Cod Croquettes in Air Fryer: Exact Cooking Times

Why cod croquettes work in an air fryer

Croquettes are one of the dishes where the air fryer yields the best results among all the techniques this appliance can be used for. The reason has to do with their structure: a well-made croquette has three perfectly defined layers—creamy béchamel inside, crispy breading outside, and the transition between them—and the air fryer is especially good at working with battered and breaded foods.

In traditional deep frying, hot oil cooks the croquette from the outside in: first, it seals the breadcrumbs, then the heat penetrates and warms the béchamel until it becomes creamy. In the air fryer, the process is slower and more uniform: heat penetrates gradually from all sides simultaneously due to air circulation. The result is different but equally good: the exterior is golden and crispy, and the interior reaches the appropriate temperature (65-70 °C) to become creamy and fluid without boiling.

For cod croquettes, there's an additional advantage compared to other types of croquettes: cod has a salt point that flavors the béchamel without excessive seasoning, and properly desalted fish provides a flaked texture that distributes well throughout the creamy interior. The air fryer preserves all that flavor without adding the fat from deep frying.

From a practical standpoint, the air fryer is also more convenient for cooking small batches of croquettes. Heating a liter of oil to make six croquettes doesn't make much sense; the air fryer cooks them in the same amount of time without that resource investment. It's the ideal method for daily use, for weekend leftovers, or for croquettes you have in the freezer.

At Bacalalo, we have been preparing cod for over thirty years at the Mercat del Ninot in Barcelona. Our cod croquettes are made with the same desalted cod we sell at the shop: Gadus morhua from Iceland with controlled salt levels. What follows is the definitive guide to cooking them in an air fryer, whether you make them from scratch or use ours.

Preparation: the béchamel and correct breading

If you make the croquettes from scratch, the final quality in the air fryer largely depends on two factors decided before they enter the fryer: the consistency of the béchamel and the quality of the breading. Both determine whether the croquette withstands the air fryer's heat without bursting open and whether the exterior becomes crispy.

The béchamel: more consistent than for deep frying

For air fryer croquettes, the béchamel should be slightly more compact than what you would make for deep frying. In deep frying, the oil seals the croquette in milliseconds, before the interior has time to move. In the air fryer, heat penetrates more gradually, and the béchamel has more time to move before the exterior hardens. If the mixture is too soft, the croquette will deform or burst open.

Ingredients for the béchamel (25-30 croquettes):

• 350 g desalted, flaked cod (skinless and boneless)
• 100 g onion, very finely chopped
• 80 ml extra virgin olive oil
• 120 g wheat flour
• 800 ml whole milk (room temperature, not cold)
• Salt, white pepper, and nutmeg

Béchamel preparation:

1. Sauté the onion in oil over low heat for 10-12 minutes, until transparent and soft without browning.
2. Add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon for 2-3 minutes, cooking the flour in the oil to remove the raw taste. The mixture should form a golden paste (roux).
3. Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly, over medium heat. Do not add all the milk at once: incorporate a splash, stir until integrated, then another splash. This prevents lumps.
4. Add the flaked cod when the béchamel begins to thicken. Stir constantly for 8-10 minutes over medium-low heat until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the saucepan and is dense and compact.
5. Adjust salt (with caution: cod adds salt), add pepper and nutmeg.
6. Spread the mixture into a tray or shallow dish, cover with cling film directly on the surface, and let cool in the refrigerator for a minimum of 3 hours. Ideally, leave it overnight: the colder and firmer the mixture, the easier it is to shape and the less likely it is to burst open in the air fryer.

If you have the time and resources, chill the mixture in the refrigerator for a minimum of four hours before shaping the croquettes. For air frying, this extra firmness is more important than for classic deep frying.

The breading: the most critical step for the air fryer

The standard breading for croquettes is: flour → beaten egg → breadcrumbs. For the air fryer, there's a variation that significantly improves the result: double breading. Pass the croquette through egg and breadcrumbs, and then pass it through egg and breadcrumbs a second time. This double layer adds more mass to the exterior, making it crispier and providing more protection so that the internal béchamel doesn't seep out when heated.

