Learn How to Air Fry Basa Fillets with these easy step-by-step instructions. Lean white fish fillets like basa cook in the air fryer in mere minutes and are incredibly versatile as well as generally being pretty economical too.
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I find basa to be quite an interesting fish because it is readily available in every UK supermarket, both in the fresh and freezer sections. But I don’t think I’ve ever known of anyone actually buying or cooking it.
But then I do live in haddock country so maybe it’s just me. It simply wouldn’t be sold if no one was buying it! And chances are if you’ve come across this post, you probably have some in the fridge waiting to be cooked.
Basa is actually part of the catfish family and is also known as cobbler or Vietnamese river cobbler. I think it’s had a bit of a rebrand if we’re honest! And it is similar to the kind of catfish that is popular and common in the US south, but it isn’t quite the same. If you are wanting to recreate an American catfish recipe in the UK however, this is a great substitute.
For more fish and shellfish recipes, don’t miss my handy dandy collection of all my air fryer recipes:
The Air Fried Fish & Shellfish Collection
Find all of my best fish and shellfish recipes in one easy place.
Featuring everything from king prawns and scallops to haddock fillets, sea bass and sea bream as well as whole plaice, cod loins, mackerel fillets and of course I couldn’t miss out salmon fillets!
How to Serve
As I’ve mentioned, basa is an extremely versatile white fish. It’s flavour is on the stronger side so it really stands up to heavier seasoning than some other options like sea bass and cod loins.
I’ve served the fillets simply with air fried whole baby potatoes, a salad of tomatoes and red onion, steamed broccoli and as always, some fresh spinach leaves. And I added a simple garlic butter melted with a little lemon juice for extra zing.
Ingredients
Basa
As I mentioned, basa is easily available here in the UK. It is more often than not sold ready filleted and skinned. The fresh fillets that I bought were 125g/4oz each and sold in packs of two. This seems to be a fairly standard fillet size across the board.
If you’re looking for it in other countries, it seems to be sold under a wide variety of names so have a look for: cobbler, river cobbler, pangasius, panga, Pacific dory or patin.
Smoked Basa
Basa is also available smoked – you can cook smoked basa in exactly the same way as unsmoked basa.
Butter
Basa is extremely lean and I find that it seriously benefits from having a little fat added during the cooking process. This adds flavour, moistness and helps the surface of the fish fillet start to brown slightly.
You can use another oil instead if you prefer. Think about the flavour of the oil in combination with the seasonings you’re using and the overall vibe of the final dish.
Seasoning
As always with these simple how to recipes, I’ve kept things simple and just used a little sea salt flakes.
You can add any additional herbs or seasonings you see fit. Plus you can marinade the fish before cooking or brush with a glaze during cooking.
Allergen Information
This recipe is free from egg, gluten and nuts.
Dairy Free: The butter I’ve used contains dairy so to make a dairy free version, use a plant based butter substitute or a oil.
Please note that this recipe may contain other allergens not referred to above and any variations suggested have not been tested unless otherwise stated. For more information regarding any dietary information provided on this website, please refer to my Nutritional Disclaimer.
How Long to Air Fry Basa Fillets
Basa is a delicate white fish with fairly thin fillets which cook very quickly. So I cook them for 7 minutes in a preheated air fryer.
This doesn’t result in a huge amount of browning/colouring on the surface of the fish but it is better to have moist and juicy perfectly cooked fish than cook it longer just for browning. If you do prefer full surface caramelisation, it is better to pan fry the fillets.
How to Air Fry Basa Fillets From Frozen
Basa fillets are very easy to cook from frozen. It is a good idea to give them a quick rinse under the tap to remove any surface ice crystals. Dry the fillets really well then continue with the butter, seasoning and air frying as normal.
The cooking time need only increase by 1 minute when cooking directly from frozen.
Leftovers – Storage & Reheating
Leftovers can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for a couple of days. It will also freeze.
To reheat I would recommend microwaving with a drop of water – this will only take a minute or two. This steaming method will keep the fish from overcooking which is quite easy to do.
To do the same in the airfryer, loosely wrap the fish in a foil packet with a drop of water and then air fry until piping hot all the way through. You can use both these methods using frozen leftovers too.
Be aware that once cooked, it is very difficult to keep the fillets together – they will flake apart.
Common Air Fryer Questions – A Brief Guide to Air Frying
- What exactly is an air fryer?
- What are the benefits of using an air fryer?
- Are all air fryers the same?
- Is an air fryer always better to use than an oven?
- Do air fryers need to be pre-heated?
