Crispy on the outside and flakey on the inside, this Fish And Chips recipe is the perfect way to indulge in this tasty British classic! Delicious white fish is coated in a flavorful beer batter with a dash of spice, then fried to perfection, and served with super crispy air fried chips making this dish a tad bit healthier!
The Best Fish And Chips Recipe
British fish and chips are not something I crave often, but when I do I want it to be good and worth the calories! Which one day had me think! The beer-battered fish most definitely needs to be fried. It just doesn’t work in the oven. But the chips can be made a little healthier in a couple of different ways. So I decided why not pair my favorite Alton Brown inspired battered fish recipe with my Air Fryer French Fries!?!
By air frying the chips, it literally not only cuts out almost all of the grease but half of the work too! Less to fry and clean up! You can whip together the seasoned batter and cook the fish while the chips air fry. It’s such an easy new and improved way to make homemade fish and chips.
Traditionally in the UK, this meal is served with malt vinegar. But you can also serve it with fresh cut lemon wedges and a side of tartar sauce, Fry Sauce, or Hot Sauce!
Why We Love This Fish And Chips Recipe
- Simple Recipe! You only need a handful of basic pantry ingredients like flour, potatoes, and some seasonings along with fish and beer to make this easy recipe. And if you don’t want to spend the money on haddock you can easily replace it with cod.
- Tasty British Classic! No dish represents the UK more than a plate of tasty fish and chips. When done right the fish is perfectly battered but not greasy and the chips are crispy on the outside but still soft on the inside.
- Kid Friendly! The easiest way to get kids to eat fish is to fry it! In fact, that’s probably true for adults too. This fried fish is a fantastic family meal for both the young and old loved ones in your life.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Chips
- Potatoes – Russet or Yukon gold potatoes work best for chips because of how starchy they are.
- Olive Oil – Used to coat the chips, I like to use olive oil, but any kind of oil will work such as sunflower, safflower, or avocado oil.
- Seasoning – When making classic fish and chips I like to keep it simple and just use salt and ground black pepper to season my chips. However, feel free to add any seasoning you like.
Fish
- Flour – Basic all-purpose flour works perfectly to make the base of the batter.
- Baking Powder – Helps the batter to puff up when fried and makes it crispy too.
- Cayenne Pepper – Used for a dash of spice. You can use as little or as much as you like.
- Old Bay Seasoning – This famous blend of 18 herbs and spices just makes everything taste better, especially all seafood.
- Stout Beer – Any type of cold stout beer is fine. But it has to be super cold for the recipe to work properly and create extra crispy fish.
- White Fish – Any mild white fish such as haddock or cod fillets.
- Cornstarch – Used to dredge fish, it adds another layer of crispness.
- Vegetable Oil – You’ll need some vegetable oil for frying the fish, like canola oil.
How To Make Fish And Chips
Battered fish and chips are fairly easy to make if you just follow the steps of the recipe and make sure the oil is nice and hot before adding the fish to fry. However, in this case, you don’t even have to fry the chips! The air fryer does all the work for you and makes this meal lower in both fat and calories at the same time! Yet, to time the meal accordingly, you do want to get your chips cooking in the air fryer before you start deep frying the fish.
Preheat The Air Fryer If Needed
Before you even start prepping the potatoes, now is the time to preheat your air fryer to 370°F (188°C) if needed. However, whether or not you need to preheat really depends on your particular air fryer. Some models require preheating and others don’t.
Prep The Potatoes
To make chips you need to cut the potatoes! So first give them a good wash and then pat them dry. Now, slice the potatoes into ½-inch sticks. It’s up to you whether or not you want to peel the potatoes.
Once the potatoes are cut into chips you toss them in the olive oil, salt, and pepper to season before frying. This locks in all the layers of flavor. Then place the seasoned chips in the air fryer basket to prepare to cook. And to ensure even cooking, it’s really important not to crowd the basket with too many chips.
Air Fry The Chips
To make the french fries, put the basket into the air fryer to cook for 20 minutes at 370°F (188°C). However, you do need to remove the basket halfway through the cooking time to shake the chips around. This helps them to evenly cook and get even more crispy. So do set a timer.
Make The Batter
The most important thing before you begin making the batter is to make sure that your beer is super cold. I’m going to say it again! The beer must be cold. Then whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, cayenne pepper, and Old Bay together in a large bowl. Now, whisk in the stout beer until the batter is free of lumps and totally smooth. Then put it in the fridge for about 15 minutes to chill.
Heat The Oil
Now you can begin heating up the oil to 350°F (177°C) while the batter is in the fridge. Yet, for safety reasons, it is crucial that you keep an eye on the temperature. If the oil begins to get too hot before you are ready to fry the fish you need to turn it down or off. You want it hot and ready to go for the fish, but not so hot it’s a danger.
Coat The Fish And Fry
The oil must be at the correct temperature before you begin coating the fish. When it is, start by lightly dredging the cut fish strips in the cornstarch.
