Cook up some delicious crispy fish tacos quickly and easily in your air fryer. Whitefish is dredged in cornmeal and seasonings and air fried until perfectly crispy.
This post contains affiliate links, please read my full disclaimer here.
Full Recipe Ingredients/Instructions are available in the
recipe card at the bottom of the post.
You can find important tips/tricks in the
blog post.
There’s no need to wait til taco Tuesday, these delicious crispy fish tacos are perfect for any day of the week! Mexican is one of our favorite cuisines, and these kid-friendly tacos are always a hit!
As much as I love a crispy fish taco, I’m not always in the mood to deep fry, and oven baking just doesn’t get the same results. The air fryer makes it so easy to make this street food at home in a matter of minutes and the results are more than delicious!
Topped with tangy homemade lime crema and crunchy slaw, these tacos are loaded with flavor and texture, and they are ready to enjoy in just 20 minutes!
Be sure to try my Air Fryer Chicken Tacos and Instant Pot Chicken Tacos too!
How to make air fryer fish tacos
- Gather your ingredients.
- In a large bowl, mix the cornmeal, flour, old bay, kosher salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika.
- Pat the fish dry and then dip into the cornmeal mixture, making sure all sides are coated.
- Spray the air fryer with cooking spray. Then place the fish in the air fryer. Spray the fish with a light coating of cooking spray.
- Cook at 400F for 8-10 minutes.
- In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the lime crema.
- In a large bowl, combine the ingredients for the slaw.
- Warm the tortillas in the microwave or oven and then layer with the desired toppings.
What’s the best fish to use?
I like to use whitefish for my tacos, they generally have a mild flavor with a hint of sweetness, and have a soft and flaky texture. Cod, pollock, halibut, haddock, or halibut all work great. If you want to mix things up. you could totally make these with salmon, or try them with my Crispy Air Fryer Fried Shrimp!
What toppings can you add?
I love to serve these with my lime crema and quick slaw. The flavors of the lime work so well with the crispy fish! You can of course build these any way you like, try topping them with:
- Blender Salsa
- Broccoli Slaw
- Guacamole
- Sliced Jalapeno
- Feta
- Sliced Avocado
- Fresh Cilantro
- Sour Cream
Can you make these without an air fryer?
You can fry or oven bake the fish rather than air frying, but honestly, air fried is the way to go!
If you want to deep fry, fry the fish in hot oil till crispy and cooked through, this is a pretty quick way and the fish will get crispy, but you’ll be using a lot more oil and it can get a little messy!
You can oven-bake the fish on a lined baking sheet at 380F for about 20 minutes. This still gives good results, but it won’t be as crispy.
What do you serve them with?
These air-fried fish tacos can easily be served by themselves, or, serve them up with favorite sides like Air Fryer Corn on the Cob or Fresh Corn Salad.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- If using frozen fish, make sure that it is fully defrosted before using.
- Pat the fish dry before seasoning and breading, this will help it get nice and crispy.
- Cook the fish strips in an even layer for best results.
- These air fryer fish tacos can be served in soft or hard shells.
- Other toppings like tomatoes, feta cheese, or avocado can be added for extra flavor. Serve it with a side of watermelon salsa for a refreshing twist.
More Air Fried Fish Recipes
- Air Fryer Whole Fish
- Air Fryer Tilapia
- Crispy Air Fryer Fish
- Marinated Air Fryer Salmon
- Air Fryer Salmon Patties
Air Fryer Fish Tacos
Ingredients
Fish
- 1 pound white fish cut into strips
- ½ cup cornmeal
- ½ cup flour
- 2 teaspoons old bay
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
Lime Crema
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup mayo
- Zest of 1 lime
Slaw
- 14 ounces cole slaw mix
- ½ red onion thinly sliced
- ⅓ cup cilantro chopped
- Juice of 1 lime
- 2 teaspoons sugar
Other ingredients
- 8 flour tortillas heated
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix the cornmeal, flour, old bay, kosher salt, garlic powder, onion powder and paprika.
- Pat the fish dry and then dip into the cornmeal mixture, making sure all sides are coated.
- Spray the air fryer with cooking spray. Then place the fish in the air fryer. Spray the fish with a light coating of cooking spray.
- Cook at 400F for 8-10 minutes.
- In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the lime crema.
- In a large bowl, combine the ingredients for the slaw.
- Warm the tortillas in the microwave or oven and then layer with the desired toppings.
Notes
- If using frozen fish, make sure that it is fully defrosted before using.
- Pat the fish dry before seasoning and breading, this will help it get nice and crispy.
- Cook the fish strips in an even layer for best results.
- These tacos can be served in soft or hard shells.
- Other toppings like tomatoes, feta cheese, or avocado can be added for extra flavor.
Penny
Sunday 21st of May 2023
After making this fish taco recipe,I threw all fried fish recipes in the trash! This is my new go-to! Super easy, super delish!