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!
Air Fryer Fish Sticks Recipe
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 fish sticks in air fryer, they come out crispy!
Perfectly crispy air fryer fish sticks are the goal, and we'll show you exactly how to make them.
You are going to melt when you taste the crunchy outside and tender inside!
If you cook frozen foods frequently, you should check out our Air Fryer Corn Dogs, Air Fryer Pizza Rolls, Frozen Chicken Tender in air fryer, and our Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Nuggets.
Frozen foods cooked in the air fryer are great for busy families, and you already know that fish sticks are a shortcut to a delicious meal on a crazy weeknight.
Traditionally, fish sticks are a favorite among children and adults.
This is a quick and easy meal or an easy snack for everybody involved!
If you're wondering if air fryer fish sticks are better than fish sticks cooked in the oven, the answer is definitely "YES"!
Air frying fish sticks is faster than baking them, uses less dishes, and makes the fish sticks crispier.
We LOVE the ease of making seafood sticks in air fryer because within minutes you have a crispy and tasty treat!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE FISH STICKS IN AIR FRYER
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.
DO I NEED TO USE OIL TO MAKE AIR FRYER FISH STICKS?
Nope! Most frozen foods that are made to be baked, microwaved, or air fried have oil already added to the outside of them so that it crisps the food while it cooks.
You don't need to add any additional oil to frozen fish sticks to air fry them perfectly crispy.
Keep reading and I'll show you just how simple air fryer fish sticks really are!
You can cook quite a few of them in your air fryer basket too - I fit 23 fish sticks in my Cosori.
HOW TO MAKE FISH STICKS IN AIR FRYER
- 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!
FISH STICKS AIR FRYER TIPS AND TRICKS
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!
Thawing frozen fish sticks is actually not recommended. You'll end up with very soggy sticks if you thaw them before cooking.
You should 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.
Serve air fryer fish sticks with lemon wedges and creamy Tartar Sauce. Make your own with this recipe.
Make Air Fryer Frozen French Fries too, and enjoy the easiest fish and chips ever!
Hot! Hot! These fish sticks heat up quickly in the air fryer 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!
WHAT TO SERVE WITH AIR FRYER FISH STICKS
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 FISH STICKS
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.
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 kind of a 50/50 split on whether you should or not. I personally do not preheat my air fryers.
I would refer to your air fryer manual to see what it says about preheating. If it says you should, then you should! Otherwise, don't worry about it.
If you do preheat the air fryer for fish sticks, you might find that they need less time to cook.
HOW LONG SHOULD I COOK FISH STICKS IN THE AIR FRYER?
The exact amount of time you'll need to make your air fryer fish sticks can vary based on the brand you're cooking and the thickness of the sticks.
The time can also vary between different air fryer models.
We've tested air frying frozen fish sticks in a few different air fryers, and have found that 8 minutes seems to work well all around.
Feel free to add an extra minute or two if you want your air fryer fish sticks to be extra crispy.
Adjust the cooking time if you need to, and keep an eye on the fish as it cooks in case you need to pull them out early or add extra minutes.
HOW DO I KNOW WHEN AIR FRYER FISH STICKS ARE DONE?
Some fish sticks come pre-cooked and frozen, while others are frozen uncooked.
Either way, 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.
ARE FISH STICKS MADE FROM REAL FISH?
Some types of fish sticks are cut from full fish fillets, while others are made using minced fish. Either way, fish sticks are made from real fish that has been processed in some way.
Typically fish sticks are made from mild white fish like cod, pollock, or haddock.
ARE FISH STICKS HEALTHY?
While frozen fish sticks might not be the healthiest way to eat fish, there are some benefits to eating fish in this way.
- Kid-Friendly. Getting kids to eat a breaded fish finger can be easier than serving them a whole fillet.
- They are real fish - Even if minced, fish sticks are made from actual fish.
- Easy to store and cook - You can keep frozen fish sticks in the freezer for quite a while, and they are always ready to cook right from the box.
- More and more brands are making them healthier. Look for fish sticks made from whole fillets, or made without additives and preservatives.
If you'd rather cook fresh fish fillets in your air fryer, check out our recipes for making Catfish, Tilapia, Mahi Mahi, and Tuna Steaks in the air fryer!
MORE YUMMY AIR FRYER RECIPES
We have so many delicious air fryer recipes on our site.
If you are looking for new recipes to try you need to check out: Air Fryer Potato Pancakes, Air Fryer Brats, Green Tomatoes in the air fryer, Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts and Air Fryer Mexican Corn
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
Air Fryers can vary greatly. Please take the time to learn your specific air fryer. You may need to adjust times and temperatures based upon your air fryer. All though this website attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, the information should only be considered an estimate. Varying factors such as different product types, different brands, etc. can change nutritional information. It is your responsibility as a consumer to read all labels to make sure the ingredients fit your dietary needs as well as calculate your own nutritional information as a double check.
Beth
My kids will go nuts for these! I'm really loving my air fryer, gonna try these tonight!
Cindy
I hope that you enjoy, please come back and let us know!
Anita
Easiest way to fry a batch of fish sticks.
Cindy
For sure! The EASIEST way!
Luci
I love these air fryer fish sticks! They are so crunchy and tasty! Plus so easy to cook, everyone loved them!
Cindy
So glad everybody loved the air fryer fish sticks!
Jessica Formicola
Oh, my kids love fish sticks, so I can't wait to try them in the air fryer! Thanks so much for sharing!
Cindy
You are so welcome!
Sophie Goel
My air fryer is always up to something! Excited to give these a try for my family. Thank you for sharing!
Cindy
Thanks for stopping by!