Then in small batches dip the fish into the beer batter and then immerse it into the hot oil. Once the batter sets, turn the fish over and cook for about 2 minutes or until golden brown.
When the fish is done, remove it from the hot oil and place it on a roasting rack to drain. Then serve the fish and chips with some malt vinegar, lemon wedges, and your favorite dipping sauce.
Can I Make Gluten-Free Battered Fish?
Yes! This recipe can easily be made using your favorite gluten-free flour in place of the all purpose flour. Yet, for the best results, I recommend using a 1-to-1 variety of gluten-free flour.
Can I Make Baked Fish And Chips?
Yes and no. The fish can not be made in the oven. Battered fish just doesn’t bake well. However, you can make the chips in the oven if you prefer. Just follow the recipe for the chips and then lay them on a nonstick sheet pan sprayed with cooking spray and bake them at 400°F (204°C) for about 30 minutes.
Can I Make The Fish In The Air Fryer?
Not really. If you really want to make it in the air fryer, you will have to dredge the battered fish through some seasoned breadcrumbs, really well all around. Then simply air fry them at at 370°F (188°C) for 10 to 15 minutes or until the fish is cooked through.
How Do I Know When My Fish Is Cooked Through?
I recommend using an instant-read digital thermometer because this is the best way to tell when your fish is cooked through. The recommended internal temperature of cooked fish should be 145°F (63°C).
Expert Tips
- Soak the fries. For extra crispy chips, soak the potatoes in water to remove excess starch before seasoning them.
- Hot oil and cold beer. The stout must be cold when making the beer batter and the oil must be nice and hot before you add the fish to fry.
- Use the cornstarch. For the crispiest possible fish make sure to dredge it in the cornstarch before coating it in the beer batter.
- Temp the fish. To ensure that fish is fully cooked before eating you can use an instant-read digital thermometer to make sure that it has reached an internal temperature of at least 145°F (63°C).
Leftovers
You can store leftover fish and chips in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, it’s possible to put both the fish and chips in the air fryer at 350°F (177°C) for about 5 minutes to crisp back up. You can also pop the leftovers into the oven on a sheet pan at 350°F for about 15 minutes if you prefer.
Other Great Fish Recipes To Try
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Fish and Chips
Ingredients
For the Fries
- 6 large russet potatoes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon coarse black pepper or to taste
For the fish
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ tablespoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
- 6 ounces stout beer cold, or more as needed
- 6 fillets white fish cod, haddock, tilapia
- ½ cup cornstarch for dredging
- vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
Air Fryer Chips
- Give the potatoes a good wash and then pat them dry with paper towels. Slice the potatoes into ½-inch sticks. Toss them in the olive oil with salt and pepper. Place the seasoned chips in the air fryer basket to prepare to cook.
- Place the basket into the air fryer to cook for 20 minutes at 370°F (188°C). However, you do need to remove the basket halfway through the cooking time to shake the chips around. This helps them to evenly cook and get even more crispy. So do set a timer.
Fry The Fish
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cayenne pepper, and Old Bay seasoning. Whisk in the beer until the batter is completely smooth and free of any lumps. Place the batter in the fridge for 15 minutes to chill.
- Heat up the oil to 350°F (177°C) while the batter is in the fridge. Start by lightly dredging the cut fish strips in the cornstarch. Then in small batches dip the fish into the beer batter and then immerse it into the hot oil.
- Once the batter sets, turn the fish over and cook for about 2 minutes or until golden brown. When the fish is done, remove it from the hot oil and place it on a roasting rack to drain.
- Then serve the fish and chips with some malt vinegar, tartar sauce, lemon wedges, and your favorite dipping sauce.
Recipe Notes
- Soak the fries. For extra crispy chips, soak the potatoes in water to remove excess starch before seasoning them.
- Hot oil and cold beer. The stout must be cold when making the beer batter and the oil must be nice and hot before you add the fish to fry.
- Use the cornstarch. For the crispiest possible fish make sure to dredge it in the cornstarch before coating it in the beer batter.
- Temp the fish. To ensure that fish is fully cooked before eating you can use an instant-read digital thermometer to make sure that it has reached an internal temperature of at least 145°F (63°C).
- To fry the potatoes, cut the potatoes into thin slices. Place in a large bowl with cold water. Drain potatoes thoroughly, removing any excess water. When oil reaches 320°F, submerge the potatoes in the oil. Working in small batches, fry for 2 to 3 minutes until they are pale and floppy. Remove from oil, drain, and cool to room temperature. Increase the temperature of the oil to 375°F. Re-immerse fries and cook until crisp and golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and drain on roasting rack. Season with kosher salt while hot and hold in the oven.
- Recipe originally shared June 2012.
Tried out this recipe and it turned out so well, absolute hit. Thanks Jo.
We’re so glad you liked it 🙂
This sounds really delicious and something new to try. love fish and chips, Thank you for sharing this.
Simon