- What is the best temperature to air fry at?
- What setting is best to use? Air fry, bake, dehydrate, etc…
- Can food be cooked from frozen in an air fryer?
- Can I reheat food in an air fryer?
- Are air fryer liners a good idea?
The Air Fried Feast Community
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What Exactly is an Air Fryer?
Very simply, an air fryer is a small convection (fan) oven. The benefit is that the hot air is circulated all around the food being cooked which speeds up the cooking time and cooks the food more evenly.
What are the Benefits of Using an Air Fryer?
Size, time and energy usage. Air fryers are ideal for cooking smaller quantities. Heating up a space that the food just fits into requires less energy and means that the heat source is much closer to the food. Combining these two things can speed up the cooking time.
Are all air fryers the same?
Nope! The term air fryer is now used very broadly. I consider there to be 4 main types:
Basket Air Fryers
These are what I would consider to be the most common, especially in the UK. A boxy type unit has a pull out drawer/basket. Food isn’t usually visible whilst cooking.
Some larger models have two drawers so different items can be cooked at different temperatures or for different times.
This is the type that you’ll see in the images in this recipe. I mostly use a Cosori Lite 3.8L (CAF-LI401S) with a 3.8 litre capacity. The square(ish) shaped basket is 21cm x 21cm and 24cm on the diagonal. It isn’t an overly expensive or fancy model.
I’ve also recommended to several friends and family the model with a slightly larger basket. This is the Cosori 4.7L (CAF-L501) with a 4.7 litre basket. The unit is no larger than the 3.8 litre model on the outside but does have a larger internal basket capacity. I’ve since bought this version to use for some recipes where my smaller model was just too small. I’ll always note this in the recipe.
Rotary Air Fryers
Round air fryers with a paddle in the centre that rotates to move the food. This is the type I used for years – the most common is a Tefal Actifry.
Rotary types are not usually good for recipes where the food is breaded, glazed, likely to break up or in a tray/container. They do however make the best chips and roasted veg.
My 2 in 1 version like the one I’ve linked also has a rotating tray for things that could be broken up by a paddle, but the height clearance with the lid isn’t deep enough to use it to cook some items like sausage rolls. I’ve now actually retired by Actifry in favour of having my two basket type fryers.
Mini Oven Air Fryers
These usually have a glass door, shelves and overall are really quite large. You can cook quite a decent quantity of food in them so are best if regularly cooking for multiple people. They often come with extra features like a rotisserie spit or kebab skewers.
Multicookers with Air Fryer Functions
Some like Ninja 11 in 1 and some of the earlier versions with a few less functions, have an air fryer option. They mostly operate the same as a basket fryer but the basket drops in the top rather than sliding in like a drawer.
Some electric pressure cookers like Instant Pots can also air fry when used with a specific lid.
Is an air fryer always better to use than an oven?
As much as I do love air frying, the honest answer to this is no. And the more detailed answer is that it will always depend on what you’re cooking, how much of it you’re cooking and what type and size of air fryer you have.
Once you need to cook in more than 2 batches, it often makes more sense to use an oven. If you already have the oven on to cook other items, it may make more sense to throw one more item in rather than using an additional appliance.
I don’t think either method is often necessarily better than the other. The important point to note is that there is absolutely no difference in the finished product.
Do Air Fryers Need to Be Pre-Heated?
The answer to this is rather annoying – it depends. It depends entirely on your model and type of air fryer. The best advice I can offer is to check your manual and follow their guidance. My Cosori models have a preheat function. I press a button and it heats at 205c/400f for 4 minutes.
It’s also worth noting that regardless of whether you are supposed to pre-heat or not, if you are cooking in batches, it is quite likely that anything after the first batch will cook a little quicker because of the retained heat. It is best to check on them before the cooking time is completed.
What is the best temperature to Air Fry at?
It will always depend on what you are cooking and from what state. All of my air fryer recipes don’t use temperatures above 200c/390f because many of the most common fryers in the UK don’t go above this. Mine goes to 230c/450f and I use this temperature a lot but it is no help for me to share recipes which many people can’t use.
What setting is best to use? Air fry, bake, dehydrate, etc…
Not all air fryers have different settings like this. When they do it usually relates to the fan speed. The default setting to use will always be “air fry” so unless something else is specifically stated in the recipe, always use the air fry option.
There are other air fryers that have an additional heating element which cooks from underneath rather than just the top. Just as with the other settings, unless you are using a recipe which states to use a second heating element, stick with just using the top down air fry option.
