Air Fryer Haddock with White Bean Salad

Brush the haddock with lime-soaked oil, slide it into the air fryer at 205°C, and eight minutes later you’ve got flaked fish over a bright white bean salad. That’s it. The whole thing—prep to plate—is 23 minutes.

Why You’ll Love This Air Fryer Fish Salad

Takes 23 minutes start to finish. Seriously. Seafood meets healthy greens without feeling like you’re eating something you “should” eat. The haddock gets flaky and tender in the air fryer instead of dry like it always does on the stove. White beans hold the dressing. Shallots. Anchovies that dissolve into something you can’t quite name but tastes good. Lime juice cuts through it all. Works cold the next day. Better, maybe. One bowl for dressing, one basket, done.

What You Need for This Air Fryer Fish Salad

Haddock fillets—two pieces, cut to fit your basket. Could use cod. Probably shouldn’t use tilapia. The firm ones work. Anchovies. Two of them minced up. They disappear into the dressing, so don’t skip them. Garlic. Two cloves. Shallot. One, sliced thin so it softens while you wait. Olive oil—60 milliliters, good stuff. Lime juice—45 milliliters, fresh. Canned white beans. Rinsed. Don’t use the liquid. Smoked paprika—12 milliliters. Boston lettuce torn up. Fresh herbs. Tarragon, parsley, chives, chopped. Lemon wedges for the end.

How to Cook Fish in an Air Fryer

Pour olive oil and lime juice into a bowl. Mix it. Brush half of it onto the haddock pieces. Salt, pepper, done with that part. Place the fish in the air fryer basket—don’t stack them, lay them flat. 205°C. Eight minutes if they’re thin. Nine if they’re thick. You’ll know it’s ready when it flakes. Pull it out. Break it apart with a fork into chunks. Not tiny pieces. Chunks.

How to Get Air Fried Fish Crispy and Tender

The skin doesn’t get crispy on haddock unless you fry it in oil, and that’s not what we’re doing here. The goal is flaky. Tender inside. The air fryer at 205°C does that in eight minutes. Don’t crowd the basket. The fish needs space around it or it steams instead. If yours is thicker than two centimeters, add a minute. Watch it. The lime oil on top keeps it from drying out. That matters more than you’d think.

Fish in an Air Fryer Tips and Common Mistakes

Preheat the basket. Three minutes empty at 205°C. Sounds annoying, but it matters. The fish cooks faster when the basket’s already hot. Don’t flip it. Just leave it. Salt the fish after it’s cooked if you salt it now it draws moisture out. The dressing marinates while the fish cooks—so while you’re waiting those eight minutes, mince the anchovies, chop the herbs, slice the shallot, dump everything with the white beans into the remaining dressing. By the time the haddock comes out, the salad’s ready. Layer it in the bowl—lettuce first, then the marinated beans, then the flaked fish on top. Squeeze lemon over it. The acidity ties everything together.

Air Fryer Haddock with White Bean Salad

By Emma

Prep:

15 min

Cook:

8 min

Total:

23 min

Servings:

2 servings

Ingredients

• 60 ml olive oil
• 45 ml lime juice
• 300 g haddock fillet, cut into 2 portions
• 2 anchovy fillets, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 can 400 ml white beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 shallot, finely sliced
• 12 ml smoked paprika
• 40 g Boston lettuce leaves, torn
• 45 ml mixed fresh herbs (tarragon, parsley, chives), chopped
• Lemon wedges

Method

1. Fish
2. 1 Mix olive oil and lime juice in bowl. Reserve most for salad.
3. 2 Brush roughly half dressing on haddock, season with salt and pepper.
4. 3 Place fish pieces in air fryer basket. Cook at 205°C (400°F) for 7 to 9 minutes, longer if thick.
5. 4 Remove fish; flake with fork into chunks.
6. Salad
7. 5 Add anchovies, garlic, white beans, shallots, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper to remaining dressing. Stir well.
8. 6 Let marinate while fish cooks.
9. 7 In serving bowls, layer lettuce, top with marinated beans, then arrange flaked haddock on top.
10. 8 Sprinkle with mixed herbs.
11. 9 Serve with lemon wedges to squeeze over salad.

Nutritional information

Calories

370

Protein

28g

Carbs

30g

Fat

18g

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Frequently Asked Questions About Cannellini Fish Salad

Can I use frozen haddock in the air fryer? Thaw it first. Fully. Or it’ll cook unevenly and fall apart in the basket.

How long does this keep? Two days in the fridge. The fish gets softer but doesn’t go bad. The lettuce goes limp—add fresh lettuce the next day if you care about texture.

What if I don’t have haddock? Cod works. Halibut works. Flounder works. Salmon’s too oily for this. Don’t use salmon.

Can I make this without anchovies? Technically yes. Should you? No. They’re not a taste—they’re a texture thing. They dissolve. You don’t taste fish. You taste depth.

Do I really need smoked paprika or can I skip it? Skip it and the salad’s flat. It’s not hot. Just adds a smoke note that pulls the whole thing together. Use it.

Can I cook the fish on the stove instead of an air fryer? Sure. Pan-sear it skin-side down in oil. Four minutes skin, three minutes flesh side. You’ll need more oil than the air fryer uses, so maybe don’t.