Mediterranean cod is one of those dishes that looks more complicated than it is. Aubergine, courgette, red pepper and tomatoes go into the basket with garlic, olive oil and herbes de Provence, and a couple of firm pieces of cod fillet rest on top. The vegetables shrink down and take on dark edges, while the fish cooks gently in the steam rising from them. The result tastes of summer in the south of France, and needs nothing more than a cutting board, a mixing bowl and an air fryer.
Advertisement: The page displays ads and contains advertising links (affiliate links). See our advertisers here.
It is also one of the easiest ways to get fish on the table on a weeknight. The whole dish takes 40 minutes, 15 of which go on slicing vegetables. The rest looks after itself at 180 °C.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Table of Contents
Table of Contents:
Why I love Mediterranean cod in the air fryer
Cod is lean, and lean fish is unforgiving: a couple of minutes too long, and the delicate flakes turn to dry cotton wool. Here the vegetables solve the problem by themselves. Aubergine and tomatoes release liquid that evaporates around the fish and keeps the fillets moist, while the hot air works from above.
At the same time, the air fryer does something to the vegetables that a pot never can. Instead of simmering in their own juices, they concentrate. The courgette keeps its bite, the pepper turns sweet, and the aubergine cubes take on the soft, almost creamy texture that is the whole point of a Mediterranean dish.
The difference between an air fryer and an oven
An ordinary oven needs a quarter of an hour to come up to temperature, and it moves the air slowly. The air fryer is hot straight away and blows the air hard across the surface, so the liquid from the vegetables disappears faster than it can gather in the bottom of the basket. That is why they brown instead of boiling. The trade-off is that the 180 °C sits deliberately at the mild end, because it is the fish and not the vegetables that sets the limit.
My kitchen test: Mediterranean cod
I have made the dish a handful of times in my Cosori Dual Blaze, and the recipe here is the version I have landed on: 180 °C and 25 minutes of cooking on top of a quarter of an hour of preparation. 40 minutes in total, and for most of that time you are not doing anything at all.
What I have adjusted most is the size of the vegetable cubes. The first time I cut the aubergine coarsely and the courgette finely, and then one was tender while the other was still raw. Even cubes of about two centimetres solved it. I do not judge the cod itself by the clock alone: it is ready when the flesh has turned from translucent to an even matt white and separates into large flakes under light pressure from a fork. If you have a Philips XXL with one large basket, you can double the quantities, as long as the vegetables still lie in a single layer.
Pat the cod fillets completely dry with kitchen paper before they go on top of the vegetables. It takes ten seconds and is the difference between juicy fish and a watery dish.
Tips and tricks from the author: Morten Jensen
The typical mistakes and how to avoid them
The mistake that most often ruins the dish is an overcrowded basket. If the vegetables lie in two layers, they steam each other instead of browning, and the bottom turns watery. Spread them out in a single layer, and cook them in two batches if your basket is small. The next one is impatience with the temperature: if you turn it up from 180 °C to save time, the cod will be dry long before the pepper is tender. And finally, many people forget to salt the vegetables before they go into the basket. The salt draws liquid out of the aubergine and courgette early in the cooking, while there is still time for it to evaporate.
How to serve Mediterranean cod
The dish is filling enough on its own, but it only becomes really good with something that can gather up the spiced oil and tomato juices from the bottom.
- New potatoes boiled with a couple of sprigs of thyme
- A piece of wholemeal bread or a baguette to mop up your plate with
- Lemon wedges and fresh basil leaves over the fish just before serving
- A bowl of tzatziki or garlic yoghurt to cool things down with
Storage and reheating
Leftovers keep well in an airtight container in the fridge, and cooked fish is best eaten the day after. The vegetables actually only get better for sitting overnight, while the cod is the delicate part: give it only a very short burst of heat, or flake it and stir it through the vegetables as a cold salad with a little extra olive oil and lemon. It is one of the best packed lunches you can make from leftovers.
Mediterranean cod is cheap everyday food that looks like something else entirely. Buy the best cod you can get hold of, cut the vegetables into even cubes, and let the air fryer do the rest.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Thaw the fish completely in the fridge, and pat it thoroughly dry with kitchen paper. If you put it into the basket half thawed, liquid is drawn out into the vegetables, and the dish turns watery instead of concentrated.
Stick to vegetables with roughly the same cooking time. Red onion, fennel, yellow peppers and cherry tomatoes can go straight in instead. Root vegetables and potatoes need a head start in the basket before the fish goes in.
