One of the biggest trends to come out of the 2020’s so far is the air fryer, and for good reason. Cheaper to run than an oven, but using less oil than traditional fryers, the air fryer makes it easy to create healthy versions of your favorite foods without sacrificing taste or texture.

This recipe uses the air fryer to create crispy fish fingers that work well with fries, in a sandwich, or just as a snack on their own. We’ve paired it with a delicious homemade tartar sauce, but feel free to sub this for any of your favorite condiments.

Our fish fingers are made with cod fillets as it’s a low-fat source of protein that is packed with vitamins and minerals like B12, iodine, selenium, and more. Cod is also readily available for a good price in the freezer section of most supermarkets, which is how we’ve kept the price of this recipe down.

We’ve used panko breadcrumbs, a Japanese style of breadcrumb that traditionally coat deep fried foods, such as chicken katsu, to create the coating on our dish. Panko breadcrumbs create a crispier finish than regular breadcrumbs while being lower in calories, fat and salt.

Fish fingers wouldn’t be complete without tartar sauce, and our homemade version is quick to whip up and much fresher (and healthier) than store bought alternatives.

The whole recipe contains a generous 30g of protein with just 274 calories per portion, making it an ideal main to any dish. Plus, the whole recipe takes less than 30 minutes to make!

Serves: 4

Prep time: 10 min

Cook time: 15 min

Ingredients:

For the fish fingers you will need:

• 400g frozen cod fillets, defrosted

• 50g plain flour

• 1 egg, beaten

• 50g panko breadcrumbs

• ½ tsp paprika

• Low calorie oil spray

• Salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

For the tartar sauce you will need:

• 150g 0% fat Greek yogurt

• 50g light mayonnaise

• 3 tbsp gherkins, finely diced

• 1 shallot, finely diced

• ½ lemon, juiced

• 3 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped

• Salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1. Before you begin, ensure cod fillets are fully defrosted using the packet instructions.

2. Start by slicing the cod fillets into finger sized pieces.

3. Next, add the flour, beaten egg and breadcrumbs into 3 separate dishes.

4. Mix the breadcrumbs with paprika and season well.

5. Now dip the cod fingers into the flour, then the egg and then the breadcrumbs, dusting off any extra breadcrumbs.

6. Next, spray the air fryer basket with low calorie oil spray before lying the cod fingers in a single layer, cooking them in batches if you need to.

7. Give the cod fingers another spray of low-calorie oil spray and cook them for 5 minutes at 395 F. Once the time is up. flip them over and cook again for 6-8 minutes until they’re flaky on the inside and crispy on the outside.

8. While the cod fingers are cooking, prepare the tartar sauce by mixing all the ingredients and seasoning to taste.

9. Serve together and enjoy!