Air Fryer Fish Sticks

These homemade Air Fryer Fish Sticks are crispy, golden brown and deliciously seasoned. Use either cod or salmon fillets to create this healthy, super family friendly meal. Alternate oven directions included!

The first time I made these homemade Air Fryer Fish Sticks I used some frozen cod fillets I had picked up from Costco. They were unbelievably good and I thought, done and done… let’s get this recipe published! Well, this week I gave them another go with frozen salmon fillets and oh-me, oh-my, they were crazy DELICOUS! Like, seriously restaurant quality. I will be making these easy fish sticks on the regular.

The moral of this story is, use what you have access to, use what you love but whatever you do, make these Air Fryer Fish Sticks ASAP!

Ingredient Notes

• Fish fillets – You’ll need boneless, skinless fish fillets. I’ve tested this recipe with both cod and salmon and both were incredible. Cod is a more economical choice but I have to say that the salmon fish sticks blew me away. SO good! I always have a couple of different varieties of frozen fish fillets from Costco in my freezer. They are super high quality and come individually vacuum sealed which is super convenient. If frozen, the fish must be fully thawed before beginning.
• Flour – I use all-purpose flour.
• Eggs – You’ll need 3 large eggs.
• Panko – Unseasoned panko bread crumbs are the best choice for breading and frying. They are made from white bread without the crust and have a larger grain than regular bread crumbs. The texture is light and airy and they will crisp to a perfect golden brown in the air fryer.
• Salt and pepper – Salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Old Bay – This classic seafood seasoning blend has a distinct flavor that enhances seafood in just the right way. Old Bay Seasoning contains celery salt, a variety of other spices and a good amount of paprika which helps enhance the color of the breading.
• Parsley – You want to go with dried parsley for the best result.
• Garlic powder – To add even more flavor to the breading.
• Nonstick spray – Most manufacturers warn that cooking spray with propellants can damage the nonstick coating of an air fryer basket over time. Instead, use a propellant free nonstick cooking spray. I like Chosen Foods Avocado Oil Spray, which is readily available at most major grocery stores and online. You can also use an oil mister and refill it with your own cooking oil, if preferred. Just be sure to use an oil with a high smoke point like canola or avocado oil.
• Tartar sauce – I recommend mixing up a batch of my Homemade Tartar Sauce. It really elevates these Air Fryer Fish Sticks to restaurant quality.
• Lemon – Serve the fish sticks with lemon wedges on the side.

How to Make Air Fryer Fish Sticks

Prepare the Fish and Breading Ingredients

1. Pat the fillets dry with paper towels. Cut them lengthwise into approximately 1- x 4-inch strips. I cut my cod fillets into 3 strips each for a total of 12 strips.
2. Season the fish with salt and a little pepper, to taste.
3. In a shallow dish, I use glass pie dishes, mix together the flour and remaining salt and pepper. In a 2nd dish, beat the eggs. In a 3rd dish, combine the panko, Old Bay Seasoning, parsley, and garlic powder.

The Dry Hand-Wet Hand Breading Method

This classic method of breading is used for all kinds of foods and works perfectly for this recipe. One hand is designated the “dry hand” and the other the “wet hand”. This helps to keep your ingredients free from debris and your hands cleaner.

4. Starting with the dry hand, coat each piece of fish with the seasoned flour.
5. Using the same hand, set the flour coated fish down in the egg mixture. Switch to the wet hand to coat all sides of the fish in the beaten egg, allowing any excess to drip off and back into the dish.
6. Use the wet hand to move the piece of fish over to the seasoned bread crumbs. Switch back to the dry hand to coat it well with bread crumbs on all sides. Transfer the breaded fish stick to a sheet of parchment paper or foil and repeat with the remaining fish sticks. You will probably find that you need to stop and wash your hands once or twice during the process. But, it works like a charm as long as you remember which hand is which!

Air Fry the Fish Sticks

Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F for 5 minutes.

7. Coat the basket of the air fryer with propellant free nonstick spray.
8. Spray the tops of the breaded fish sticks with nonstick cooking spray and place them in the preheated air fryer, leaving a little space in between.
9. Cook at 400 degrees for 8 minutes, flipping the fish halfway through the cooking time.

To keep your first batch warm while cooking the rest, place them on a baking sheet and transfer them to a 200 degree F oven.

Conventional Oven Instructions

The only downside that I’ve found to air frying is the need to cook in batches due to the limited capacity. If you are cooking for more than 4 people (like me every night!), you can cook a large batch of these fish sticks all at once in the oven to save time. The air fryer does a better job of replicating the frying process to create a super crispy, golden brown result, but oven-fried fish sticks are also very good.

• Preheat the oven to 425 F. Coat a rimmed baking sheet generously with nonstick cooking spray.
• Place the breaded fish sticks on the prepared baking sheet and spray the tops with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and use tongs to flip the fish sticks (be sure to clos the oven door – you want it to stay HOT in there). Spray the tops with additional nonstick cooking spray. Return the fish sticks to the oven for an additional 4 to 6 minutes, or until crisped, golden, and the internal temperature is at least 145 degrees F when measured with an instant read thermometer.

Serving Suggestions

These yummy, crispy fish sticks are made even better with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and my Homemade Tartar Sauce on the side. I like to serve them with Crispy Oven Baked Fries and coleslaw for a healthy meal everyone in my house loves.

Try them and drop me a line in the comments section below if you do. I love hearing how my recipes work out for you!