Air Fried Sprats With Lemon Pepper

Learn how to make some crispy sprats in the air fryer with a homemade lemon pepper herb seasoning and drizzled with lemon oil. No deep fat frying, no hot oil splattering, no mess and ready in 30 minutes.

Course Appetiser

Cuisine Jamaican

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 20

Total Time 40

Servings people

Calories 177kcal

Author Charla

Ingredients

1 lb sprats
2 tablespoon lemon pepper seasoning
½ teaspoon pink salt optional, see notes
1-2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil with lemon oil

Instructions

Place the sprats in colander and squeeze fresh lime all over them (you can use vinegar aswell by pouring some over the sprats).
Use your hands to completely coat the sprats with the lime and vinegar (if you are using it aswell).
Rinse off the sprats thoroughly with cold water.
Use a small knife to gut the fish by making an incision in the belly and cut from the tail end to the head of the fish.
Use the knife to scrap out the fish guts and gently pull to remove the bones, it should remove with ease (don't worry if it breaks apart).
Rinse the sprats again after they have been gutted and use some kitchen towel to completely blot them dry (wet fish won't crisp).
Place the lemon pepper seasoning and pink salt in a spice or coffee grinder and mill into a fine consistency.
Transfer the sprats into a large bowl and season with the lemon pepper seasoning and pink salt.
Line the air fryer basket and place the sprats in the basket making sure not to overcrowd (you may need to air fry them in batches).
Air fry at190C/374F for 10-15 minutes or until the sprats are crispy, keep a watchful eye on the sprats as you don't want them to burn so check them often.
Once all the sprats are air fried place them on a plate and drizzle them with the lemon oil before serving.

Notes

If you are using my homemade seasoning then you need this Homemade Lemon Pepper Seasoning.
Make sure to mill the seasoning in a spice or coffee grinder before using, you want it to be as fine as possible so it doesn't burn.
If you aren't using my homemade seasoning, check the ingredients and adjust to mirror what I am using by adding 1 teaspoon of the following ingredients if are they not included in the store bought version (onion granules, garlic granules, parsley, thyme, black pepper and pink salt).
Only add the pink salt if necessary, if you are using a store bought seasoning, check the label and omit to avoid the recipe being too salty.
Sprats are generally an oily fish therefore you don't need to add any oil (aside from drizzling with the lemon oil).
If you are using frozen sprats make sure to defrost them ahead of time.
Don't skip drying the sprats it makes a difference to how crispy the sprats become.
Save yourself sometime by cleaning and gutting the fish the day before and refrigerate until you are ready to use.
The brand of lemon oil that I am using is Critida Extra Virgin Olive Oil with Lemon Oil, you can purchase on Amazon.

Nutrition