Our air fryer fish sandwich is crispy outside, tender inside, and loaded with tartar sauce and pickles. We used flounder, but you can use almost any white fish for a great sandwich!
Fish sandwiches are a total thing right? You either love them or hate them.
I am in camp love them! I even get down with fish finger sandwiches if they are made properly! When paired with a good tartar sauce and a sweet bun they are so dang good!
The air fryer is a great way to cook your fish fillets and can make that crispy fish sandwich so quickly!
Crispy breading, tender and moist fish, loads of pickles, and plenty of tartar sauce, all sandwiched between a soft bun. Who else is ready for lunch?
If you were looking for the air fryer fish without the sandwich, take a look at our air fryer catfish for starters!
Ingredients for the fish:
Flounder – Any firm white fish will work well here.
Buttermilk – No buttermilk? Make your own by stirring together 1/2 cup of milk and a tablespoon of vinegar. Let sit for 5 minutes to thicken up.
Panko Breadcrumbs – Panko is a Japanese breadcrumb that is light, airy, and so crispy!
Old Bay Seasoning
Salt
Paprika – We love smoked paprika, but regular will also work just fine.
Brioche Buns
Ingredients for the tartar sauce:
Mayonnaise
Sweet Relish
Capers
Dijon Mustard
Lemon Juice
Ground Black Pepper
How to make a homemade tartar sauce:
You should make the tartar sauce before cooking the fish! Store it in the fridge to chill before adding to your sandwich.
Start by mincing your capers. You will need two teaspoons when all is said and done.
Then add the capers to a small bowl with mayo (not Miracle Whip, please), sweet relish, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
Stir to combine and store covered in the fridge until ready to serve.
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How to make the fish:
Cut your fish fillets into roughly four-ounce pieces.
Get a couple of shallow dishes and pour buttermilk into one. Add panko, old bay seasoning, salt, and paprika to the other.
Dip each fillet into the buttermilk, then the panko mix. Flip the fillet and be sure to coat all sides.
Brush your air fryer basket with oil or spritz some oil on the basket with a pump spray bottle.
Place your fillets in the air fryer basket spread out so that they don’t touch. Spritz the fillets with oil and cook for 5 minutes.
Flip the fillets and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes until the fillets are crispy and golden in color.
Add to the bun, and top with your favorite toppings.
Substitutions:
We’re partial to a soft, buttery brioche bun for fish sandwiches, but any type of bun you like will work great!
Swap out the flounder for cod, halibut, or haddock, if you like. My husband loves to fish, so we’ve used fresh caught bass as well!
More air fried recipes you might like:
- English Muffin Pizza
- Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
- Frozen Chicken Nuggets in the Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Scallops
- Air Fryer Salmon Nuggets
Air Fryer Fish Sandwich
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Fish Sandwich:
- 16 ounces flounder fresh or thawed
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon old bay seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- Brioche Buns
For the Tartar Sauce:
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons sweet relish
- 2 teaspoons capers minced
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the tartar sauce by combining all of the ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and chill in the fridge until ready to put on the sandwiches.
- Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Brush the basket with oil.
- Prepare the fish fillets by cutting them into 4-ounce pieces a bit larger than your bun.
- Pour the buttermilk into a shallow dish.
- In a separate shallow bowl, combine the panko breadcrumbs, old bay seasoning, salt, and paprika.
- Dip each fillet into the buttermilk and then into the breadcrumb mix, flipping to coat each side.
- Place the fillets into the air fryer basket, spritz with oil, and cook for 4-5 minutes.
- Flip the fillet and cook for an additional 4-5 minutes, or until they are crispy and golden.
- Assemble the fish sandwiches by spreading the desired amount of tartar sauce on one of the brioche buns, place the fish on top, followed by your desired toppings, and the other half of the bun.
Notes
Nutrition
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