Almost always because the temperature is too high or the time too long. Stay at 180 °C, and judge the fish by how it looks rather than by the clock: it should just be able to separate into large flakes. If it falls apart on its own, it has had too much.
Recipe
Mediterranean cod in the Air Fryer
Cooking Guide
Keep the screen on and follow the recipe step by step while you cook.
Step 1:
Avoid the screen turning off while you cook.
Step 2:
Start the guide and follow the recipe one step at a time.
Cost of the dish
Prices may vary depending on where you shop.
Our estimate is based on average food prices for the current year 2026.
Estimated price for the whole dish:
Airfryer size
All our recipes are tested in a Philips Airfryer 2000 Series NA230/00 – 6.2 L
Does the recipe fit my Airfryer?
If you’re unsure, you can always reduce by one serving in the recipe, or click the 0.5x button.
You can also Ask the AI Chef
It’s easy! Just press the Ask the AI Chef button you see at the bottom.
Recommended equipment
- 1 Air fryer
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Mixing bowl
- 1 Bagepapir (til airfryer)
- 1 Brush
Shopping list
Ingredients
Vegetables
- 1 pcs aubergine (Cut into 2 cm cubes)
- 1 pcs courgette (Cut into 2 cm cubes)
- 1 pcs red pepper (Cut into wide strips)
- 250 g cherry tomatoes (Halved)
- 3 clove garlic (Thinly sliced)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp herbes de Provence
- 0.5 tsp salt
Cod
- 600 g cod fillet (Skinless and boneless, in 4 pieces)
- 1 tbsp olive oil (For brushing)
- 1 tsp herbes de Provence
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 1 pinch black pepper (Freshly ground)
Serving
- 1 pcs lemon (Cut into wedges)
- 10 leaf fresh basil
How to make it
Preparation
- Cut 1 pcs aubergine and 1 pcs courgette into roughly 2 cm cubes so they finish at the same time.
- Deseed 1 pcs red pepper and cut it into wide strips. Halve 250 g cherry tomatoes, and thinly slice 3 clove garlic.
- Toss the vegetables in a mixing bowl together with 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp herbes de Provence and 0.5 tsp salt until every piece is coated in oil.
- Pat 600 g cod fillet dry with kitchen paper. Brush the pieces with 1 tbsp olive oil and season them with 1 tsp herbes de Provence, 0.5 tsp salt and 1 pinch black pepper.
Cooking in the air fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 180 °C on the fan setting.
- Put a piece of baking paper in the air fryer basket, and spread the vegetables out on top in an even layer. Roast them for 14 minutes at 180 °C, shaking or turning them after about 7 minutes.
- Place the pieces of cod on top of the vegetables with the thickest end facing out towards the edge of the basket. Continue cooking for a further 11 minutes at 180 °C.
- Check the fish at its thickest part with a fork: the flesh should flake easily and be an even matt white all the way through. If the centre is still translucent, give it 1-2 minutes more.
Serving
- Divide the vegetables and cod between four plates. Scatter 10 leaf fresh basil over the top, and serve with 1 pcs lemon cut into wedges to squeeze over the fish.
Our notes for the recipe
Cut the aubergine and courgette into evenly sized cubes so they finish at the same time. The vegetables need to lie in a single layer — in several layers they steam instead of taking on colour. Always pat the cod thoroughly dry, otherwise the surface cooks in its own liquid. Variation:
Swap the cod for coley, hake or salmon; salmon needs 2-3 minutes less. A couple of tablespoons of black olives or capers added for the last 5 minutes give the dish a saltier Mediterranean character. Serving:
The dish is filling served with boiled new potatoes, couscous or a piece of wholemeal bread to mop up the vegetable juices. Portion size:
If your air fryer is smaller, you can make the dish in two batches.
Your notes for the recipe
Nutrition per serving (Guideline)
Important about shelf life and nutrition
Nutrition per serving (guideline): Calculations are based on data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Shelf life (guideline): Shelf life data is provided, as far as possible, by public institutions, including national food authorities. Our information is therefore only indicative, and it is your responsibility to obtain and calculate accurate information about shelf life and nutrition for all recipes on airfryerkogebogen.dk
Easily share the recipe with others:
Via email or on Facebook
Open the recipe on your phone
Scan the QR code with your phone and get the recipe directly on your mobile while you cook.
Author
Airfryerkogebogen.dk
