Air fryer fish sandwiches
Crunchy panko-crusted white fish on soft buns with a creamy homemade tartar sauce and crisp lettuce, the drive-through classic done better.
- 35 min total
- 25 min hands-on
- Follow-a-recipe easy
- Serves 4
- About $1.99 a serving
- 480 calories
Dolly says: Read the steps once before you start. Everything goes smoother after that.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 1 lb frozen white fish fillets, about 4 fillets, thawed
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- 1 dill pickle, finely chopped
- ½ lemon, juiced
- ½ tsp dried dill weed
- 4 hamburger buns
- 1 cup shredded lettuce
- 4 slices American cheese slices (optional)
From your pantry
- ¾ tsp salt, divided
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
Each serving has about 480 calories, 26 g protein, 36 g carbs and 25 g fat, and costs about $1.99 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No lemons? Limes work.
- No shredded lettuce? Iceberg lettuce or romaine lettuce works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the thawed fish very dry with paper towels and sprinkle it with ½ teaspoon of the salt.
Pat dry. Patting dry means pressing paper towels onto food to soak up the moisture on its surface. Wet food steams instead of browning, so this is how you get a good sear and crisp skin.
How you’ll know: The surface feels tacky, not wet, and the last paper towel comes away barely damp.
Dolly’s tip: To thaw fast, seal the frozen fillets in a zip-top bag and sink it in a bowl of cold water for 30 minutes.the air fryer to 400°F. Beat the egg in a shallow bowl, and mix the panko, Old Bay, garlic powder and the rest of the salt in another.
Preheat. Preheating means turning the oven on before you start, so it’s fully hot when the food goes in. Food that starts in a cold oven cooks unevenly and doesn’t brown the same.
How you’ll know: The oven beeps or its light clicks off, usually 10 to 15 minutes after you turn it on.
Dip each fillet in the egg, then press it firmly into the panko on both sides.
Dolly’s tip: Use one hand for the egg and the other for the crumbs, or both hands end up breaded.the oil over the fish so no dry crumbs are showing, lay it in the basket and air fry 10 to 12 minutes, flipping halfway, until and it flakes easily with a fork.
Drizzle. Drizzling means pouring a thin, slow stream over the top of something. A thin stream spreads a little flavor a long way.
How you’ll know: You see thin lines across the food, not a puddle collecting underneath.
Golden brown. Golden brown is the color of good toast, somewhere between yellow and light brown. It means the outside is cooked and crisp but not burnt.
How you’ll know: It looks like toast and smells toasty; dark brown with a bitter smell means it went too far.
Timer: 11 min
Dolly’s tip: Thin fillets finish sooner. Check at 8 minutes: done fish flakes apart and looks white all the way through.Food safety: Fish is done at 145°F, when the middle looks opaque and flakes apart easily with a fork.
While it cooks, the mayonnaise, pickle, lemon juice and dill together for the tartar sauce.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Wash your hands and anything the raw fish touched, then toast the split buns in the air fryer for 1 minute.
Timer: 1 min
Food safety: Wash your hands, the board and the knife with hot soapy water after touching raw meat, and don’t rinse raw chicken in the sink.
Spread the buns with tartar sauce and fill them with lettuce, the fish and a slice of cheese.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
