Home » Course » Main DishAir Fried Fish Tacos Pin RecipeRate RecipeJanuary 4, 2023 This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our full Disclosure Policy for details. These crispy taco shells filled with battered and air fried tilapia, crunchy vegetables and delicious salsa will be a sure hit on your next taco night. Jump to Recipe Looking for some new inspiration to mix up your Taco Tuesday routine? We have found the perfect simple recipe in our mouth watering air fried fish tacos. You will love these crispy shells filled with flakey air fried tilapia, crisp veggies, fresh cheese and delicious salsa. Impress your whole family and guests with an amazing Mexican feast by combining some of our easy to follow recipes. Homemade Air Fryer Taco Shells, Air Fried Fish, tangy Mango Habanero Salsa and creamy cilantro lime sour cream make this air fryer fish tacos recipe absolutely irresistible. Notable: crispy fried fish, crunchy vegetables and mouth watering sauces create the perfect mix of textures and flavors Main Ingredients: white fish filets, panko bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, oil, tortillas, cilantro, salsa, queso fresco, shredded cabbage, sour cream, black beans and spices Cooking Method: air fryer Cooking Time: 20 minutes prep time, 15 minutes cook time Pairs well with: pico de gallo, guacamole, Mexican rice, black beans Special Equipment Needed: air fryer, shallow dish, knife and cutting board Table of Contents Ingredients Recommended ToolsInstructionsMake Ahead Recipe Tips What To Serve With Air Fried Fish TacosHow To StoreMore Taco RecipesHow To ReheatCommon QuestionsAir Fried Fish Tacos Recipe Ingredients You may have all of these ingredients for this flavorful air fryer fish tacos recipe in your refrigerator or pantry and not need to make a trip to the grocery store! If this is your first time making this tilapia fish tacos recipe you might want to read the possible variations before deciding on your ingredients. Air Fryer Fried Fish Ingredients 1 lb white fish fillets (cut into 1 inch strips) ½ cup panko crumbs ½ cup parmesan cheese (grated) 1 tsp Italian seasoning ½ tsp garlic powder ½ tsp paprika ½ tsp black pepper ¼ tsp salt 2 tbsp oil Taco Topping Ingredients 8 Air Fryer Taco Shells (or plain corn tortillas) 2 tbsp cilantro (chopped) ½ cup Mango Habanero Salsa ½ cup Queso Fresco (or any crumbly Mexican Cheese) ½ cup shredded cabbage or crunchy slaw ½ cup Cilantro Lime Sour Cream (or plain sour cream) ½ cup Black Beans fresh lime wedges Variations and Substitutions White Fish Filets: We recommend using a firm white fish that is mild in flavor such as tilapia fillet, sea bass, cod or mahi mahi filet, for example. Bread Crumbs: Use regular panko bread crumbs or substitute Italian bread crumbs. When using Italian bread crumbs, omit the Italian seasoning. Italian Seasoning: You can substitute plain oregano, or make your own Italian seasoning by mixing oregano, dried basil, and thyme. Oil: We like to use oil with a high smoke point such as vegetable oil or avocado oil, for example. Cilantro Lime Sour Cream: You can substitute your favorite lime crema. Additionally, you can simply mix some greek yogurt with lime juice, in case you prefer a healthier option. Gluten Free Substitutions To make your air fried fish tacos gluten free, use gluten free bread crumbs. Make sure your corn tortillas are gluten free. Some brands mix flour into corn tortillas so look for the “gluten free” label on your package. WHAT TO MAKE NEXT: If you loved this simple recipe for yummy air fried fish tacos, then try our Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas. You’ll love them because they are an easy and delicious one-pan meal packed with veggies, protein, and smoky chipotle flavors. Recommended Tools Links to our favorite tools are affiliate links. If you purchase something through the link we may get a tiny portion of the sale. Air Fryer – This recipe requires an air fryer. We have both this Cosori air fryer, which is wonderful, and this Cuisinart Air Fryer, which we also love. The Cuisinart also has convection oven and toaster oven capacity. You can buy an air fryer with a basket with high sides that food goes into or a tray type of machine. The trays are shallow but are usually longer and can accomodate more food in a single layer. Instructions This section shows how to cook crispy fish tacos in the air fryer, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique. For full step-by-step instructions, photos and nutritional information see the recipe in the recipe card below. MAKE BREADING: Firstly, combine bread crumbs, parmesan, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, paprika and black pepper in a shallow bowl. PREPARE FISH: After brushing the fresh fish with 2 tablespoons of oil, gently roll it in the panko mixture to cover. Afterwards, put gentle pressure on the fish to make the seasoning stick to the fish, using your hands or a rolling pin. The crispy coating will stay on the fish better this way and less will fall off while cooking. PLACE IN AIR FRYER: Then spray your air-fryer basket/tray with cooking spray to prevent fish from sticking. Place pieces of fish into the air fryer basket/tray in a single layer. Make sure there is space in between each piece of fish. Do not overcrowd the basket. You may need to cook the fish in batches. Use air fryer parchment paper to keep the fish from sticking. AIR FRY: Cook at 400°F for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cook time depends on the thickness and width of your fish pieces. Therefore check on the fish intermittently. Internal temperature should be 145°F. SERVE: Warm the tortillas in the microwave or a skillet, or air fry them to make crispy tacos. Then place a piece of fish into your tortilla. Top with chopped cabbage, crumbled cheese, salsa, cilantro and any other toppings you choose! WHAT TO MAKE NEXT: If you love meaty tacos as much as food truck fish tacos then you’ll love our Instant Pot Carnitas. They are tender, juicy, crispy on the outside, melt in your mouth