The type of breadcrumbs also matters. Coarse breadcrumbs (panko type) provide a more noticeable crispiness and withstand the dry heat of the air fryer better than standard fine breadcrumbs. If you use fine breadcrumbs, the result is acceptable but more similar to a baked coating than an intense crispiness.

Once breaded, let the croquettes rest for 10-15 minutes in the refrigerator before placing them in the air fryer. The additional cold helps them maintain their shape during the first minutes of cooking, when the interior has not yet heated and the exterior has not yet sealed.

Frozen vs. fresh in the air fryer: practical differences

Both freshly breaded croquettes (fresh) and those that have been in the freezer for a while can be cooked directly in the air fryer, but the times and temperature are different. Using the wrong time with the wrong state is the cause of most poor results.

Fresh croquettes (freshly formed or from the refrigerator):

These yield the best results in the air fryer. The béchamel is cold but not frozen, meaning the heat fully warms it in the time it takes for the exterior to brown. They don't require any special adjustments beyond the base temperature and time.

Frozen croquettes:

The biggest mistake with frozen croquettes in an air fryer is using the same temperature and time as for fresh ones. If you use 200 °C with a frozen croquette, the exterior browns quickly, but the interior remains cold or barely warm when the breadcrumbs are already on the verge of burning. The solution is to lower the temperature to 175-180 °C and extend the time so that the heat gradually penetrates to the center.

General rule for frozen croquettes: start at a moderate temperature (175 °C) for the first 8 minutes to defrost the interior, then raise to 200 °C for the last 5 minutes to brown the exterior. This two-phase method yields much more consistent results than maintaining a fixed temperature throughout the process.

Do croquettes need to be defrosted before air frying?

It's neither necessary nor recommended. Defrosting beforehand in the refrigerator for hours causes the breading to absorb moisture from the inside and become soggy. It's better to go directly from the freezer to the air fryer with the two-phase temperature protocol described in the timing table.

For Bacalalo's frozen cod croquettes—or any commercial brand—the principle is the same. Always read the manufacturer's instructions as a starting point, but keep in mind that most are written for deep frying. Always adjust with reference to the table below.

Times and temperatures: exact table

This is the core reference of the article. Times are calibrated for standard-sized croquettes (20-25 g each, about 6 cm long), which is the most common size for homemade croquettes and commercial products. For larger or smaller croquettes, adjust the time proportionally.

Standard procedure for fresh croquettes:

1. Preheat the air fryer to 200 °C for 3 minutes.
2. Spray the basket with cooking oil.
3. Place the croquettes in a single layer, without touching each other. Leave at least 1.5 cm between each.
4. Spray the surface of the croquettes with cooking oil (a thin, even layer).
5. Cook for 5-6 minutes, open and flip each croquette with silicone tongs.
6. Cook for another 5-6 minutes. The exterior should be uniformly golden.
7. Serve immediately.

Procedure for frozen croquettes (two-phase method):

1. Do not preheat the air fryer for frozen croquettes: starting cold provides about 2 extra minutes of gradual heating, which helps the interior.
2. Place the frozen croquettes in the basket, spray with cooking oil.
3. Set to 175 °C for 8 minutes. After 4 minutes, open and flip.
4. Increase the temperature to 200 °C. Cook for another 5-6 minutes, flipping halfway through if necessary.
5. Ensure the interior is completely hot before serving: cut a croquette to check.

For more recipes and techniques with cod in an air fryer, including fritters, fillets, and other preparations, consult our complete guide to cod in an air fryer. If you're specifically looking to make fritters, we also have a guide for cod fritters in an air fryer with exact times and temperatures.

Tips for a crispy exterior

The crispiness of an air-fried croquette is different from that of a deep-fried one: drier and less greasy, with a uniform golden tone instead of the intense, shiny brown of deep-fried food. To maximize it, these are the most influential factors:

1. Double breading

This is the most effective trick for the air fryer. After the first breading (flour → egg → breadcrumbs), pass the croquette through beaten egg and breadcrumbs a second time. This extra layer of breadcrumbs provides more material for the heat to work with and forms a thicker, crispier crust. In deep frying, this trick is not essential because the oil works very quickly; in the air fryer, it makes a noticeable difference.

