I Tried Rice-Paper Fish and Chips, and It’s My New Favorite Air-Fryer Hack

An innovative and convenient hack has taken over social media lately: rice-paper fish and chips. The chewy, translucent sheets of rice flour and tapioca starch take on a whole new life (and an awesome new texture) when cooked in an air fryer. I gave this genius gluten-free version of fish and chips a try. Spoiler alert: It was a huge hit with my family! Plus, it’s a great way to use rice paper in something other than spring rolls.

How to Make Rice-Paper Fish and Chips

The concept here is straightforward and significantly less messy than classic beer-battered fish and chips. All you have to do is whip up a seasoned egg wash, dip the rice paper until it becomes pliable, and wrap the soaked rice paper around pieces of fish. Then, a few minutes in the air fryer is all it takes to cook them. The fish can be served with homemade air-fryer french fries or frozen french fries.

Ingredients

• 4 cod fillets (about 1 pound total)
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4 sheets rice paper
• Oil spray or nonstick cooking spray
• Homemade or frozen french fries
• Tartar sauce or malt vinegar, for dipping

Directions

Step 1: Make the egg wash

Trim the cod fillets into even pieces that will fit inside the rice paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, water, salt, garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper.

Step 2: Dip the rice paper

Season the fish with salt and pepper on both sides. Dip one sheet of rice paper in the egg wash until it becomes soft and pliable. Place it on your work surface and wrap it around one of the pieces of fish. As you wrap, tuck in the sides like you would an egg roll or a burrito.

Step 3: Air-fry the fish

Preheat your air fryer to 400°F. Lightly spritz both sides of the wrapped fish with oil spray or a nonstick cooking spray. Air-fry the rice paper–wrapped fish for 12 minutes, then gently flip them and air-fry them for three minutes more. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to cook the fish in batches.

Here’s What I Thought

I had no idea what to expect with this recipe because the rice paper becomes so gummy once it’s softened in the egg wash. But once the air fryer worked its magic, I was pleasantly surprised to peer into the basket and discover perfectly cooked fish with a crisp, golden coating. It looked similar to what I would expect from the classic preparation of the same dish.

My family loved it, and we found that it was perfect when accompanied by either a drizzle of malt vinegar or a dip into some tartar sauce. I absolutely plan on making this recipe again.

Related:

• Spring Roll vs. Egg Roll: What’s the Difference?
• Rice Paper Rolls
• Healthy Air-Fryer Recipes You Need to Try