Lemon sole is a delicious flat fish that’s mild in flavour and super quick to cook, especially when air fried. These simple instructions make preparing and cooking the sole fillets extra easy and can be adapted for any similar flat fish fillets.
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Lemon sole fillets are quick to cook no matter the method. But using the air fryer is simplicity itself. I recommend cooking them skin-side up for maximum crisp on the skin. I keep the seasoning extra simple in this recipe – just a brush of melted butter and sea salt but you can use any other seasonings to your heat’s content.
Jump to…
- HOW TO SERVE
- INGREDIENTS
- HOW LONG TO AIR FRY LEMON SOLE
- HOW TO AIR FRY SOLE FILLETS FROM FROZEN
- LEFTOVERS
- COMMON AIR FRYER QUESTIONS
- THE RECIPE IN FULL
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
Lemon sole feels like a perfect spring or summer dish served simply with a green salad, boiled new potatoes and some beautifully ripe tomatoes. And if they’re not quite so beautifully ripe, these confit tomatoes are an excellent option.
A warm potato salad is another option as would be some garlic lemon green beans. Wholegrain mustard mixed with some mayonnaise, lemon juice and salt makes an excellent simple sauce. Or you can make a very simple butter/cream sauce with a little shallot, garlic and more lemon.
Don’t forget the lemon slices or wedges to serve.
Ingredients
Lemon Sole
Lemon sole isn’t named for the fruit’s colour or taste, it simply has a mild fish flavour. It isn’t a “fishy fish” and isn’t oily at all. Unlike dover sole, it also isn’t actually a sole either but that technically species classification doesn’t stop it being very similar in both taste and texture.
Lemon sole isn’t the most common fish found in British supermarkets but it is available in some places. And of course any half decent fishmonger (including those in supermarkets) will most certainly sell it. There are also quite a few online fish suppliers nowadays if you don’t have a local option.
For the most part, lemon sole does tend to be sold ready filleted and can be bought with both the skin on and off. If you are using skin-off fillets, I would suggest cooking them with the more rounded side facing upwards in the air fryer.
Butter
Lemon sole fillets are extremely lean and I find that they seriously benefit from having a little fat added during the cooking process. This adds flavour, moistness and helps the surface of the fish skin start to crisp up.
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 Lemon Sole Fillets
Because the fish fillets are so delicate once they start to cook, I do not suggest trying to flip the fillets during the cooking process. My cooking instructions therefore recommend cooking the fillets skin side down for 7 minutes.
This allows the skin to have a chance to crisp without overcooking the flesh underneath. The air fryer will circulate the heat to the underside but the skin will protect it from the direct heat and overcooking.
If you are cooking fillets with no skin, you may wish to reduce the cooking time by one or two minutes.
How to Air Fry Lemon Sole From Frozen
If your fish has been prepped and trimmed before freezing, you can cook them directly from frozen. It is a good idea to quickly run the fillets under running water to remove any surface ice crystals before drying them thoroughly.
You can then proceed with the recipe as normal, just add an extra minute to the cooking time.
Leftovers – Storage & Reheating
The cooked fish will keep in the fridge for a couple of days if stored in an airtight container. You can eat the fish cold if you wish or warm it again.
I prefer to reheat meat and fish in the microwave with a drop of water. This effectively steams it and keeps it moist. You can also add it to a sauce and simmer to heat or wrap it loosely in foil, again with a drop of water and air fry at a high heat. This will again 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?
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 Lemon Sole Fillets
Ingredients
- 2 Lemon Sole Fillets - roughly 120g each
- 2 tsp Salted Butter - see notes
- ½ 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 Lemon Sole Fillets.
- Use scissors or a sharp knife to trim the frilly edges off the fillets. There is a natural line for you to follow. Use your fingers to check for any rogue bones and remove them if you find any.
- Use a pastry brush to coat the flesh side of the fillets with the melted butter.
- Sprinkle over half of the ½ tsp Sea Salt Flakes. Crush them between your fingers as your sprinkle for a thinner even coverage.
- Turn the fillets over and brush with more butter and sprinkle over the remaining salt.
- Place the fillets into the air fryer basket skin side up.
- 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
- Run the fillets under cold water to remove any surface ice crystals. Thoroughly dry then proceed with preparing them as normal.
- 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 x fillets in the basket at a time. This gives plenty of room to allow air to circulate – I could probably squeeze in x 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.
Lesley says
I do love lemon sole and these simple instructions cooked them perfectly on my air fryer.
Hazel says
I love lemon sole, so this recipe jumped out at me. The fish was perfectly cooked and so juicy and tender.