Let’s cut the nonsense: you can cook fish directly from the freezer, and no, it won’t turn into rubber if you do it right. The biggest hurdle is simply adding extra time to account for the frozen center. Think of it as a slow thaw in the pan, oven, or air fryer.
Here’s the cheat code: for most frozen fillets—salmon, cod, tilapia, or halibut—you want to add about 50% to the total cooking time compared to a thawed piece. That means if a thawed fillet takes 10 minutes, your frozen one will need about 15 minutes. Easy peasy, right?
Important caveat: This rule only works for individual fillets, not a giant frozen block the size of a brick. If you’re trying to cook a whole frozen fish, you’ll need to thaw it first or risk a raw center and a burnt outside. You have been warned.
