Simply Air Fry Haddock Fillets for a ridiculously quick and delicious centrepiece to your meal. The soft flakes of white fish can be served simply or seasoned to match the flavours of the rest of your meal.
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As someone from Grimsby, haddock is in my blood. Probably quite literally in my ancestry. It is the go-to fish for the town and the most common in our chip shops. Now I do like cod too but haddock is where it’s at.
Like most fish lovers around here, I know that not all fish needs to be heavily battered and deep fried. Indeed most chippies will happily skin, lightly batter or even grill your fish on request.
These instructions are unsurprisingly similar to how I cook other white fish fillets like cod fillets, sea bream and sea bass. Like my other recipes I’ve kept things extremely simple with just a light brush of melted butter and a sprinkle of sea salt.
Once you now how to cook the fish this simply, you can go on to add other seasonings, sauces or glazes if you wish.
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How to Serve
Keeping with the chip shop theme, I’ve reheated and crisped up some leftover chip shop chips in the air fryer. Then served with some tinned mushy peas, tartare sauce, ketchup and the cooked fish for a lighter (and more economical) fish supper at home.
There are lots of other ways you can serve haddock fillets. Try some of these suggestions:
- Make an air fried spring feast with asparagus, roasted baby potatoes and finish with a light garlic and lemon butter sauce.
- Glaze the haddock with a simple miso butter sauce then serve with a simple chow mien and sesame tenderstem broccoli for added freshness.
- Flake into small corn tortillas and top with guacamole, fresh salsa and shredded lettuce for a light and fresh take on fish tacos. Add coriander garlic rice and elotes to make it into a feast.
Ingredients
Haddock
Haddock is actually a member of the cod family – I find the flavour and texture to be extremely similar although the sizes of the flakes can be a little different. This depends on the size of the fish too.
The fillets that I used were just under 200g each and had been trimmed a little. Which was useful because they only just fitted into my air fryer. You can buy many varying sizes of fillet, especially from a fishmonger. Supermarket prepacked fillets do tend to be a little smaller.
The fillets do have their skin on but I chose to cook these larger fillets flesh side up. If you prefer a crispy skin then just flip the recipe and cook them skin side up.
You can buy and use frozen haddock fillets without issue. I’ve included instructions for how to cook from frozen below.
Butter
I’ve used butter in these instructions because of its low smoking point, flavour and ease. The butter helps the cod skin to crisp in the short cooking time.
You can use oil instead if you prefer, but do make sure you add some kind of fat. Haddock fillets are incredibly lean and that added fat helps them to not dry out during cooking.
Salt
Sea salt flakes such as Maldon are my preferred simple seasoning. You can use any other seasonings you like but you should make sure that it has a salty element whether that’s sea salt, soy sauce or similar.
Allergen Information
This recipe is free from egg, gluten and nuts.
Dairy Free: Simply switch the butter for a plant based option or use 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 Haddock Fillets
The trick with all fish cookery is to remember that fish cooks extremely quickly. Overcooked fish will be dry and doesn’t feel nice to eat, so don’t be tempted to give it a couple of extra minutes for luck. And it is worth noting that the fish will continue to cook for a minute or two after the air fryer is finished.
It is also worth noting that fillets cook quicker flesh side up. So if you are going for crispy skin, you will need to add a minute or two. The skin effectively protects the flesh from the heat making the cooking slower.
These 200g haddock fillets cook in 7 minutes. If your fillets are smaller, you should reduce the cooking time accordingly. A smaller fillet allows the air to circulate more freely and importantly, they will likely be thinner. The thinner the fillet, the quicker it will cook.
Of course the same is true in reverse, a larger/thicker fillet will need some additional cooking time. Just don’t go overboard.
How to Air Fry Haddock Fillets From Frozen
When cooking from frozen, more liquid can be released during cooking. To avoid this I recommend rinsing the fillets under some cold water to remove any surface frost. Dry the fillets really well then butter and season as usual.
Check the cooking halfway. If there looks to be a lot of surface moisture you can use some folded kitchen paper to mop any of that off. Just be careful not to catch your hands on the hot parts of the fryer – use tongs if needed.
You only need to add 1 minute to the cooking time if cooking directly from frozen.
Leftovers – Storage & Reheating
I would highly recommend only cooking the haddock fillets just before you plan on serving and eating them. And try not to cook more than you are truly likely to eat.
If needed you can store any leftovers well covered in the fridge.
I mostly prefer to reheat in the microwave as this keeps the flesh lovely and moist. A minute or two will be enough, add a drop of water and cover the dish before heating.
To reheat in the air fryer you should allow around 3 minutes at 200c/390f. It is a good idea to loosely wrap the fillets in foil and add a drop of water to effectively steam it.
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 Haddock Fillets
Ingredients
- 2 Haddock Fillets - roughly 200g each
- 1 tbsp Salted Butter - see notes
- ½ 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 Haddock Fillets. Use your fingers to check for any rogue bones and remove them if you find any.
- Use a pastry brush to coat the skin side of the fillets with the melted butter.Note: If you prefer crispy skin, butter the flesh side, place in the basket skin side up. Add 2 minutes to the cooking time.
- Sprinkle over half of the ½ tsp Sea Salt Flakes. Crush the flakes between your fingers as your sprinkle for a thinner even coverage.
- Place the fillets into the air fryer basket flesh side up and butter side down. Leave a little space between each fillet so the air can circulate if at all possible. Depending on your air fryer size and shape, you made need to be creative with the angles like I needed to be.
- Repeat the buttering and salting on the top of the flesh. Be careful not to catch your hands on the side of the hot basket. If you are using a non basket air fryer, you can do this beforehand.
- Cook 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 just fit 2 fillets in the basket at a time. This gives just enough room to allow air to circulate.
- 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.
Timothy says
Well said Chloe gave me a chuckle!!!!!
Lynn Burgess says
Loved your recipe! Being from Cleethorpes, do you have a recipe for mushy peas?
Chloe says
Hello fellow local! I don’t actually have a recipe for mushy peas – I should probably put it on my to do list but I have to admit that I’m not the world’s greatest fan of them! I’ll definitely get to it one day though!
Cat says
Haddock is my fish of choice so I had to try this out! I’ll definitely be cooking it again in the air fryer!
Dave says
I love all kinds of fish and we often eat haddock. I cooked it to your instructions and it came out prefectly, thanks.
Karen says
Tried out this recipe and I cooked it skin side up, adding the extra time you suggested, to get the crispy skin. Delicious and perfectly cooked fish. Thank you.
Ian says
This article is a blatant advert for air friers.
Air friers were introduced to get rid of oil or fat
from cooking (for health reasons).
Yet when I see airfire-based recipes with a lot of
added butter or fat, I cringe.
I will never buy an airfire.
Chloe says
Imagine being the kind of person that trawls the internet to find recipes for an air fryer that you don’t own and never even tried. Then imagine having so little education that you can’t comprehend basic nutrition facts like fat being essential to health and balanced nutrition. Then imagine spending actual time writing a comment on a recipe website moaning about a recipe for an appliance that you don’t own or want. But wait! You don’t need to imagine do you Ian because you this is you! I really hope that you go and get the therapy that you very clearly need Ian. And in the meantime, the rest of us will enjoy our delicious buttery fish – yum yum.