These simple instructions for How to Air Fry Whitebait will give you crunchy and crispy fry fish with all the joy of deep frying and none of the fuss. With just a dusting of flour but no breadcrumbs or batter, they simply need a squeeze of lemon to serve.
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I’ll admit that whitebait wasn’t actually on my to do list of recipes but when I saw a bag in the freezers of my favourite local fish shop, inspiration hit.
Surely the ultimate crispy fried fish dish would work perfectly the air fryer? I tried it and I wasn’t wrong!
Make sure to check out all my other fishy air fryer recipes too:-
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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!
What is Whitebait?
Whitebait is a bit of a catch all term (pardon the pun) for various small, immature fish. What fish they are can actually vary where in the world you are. In the UK they’re mostly sprats/herring. In places like Italy they’re usually sardines or mackerel.
In Australia and New Zealand they’re much smaller than the 2-3 inches which is common in Europe. And the term includes various southern hemisphere fish. In the USA they’re mostly sand eels and silverfish – mostly prevalent in the New England/North East region.
Now to the bit that I’m not fond of. They are cooked and eaten whole including the bones and they are not gutted. The fish are very small so the bones are pretty soft – not like eating a fully grown fish. The other thing I’m not fond of is that they do create a fairly strong odour when they’re cooked. If you aren’t keen on stronger cooking smells, you might consider relocating your air fryer to somewhere well ventilated.
What Is Whitebait Coated In?
Wet batters are where air fryers come unstuck. Ironically due to the batter sticking to everything. So if you are looking for a battered whitebait recipe, I would suggest getting your actual deep fat fryer out.
For this recipe I’m using seasoned flour. And a good amount of oil. The oil is essential for that flour coating to go crispy and crunchy. Otherwise it just dries out and leaves a dusty layer on the fish. You’ll still be using way less than if you deep fried, just more than you might normally when air frying.
How to Serve
Simply – all they really need is a good squeeze of lemon and maybe some tartar sauce to dunk them in. A light green salad will provide a little freshness to cut through the rich fish. This is how I would serve whitebait as a starter/appetizer.
To make them into more of a meal, I would stay with the classic seaside chip shop theme and add…chips! My favourite option is to air fry actual chippy chips.
Portion Size
I’ve written this recipe to cook 250g/9oz of raw whitebait. This amount really only serves 2 for a smallish starter and 1 for a main course portion. Even so I cook them in 2 batches. You’ll find instructions in the recipe card for how I juggle the 2 batches and make sure that they’re all hot and crispy at the same time.
Of course if you have a larger air fryer, you may be able to cook all of them at once – just don’t get carried away and overcrowd or they’ll steam and stay soggy, not fry and get crispy.
Ingredients
Whitebait
You are more than likely to come across whitebait sold frozen and I’ve written the timings on this recipe assuming this is what you have. You can cook directly from frozen which makes things very easy.
If you are buying fresh, check if the fish are as crispy as you want them a couple of minutes before what I’ve said. The difference will be very little but it’s best to check and carry on cooking than find you’ve burnt them.
Flour
I just use simple plain/all purpose flour. If you happen to only find yourself with self-raising flour, it really isn’t going to make any difference in this application.
I would stick to a white flour however, brown and wholemeal flours are going to start to add unwelcome additional flavours to the dish.
Seasoning
You can simply add salt to the flour and be done with it. I went one little stage further and added a mix of paprika and garlic salt. You really can add any other flavours you wish at this point.
Oil
Spray oil is really useful to use here. The reason I add the whitebait to the air fryer basket then spray to to prevent the flour sliding off the fish. So you can brush on some oil but be gentle for the same reason.
I use a neutral vegetable oil but you can use a more flavourful alternative like olive oil if you think the flavour will work with the rest of your dish.
Allergen Information
This recipe is free from egg, dairy and nuts.
Gluten Free: Replace the wheat flour with cornflour, potato starch, tapioca starch or any white gluten free flour blend. The gluten is doing nothing in this recipe so it make no really difference which option you use.
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 Whitebait
Each batch of whitebait takes 10 minutes to air fry in a preheated air fryer from frozen. This gives a pretty crispy result. If you want them to be extra super crispy, simply keep cooking and checking until you’re happy with them.
When cooking in two batches like I have, the first batch just needs to join the second batch for the last minute or two of cooking time.
How to Air Fry Whitebait From Frozen
As I’ve mentioned, this recipe is written assuming you are cooking the whitebait from frozen.
I don’t generally find that they need any additional preparation. But if you find that the fish are covered in ice crystals, I would recommend my usual trick of rinsing them under the tap then drying them thoroughly. Then you can flour and oil as normal.
Leftovers – Storage & Reheating
Crispy whitebait is going to be far better cooked fresh and eaten hot. You can store in the fridge in an air-tight container for a couple of days if you need to.
You will need to give them a good blast in the air fryer again to reheat and crisp them up. They will go soggy when stored!
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 Whitebait
Ingredients
- 250 g Whitebait (Fry Fish) - fresh or frozen
- 1 tbsp Plain Flour (All Purpose)
- ½ tsp Paprika
- 1 tsp Garlic Salt
- Vegetable Spray Oil
Instructions
- If your air fryer requires pre-heating, Start this setting now.
- Put 250g Whitebait into a bowl. If you are using frozen, just make sure to brush off any large pieces of ice.
- Sprinkle 1 tbsp Flour, ½ tsp Paprika and 1 tsp Garlic Salt over the fish.
- Toss to fully coat the fish in the flour and seasoning.
- Use tongs to place half of the fish into the air fryer basket. Leave a little space between each fish so the air can circulate. Note: If you have a larger air fryer where you can fit all the fish in in one single layer batch, go for it!
- Liberally spray the whitebait with oil. And I do mean liberally, don't be shy. You can brush on oil if you don't have a spray but be gentle as you don't want to brush off the flour and seasoning.
- Turn the fish and repeat with the oil on the other side.
- Air fry for 10 minutes at 200c/390f. There is no need to turn the fish.
- Check the fish and see if it as crisp as you like. 10 minutes should give you a good crunch with a little softness. If you prefer even crispier, just keep cooking until you are happy.
- Remove the fish from the air fryer and set aside. Repeat with the second batch.
- Add the first batch of cooked fish to the air fryer for the last minute or so of cooking the second batch. It won't matter at this point if they are more crowded in the pan.
- This will mean that all of your whitebait are hot and ready to go at the same time.
Notes
- Serving Size – I’ve allowed 125g whitebait per portion. This is roughly what I would expect to be served if I was ordering a starter portion in a pub. You can double the quantity for a main course or reduce it if you are serving the whitebait as part of a platter.
- Salt/Seasoning – You can use any seasoning mix or sauce instead of paprika/garlic salt but make sure that salt is included in the mix.
- 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 125g Whitebait in the basket at a time. This gives plenty of room to allow air to circulate – It is best to work in batches like I have done rather than trying to cram too many fish in.
- 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.
Janice says
It had been a long time since I’d cooked whitebait, long before air fryers were invented! This was such an easy way to cook them and they were so nice and crisp. Thanks for reminding me of this under used fish.
Karen says
What a great recipe, the white sit were properly crunchy and cooked in no time at all.