Homemade Fish Sticks are a delicious option for any meal, offering a healthier, fresher alternative to store-bought fish sticks. 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 Recipe
- 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!
Recipe 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 – Cod, tilapia, or haddock work great. Look for firm, mild fish that holds together well. Here in Washington State, we tend to use rockfish, Lingcod, or Halibut.
- Oil – Helps the seasoning stick and crisps the coating during cooking.
- Salt – Divided for seasoning the fish and flour dredge.
- Onion Powder – Adds savory depth to the flavor.
- Old Bay Seasoning – Brings that classic seafood flavor with a little kick.
- Flour – The first step in the breading chain, helps the egg wash stick.
- Eggs – Acts as the binder between flour and breadcrumbs.
- Milk – Thins the egg mixture slightly for even coverage.
- Panko Bread Crumbs – Extra crispy and light, ideal for air frying.
How To Make This Recipe
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.
- Prep The Fish – Pat the filets dry and cut into 3-inch strips, about ½ inch thick.
- Season – Rub with oil and sprinkle with half the salt, onion powder, and Old Bay.
- Mix The Coatings – Stir the rest of the salt into the flour. Beat eggs and milk in a separate bowl. Pour panko into a gallon bag.
- Bread The Fish – Dredge each piece in flour, then dip in egg wash, then drop into the panko bag. Shake to coat evenly.
- Air Fry – Lay the coated fish strips in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Cook at 400°F for 10 minutes, or until golden and crisp.
Recipe FAQ
Yes, you can bake them in an oven. Preheat the oven to 425°F and bake for about 15-20 minutes, turning halfway through.
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.
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 Fish Recipes
- 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
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon old bay seasoning
- ½ 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.