Our family loves these homemade fish sticks! They are flaky and tender inside and crisp on the outside. These are baked, not fried, and require some real and simple ingredients.
These homemade fish sticks are better than anything sold in the refrigerator section of your local grocery store. Just like our simple seasoning mixture, our homemade chicken nuggets, adults and kids are crazy for them. Plus, they are healthier too, as we bake them in the oven.
I can’t wait for you to make these fish sticks. The ingredients list is simple and you probably already have most of what you need in your kitchen! I love them, next to them are fresh slices of lemon and homemade tartar sauce. We also love this homemade tomato sauce and our creamy honey mustard sauce!
Key Ingredients
- fish: Use any firm white fish such as Pacific cod, Mahi-Mahi or tilapia. The trick is to cut the fish into similar sizes so that the fish bake all in the same time.
- Flour, eggs and crumbs: We use three-part bread crumbs. First, all-purpose flour is mixed with spices. Second, beat the eggs and a little hot sauce, and the third crumbs are mixed with a little oil and dill. For gluten-free fish sticks, use gluten-free flour and gluten-free certified cereals or potato chips for breadcrumbs. For egg-free, try substituting eggs for cream (or plant-based cream).
How to make a fish stick
To bread fish, we use the traditional three-part bread crumb process, which is the best way to make sure the bread is sandwiched on the fish and becomes crispy. This is a simple process. Add flour and spices to a dish, beat the eggs in the second dish, and mix the bread crumbs and some other seasonings in the third dish.
After cutting the fish into thin strips, roll them into flour, dip them in eggs, and spread them in bread crumbs.
As mentioned above, we bake fish sticks. You can also fry in a deep skillet with oil or use a fryer (we haven’t tried it yet, but I bet they will be great).
When baking, you have two options: First, you can bake them directly on a parchment-lined baking sheet. You will need to flip the fish stick into half the baking. Or, follow my favorite method and bake it on an oven-safe wire rack that is set inside a framed baking tray. The rack circulates the air around the fish, which makes them crunchier.
Simple homemade fish stick
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Our family loves these homemade fish sticks! They are flaky and tender inside and crisp on the outside. We highly recommend inserting the fish on an oven-safe rack onto a plug-in baking sheet, which helps make the sticks crisper. If you don’t have one, bake the fish sticks on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mat and turn it once during the baking process.
4 servings (about 16 fish sticks)
You will need
1 lb (450g) cod fillet, slice horizontally into 1 inch strips
1/3 cup (43G) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 large eggs
2 to 3 shredded hot sauce, optional
1 cup (150g) Panko crumbs or homemade crumbs
1 teaspoon dried dill or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
Olive oil or non-stick cooking spray
Salt and fresh black pepper
direction
1Preheat the oven until 375°F (190°C) and line the baking tray with parchment paper or silicone baking tray. If so, place an oven-safe wire rack on the baking tray and spray with non-stick cooking spray. This will make the sticks go beyond the crispy skin.
2Prepare three shallow bowls. In the first bowl, stir flour with onion powder, garlic powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt. In a second bowl, whisk together the eggs and hot sauce until combined. In the final bowl, stir the crumbs together and dill together. Drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil over the crumbs and mix. (or spray with non-stick cooking spray).
3Dry the fish and roll a piece of fish into flour with one hand. Shake the excess flour and dip in the egg mixture. Shake the excess eggs and roll the fish into the crumbs with your other hand or fork and place on a prepared baking sheet (or on a rack). Repeat the rest of the fish pieces.
4Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, turning once during cooking. (If you are using a shelf, it is not necessary.) The fish stick is done when the crumbs turn golden, and the fish stick is easy to peel off with a fork.
5Sprinkle the top with very light salt and fresh black pepper.
Adam and Joanne’s Tips
- Gluten-free fish sticks: Replace all-purpose flour and gluten-free certified cereal or chip crumbs with gluten-free certified flour blend or almond flour.
- Eggless fish sticks: Cook’s illustration suggests using heavy cream as a substitute for eggs for bread crumbs, vegetables and chicken. You can also try olive oil.
- For more golden brown and crispy, mix the bread crumbs with a small amount of olive oil until light brown before facing the fish. In a 375 degree oven, this will take a minute or two. Make sure to check the crumbs and stir every 30 seconds to prevent them from burning. You can also toast bread crumbs in a frying pan over medium heat.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
Service size
4 fish sticks
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Calories
333
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Total fat
8.1g
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Saturated fat
1.7 g
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cholesterol
145.1mg
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sodium
448mg
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carbohydrate
35.4g
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Dietary fiber
2.2g
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Total sugar
2.5g
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protein
29.1g
