Description
These homemade crispy baked fish sticks are crunchy, tender, and way better than anything from the freezer aisle. Easy to make, kid-approved, and served with a tangy homemade tartar sauce for the ultimate fish dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb white fish fillets (cod, haddock, or pollock), fresh or thawed
- 1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika (optional)
- 1/2 tsp salt, divided
- 1/4 tsp black pepper, divided
- Olive oil spray or cooking spray
- For the tartar sauce:
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp dill pickles, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp capers, chopped (optional)
- 1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped (or 1 tsp dried dill)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. If using, place a wire rack on top.
- Pat fish fillets dry with paper towels. Slice into sticks about 1-inch wide and 3-4 inches long.
- Set up three shallow bowls: Bowl 1 with flour plus half the salt and pepper; Bowl 2 with beaten eggs; Bowl 3 with panko, Old Bay, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and remaining salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Coat each fish stick in flour (shake off excess), dip in egg (let excess drip), then roll in panko mixture, pressing gently to adhere. Place on prepared baking sheet or rack.
- Lightly spray tops of fish sticks with olive oil or cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes, flip each stick, then bake another 8-10 minutes until golden brown and crispy.
- While fish bakes, mix together mayonnaise, pickles, lemon juice, capers, dill, and a pinch of salt and pepper in a small bowl for the tartar sauce. Adjust seasoning to taste.
- Serve fish sticks hot with tartar sauce and lemon wedges.
Notes
Pat fish very dry for maximum crispiness. Use gluten-free flour and panko for a gluten-free version. Flip fish sticks halfway through baking if not using a rack. Tartar sauce can be customized with extra pickles, parsley, or hot sauce. Leftovers reheat best in the oven. Fish sticks can be prepped ahead and baked later.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 sticks
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 2
- Sodium: 400
- Fat: 6
- Saturated Fat: 1
- Carbohydrates: 24
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 20
Keywords: fish sticks, baked fish sticks, homemade fish sticks, crispy fish sticks, kid friendly fish, easy fish dinner, panko fish sticks, healthy fish sticks, oven baked fish, tartar sauce