The Crispiest Air Fryer Fish Tacos

Air Fryer Fish Tacos are a life-changing way to eat cod! The flaky white fish has a perfectly crispy coating and is paired with a delicious coleslaw, tartar sauce, and fresh squeeze of lemon creating a dish that’ll have you licking your fingers in delight and trumping any Wisconsin Friday Night Fish Fry 🥳

We LOVE easy air fryer recipes here at Fit Foodie Finds, and these crispy fish tacos are our new favorite obsession. It’s simple, delicious, and makes for the perfect taco dinner any day of the week. 

We’re Wisconsin gals and in Wisconsin, there is something called Friday Night Fish Fry. Let’s just say we’ve had our fair share of fried fish and know exactly what to look out for to make it perfectly flakey and not too breaded. And, if you’re from Wisconsin, we highly recommend you check out Max’s on the Lake in New Auburn, WI for seriously the best fish fry in the midwest!

We used cod fish for this recipe. If you have ever encountered difficulties while preparing this particular fish, you won’t anymore! We’ve come up with the best way to bread this fish so that it’s crispy on the outside and soft and flaky on the inside — no rubbery, soggy fish tacos here!

• Cod filet: you can use either fresh or frozen cod, but the fresher is always better!
• Plain bread crumbs: this gets the cod tasting nice and crispy.
• Old bay seasoning: a classic seasoning for fish. Feel free to use your favorite seafood seasoning.
• Coleslaw mix: we used a broccoli coleslaw mix, but any will do.
• Veggies: we added fennel bulb and white onion to the slaw mix for more flavor.
• Fresh dill: the ultimate herb for flavoring fish! Don’t skip it.
• Vinegar: rice vinegar and white wine vinegar are key ingredients for the slaw dressing.
• Lemon juice: lemon juice adds a touch of acidity to the slaw dressing.
• Dijon mustard: Dijon gives the dressing a creamy and spicy finish.
• Honey: adds just the right amount of sweetness to the dressing.
• Tatar sauce: nothing goes with fish tacos quite like Tatar sauce! Try our Greek Yogurt and Dill Pickle Tartar Sauce!
• Mini street corn taco tortillas: grab your favorite mini street taco tortillas.

Our #1 Secret for getting CRISPY Air Fryer Fish

We HIGHLY recommend double-dredging your fish before air frying. We found that by dredging your fish twice, the crust came out extra crispy and not much fell off while air frying.

Now, if you like a fish less breaded, you can always opt for the single dredge, but just try the double first. We gave it a 10/10!

Tasty Toppings for Air Fryer Fish Tacos

One of the best things about this fish taco recipe is that you can customize it however you’d like with all sorts of tasty toppings. Here are some of our ideas to get the inspiration flowing:

• Avocados
• Mango salsa
• Queso fresco
• Sriracha mayo
• Red onion
• Cilantro
• Pico de Gallo
• Sour cream
• Black olives
• Refried beans

Storage

Store your cooked fish, coleslaw, tartar sauce, and corn tortillas in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days.

To reheat

Preheat your air fryer to 350°F and cook for 2 to 4 minutes or until completely heated through. Be careful not to overcook your fish, as it’ll become rubbery in texture.

Serving Suggestions

Fish tacos pair nicely with all sorts of side dishes. If you’re looking for something indulgent, try our Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries, Easy Fried Rice, or Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers. If you want to keep it light but flavorful, our Easy Bean Salad, Cauliflower Fried Rice, or One-Pan Cauliflower Nachos.

Air Fryer Fish Tacos

Savor these Air Fryer Fish Tacos, featuring crispy cod with a double-breaded crust, tangy homemade slaw, all nestled in mini street corn taco tortillas and topped with tartar sauce, for a quick yet gourmet twist on traditional tacos.

Prep:20 minutes minutes

Cook:15 minutes minutes

Total:35 minutes minutes

Fat 11

Carbs 21

Protein 20

Ingredients

Slaw

• 2 cups broccoli coleslaw mix or any coleslaw mix
• 1 fennel bulb thinly sliced
• ¼ large white onion thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped dill
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt separated
• ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions 

• Prepare the coleslaw. Add the broccoli slaw, fennel, white onion, and dill to a bowl and toss. Season with ½ teaspoon of salt and massage for 2-3 minutes.

• In a separate small bowl, whisk together the rice vinegar, white wine vinegar, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, honey, ½ teaspoon salt, and pepper. Pour the dressing over the coleslaw and toss. Place in the refrigerator for later.

• Preheat the air fryer to 400ºF, and if using frozen cod, be sure to thaw it.

• Prepare the fish by blotting the cod with a paper towel to remove excess moisture. Cut the fish into 4 strips or pieces that will fit in your air fryer. Set aside.

• Add the eggs to a mixing bowl and whisk together. In a separate bowl, mix the bread crumbs, flour, old bay seasoning, and salt. Stir to combine.

• Dredge the fish filets through the egg mixture. Allow excess egg to drip from the fish. Dredge the fish through the breadcrumb mixture. Use your hands to firmly pat or press the breadcrumb mixture into the fish filet.

• Dredge the fish through the egg and breadcrumb mixture a second time. Repeat until all the fish filets have been coated twice.

• Coat the air fryer basket with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and then transfer the fish filets to the air fryer. Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the fish.

• Cook the fish for 8 minutes and then gently flip the fish. It’s ok if the fish falls apart a little bit. Cook the fish for an additional 4 minutes or until the fish is golden brown.

• Remove from the air fryer and let the fish rest for 5 minutes.

• Assemble the tacos by filling each taco with fish, coleslaw, and tartar sauce.

Nutrition facts

Calories: 260kcal Carbohydrates: 21g Protein: 20g Fat: 11g Fiber: 2g Sugar: 4g