How to cook Sea Bass in air fryer
Air frying Sea Bass which is a little more hassle than pan frying, can be air fried to the texture and taste you've come to expect.
Sea Bass bought in-store is unlikely to feature an oven cooking time and temperature - which means its not easy to gauge a time/temp for air frying. I have found it takes 8 minutes to air fry a fillet of approximately 100g each, with the temperature set to a medium of 355°F/180°C, turning fillets halfway.
DIRECTIONS:
With Sea Bass I felt it always cooks better in a frying pan, with the skin-side down in the pan which helps to lightly crispy up the skin.
Not so when air frying Sea Bass, but I promise you despite the texture being on the soggier side, the fillets will air fry very well.
Unlike air frying other white fish like Basa, Sea Bass can be air fried fully exposed to the heating element. Which means you don't have to wrap the fillets in foil in an effort to steam the fish inside the foil parcels.
Air fry Sea Bass with the skin-side facing upwards, whilst turning over about 4 minutes in, which represents about the halfway mark.
When preparing foil to make parcels, its vitally important you brush/rub a little olive oil inside the foil, to stop the fish skin especially, adhering to the foil.
If your Sea Bass fillets come with a knob of seasoned/herb butter, go ahead and melt the butter from the beginning.
If you're adding your own knob of plain butter, add it on top of your Sea Bass fillets a minute or two before they're finished cooking.
When I cooked the lemon and pepper butter which came with my Sea Bass fillets, I wanted to make a buttery sauce to compliment the fish - thus adding more regular butter to melt provided me a good quantity of butter sauce - which is marinated with the lemon and pepper butter.
How-to demonstration was achieved using two TESCO Lemon & Pepper Sea Bass Fillets, each weighing 100g.
TOP TIP: Slight error on my part, but air frying with skin-side up for the second half of cooking will be the way to crisp up the skin if possible; whilst it avoids dampening what should be dry skin, if its faced-down in the butter sauce and fish juice.
How long to cook Sea Bass in air fryer
Cooking white fish like Sea Bass in an air fryer isn't quite straightforward, due to lack of cooking instructions on the packaging for oven cooking.
Sea Bass can be pan fried within 6-7 minutes, but no time provided for oven; which means you could of copied the oven cooking instructions if they existed, for air frying.
I have now successfully air fried two 100g each Sea Bass fillets, which took 8 minutes exactly.
I will say an additional 1-2 minutes wouldn't of hurt the doneness of the Sea Bass, and would be ideal for those who like to make sure the fish is well done.
I like to cook white fish on the fringes of being done, in effort to retain the juiciness. Air fry Sea Bass fillets for 8 minutes then, with an option to cook for 10 minutes in total.
Prepare Sea Bass fillets
Preparing a pack of two 100g each Sea Bass fillets is required, with a focus more on oiling a sheet of foil, which requires folded edges to stop oil/butter spilling out.
- STEP 1: Sit at room temperature - Even cooking of Sea Bass would require bringing the fillets up to room temperature for 20-30 minutes
- STEP 2: Preheat air fryer for 5 Minutes - Get the air fryer nice and hot as you'll only have 8 minutes to air fry these rather flat fillet
- STEP 3: Line basket in oil-brushed foil with folded edges - Sea Bass fillets must be positioned on an oiled sheet of foil to stop the skin adhering; the edges must be folded up and over in an effort to stop juice/butter from spilling
- STEP 4: Evenly space fillets skin-side up - Position two Sea Bass fillets side-by-side in the air fryer basket, whilst avoiding touching of fillets
NOTE: If your Sea Bass fillets are sold with a knob of flavoured butter, you can drop it on top of the fillets from the get go; with an option to add extra regular butter to make a fish-infused, rich buttery sauce - which is 'Lemon and Pepper' in my case.
How to air fry Sea Bass
No oven cooking time and temperature will exist for your store-bought Sea Bass, although with a little trial and error, the temperature is set to medium, and the time is between 8-10 minutes - with eight minutes being enough for me.
- STEP 1: Set temp to 355°F / 180°C; time to 8 Minutes - Set temp and time but do keep an eye on the Sea Bass to look for signs of drying out
- STEP 2: Air fry for 4 Minutes; turning fillets halfway - Allow Sea Bass fillets to air fry for 4 minutes, then gently turn over with a spatula
- STEP 3: Add optional tablespoon of butter - With 1-2 minutes remaining - so about 6 minutes in - add an optional big tablespoon of butter to make a butter sauce, which will take on the fish flavour
- STEP 4: Slide fillets out with use of foil base - Lean the air fryer basket to one side whilst simultaneously pull out the fish, sitting on the foil at the same time
NOTE: While I instructed you to first air fry skin-side down; in hindsight, I think air frying skin-side up for the final 4 minutes will help to dry and crisp up the skin.
Summarise
I will say Sea Bass is probably my favourite fish of all, when its fresh and with skin on. So I will be honest and say I don't think you can air fry a bad Sea Bass.
While cooking instructions provided on packaging offered pan frying only, of course you can oven cook a Sea Bass. Which means of course, you can air fry Sea Bass which will cook a little quicker than you'd think.
Air fry any size Sea Bass fillet at 355°F/180°C, for a time of 8 minutes, with an additional 2 minutes needed if its a thick cut fillet.
You can melt any flavoured butter which might come with the Sea Bass, and you can add additional regular butter to melt for the final 1-2 minutes.
I would melt your own butter either way, which will help to make a Sea Bass infused butter sauce.
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