Delicious Air Fryer Cod {Flaky with Best Seasoning}

For some reason, air fryer cod is massively underrated. This is your calling to whip up the most flavorful cod you’ve ever tried, with minimal mess and a cook time of around 8 minutes-  you need to try it out. If you’re curious about other cooking methods, check out my pan-fried cod recipe which is equivalently delicious!

Why you’ll love this recipe

• Low hassle, high impact flavor ~ I love a coating/sauce that comes together in 1 minute and requires no time to marinate and flavor the fish. The smoky, mildly spicy harissa infuses into the air fried cod and also provides the best exterior texture. Heavenly. If you love to cut corners on intense flavor- you’ve got to try my gochujang pasta. 
• No breading or marinade time- I’d be wrong to say I don’t love a battered fish as a Brit, but I haate dredging and breading myself. For this cod in air fryer, the honey helps to crisp up and add texture to the outside of the fish. It’s a completely different vibe to breading but I think that with it bursting with flavor, just like my basa fish recipe, you don’t always need to bread! 
• Really fast – Air fry cod takes between 7-12 minutes, so if you’re looking for a delicious protein to go with your dinner during the week, this is a winner!
• Versatile – You can enjoy this with greens like tenderstem broccoli , or break it up into some rice like a salmon rice bowl, or if you’re looking for a more substantial meal enjoy with carbs like air fryer fries or parmentier potatoes. I love the flavor of the air fryer cod to be the focus so opting for any neutral sides work really well. 

Looking for a delicious side to go along with your cod? Try this tomato basil pasta, cucumber salad, or easy cauliflower cheese!

Ingredients

The main ingredients that make this Air Fryer Cod recipe fantastic are the following:

Fresh Cod – You can use frozen or fresh, just be sure to adapt the cook time and add the harissa mix later in the cook time if you’re cooking from frozen. 

Harissa- Smoky rose harissa is my favorite to use, but any supermarket brand that you can get your hands on will work great for this air fry cod. 

Honey – The secret for the perfect texture and balance to the rich and smoky flavors in the harissa cod air fryer recipe. 

See the recipe card for full information on all ingredients and quantities.

Variations/ Adaptations

Breading- If you can’t go without the crispy exterior, feel free to bread the fish in panko breadcrumbs. I would follow my recipe exactly, but then add the breadcrumbs after the harissa coating for a fusion end result. 

Keto- Omit the honey to make this recipe keto. 

Low sodium/low fat- Simply leave out the salt when seasoning your air fryer cod recipe. Cod is naturally lean making this recipe relatively low fat, but if you want to reduce the fat further, reduce the extra virgin olive oil to 2 tsp. 

How to make tomato basil sauce

Preheat your air fryer to 200°C/400°F.

Step 1: Gently pat the cod fillets dry with a paper towel

Step 2: Add the harissa, extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, and honey to a plate.

Step 3: Mix the ingredients together well and make sure to spread the mixture out on the plate.

Step 4: Place the cod fillets onto the plate and be sure to coat them well with the seasoning mixture using your hands.

Step 5: Line the air fryer with foil and add the seasoned cod fillets. Cook for 7-12 minutes or until the internal temperature is 63°C/145°F.

Step 6: Once fully cooked, remove and enjoy immediately!

How long to cook cod in air fryer

The cook time for air fryer cod recipes varies depending on your airfryer and the shape and size of the cod. 

The cod that I bought this time was long and flat, making the cook time shorter. Whereas if I bought short, thick fillets, the cook time would have been longer. 

The range in time that I find to be optimal for flaky, tender cod is 7-12 minutes at 200°C/ 400°F. To be sure, check that your cod reaches an internal temperature of 63°C/ 145°F.

Serving suggestions

You could pair this with steamed greens or veg like my air fryer frozen green beans, honey and balsamic brussel sprouts, or saucy gochujang eggplant. 

I looove to pair anything harissa with a yogurt based dip, like my whipped feta. It provides the perfect tangy balance to the harissa air fryer cod and also looks gorgeous. 

Want a more filling meal? Pair with air fryer fries, salt and pepper chips, or you could switch out the salmon and tuna with my salmon pasta and quick tuna pasta recipe if you’re feeling a big bowl of warming pasta. Boulangere potatoes would also be a winning combo here. 

Storage and Reheat 

To store leftovers: keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge. I like to pour the sauce from the foil onto the fish in the container to ensure none of the flavor from the cod in the air fryer is wasted! 

To reheat: pop it back in the air fryer at 180°C (350°F) for 3–5 minutes until heated through, this keeps it crispy instead of soggy.

To freeze: let the cod cool completely then seal with a lid in an airtight container. Freeze for up to 2 months. When it’s time to defrost, allow the cod to thaw in the fridge overnight. 

Recipe FAQs