2. Panko breadcrumbs

Japanese breadcrumbs (panko) have a coarser and more irregular texture than standard fine breadcrumbs. In the air fryer, this irregular texture captures more circulating air heat and browns more intensely. If you can't find panko, grind dry bread yourself into irregular pieces: the result is similar.

3. Cooking oil spray, applied twice

Once when placing the croquettes in the basket (on the surface), and again after flipping them (on the side facing up). A light and even application is sufficient: it's not necessary to soak the croquettes. The goal is for the breadcrumbs to have enough fat to brown well with the dry heat of the air.

4. Preheat the air fryer

For fresh croquettes (not frozen), preheating is key. An air fryer already at 200 °C seals the breading in the first minutes and forms the barrier that protects the interior. When cold, the breading takes longer to activate, and there's a greater risk of the béchamel moving before the exterior is firm.

5. Do not wet the breading before placing in the air fryer

It seems obvious, but it happens more often than it seems: if the croquettes have been made long before being placed in the air fryer, the breadcrumbs may have absorbed moisture from the inside and become soggy. Place the croquettes in the air fryer shortly after breading them, or store them well separated (not stacked) in the refrigerator until cooking.

6. Do not overcrowd the basket

Croquettes should be in a single layer with space between them. The steam they generate when cooking must be able to escape. If the basket is full, the steam gets trapped and softens the breading. In a 3.5-liter air fryer, 8-10 standard croquettes per batch is appropriate.

Why croquettes burst open and how to prevent it

Croquettes bursting open in the air fryer is the most frequent and frustrating problem. Unlike deep frying (where oil seals the exterior in seconds), the air fryer takes longer to form that barrier, and the béchamel has more time to expand. When they burst, the creamy interior seeps out, the croquette loses its shape, and the final result is mediocre. Here are the causes and their solutions:

Cause 1: the mixture was too soft or hot

If the béchamel wasn't cold and firm enough when you shaped the croquettes, the interior has too much mobility. The solution is to chill the mixture in the refrigerator for a minimum of 3-4 hours (or overnight) before shaping. For the air fryer, a little extra flour in the béchamel also helps: a denser mixture maintains its shape better under the moderate heat of the air fryer.

Cause 2: the breading has cracks or uncovered areas

If there are parts of the croquette without breading or with loose breadcrumbs, the béchamel can seep out through those areas when heated. Bread carefully, ensuring the entire surface is covered. After breading, gently press with your hands so that the breadcrumbs adhere well. Double breading significantly reduces this risk.

Cause 3: temperature too high at the beginning

If the air fryer is at 210-220 °C (or if your model has thermostat variations), the interior of the croquette heats up too quickly before the exterior is sealed. The internal steam pressure can break the breading. Try lowering the temperature by 10-15 °C and see if the problem disappears. For frozen croquettes, the two-phase temperature protocol (starting at 175 °C) is especially important for this reason.

Cause 4: the air fryer moves the croquettes

Some air fryers with automatic stirring baskets (which shake the basket at intervals) or very powerful fans can move the croquettes inside the basket and cause them to collide with each other or against the walls. If this happens, deactivate the automatic stirring function or place the croquettes on a perforated tray inside the basket instead of directly in the basket.

Cause 5: frozen croquettes with ice crystals in the breading

If the croquettes were poorly sealed in the freezer (exposed to air), they may have ice crystals in the breading. When entering the air fryer, these crystals melt and create steam under the breadcrumbs, which can lift the breading and create escape routes for the béchamel. Always freeze croquettes well sealed in freezer bags with as much air as possible removed.

Cause 6: irregular shape or ends not properly sealed

The ends of the croquette (the two "poles" of the cylindrical shape) are the weakest area of the breading. If they are not properly sealed when forming, they are the first area to burst open. When shaping the croquettes, lightly press the ends with your fingers to seal them and make sure the breadcrumbs cover them well during breading.

For the traditional stove-top croquette recipe, consult our guide to homemade cod croquettes, where we explain all the béchamel and shaping tricks. For other cod dishes in an air fryer beyond croquettes, consult our main article on cod in an air fryer.

