With the air fryer and Panko breadcrumbs, these Air Fryer Fish Sticks are super crunchy without any of the oil of frying!
There are a handful of foods that always remind me of my childhood. There are the ones that I’ll actually still eat like mac and cheese from a box, tater tots, and spaghetti. Then there are the ones that I cannot imagine ever eating again, like the frozen Kid Cuisine dinners, canned spaghetti-o’s, and frozen fish sticks. The Kid Cuisines and canned spaghetti-o’s speak for themselves and the fish sticks just always seemed so…mushy…to me. Blech!
These days, however, I do enjoy a good fish and chips meal. There are just times that I can’t pass up crispy and flaky fried fish with warm salty fries. Admittedly, this is definitely an indulgence since the entire meal is fried.
These Air Fryer Fish Sticks are the solution to the problem of craving fish and chips and wanting to stick to a healthier option. The air fryer is the perfect way to achieve that crispiness that makes fried food so appealing, without all of the oil.
How to Make Air Fryer Fish Sticks
Better yet, these fish sticks are super easy to make and only take 10 minutes to cook in the air fryer. I used cod fish for these fish sticks, which is my favorite flaky fish and it did not disappoint. The crispy outside coating is achieved with a flour, egg, and Panko breadcrumb dipping sequence.
After the fish pieces are dipped, they go into the air fryer.
I recommend preheating the air fryer for 10 minutes, which is easily done while you are prepping the fish sticks. After they are coated in the batter, you simply cook them for 5 minutes on each side, and you are on your way to healthy (air) fried fish!
These were a hit with adults and kids and, along with some oven-baked fries, were a super easy dinner!
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Crispy Baked Fish Sticks from The Comfort of Cooking
Air Fryer Fish Sticks
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 1 lb cod filet
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp dried parsley
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cut the cod into approximately 1” sticks.
- Place the flour into one shallow bowl.
- Place the egg into one shallow bowl, and whisk.
- Place the panko, garlic powder, parsley, onion powder, and salt into a separate shallow bowl, and stir to combine.
- Dip each fish stick first into the flour, then into the egg, and finally in the Panko breadcrumb mix, making sure you completely cover at each step.
- Spray the air fryer with cooking spray and place half of the fish sticks into the basket.
- Cook at 400 degrees F for 5 minutes, flip, and then cook another 4-5 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fish sticks.
- Serve with tartar sauce and enjoy!
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