Homemade Fish Sticks are a delicious option for any meal, offering a healthier and fresher alternative to store-bought options. This recipe transforms simple white fish filets into crispy, flavorful sticks that are perfect for a family dinner, snack, or party appetizer. With common pantry ingredients like flour, eggs, and panko bread crumbs, you can easily create this dish at home.
Homemade Fish Sticks
You probably haven’t had a fish stick since you were in elementary school or had small children at home. The fish sticks that you are used to probably come from processed fish formed into patties or sticks and then breaded and pre-fried before being frozen. This is not those fish sticks.
Here, we’re using whole fish filets that we have trimmed into sticks, maintaining the structure of the fish in the process. The white fish filets ensures a mild, versatile flavor that pairs well with various dips and sides like our homemade tartar sauce.
The combination of spices, including onion powder and Old Bay seasoning, gives these fish sticks great flavor under all that crunch. You can cook these in the oven, in an air fryer, or deep fry them the old-fashioned way.
Why you’ll love this dish…
- Easy to Make: Simple steps and common ingredients make preparation a breeze.
- Versatile: Perfect for a main dish, snack, or party appetizer.
- Kid-Friendly: A hit with children, making mealtime easier for parents.
- Customizable: Easily adjust spices to suit your taste preferences.
Try our Pan Seared Lingcod!
Homemade Fish Sticks shopping list
Wondering if you have to hit the store? Here’s the list of items you’ll need to make this recipe. For specific amounts, please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- White fish filets
- Oil
- Salt
- Onion powder
- Old Bay seasoning
- Flour
- Eggs
- Milk
- Panko bread crumbs
How to make Homemade Fish Sticks
This is just the overview so you can see what you’re actually getting into here. When you are cooking, you’ll want to use the full recipe at the bottom of the page.
1
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Prepare the fish filets and coat them with oil and spices.
2
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Dredge the fish in seasoned flour.
3
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Dip the fish in an egg and milk mixture.
4
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Coat the fish evenly with panko bread crumbs.
5
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Air fry the fish sticks at 400°F for 10 minutes.
Walleye with Lemon Cream Sauce
Homemade Fish Sticks FAQ
Can I bake these fish sticks instead of using an air fryer?
Yes, you can bake them in an oven. Preheat the oven to 425°F and bake for about 15-20 minutes, turning halfway through.
What type of white fish is best for this recipe?
We use freshly caught PNW ocean fish like lingcod, rockfish, and halibut for these fish sticks. You can also use freshwater fish like walleye or more readily available varieties of fish from the grocery store like cod, tilapia, or haddock. All are great options due to their mild flavor and firm texture.
Can this recipe be made in advance?
Yes! But wait to cook them until right before you serve them. We like to freeze the the breaded, uncooked fish sticks on a cookie sheet for a couple of hours before vacuum-packing them and putting them in the deep freeze. They’ll be better than any grocery store frozen fish stick you can get!
Serve this with…
More great recipes using fish to love!
- Grilled Swordfish
- Blackened Fish Tacos
- Blackstone Fish Filets
- Bang Bang Halibut
- Beer Battered Halibut and Chips
- Simple Grilled Halibut
- Cornmeal Fried Fish
- White Fish with Wine Sauce
- Air Fryer Halibut Scampi
- Sturgeon with Lemon Cream Sauce
- Lemon Pepper Lingcod
- Pellet Grill Lingcod with Wine and Garlic
Homemade Fish Sticks
Ingredients
- 1 pound white fish filets
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 teaspoon salt divided
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon old bay seasoning
- 1/2 cup flour
- 3 eggs
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 2 cups panko bread crumbs
Instructions
- Lay out the fish filets and pat dry with a paper towel.
- Cut the fish into strips that are approximately 3 inches long and have height and width of 1/2 inch.
- Pour the oil onto the fish and rub it in until all pieces have a light oil coating.
- Lay out your fish pieces and sprinkle 1/2 of your salt, all of the onion powder, and the Old Bay onto it.
- Put the other half of your salt into the flour and mix well.
- Crack your eggs into a bowl, add the milk, and mix thoroughly.
- Pour your panko bread crumbs into a 1-gallon plastic baggie.
- Dredge the fish through the flour and shake the excess off.
- Dip your fish pieces into the egg wash and let the excess drip off before putting them into the bread crumbs.
- When all the fish pieces are in the baggie with the bread crumbs, seal it up and shake the whole bag until all the pieces of fish have an even coating of the bread crumbs.
- Remove the fish pieces from the baggie and lay them out evenly in your air fryer.
- Cook in your air fryer for 10 minutes at 400°F.
