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Panko Crusted fish sticks on a white plate with an air fryer in the background.
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5 from 6 votes

Air Fryer Fish Sticks

Homemade Fish Sticks in the air fryer gives the best crunchy yet tender fish fingers ever. With just a few ingredients you will have delicious results. So much better than any box can give.
Course lunch, Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword air fryer fish sticks, air fryer homemade fish sticks, homemade fish sticks
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
0 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Calories 342kcal
Author Eileen Kelly

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

Air Fryer Fish Sticks

  • In a shallow bowl, mix flour and ½ Tablespoon of Old Bay Seasoning.
  • In a separate shallow bowl, beat the eggs with a fork or small whisk until well blended. The mixture will be a bright yellow when well mixed.
  • In a third shallow bowl, mix remaining 1 ½ Tablespoon Old Bay seasoning with Panko Crumbs.
  • Cut fish filets into desired size sticks. (Note 4)
  • Fully coat each fish stick in the flour, then the egg wash and lastly the Panko Crumbs. (Note 5)
  • Repeat these steps for all the fish sticks.
  • Spray the air fryer basket with oil and place 4-5 fish stick in basket. Spray the fish sticks with oil. (Note 6)
  • Cook on 390°F for 6 minutes, flip sticks and spray with oil. Cook on 390 for 4 minutes. (Note 7) Use an instant read meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the fish. Fish is 165°f when cooked through.
  • Serve with fresh chopped parsley and lemon. Along with your favorite side dish.

Baked Homemade Fish Sticks

  • Preheat oven to 450°F/232°C. Spray large, 9"x13" baking tray with non-stick spray. Set aside.
  • Follow steps 1-6 above in Air Fryer Instructions.
  • Place the breaded fish onto the prepared baking sheet. Spray the tops of the fish with a bit of the oil spray Bake for about 10 minutes. Flip the fish and bake another 5 minutes. Check the internal temperature of the fish. They should be at 165°F when cooked through.
  • Serve as above with lemon and fresh parsley.

Notes

Be sure to check Variations, Expert Tips, and FAQs above with important tips and questions that can help make a delicious recipe.
2 pounds of fish yields about 20 fish sticks. This recipe can serve between 6-8 people depending on how large the portions. 
Note 1:  Any firm white fish such as haddock or halibut can be used. Frozen fish can be used for the recipe, it just needs to be defrosted first. My defrosting tips are below. 
Note 2: We have used Gluten-Free, whole wheat, and chickpea flour with success. 
Note 3: I've used Gluten-Free Panko and regular breadcrumbs. Also, Italian flavored breadcrumbs are another tasty variation.
Note 4: Cut the fish into the same size pieces so they cook evenly.  The best size to cut the fish sticks is about 1 inch thick and 3 inches long. 
Note 5: Follow the steps using the flour, egg wash, and then breadcrumbs for best results.  When dredging the fish in the flour, tap the excess off with the fork. Do the same with the egg wash, tap excess off so there isn't too much of each on the fish.
Note 6: Depending on what type of air fryer you own, the process may take 2-3 batches to cook all the fish. If so, keep the other fish warm in the oven at a temp of 175°F in an oven approved dish covered with aluminum foil. 
Note 7: If you have a multi-tiered air fryer, like I do, the fish can cook all in one batch. However, I usually need an extra minute per side for the fish to cook through.
Frozen fish :
  • Feel free to use frozen fish for this recipe. Just defrost the fish first and proceed with the recipe. 
  • Follow the instructions on the packaging to defrost. 
  • If the fish has no packaging, these are my methods: When I've planned the meal, place the fish in the fridge, overnight to defrost. If short on time, place the fish, still in its packaging, in a large bowl of cold water to defrost.  Replace water every 20 minutes until defrosted. This usually takes about 3 hours for 1 -2 pounds of fish. 
Storage Tips:
According to the USDA guidelines, leftovers can be kept in the fridge for about 3 days. 
A great little tip for these fish sticks is they can be frozen once cooked and reheated at a later date. Having no added preservatives makes these so much better than prepackaged fish fingers. Plus it is more affordable to buy the fish and make your own. 
To freeze homemade fish sticks, place the cooked fish sticks on a baking tray in the freezer for about 1 hour. The fish will freeze and then can be placed in freezer backs or use a food saver to freeze the fish. The bags should be labeled and dated. The fish can keep in the freezer for 3 months. 
To reheat the homemade frozen fish sticks, reheat in the air fryer or oven at 350°F for about 15 minutes. 
I'm not a registered dietician, I do my best to provide the most accurate nutritional values. Any nutritional data I provide is an approximation. Actual dietary information can vary based on ingredients and portion sizes.
 
 

 

 

Nutrition

Serving: 3fish sticks | Calories: 342kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 120mg | Sodium: 250mg | Potassium: 726mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 175IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 87mg | Iron: 4mg