It’s incredibly easy to Air Fry Cod Loin Fillets with their large flakes of succulent white fish. The chunky skinless fillets cook to perfection in merely minutes and can be served in a myriad of ways making them extremely versatile.
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I think many of us are either cod fillet or cod loin people. I personally love a good chunky piece of cod loin. It keeps it’s succulence rather well as it’s much thicker than a regular fillet, even when served in smaller pieces.
Like my other air fried fish recipes, I’ve kept these instructions extremely simply with just a coating of butter and a sprinkle of salt. This is a great starting point of a recipe. You can either keep things simple like this and really highlight the delicious flavour of the cod. Or you can use different seasonings or glazes as you please.
I will point out the the fish does not form a crust or colour much when being air fried. The cooking time is so short that there simply isn’t time for much caramelisation to occur. I love to air fry but I’m no slave to it so I have no problem suggesting that you pan fry the cod instead if you are looking to achieve a golden brown fillet.
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How to Serve
As I mentioned, you can keep things very simple by serving with a light salad or making up a fresh spring meal like I have here. I’ve served with:
- Air fried whole baby potatoes
- Steamed mangetout
- Air fried thick asparagus spears
- Fresh baby spinach and tomatoes
- A drizzle of lemon butter garlic sauce.
Make the most of reheated leftover chippy chips and some mushy peas to make a light version of a chip shop dinner. Perfect for Fridays for the traditionalists.
You can brush with teriyaki sauce and serve with sticky rice and sesame tenderstem. Or incorporate cod into many other Asian inspired dishes like a bowl of light miso ramen.
Ingredients
Cod Loin
Cod loins are cut from larger fish and are thick and firm with large flakes. They are an even thickness throughout which makes then extremely easy to cook. They are a little more expensive pound for pound that cod fillets but are certainly worth it on occasion.
I find that unlike cod fillets, the loin is more often than not sold without the skin. And of course like all filleted fish, it should in theory have already been pin boned. However it is not at all unusual for the odd bone to remain so it is always worth using your fingers to check and remove any stragglers.
The cod loins I bought and used were frozen. There is really no issue with using frozen fish, especially for fish caught out in deep waters. If you’ve ever seen how deep sea fishing works, you’ll know that all the fish is effectively frozen before being landed anyway. You can also cook it straight from frozen if you need to which is pretty handy. I’ve described how in more detail below.
Butter
I only use salted butter in my cooking and baking unless there is a very good reason otherwise. Cooking fish is not a good reason. I even often make my own butter from scratch which is actually incredibly easy providing you have some kind of electrical assistance in the kitchen.
Butter has a low melting and smoking point so I use it on very quick cooked fish to give some semblance of colour to the outside of the fillet. And of course the flavour is extremely complementary to the delicate fish.
You can use oil if you prefer, simply brush it on as I do the melted butter. You may wish to use a little more salt if you do this.
Salt
I am a big fan of Maldon sea salt and this is what I exclusively use when cooking (unless making a brine or salting cooking water). The flakes have a delicate flavour which enhances the flavour of the fish rather than distract from it.
If you do need to use a salt with smaller flakes or a free flowing table salt, reduce the quantity in the recipe by around half as it is much stronger by volume.
Allergen Information
This recipe is free from egg, gluten and nuts.
Dairy Free: As the butter contains dairy, you will need to use a dairy free alternative or an oil instead.
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 Cod Loin Fillets
The loin fillets I’ve air fried were around 120g each (4oz). This seems to be a fairly common size for supermarket packs.
For this size, they cook in just 5 minutes. This is in a pre-heated air fryer. I think this is extra important when dealing with very short cooking times as starting in a cold air fryer will affect both the cooking time and more importantly, the way that the heat permeates the fish.
How to Air Fry Cod Loins From Frozen
I’m a big fan of cooking straight from frozen when needed. There are a couple of extra steps that I take to get the best results.
The first is to rinse the fillets under the tap and the second is to dry them very thoroughly. This removes any surface ice crystals and then gives you a dry surface to butter and season. Leftover surface water will boil the fish rather than allowing the fish to roast.
The cooking time only needs to be increased by around one minute.
Leftovers – Storage & Reheating
Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for a couple of days if well covered or kept in an air tight container. Cooked fillets can also be frozen but this isn’t my favourite thing to do if I can help it. The texture of the fish does suffer from the freezing and defrosting process.
To reheat, it is best to effectively steam the fish which will prevent it from drying out. You can do this in a covered dish in the microwave with a drop of added water. To do the same in the air fryer, you can loosely wrap the fish in foil along with a tiny bit of water. Air fry on high until the fish is piping hot all the way through – this should only take a few minutes.
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?
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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 Cod Loin Fillets
Ingredients
- 2 Cod Loin Fillets - roughly 120g/4oz each
- 2 tsp Salted Butter - see notes
- ¼ tsp Sea Salt Flakes - see notes
Instructions
- If your air fryer requires pre-heating, Start this setting now.
- Melt 2 tsp 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 Cod Loin Fillets. Use your fingers to check for any rogue bones and remove them if you find any.
- Use a pastry brush the top and sides of the fillets with the melted butter. Don't forget the ends.
- Sprinkle over half of the ¼ tsp Sea Salt Flakes. Crush them between your fingers as your sprinkle for a thinner even coverage. Again don't forget to season all sides.
- Place the loin fillets into the air fryer basket butter side down Leave a little space between each fillet so the air can circulate.
- Brush the top with the remaining butter and sprinkle with the remaining sea salt.
- Cook for 5 minutes at 200c/390f. There is no need to turn the fillets.
- Be careful removing the fillets from the fryer as they will be extremely delicate. Serve hot straight away.
To Air Fry From Frozen
- Cook for 6 minutes at 200c/390f.
- Check the fillets half way through the cooking time and use a kitchen towel to mop off any surface water if needed.
Notes
- Butter – You can use an oil instead of butter but I do find that butter helps the fish to colour slightly 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 towards the end of 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 can fit two more in if 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.
Ben says
I’m new to cooking fish and after trying your air fryer salmon I gave this cod a go. It came our perfectly, can’t wait to try more.
Janice says
I tried the cod loin fillets and I agree that this is by far the best way to cook them. Your timings were spot on and the fish stayed moist and flaky.
Karen says
Great instructions for cooking fish in the air fryer. I was worried it might be dry but it wasn’t at all. Lovely buttery fish, perfectly cooked. I’ll be doing this again.