Ready-made cod croquettes: the no-effort alternative

Making croquettes from scratch is a laborious process. The béchamel requires constant attention for 20-30 minutes, chilling in the refrigerator takes hours, and shaping and breading 25-30 croquettes is a time-consuming task. If the goal is to enjoy good cod croquettes without investing all that energy, the alternative is to buy them already made and cook them directly in the air fryer.

Our cod croquettes are made in the Mercat del Ninot workshop with desalted cod from Iceland, butter and whole milk béchamel, and breaded with breadcrumbs. They come raw (unfried), ready to be placed directly in the air fryer or deep fryer following the times in this guide's table. No additives, no artificial preservatives.

You also have a wider selection of ready-made products available in our prepared dishes collection, where you'll find other cooked cod options ready to heat.

Frequently asked questions

What temperature should cod croquettes be cooked at in the air fryer?

For fresh or refrigerated croquettes, the optimal temperature is 200 °C. For frozen croquettes, start at 175 °C for the first 8 minutes, then increase to 200 °C for the last 5-6 minutes. Using 200 °C directly with frozen croquettes is the most common mistake: the exterior browns before the interior heats up properly.

How long do croquettes take in the air fryer?

Between 10 and 12 minutes for standard-sized fresh croquettes (20-25 g) at 200 °C. Frozen ones need 13-14 minutes total with the two-phase temperature protocol. Small croquettes (10-15 g) take 8-9 minutes. Always flip halfway through for even browning.

Do I need to defrost croquettes before putting them in the air fryer?

No. Going directly from the freezer to the air fryer works well with the two-phase temperature protocol (175 °C → 200 °C). Defrosting beforehand in the refrigerator is counterproductive: the breading absorbs moisture and becomes soggy before entering the air fryer.

Why do my croquettes burst open in the air fryer?

The most frequent causes are: béchamel too soft or hot when shaping them, breading with cracks or uncovered areas, too high an initial temperature, or frozen croquettes with moisture in the breading. The most effective solutions are double breading with panko and the two-phase temperature protocol for frozen croquettes. Consult the "Why croquettes burst open" section of this article for a complete diagnosis.

Do I need to add oil to the air fryer for croquettes?

Yes, a minimal amount of spray oil. Spray the basket before placing the croquettes and also spray the surface of the croquettes. Without this oil, the breadcrumbs will not brown well, and the result will be pale. The amount is minimal compared to deep frying: the goal is only to aid browning, not to fry.

Are air-fried croquettes the same as deep-fried ones?

The creamy interior is virtually identical. The difference lies in the exterior: deep-fried croquettes have a more intense and shiny crispiness, with a slightly greasier texture. Air-fried ones have a drier, more uniform, less greasy crispiness. The caloric difference is notable: a deep-fried croquette absorbs about 8-12% of its weight in oil; an air-fried one adds virtually no fat to the breading.

Can I cook croquettes in the air fryer with parchment paper in the basket?

You can place perforated parchment paper (specific air fryer liners with holes) under the croquettes, but never paper that covers the entire surface of the basket without holes. Without ventilation at the bottom, the bottom of the croquette will not cook properly, and the result will be asymmetrical: browned on top, soft on the bottom. Perforated parchment paper specific for air fryers is the only option that works.

Can I reheat cooked croquettes in the air fryer?

Yes, and it's the best method for doing so. At 180 °C for 4-5 minutes, cooked croquettes regain much of their exterior crispiness. The microwave leaves them soft, with very hot béchamel but no texture on the exterior. Store cooked croquettes in an airtight container in the refrigerator and reheat them in the air fryer directly from the refrigerator.

What do I do if the center of the croquette is still cold after the indicated time?

If the exterior is browned but the interior hasn't heated up, the problem is usually that the croquettes were larger than standard or that the air fryer has a lower actual power than indicated. Add 3-4 more minutes at 180 °C (a slightly lower temperature so the exterior doesn't burn while the interior finishes heating). For next time, shape smaller croquettes or use the two-phase temperature protocol.