An air fryer is a perfect tool for those who love crispy, indulgent food but need or want to lower their consumption of grease. There are so many different possibilities for what you can make using an air fryer and almost all of them are easily achieved.
Fish is a great source of protein and other nutrients and it tastes great when breaded and fried to a crisp. Making it in an air fryer and cutting down the grease you would need to deep fry it just makes it an even healthier option for dinner.
The only issue is the effect that the smell of fish can have on your air fryer.
To remove a persistent, lingering fishy smell out of your air fryer you will need to fill an air fryer safe bowl with one part vinegar, one part lemon juice, and two parts water. Place the bowl in the center of the basket then heat your air fryer for 3-5 minutes at 300 degrees Fahrenheit. When it’s done you can wipe down the interior with a wet cloth.
While cooking fish can stink up your air fryer, it really isn’t difficult to remove the smell and the ease of using an air fryer is the ultimate pro.
If you’re not yet convinced that air frying is the best treatment you can give to your fish then keep reading and maybe you’ll change your mind!
Should You Cook Fish In an Air Fryer?
An air fryer can be used to cook a multitude of different things and fish is not an exception. Using an air fryer can help you achieve a perfect fried fish filet without a copious amount of grease.
There are many recipes out there for both breaded and non-breaded air fryer fish. This includes recipes for many different kinds of fish (and even other seafood), but most commonly cod, tilapia, or salmon.
To fry fish in your air fryer, all you need to do is prepare your fresh (or fully thawed) fish filet using any method you would normally use.
You can simply coat it in herbs and spices with a little bit of butter or oil, or prepare a seasoned breading which you can toss your filets in once they’ve been coated with a little bit of oil.
Frying times and temperatures will depend on the recipe you are using and on the thickness of the fish you are using.
A good tip for any of these recipes is to always make sure your fish filets are laid out in one layer and not stacked on top of each other. You will also want to flip your fish halfway through its cooking time to prevent burning or overcooking
Does Cooking Fish In the Air Fryer Make It Smell?
One of the biggest pros about making fish in an air fryer is that it does a good job of containing the smell so that it won’t permeate through your entire house.
If you’re a fan of seafood you’ll know that frying fish directly on the stovetop is a surefire way to make your kitchen really stinky.
Air fryers work without the use of grease and cook the food by releasing hot air all around it. Most of the work happens inside the main chamber, which is kept closed for the entirety of the cooking time. This helps to eliminate some of the smell that comes from traditional deep frying.
However, although air frying might save your home from suffering through a fishy smell, the basket and main chamber of your air fryer could be left with a residual fishy stench.
A general rule for using an air fryer is to take care to clean it after each use, especially when cooking more pungent foods like fish. Simply cleaning your basket with soap and hot water should remove any lingering odors.
If you use your air fryer to cook seafood often, or you simply notice that regular maintenance isn’t enough to keep the fishy smell out of your air fryer, then there are more thorough methods for cleaning your air fryer.
How Do You Remove the Smell of Fish From the Air Fryer?
The simplest way to prevent bad smells from building up in your air fryer is by cleaning it entirely on a regular basis and cleaning at least the basket after each use. Make sure to remove any food drippings that may have gotten past the basket.
To clean your air fryer after making pungent food, there is one common method used to get rid of many different heavy odors (including the smell of fish). This is a simple method for which you will only need vinegar and lemon juice.
The first step to getting rid of the fish smell is to get an air fryer safe bowl. You can then fill the bowl with one part vinegar, one part lemon, and two parts water.
Then place the bowl into the basket of your air fryer and let it run at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 3-5 minutes.
Once you’ve done this, you can let your air fryer cool down before wiping the inside with a wet cloth. If it doesn’t work completely the first time then you can repeat the process to deal with really stubborn smells.
Overall, this is an easy way to eradicate bad smells that uses natural products so you don’t have to worry about any lingering chemicals. You can also do this using just a cup of vinegar if you don’t have any lemon juice available.
Can You Prevent Fish From Smelling When Cooking It?
The easiest way to prevent fish from smelling really terrible when you cook it is to ensure that you are using really fresh fish and cooking it immediately.
The longer you keep your fish around before using it, the worse it will smell. If you can’t use fresh fish then use thawed fish that was frozen fresh.
Citrus is a nifty tool for neutralizing the odors of fish. As I mentioned before, lemon works for getting rid of fishy smells after the fact but it can also be used to prevent those smells from permeating in the first place.
By rubbing fresh lemon wedges on your fish you are cutting some of the smell that could form during cooking (and adding some flavor at the same time).
How Much Smell Escapes the Air Fryer When Cooking?
An air fryer is not fully sealed like a pressure cooker so it is not completely devoid of smells when cooking. Some air fryers will be more effective at reducing odors than others because they may have a better seal on their lid.
However, all air fryers circulate air through vents so some amount of the cooking smell will be released. This is still nothing compared to the smell that would take over your kitchen if you were deep-frying the same foods on your stove-top or using a deep fryer.
Will an Air Fryer Smell Up Your House?
If your air fryer is working properly then it should not smell up your house. Do air fryers smell? Yes, but not much more or differently to a conventional oven.
Opening a window or leaving your back door propped open while using your air fryer should combat any odors that it releases.