Can You Air Fry Battered Food?

I like cooking different recipes and surprising my family. I have been trying out different cuisines with the air fryer.

So far, everything has come out perfectly with less oil. I have been able to cook bacon, chicken, and vegetables. 

I wonder if I can put battered food in the air fryer?

Can You Air Fry Battered Food?

Yes, you can put battered food in the air fryer. However, the batter needs to be dry or breaded. 

Wet batter will not cook inside the air fryer. Not only will the liquid drip out from the holes of the basket tray, but the liquid batter will also remain uncooked.

Look for battered food recipes that are designed for the air fryer.

The battered food recipes have a dry coating with cornmeal or bread crumbs. This coating sticks to the food and cooks well in the air fryer. 

Don’t use eggs or runny liquids for battering your food, they won’t cook inside the air fryer. 

How to Make Battered Food Suitable for the Air Fryer? 

The idea is to make the batter thick or dry. If you want to air fry something with a wet batter, it is better to pan-fry the food first, make it dry, and stick to the food. 

I will be sharing two methods that should work. 

Oil, Marinate, and Flour 

I tried this method with chicken, and it turned out fantastic.

So I first coated the chicken pieces with oil. Add ginger, garlic, salt, pepper, curd, and butter.

Finish it up by adding flour. You can choose your choice of seasoning and spice mix. Just don’t forget to add flour at the end. 

The flour absorbed all the liquid. I kept it aside for half an hour. In an air fryer, you don’t need to wait after applying the batter.

However, I wanted the pieces to absorb the flavors inside. 

I then placed the pieces inside the air fryer. 

Air Fry at 350° F for 10 minutes. Flip the pieces and repeat for another 10 minutes. 

The results were delicious. See for yourself. 

It tasted amazing. I finally garnished the plate with some lemon wedges and coriander. It was a treat for the eyes and the palate. 

Marinate, Flour, and Oil 

The previous method had oil first, then marination, and lastly, flour was added to the mix. 

This method has marination first, along with the flour mix and the final touch of oil. This method works quite well for fish. 

The marination here is egg and beer. Adding beer to the marination is usual in British meals. 

I am sharing the recipe of beer battered  air fried fish (cod)

Take a bowl and break an egg. Add two spoons of cornstarch, a half spoonful of baking soda, six ounces of beer, and one cup of flour. Mix well. 

Cut your cod pieces, so they are already 1 ½ -2 inches thick. Pat them dry with a clean cloth or paper towel. Dip them in the mix. 

Take ¾ cup of flour. Add ½ spoon of paprika, one spoon of salt, half a spoon of pepper, and a quarter spoonful of cayenne pepper. Coat the cod pieces with the seasoned flour mix. 

Spritz each piece with a generous amount of oil and place them in the air fryer. 

It is a good idea to preheat the air fryer to 350° F for 5 minutes before placing the codpieces. 

Air fry at 380° F for 12 minutes. Halfway, turn the pieces and spritz some more oil. 

I have shared with you how to air-fry battered chicken and fish. Let us move on to air-frying battered vegetables. 

How to Air Fry Battered Vegetables in the Air Fryer? 

You could follow any of the recipes above, replacing the meat with vegetables, or you could try the method below. 

If using any of the methods above, you must change the temperature and time duration according to the veggies. 

I am sharing two ways to air fry battered cauliflower recipe here : 

In the first method, you apply thick marination to bite-sized cauliflower pieces. Wrap them in parchment paper and freeze them overnight. 

In the second method, you air fry the cauliflower pieces right after marinating them. 

Take a bowl. Add 1 cup of flour, salt, pepper, paprika, and half a cup of milk. Whisk until you get a smooth thick batter. Dip the pieces in the batter. 

Preheat the air fryer to 350° F for 10 minutes.  Place the pieces and spray some oil.  Air fry at 350° F for 20 minutes. Halfway, flip them over and spritz them with some oil. 

For the frozen cauliflower method, preheat the air fryer to 350° F for 10 mins.

Place your cauliflower and follow the same temperature and time duration. Halfway into cooking, flip the pieces and remove the parchment paper underneath.

For more information, read the recipe here. 

How to Make Panko Pickles in the Air Fryer? 

I love panko pickles as a side dish with Mayo and a burger. 

It is very easy to make them in the air fryer. 

As the name suggests, the main ingredient is breadcrumbs or panko. 

The pickles are marinated and then coated with panko and finally air fried. 

Drain your pickles and spread them out. Pat them dry with paper towels to remove any traces of moisture.

You need three bowls. In the first bowl, add half a cup of all-purpose flour, pepper, cayenne, and Cajun seasoning. 

In the second bowl, pour 1 cup of buttermilk and one spoon or two spoons of hot sauce (according to your spicy preference).

In the third bowl goes 2 cups of panko along with your choice of seasoning. Add salt and Cajun seasoning. Drizzle one tablespoon of olive oil. 

Dip the pickles first in the flour bowl, then in the buttermilk bowl, and finally, coat it well in the panko bowl.

Place the breaded pickles in the air fryer in a single layer keeping a sufficient gap between each piece.  Air fry at 350 F for 5-7 minutes. Keep checking until they are brown and crunchy. 

For more details, read the recipe here. 

Also read: 3 Smart Ways to Air Fry Without an Air Fryer

How to Air Fry Battered Fish Fillets? 

It is very easy to air-fry fish fillets. 

Use the recipe below for fresh fish fillets.

Fresh Fish Fillets 

Take some flour and add your favorite seasoning. Rub the flour on the fish fillets and spray some oil, so the flour and seasoning stick to the fillet. 

Air fry at 350F for 5 minutes. Flip and spritz more oil and air fry for another 5 minutes until they turn crispy and brown. 

For frozen battered fish fillets, follow the method below

Frozen Battered Fish Fillets

Preheat your Airfryer to 350° F for five minutes. 

Do not thaw the frozen fish fillets. Place them in a single layer in the air fryer. 

Read the instructions written for the frozen battered fish. Each fish will cook at different time durations). In general, 10-12 mins of 400° F should cook it nicely. 

Remember to flip it halfway for an even crispy texture on both sides. Frozen battered fish may be partially cooked sometimes, so read the instructions carefully. 

For more information, read the recipe here.

Final Words 

Now you know how to get the best of both worlds. You can make battered food in an Airfryer. However, the batter needs to be thick and dry. It needs to stick to the food. 

The best way to do this is to use flour, cornmeal, or bread crumbs. You can also dry a wet batter in the pan and then place it in the air fryer. 

I have shared a few easy ways of air-frying battered foods- chicken, fish, and cauliflower.

You can follow any of the techniques above and replace them with your choice of food.

Just make sure the recipes are designed for the Airfryer. Thick and dry is the way to air fry battered food.

When done right, the crispy and golden texture will be the same as deep-fried battered food.

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