These homemade Fish Sticks (or Fish Fingers) in Air Fryer are super crispy, utterly delicious, and extremely easy to make from scratch.
You can make this healthy seafood dish with frozen or fresh fish and it tastes so much better than the store-bought version.
Serve it with a bowl of homemade Tartar Sauce With Capers and Orzo Pasta Salad for an easy weeknight meal that the whole family will love.
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These delicious Fish Fingers are made from scratch and ready in 25 minutes.
They are perfect as a snack, lunch, or quick weeknight dinner that everyone will enjoy.
Cooking them in an air fryer gives them a crispy and crunchy coating, without the grease from deep frying.
Love seafood? Check out my other delicious and quick seafood dishes: Salmon and Spinach Quiche, Calamari Fritti, Baked Sea Bass in Foil - Firinda Levrek, Mediterranean Baked Salmon, and BBQ Garlic Butter Prawns for more ideas!
Why This Recipe Works?
- The leftovers are great for making fish finger sandwiches.
- The same as Air Fryer Chicken Tenders, cooking fish sticks in an air fryer is healthier than frying.
- The whole family will enjoy having these fish fingers for lunch or dinner.
- Air frying gives you the crispy, crunchy texture of fried fish sticks without deep frying. Less time and effort with the cleaning!
- Homemade fish sticks in an air fryer are really easy to make from scratch.
Ingredients and Substitutes
- Fish - You’ll need boneless, skinless fish fillets. I use cod but any white fish such as tilapia, haddock, seabass or pollock will work great for this recipe. If using frozen fish, thaw it before using.
- Plain Flour - It is also called all-purpose flour. It helps the eggs stick better to fish pieces.
- Eggs - They help the breadcrumbs stick to fish fingers. One large egg is enough for this amount of fish sticks.
- Breadcrumbs - I prefer panko breadcrumbs for breading as they are made from white bread without the crust and have a larger grain than regular bread crumbs. Their texture is light and airy and they will crisp to a perfect golden brown in the air fryer. However, you can use any breadcrumbs you have in hand.
- Seasoning - I use salt and pepper to keep the flavor simple but you can add any seasoning you like to your seafood recipes. I prefer adding the seasoning to the flour but you can divide it between the flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs.
How to Make Fish Sticks in Air Fryer?
Making these crispy and delicious fish fingers in an air fryer is very easy and straightforward.
However, to achieve the best results you need to follow a few simple steps:
If using frozen fish, thaw completely before using.
Pat the fish fillets dry with paper towels.
Cut them lengthwise into approximately 4cm x 9cm (1 ½" x 4") strips.
I cut my cod fillets into 4 strips each for a total of 16 strips.
Season the flour with salt and pepper and place it on a shallow dish.
In another bowl, whisk the egg, and set them next to the dish with flour.
Place the breadcrumbs in a separate shallow dish, and set it aside next to the bowl with eggs.
Dunk each fish piece into the flour mixture and shake off any excess flour.
Dip the flour-coated fish into the whisked eggs.
Then finally dredge it in the breadcrumb.
Make sure the piece of fish is getting fully coated at each step.
You might want to stop and wash your hands once or twice during the process.
Once the fish sticks are thoroughly coated, drizzle or spray a little oil on fish sticks.
Place the fish fingers in the Air Fryer basket in a single layer, without overlapping them.
Cook them at 200 °C (400 °F) for 10 minutes, flip, and then cook at 240 °C (480 °F) for another 5 minutes.
Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.
Top Tips From the Chef
- Cook the fish sticks in a single layer without overlapping them. Cook them in batches if necessary. To keep your first batch warm while cooking the rest, place them on a baking sheet and transfer them to a 100 °C (200 °F) degree oven.
- Cooking time can vary depending on the air fryer. Adjust it depending on your air fryer and how crispy you like them.
- Cut the fish fingers of similar size for evenly cooking.
What to Serve With Fish Sticks in Air Fryer?
For a healthy meal, you can serve the Air Fryer Fish Fingers with a bowl of salad such as Turkish Shepherd Salad (Coban Salatasi), Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts, and Rocket Salad With Parmesan or make a sandwich or a wrap.
I also love them with some oven-baked or air-fried chips along with some homemade Tartar Sauce With Capers.
Recipe FAQs
These homemade fish fingers are much healthier than the ready-made shop-bought ones. Especially when cooked in an air fryer, they make a healthy meal served with some salad or in a wrap. Having no added preservatives makes the homemade version so much better than a prepackaged fish finger
The leftovers would keep for up to 2 days when refrigerated. If using fresh fish fillets, you can freeze the leftovers for up to two months. To reheat the homemade frozen fish fingers, reheat them in preheated air fryer or oven at 175 °C (350°F) for about 12 minutes.
Reheat the leftover fish fingers in the air fryer so they are just as crispy the second time around. I use the reheating function of my air fryer for 2 to 3 minutes.
Related Recipes
For more delicious fish recipes why not try:
Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.
I hope you enjoy the process of making these homemade Fish Sticks In Air Fryer as much as you enjoy eating them! 🙂
Bon appétit! / Afiyet Olsun!
Fish Sticks in Air Fryer
Equipment
Ingredients
- 600 g white fish
- ¼ cup plain white flour / all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup breadcrumb
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ tablespoon vegetable oil or sunflower oil
Instructions
- If using frozen fish, thaw completely before using. Pat the fish fillets dry with paper towels.
- Cut them lengthwise into approximately 4cm x 9cm (1 ½" x 4") strips. I cut my cod fillets into 4 strips each for a total of 16 strips.
- Season the flour with salt and pepper and place it on a shallow dish.
- In another bowl, whisk the eggs, and set them next to the dish with flour.
- Place the breadcrumbs in a separate shallow dish, and set it aside next to the bowl with eggs.
- Dunk each fish piece into the flour mixture and shake off any excess flour.
- Dip the flour-coated fish into the whisked eggs, and then cover them with the breadcrumbs. Make sure the piece of fish is getting fully coated at each step. You might want to stop and wash your hands once or twice during the process.
- Once the fish sticks are thoroughly coated, drizzle or spray a little oil on fish sticks.
- Place the fish fingers in the Air Fryer basket in a single layer, without overlapping them.
- Cook them at 200 °C (400 °F) for 10 minutes, flip and then cook at 240 °C (480 °F) for another 5 minutes.
Notes
- Cook the fish sticks in a single layer without overlapping them. Cook them in batches if necessary. To keep your first batch warm while cooking the rest, place them on a baking sheet and transfer them to a 100 °C (200 °F) degree oven.
- Cooking time can vary depending on the air fryer. Adjust it depending on your air fryer and how crispy you like them.
- Cut the fish fingers of similar size for evenly cooking.
Nutrition
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Tara
These are delicious! I made the tartar sauce, too. Will definitely be making it again!!