and bursting with flavor. Stef says…. I always add my super yummy Mango Avocado Salsa to these amazing air fryer fish tacos. Make Ahead If you are in a time crunch, here are a couple of ways to pre-prep fried fish tacos. You can prepare most taco toppings in advance, then store them individually in airtight containers in the fridge. Black beans and refried beans can easily be made a day ahead. Then simply reheat when you are ready to serve the tacos. Additionally you can shred the cabbage and crumble the cheese in advance. Most Mexican condiments like salsa and guacamole are best made fresh. However, they can be prepared a couple of hours ahead of time. The added lemon and lime juice as well as storing them in the fridge will keep them fresh until ready to serve. Air fried fish is ready in only 16 minutes, so there is no real need to make the tilapia ahead of time. Fried fish is definitely best when eaten fresh. Recipe Tips Follow these tips to make the best air fried fish tacos. Tip: Cut your fish into thin strips. Wide pieces of fried fish don’t work well in fish tacos because corn tortillas are small. Tip: Press the bread crumb mixture into the fish. If the crumbs are falling off they’ll blow off in the air fryer. Tip: Balance the textures in the tortilla. Fish tacos need a good mixture of crunchy, spicy and soft ingredients inside the tortilla. Cabbage works well for a crunch so don’t skip that if you’re using soft corn tortillas. What To Serve With Air Fried Fish Tacos We love to eat street tacos with air fried fish all by themselves. But sometimes you need to serve it as a meal. Try one of these delicious recipes: Fish: Not in the mood to bread fish? Air fryer tilapia is another absolutely scrumptious, quick and easy option to make fish tacos with. Mexican Condiments: Pair these air fryer baja fish tacos with homemade Pico De Gallo, Salsa with Canned Tomatoes, Mango Habanero Salsa, Guacamole, Queso Blanco,or Cilantro Lime Sour Cream. Sides: We love serving healthy air fryer tacos with homemade Air Fryer Taco Shells, Black Beans, Instant Pot Refried Beans, Cilantro Lime Rice or Mexican Rice. Air Fryer Tilapia Mild Pico de Gallo Salsa (Chipotle Copycat Recipe) Instant Pot Black Beans Cilantro Lime Rice How To Store Refrigerate: We recommend storing all taco toppings separately in airtight containers in the fridge. Let any air fryer fried fish leftovers cool completely. Then store them in an airtight container or ziploc bag in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Already assembled fish tacos need to be eaten right away. More Taco Recipes If you are also a big fan of everything taco related, her are some of our other easy and delicious Mexican inspired taco recipes: Air Fryer Taco Stuffed Pasta Shells Crock Pot Chipotle Chicken Tacos Easy Ground Beef Taco Casserole (Mexican Lasagna Recipe) Ground Beef Taco Filling How To Reheat Reheating: Reheating air fried fish in the air fryer is super easy and beats reheating it in the microwave by miles. To bring your fried fish back to almost perfect crispiness, simply put your pre-cooked fish back into the air fryer and cook at 400ºF for 1-2 minutes or until heated through. Your fish fingers should once again be crunchy on the outside and soft and flaky on the inside. Common Questions What kind of fish can I use to make air fryer fried fish? Any mild tasting white fish works well with this easy dinner recipe. Besides tilapia and cod, you can also try haddock, halibut, grouper, pollock, flounder or whiting. Are air fried fish tacos healthy? Yes, because fish cooked in the air fryer uses a lot less oil than traditional deep fried fish. Additionally, most taco toppings are fresh, cut up vegetables. Eating fish tacos therefore also provides you with a healthy serving of raw, nutritious vegetables. 5 from 2 votes Air Fried Fish Tacos Recipe Course dinner, Main Dish Cuisine American, Mexican Prep Time 20 minutes Cook Time 15 minutes Total Time 35 minutes Print Pin Rate 8 tacos These crispy taco shells filled with battered and air fried tilapia, crunchy vegetables and delicious salsa will be a sure hit on your next taco night. Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark Equipmentknife and cutting boardshallow dishAir Fryer Ingredients 1x2x3xAir Fryer Fried Fish▢ 1 lb white fish filets cut into 1 inch strips▢ ½ cup panko bread crumbs▢ ½ cup parmesan cheese grated▢ 1 tsp Italian seasoning▢ ½ tsp garlic powder▢ ½ tsp paprika▢ ½ tsp black pepper▢ ¼ tsp salt▢ 2 tbsps oil high heat oil like vegetable oil or avocado oilTaco Toppings▢ 8 Air Fryer Fried Tortillas or plain corn tortillas▢ 2 tbsps cilantro chopped fresh▢ ½ cup Mango Habanero Salsa▢ ½ cup Queso Fresco or any crumbly Mexican cheese▢ ½ cup shredded cabbage▢ ½ cup Cilantro Lime Sour Cream or plain sour cream▢ ½ cup Black Beans optional InstructionsAir Fryer Fried Fish:Combine bread crumbs, parmesan, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, paprika and black pepper in a shallow dish. Brush fish with oil. Gently roll fish in the crumb mixture to coat. Press down to prevent it from falling off while cooking. Spray the air fryer basket/tray with cooking spray or use air fryer parchment sheets. Place fish into the basket. Cook at 400°F for 10-12 minute. Cook time depends on the thickness and width of your fish. Internal temperature should be 145°F.Remove from the air fryer. Make Tacos:Warm the tortillas in the microwave or a skillet, or air fry them to make crispy tacos. Place a piece of fish into your tortilla. Top with chopped cabbage, crumbled cheese, salsa, cilantro and any other toppings you choose! Notes Use your favorite type of fish. We love using our Air Fryer Fried Fish recipe. Substitute the mango habanero salsa for pico de gallo or your favorite salsa. NutritionCalories: 255kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 412mg | Potassium: 362mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 362IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 180mg | Iron: 1mg Did you create this? 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