Air Fryer Fish Sticks are an easy-to-make crunchy air fryer food that you will love. Cooking frozen fish sticks in the air fryer couldn’t be any easier!
Overview
Fish sticks can be tricky. If they are not cooked in the right way, they can come out soggy, limp, and unappetizing. But when you cook them in the air fryer, they come out crispy!
Making them in the air fryer is faster and will give you more consistent results.
We LOVE the ease of making seafood sticks in the air fryer because within minutes you have a crispy and tasty treat!
What you need
This “recipe” is better described as a method, because there aren’t any additional ingredients needed to make perfect fish sticks!
Grab your favorite brand of fish sticks – I’m using the Kroger brand ones here, but you can make Gordon’s fish sticks, Van De Kamp’s fish sticks, gluten-free frozen fish sticks, or any others you enjoy.
If you’re in the UK, you might know these tasty sticks as fish fingers! No worries, you can cook fish fingers in the air fryer too.
How to cook them
- Remove the number of fish sticks you’d like to cook from the packaging. You can cook the whole box, or just enough to feed your family for dinner.
- Put the frozen fish sticks (in a single layer) into your air fryer basket or air fryer tray. You do not need to oil the basket/tray.
- Cook the sticks at 400°F/200°C for a total of 8 minutes. At the 4-minute mark flip them over and let them finish cooking. When the cooking time is complete, check one of the sticks to make sure they are hot throughout.
- Gently empty the air fryer basket/tray onto a plate and enjoy!
How to tell when they’re done
You want to cook fish sticks until they reach an internal temperature of 165°F/74°C.
Visually, the outside of the fish sticks should be golden brown, and the inside should be opaque and flaky.
Tips and tricks
- Hot! Hot! These fish sticks heat up quickly in the air fryer and they hold the heat.
- You don’t need to add any additional oil to frozen fish sticks to air fry them perfectly crispy.
- Don’t thaw your fish sticks. Just toss them into your air fryer basket/tray and start to cook!
- Put the fish sticks in the air fryer in a single layer. Avoid stacking them on top of each other if you want them to be evenly cooked and crunchy.
Serving Ideas
Fish sticks are meant to be a convenience food, so I find that they go really well with other simple-to-make side dishes.
Sweet Potato Fries or Tater Tots in the Air Fryer are perfectly delicious with fish sticks.
A healthy meal might include a salad like this Kale Apple Slaw or a Greek Cucumber Salad.
If you aren’t regularly roasting vegetables in your air fryer, you have to try my Air Fryer Green Beans and Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts!
Looking for a homemade fish sticks recipe? I found this one for Parmesan-coated tilapia fish sticks.
Storing and reheating
Store cooked fish sticks in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheat leftover fish sticks in the air fryer for best results. They get crispy again this way! 1-2 minutes at 400°F/200°C should be perfect.
FAQs
Yep. Some fish sticks are cut from full fish fillets, while others are made using minced fish. Typically fish sticks are made from mild white fish like cod, pollock, or haddock.
While frozen fish sticks aren’t the healthiest thing you can make in the air fryer…however, they are usually made from real fish and are “healthier”
Air Fryer Fish Sticks
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 package frozen fish sticks
Instructions
- Remove the number of fish sticks you’d like to cook from the packaging.
- Put the sticks (in a single layer) into your air fryer basket or air fryer tray. You do not need to oil the basket/tray.
- Cook the sticks at 400F/200C for a total of 8 minutes. At the 4 minute mark flip and let them finish cooking. When the cooking time is complete, check one of the sticks to make sure they are hot throughout.
- Gently empty the air fryer basket/tray onto a plate and enjoy!
Notes
TIPS FOR MAKING AIR FRYER FISH STICKS
- No need to thaw your fish sticks. You can air fry frozen fish sticks. Just toss them into your air fryer basket/tray and start to cook!
- Hot! Hot! These fish sticks heat up quickly and they hold the heat. So be extremely careful when you take them out of the air fryer basket AND when you take that first bite!
- Do I need to preheat my air fryer? Each air fryer runs a bit differently and each model comes with its own instructions. It’s kinda of 50/50 on whether you should or not. I personally do not preheat my air fryers. I would refer to your air fryer manual.
- Do I need to add spray oil to the sticks when I put them in the air fryer? Nope! The sticks are good to go, as is, into the air fryer!
- Do the sticks need to be in a single layer in the air fryer? Typically, we recommend that all food be in a single layer when using your air fryer.
- Pro Tip: This recipe can be made in the air fryer unit with a basket or the air fryer oven. If you are using the air fryer oven, use the middle rack and select the “Air Fry” function.
- Pro Tip: Check your food as it cooks. Each air fryer runs a bit differently. Sometimes airfying is a trial and error process. Check your food as it cooks to learn your air fryer better! When cooking a new recipe or food items be sure to check your food often to help avoid over/under cooking.
Nutrition
My kids will go nuts for these! I’m really loving my air fryer, gonna try these tonight!
I hope that you enjoy, please come back and let us know!
Easiest way to fry a batch of fish sticks.
For sure! The EASIEST way!
I love these air fryer fish sticks! They are so crunchy and tasty! Plus so easy to cook, everyone loved them!
So glad everybody loved the air fryer fish sticks!
Oh, my kids love fish sticks, so I can’t wait to try them in the air fryer! Thanks so much for sharing!
You are so welcome!
My air fryer is always up to something! Excited to give these a try for my family. Thank you for sharing!
Thanks for stopping by!