The Ultimate Crispy Air Fryer Walleye Recipe

Air fryer walleye on a plate with green parsley on top.

4.95 from 19 votes

The Ultimate Crispy Air Fryer Walleye Recipe

Made with our staple parmesan crust, this air fryer walleye recipe is the ultimate way to make a super crispy walleye fillet!

Prep Time4

Cook Time6

Total Time10

Course: dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: air fried, air fryer, crispy, fish, walleye

Servings:

Calories: 346kcal

Author: Mika Kinney

Equipment

air fryer
2 shallow bowls

Ingredients

1 lb walleye 2 fillets
¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
¼ cup parmesan finely grated
1 egg
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 lemon for squeezing juice on after

Instructions

Thaw the 1 lb walleye as needed. Cut the skin off your walleye fillets if needed and slice them in half.
Pat the fillets dry with a paper towel on both sides so that they're dry (this is super important!).
Crack 1 egg into a shallow bowl and whisk it. Then, grate ¼ cup parmesan into a separate bowl and stir in the ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon paprika, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
Dip one fillet into the egg wash to completely coat it with egg. Then, dip it into the bowl with the dry ingredients to coat it with the dry ingredients.
Next, place the fillet in the air fryer basket. Repeat with other fillets. Space each piece out evenly about 1" or more apart. Work in batches as needed.
Air fryer at 400 degrees for 6 minutes. Remove and top with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice!

Video

Notes

Helpful Tip

Cutting the skin off of fish is easier the sharper the knife you have. Also, it is best with a nonserrated knife. If you use a serrated knife it's tough to slice back and forth because of how slippery the fish is.
Patting fish filets dry before cooking will help keep the breading from getting soggy. If the fish is too wet on the outside, the breading that coats the fish will absorb that water and become soggy.
Don’t crowd the fish. Because air fryers work by shooting hot air all around, we need to lease space (about an inch) around the sides of each piece of fish.

Storage Tips

Fridge: This walleye can be saved in the fridge for 2-3 days. To reheat, microwave for 1.5 minutes. To reheat in the oven, preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for five minutes, or use the air fryer to reheat for 2 minutes.

Freezer: This fish can be frozen after it's been cooked. To reheat, thaw overnight and then use one of the reheating methods listed above.

Nutrition