the batter, it’s also good to go with a lighter beer. Make sure it’s fizzy because you want the air bubbles to form while you’re cooking your fish in the air fryer. I recommend using a pale-colored beer or lager.
Why can’t you put wet batter in the air fryer?
Putting wet batter in your air fryer isn’t the best idea. It will become incredibly messy as the batter will sink down into the bottom of your air fryer basket.
It will also be harder to form a crispy coating if using a thick batter like it would if you were deep frying them.
How do I store leftover Air Fryer Beer Battered Fish?
The key to storing your leftovers is to let your cooked fish cool down before putting it into an airtight container.
If you put your hot fish in an airtight container or ziploc bag, the heat will cause condensation, which will cause your fish to become soggy. Your leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up three days.
How do I reheat my beer-battered fish?
I recommend using the air fryer to warm up your leftover fish because it will restore the crunchy coating and crispy texture that you’re looking for.
Preheat your air fryer to a medium-high temperature (350°F) and place the fish in the air fryer basket and heat for 5-7 minutes until warmed through and crispy.
Can I make this beer-battered fish recipe ahead of time?
You can make this main dish in advance, however, it’s best fresh out of the air fryer. I recommend making this recipe if it’s going to be served to guests right away.
If you’re making this meal for a large group of people or if you know that you’re a little short on time, feel free to prepare the flour mixture in advance, but I don’t recommend putting your fish in any batter until use.
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Air Fryer Beer Battered Fish
Ingredients
- ¾ cup of your favorite light beer
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsps cornstarch
- ½ tbsp smoked paprika
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 4 4 oz fish fillets, cod or tilapia are my favorite
- cooking spray
- for serving: ketchup, french fries, lemon wedges
Instructions
- Add the beer, egg, and ¾ cup flour in a bowl and stir until well combined. Chill in the refrigerator while preparing the flour mixture.
- In a small bowl, mix 1 cup of all-purpose flour, garlic powder, cornstarch, paprika, ground black pepper, and salt. Transfer the flour mixture into a shallow dish.
- Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray and preheat to 375° F.
- Dip the fish fillets into the beer mixture. One by one, remove the fish fillets from the beer mixture draining the excess liquid. Then, dip the fish fillets into the flour mixture. Cover all the fish fillets with the seasoned flour and press gently.
- Place the coated fish fillets in the air fryer basket in a single layer and lightly spray both sides with cooking oil. Air fry for 12 minutes or until crispy and golden brown.
- To serve, transfer the beer-battered fish onto a platter, serve it with French fries, ketchup, and lemon wedges.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is approximate and was calculated using a recipe nutrition label generator.
This air fryer beer battered fish was the perfect comfort food meal! Served it with some onion rings and it was just as good as what I’d get in the best pub!
This was such a great recipe for the air fryer! The batter is so so delicious, such a great crunch, thank you for a delish recipe.
This was so easy and the fish got SO crispy!
The crunch on the fish is insanely good! And I love how quick this is to make—will definitely be making again soon.
Another great recipe for my air fryer! Turned out perfectly crisp yet tender and juicy; easily, a new favorite recipe!
This is a lovely recipe and quick to make. I added the Sichuan pepper and used slightly less soy sauce than the recipe recommends. I served the brown trout with rice and stir fried Pak choli with garlic, chili and a dash of fish sauce.
That sounds delicious, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!