Sustainable Cooks
First Time Visiting? Start Here!

Air Fryer Fish Tacos

A flavorful homemade lime coleslaw and mango salsa pairs perfectly with these crispy fish tacos in the air fryer.
crispy air fryer fish tacos in tortillas on a tray with a bowl of mango salsa
Free Guide Get 14 Recipes You Can Make From Your Pantry

Make the best Air Fryer Fish Tacos with this easy and delicious recipe. A flavorful homemade lime coleslaw and mango pico de gallo pairs perfectly with the crispy and tender fish.

crispy air fryer fish tacos in tortillas on a tray with a bowl of mango salsa

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

When you want to serve something that looks fancy, but actually just takes a few minutes to throw together, add fish tacos in the air fryer to the top of your list. These crispy fish tacos are baked, not fried and use just a little bit of oil to give you A LOT of crunch.

This is the kind of recipe where you can make every component from scratch. But I’m also here with some kitchen hacks and grocery swaps to help you get dinner on the table in a flash. Even better, you can prep most of this meal ahead of time.

You’ll also want to make sure you check out our Air Fryer Shrimp Tacos; yum!!

mahi mahi, tortillas, panko, an egg and other ingredients on a white board

Make-Ahead Tips

The easiest thing to meal prep is the lime coleslaw. It can be made up to three days ahead of time and it is actually better if it’s allowed to sit in the fridge for at least a few hours. Grocery swap: buy pre-shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix.

You can also make the mango pico de gallo a day ahead of time, but I encourage you to not add any salt to it until right before serving. This will keep the tomatoes from releasing too much juice. Grocery swap: buy canned mango or your favorite premade salsa.

While I wouldn’t bread the fish until right before baking, you can prep it by cutting it and leaving it covered in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Pat dry before breading.

What to Serve With Fish Tacos in the Air Fryer

In addition to the slaw and pico, I highly recommend making a batch of Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice and Spicy Instant Pot Black Beans.

If you’re looking to keep it low carb, skip the tortillas and triple the cabbage slaw or make a batch of Kale Chopped Salad for extra veggies. My friend Lorie even has a non-breaded fish taco recipe here.

If salsa isn’t your topping of choice, I highly recommend Homemade Tartar Sauce, Cilantro Chimichurri, or Chipotle Sauce. And if you’re making these tacos into a taco salad (try it with a baked tortilla bowl!), drizzle some Healthy Ranch Dressing over the top and live your best life.

You can also mix up a bulk batch of our Seafood Seasoning and store it in a mason jar for multiple batches of these tasty tacos.

4 photos showing how to make crispy fish in an air fryer

Pro Tips/Recipe Notes

  • For best results, use fish that has been at room temperature for ~20 minutes before cooking.
  • I used (previously frozen) mahi mahi for this recipe, but feel free to use your favorite type of fish. As long as the thickness of the fish is about the same, the cooking time should be similar. Do note the safe cooking temps of different kinds of fish before air frying. Mahi mahi is 137F, but other white fish and salmon is 145F.
  • To keep the fish from sticking, thoroughly brush olive oil over the basket or use air fryer parchment.
  • Leftovers are good in the fridge for two days. To reheat: cook crispy fish at 400F for 3 minutes.
a spoonful of mango pico being put on a tortilla
crispy air fryer fish tacos in tortillas on a tray with a bowl of mango salsa
Print Recipe
5 from 2 ratings

Air Fryer Fish Tacos

Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time11 minutes
Total Time36 minutes
A flavorful homemade lime coleslaw and mango salsa pairs perfectly with these crispy fish tacos in the air fryer.

Ingredients

Fish Tacos

Lime Coleslaw

  • 3 cups green cabbage {shredded}
  • 1/4 cup cilantro {stems removed, roughly chopped}
  • 2 tbsp lime juice
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Instructions

Lime Coleslaw

  • Combine all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
    3 cups green cabbage, 1/4 cup cilantro, 2 tbsp lime juice, 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Making the Fish Tacos

  • Cut the fish into ~12 to 16 equally sized pieces. Pat dry with paper towels.
    16 oz mahi mahi
  • In a small bowl mix all-purpose flour and cornstarch.
    1/4 cup all-purpose flour, 1/8 cup cornstarch
  • In another bowl, beat eggs and water with a fork. Set aside.
    2 eggs, 1 tbsp water
  • In another bowl, mix kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and panko.
    1 tsp kosher salt, 1/2 tsp ground black pepper, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1 1/3 cup panko
  • Place a clean plate or small baking sheet on the counter.
  • Dredge each piece of fish in the flour/cornstarch mixture.
  • Dip each piece of fish in the egg, coating all sides. Gently shake off excess.
  • Drop each piece of fish in the panko mixture, coating all sides. Move to clean plate.
  • Spray the fish liberally with olive oil spray, coating all sides of the fish. Allow it to sit for 3 minutes.
    3 tbsp olive oil spray
  • Preheat the air fryer basket for 3 minutes at 380F.
  • Brush olive oil in the air fryer basket (or use air fryer parchment) and gently place the breaded fish in the basket without allowing them to touch.
  • Cook at 380F for 8 minutes, then flip and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes or until the breading is golden brown and the internal temperature of the fish is 137F.
  • Preheat a cast iron skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes. Warm tortillas one at a time until lightly toasted and pliable.
    8 street taco size tortillas
  • Fill the base of each tortilla with some of the cabbage slaw and place 1-2 pieces of crispy fish on the cabbage.
  • Top with mango pico, extra cilantro, sour cream sliced jalapenos, or lime wedges.

Notes

  1. You may need to cook the fish in multiple batches depending on the size of your air fryer.
  2. For best results, use fish that has been at room temperature for ~20 minutes before cooking.
  3. Feel free to use your favorite type of fish. As long as the thickness of the fish is about the same, the cooking time should be similar. Do note the safe cooking temps of different kinds of fish before air frying. Mahi mahi is 137F, but other white fish and salmon is 145F.
  4. Leftovers are good in the fridge for two days.
  5. To reheat: cook fish at 400F for 3 minutes.
Nutrition Facts
Air Fryer Fish Tacos
Amount Per Serving (2 tacos)
Calories 536 Calories from Fat 153
% Daily Value*
Fat 17g26%
Saturated Fat 3g19%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 3g
Monounsaturated Fat 9g
Cholesterol 165mg55%
Sodium 1579mg69%
Potassium 753mg22%
Carbohydrates 42g14%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 6g7%
Protein 33g66%
Vitamin A 447IU9%
Vitamin C 22mg27%
Calcium 156mg16%
Iron 5mg28%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.