Why You Should Avoid Cooking White Fish In Your Air Fryer

The air fryer works miracles on everything from fried chicken to french fries to roasted vegetables without volumes of oil or a long stint in an oven. However, white fish is one protein you should keep out of your air fryer. We've consulted Rachel Buck, senior demo chef at the Ninja appliance company's test kitchen, to explain why your air fryer isn't the ideal appliance for white fish.

"Delicate white fish like sole or flounder can be problematic in the air fryer because they tend to fall apart easily, becoming mushy and losing their texture." We favor white fish for their light, flakey nature and flavorful profile, but they're very fragile and prone to drying out easily. According to Buck, "these types of fish are too fragile to withstand the circulating air in the fryer, which can break them apart." While denser, firmer filets like salmon and catfish will retain moisture and their shape, white fish require more care.

"If you must cook these, use parchment paper and reduce the cooking time, but it may still not yield the best results." Considering how quickly fish cooks in general, the air fryer won't necessarily save you cooking time anyway. So stick to your stovetop for white fish, utilizing wetter cooking methods like sauteing and searing. Steaming and poaching are other successful ways to cook fish.

Despite air fryers mimicking a convection oven, cooking white fish is one circumstance where the oven cannot be substituted because it allows for gentle methods like poaching or steaming. To oven-steam fish, place filets in a deep baking pan, pour in some hot water to surround but not drown the filets, and place them in the oven to bake. You can also steam them in a tin-foil pouch with aromatics, lemon, and oil at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. However, oven steaming might mute white fish's flavor. So you can use the time it takes to poach or steam the fish to create a flavorful sauce like an herbaceous pesto, this fresh chimichurri, or a bright lemon, butter, and herb sauce.

A quicker and more efficient way to cook and impart flavor and texture to white fish is in a skillet. Using butter, oil, or a blend of these two flavorful fats to lubricate the pan will instantly infuse a mild white fish with flavor in the short time it takes to fry on the skillet. Furthermore, you can introduce herbs and aromatics to the saute pan for even more depth. You can start by searing the fish in olive oil to introduce an earthy flavor while also creating a crispy crust. Then, flip the filet, lower the heat and add butter and aromatics. You can then use a spoon to baste the filet in infused butter while it finishes cooking.