Of course if and when you become more confident with air frying, using recipes and the settings of your air fryer, you can start adapting them to suit.
Can Food Be Cooked From Frozen In An Air Fryer?
Absolutely! To cook from frozen you usually will need to reduce the cooking temperature and increase the time to make sure your food is cooked right through to the middle.
It is best to check my individual recipes for cooking from frozen advice as some items are a little different. And there are occasionally exceptions to the rule.
Can I Reheat Food In An Air Fryer?
Yes. As a general rule I reheat food for roughly 1/3 of the original cooking time at the same temperature. Or at 10 degrees lower for half the time for larger items.
Are Air Fryer Liners a Good Idea?
Unless otherwise stated, I do not use liners when air frying. Basket and rotary type air fryers are designed to be used without liners. Mini oven types will generally require some kind of tray like with a regular large oven although most come with crisper racks to use.
There are many air fryer liners available including quite thick silicone ones. These will affect the cooking times and possibly temperatures of your cooking/baking. I also don’t like how cooking juices are prevented from dripping through the basket rack. This can stop food from crisping all the way around.
When I do want to collect the juices, I mostly use some foil, or occasionally a foil tray which can be washed and reused.
If you do prefer to use them, once you have got a feel for how they affect your cooking and baking, you may need to make adjustments to the recipe accordingly.
More Air Fryer Recipes
All my recipes with instructions for how to cook or bake them in the air fryer can be found in my Air Fryer Recipe Index.
Don’t forget to let me know in the comments if you try making this recipe – I want to know what you think and if you made any substitutions, how did it turn out?
Still Have Questions?
Simple! Just contact me and I will do my best to help as quickly as I am able. Head over to my Contact Me page, any of my social media channels or post a comment at the bottom of this page and I’ll see what I can do.
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The Recipe
How to Air Fry Basa Fillets
Ingredients
- 2 Basa Fillets - roughly 125g each
- 1 tbsp Salted Butter - see notes
- ¼ tsp Sea Salt Flakes - see notes
Instructions
- If your air fryer requires pre-heating, start this setting now.
- Melt 1 tbsp Salted Butter in a small bowl. I do this in the microwave but you could use a small heatproof bowl in the air fryer if you like. The preheat setting will likely do the trick.
- Thoroughly dry 2 Basa Fillets. Use your fingers to check for any rogue bones and remove them if you find any.
- Use a pastry brush to coat both sides of the fillets with the melted butter.
- Sprinkle over ¼ tsp Sea Salt Flakes – again seasoning both sides of the fish. Crush them between your fingers as you sprinkle for a thinner, more even coverage.
- Place the fillets into the air fryer basket flat side down. Leave a little space between each fillet so the air can circulate.
- Air fry for 7 minutes at 200c/390f. There is no need to turn the fillets.
- Be careful removing the fillets from the fryer as they will be delicate. Serve hot straight away.
To Air Fry From Frozen
- Cook for 8 minutes at 200c/390f.
Notes
- Butter – You can use an oil instead of butter but I do find that butter helps the fish skin crisp a little more and adds a nice flavour.
- Salt/Seasoning – You can use any seasoning mix or sauce instead of just salt but make sure that salt is included in the mix. You can also add a little citrus juice. If you use a sauce with a high sugar content, you may want to brush this on halfway through cooking so it doesn’t catch and burn.
- The air fryer version of this recipe is tested in a Cosori Lite (CAF-LI401S) with a 3.8 litre capacity. The square(ish) shaped basket is 21cm x 21cm and 24cm on the diagonal.
- Not all models advise preheating is required. Please follow the recommended instructions for your model. Mine has a specific preheat setting which is 4 minutes at 205c.
- For this recipe, I can easily fit 2 fillets in the basket at a time. This gives plenty of room to allow air to circulate – I could probably squeeze in one more if I really needed.
- As all air fryer models are a little different, you may find that you can fit more or less in at a time. Some models include stacking shelves which will increase capacity.
- Required cooking times and temperatures can also vary between models and brands. If you know that your air fryer runs a little hotter than most recipes suggest, use a lower temperature. And vice versa. Equally if you find that food cooks more quickly in your machine than instructions usually state, reduce the cooking time (or check it earlier) and vice versa.
Cat says
I bought some bass fillets for my husband because I see them in every supermarket but as I don’t eat fish I had no idea how to cook them. This was incredibly helpful and I can now cook them to perfection for him.
Lesley says
This was a really easy way to cook fish without the bass fillets falling apart. They were perfectly cooked.
Janice says
Such a tasty fish and it cooked perfectly using your instructions.