AIR FRYER SEA BREAM
This Air Fryer Sea Bream is a delicious and fuss-free way to enjoy whole fish with minimal mess and virtually no lingering cooking smells. The sea bream develops beautifully crispy skin while staying tender and juicy inside, making it a perfect Mediterranean fish recipe for a simple weeknight dinner or a relaxed weekend meal.It is also an ideal air fryer recipe for beginners. The preparation is incredibly easy and requires no previous cooking experience, making it a great recipe for anyone who is new to air frying. If you love easy air fryer recipes, fresh seafood and impressive results with very little effort, this whole sea bream in the air fryer is definitely worth trying.
Equipment
- air-fryer
- Kitchen scissors or poultry shears
- Chopping board
- Sharp kitchen knife
- Lemon squeezer or fork
- Olive oil spray bottle
- Kitchen paper
Ingredients
- 2 whole sea bream cleaned and ready to cook
- 1-2 lemons
- Fresh rosemary sprigs
- Salt
- Olive oil in a spray bottle
Instructions
- Rinse the sea bream under cold running water. Using kitchen scissors or poultry shears, remove the dorsal, pectoral, pelvic and tail fins.
- Pat the fish dry with kitchen paper and make several diagonal cuts into both sides of each fish using a sharp knife.
- Spray both sides of the fish with olive oil and drizzle with lemon juice. Season generously with salt, both inside and out.
- Cut one lemon into thin slices. Depending on the size of the fish, place 1–2 lemon slices inside the cavity of each sea bream.
- Press fresh rosemary sprigs into the cuts on both sides of the fish and place another 1–2 rosemary sprigs inside each cavity.
- Place the fish in the air fryer basket.
- Cook at 180°C (356°F) for 15–20 minutes using the air fryer setting. The fish is ready when the internal temperature reaches at least 67°C (153°F).
The sea bream should fit comfortably in the air fryer basket. Each fish should weigh approximately 400–600 g (14–21 oz), depending on the size and capacity of your air fryer. Smaller and medium-sized sea bream should normally fit into an XXL air fryer. I use the Cosori Turbo Tower. If the fish are particularly large, they can be divided between the two cooking baskets.
If the fish has enough space in the air fryer basket, it is not necessarily necessary to turn it over. If you prefer, you can turn the fish halfway through the cooking time. When doing so, take care not to let the lemon slices fall out of the cavity or the herbs and seasoning fall out of the cuts.