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Air Fryer Fish Tacos

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.

Close up of an air fried fish taco next to a lime wedge.


 

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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!

Four air fryer fish tacos served on a plate with fresh cilantro and lime wedges.

How to make air fryer fish tacos

  • Gather your ingredients.
Ingredients to make the recipe.
  • 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.
Fish tacos topped with slaw and lime crema.

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:

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.

Crispy soft shell fish tacos topped with slaw and cilantro.

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

Crispy soft shell fish tacos topped with slaw and cilantro.
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5 from 1 vote

Air Fryer Fish Tacos

Cook up some delicious crispy fish tacos quickly and easily in your air fryer. White fish is dredged in cornmeal and seasonings and air fried til perfectly crispy. Served in soft flour tortillas and topped with lime crema and a crunchy slaw.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword air fried fish tacos, crispy fish tacos, fish tacos with slaw and crema
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 8 tacos
Calories 363kcal
Author Tanya

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
  • 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.

Nutrition

Calories: 363kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 645mg | Potassium: 393mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 333IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 99mg | Iron: 3mg
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5 from 1 vote
Recipe Rating




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!