Crispy breaded yet tender fish from the air fryer? You bet. The air fryer is a star when it comes to cooking fish, and if you’re like me, deep frying fish at home isn’t something you’re doing often. This air fryer halibut recipe has a crunchy panko and Parmesan crust with some simple seasonings and it takes about 10 to 15 minutes of prep and 15 minutes of cooking. An easy, beautiful fish dinner in less than half an hour!

The air fryer is basically like a mini convection oven, circulating hot air all around the food to cook it quickly and create a firm exterior. Even though you flip the fish once, thanks to the breading, the filets should hold their shape perfectly. The halibut is delicious as is, but you can also pair it with Tartar Sauce, Dill Sauce, or Remoulade Sauce. Serve the halibut with Warm Brussels Sprouts with Anchovy Vinaigrette and some couscous.

Crispy Air Fryer Halibut: Tender flaky fish with a delicious crunchy crust is a quick and easy weeknight fish dinner.

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Breaded Air Fryer Halibut Ingredients

• Halibut filets – If you want to use frozen halibut, plan to add at least about 5 minutes to the cooking time. Or sub in the thick fish filet of your choice! See variations for suggestions.
• All-purpose flour – Coating the fish in flour means that the egg wash will stick better
• Eggs – The eggs allow the breadcrumb coating to adhere to the fish, which creates a nicely browned exterior.
• Panko breadcrumbs – I prefer panko to fine ground breadcrumbs as I like the fluffy, crunchy texture it creates.
• Parmesan cheese – A touch of Parmesan is often a nice touch to breaded foods.
• Paprika – Just a bit adds nice color and flavor to the coating.
• Garlic powder – Adds a delicate garlic flavor.
• Olive oil
• Lemon wedges – For serving.

How to Make Crispy Air Fryer Halibut

1. Prepare the fish for breading: Season with salt and pepper. Place the flour in a shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, beat the eggs with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. In a third shallow bowl, combine the Panko, Parmesan, paprika, and garlic powder.

2. Bread the fish: Dip each piece of fish in the flour mixture, turning to coat. Place each floured piece of fish in the beaten eggs, turning to coat, and then allowing any excess egg to drip back into the bowl. Finally, coat the fish in the breadcrumb mixture.

3. Cook the fish: Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees. Spray or brush the bottom of the air fryer with olive oil. Place the fish in the air fryer. Spray or lightly brush the top of the filets with olive oil. Cook for 10 minutes, then flip the filets, spray or brush with olive oil, and cook for another 5 minutes until the fish is nicely browned and crispy outside and flaky and tender inside, with an internal temperature of 145 degrees.

4. Serve: Serve hot with the lemon wedges and/or the sauce of your choice.

Variations

• Try this with other kinds of fish, like cod, scrod, salmon, or haddock.
• You can double this recipe if your air fryer is big enough to hold 4 filets of fish. Otherwise, you’ll have to cook the fish in batches. You can hold the first batch in a preheated 250-degree oven while you air fry the second batch so everything stays warm.

Tips

• Spray or brush the bottom of the air fryer with olive oil to prevent sticking.
• If you use your air fryer regularly, you should buy a spray bottle and fill it with your favorite olive oil for cooking. Many recipes call for spraying the air fryer basket and/or the food itself with nonstick cooking spray. This is fine and will prevent sticking and aid in browning, but the flavor of the oils in these cans is usually not very delicious. If you air fry often, you’ll be happy you make this tiny investment. Check out the Puzmug oil sprayer and the Kitexpert oil sprayer.
• Don’t overcrowd the fish in the air fryer — the filets shouldn’t touch for best browning and fast and even cooking.
• Make sure your halibut is about 3/4- to 1-inch thick. If the filets are thinner, reduce the air frying time a bit.

Leftovers and Storage

This fish, as you would expect, is best right out of the air fryer. However, leftovers will keep in the fridge for 2 days. You can reheat the fish for about 3 minutes in a preheated 400-degree air fryer.

What to Serve With Air Fryer Halibut

Broccoli Orzo Salad

Asparagus Remoulade with Egg

Baked Zucchini Chips

More Air Fryer Recipes

• Air Fryer Salmon
• Air Fryer Breaded Pork Chops
• Air Fryer Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
• Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts
• Air Fryer Green Beans