Childhood Monique is jumping for joy at this super nostalgic dinner. It took me years to publish my own recipe for homemade fish sticks but a couple years back I finally perfected the recipe.
If you’re like me and grew up on bags of frozen fish sticks with a side of tartar sauce and tater tots, get ready for a brand new homemade version that’s 1000x more delicious. These homemade baked fish sticks use fresh cod, simple ingredients, and an easy method to make them perfectly crispy on the outside.
Not only are these healthy fish sticks so simple to make but they’re also such a great dinner for kids and toddlers. I created this recipe for Sidney once we introduced him to fish, and he is beyond obsessed. They’re a wonderful source of protein and healthy fats for kiddos and bonus, they’re fun for them to eat! We loved watching Sidney practice his grips and learn how to eat these yummy fish sticks.
Serve them with your fav dipping sauces (yes, we linked a bunch of options) and a few delicious sides and have yourself the best weeknight dinner ever.
Everything you’ll need to make healthy baked fish sticks
These homemade fish sticks are so easy to make and have the perfect spice mixture. Keep them kid and toddler-friendly by omitting the spicy cayenne pepper! Here’s everything you’ll need to make them:
- Breadcrumbs: I like to use panko breadcrumbs because they provide the perfect, crispy texture.
- Seasonings: to give the fish sticks flavor you’ll need onion powder, paprika, garlic powder and plenty of salt and pepper. Feel free to add some cayenne pepper, too, if you like heat (and aren’t serving kiddos!)
- Eggs & milk: an egg and milk mixture helps the breadcrumbs stick to the cod filets. You can use any milk you’d like! We typically use unsweetened almond milk to keep this recipe dairy free.
- Fish: we’re using fresh cod filets in this recipe because they’re super versatile, firm and have a neutral flavor.
What fish is best for homemade fish sticks?
Typically a firmer white fish like cod, halibut or tilapia makes the best fish sticks because they hold up well and take on any flavor that you add to them. Salmon can work well, too!
If you can, try to get cod filets that are at least 1/2 to 3/4 inches thick.
The key to crispy baked fish sticks
- Toast your breadcrumbs. This step is essential for getting a nice crispy coating on your baked cod fish sticks. You’ll simply spray the breadcrumbs with nonstick cooking spray and toast them in the oven for about 5 minutes before dipping your cod into them. It’s so much better than the fried version!
- Use a wire rack. When baking the fish sticks you’ll also want to use a wire rack instead of baking them directly on the parchment paper. The wire rack allows the fish sticks to get crispy on all sides and prevents sticking. If you don’t have one, simply flip the fish sticks halfway through baking.
How to make the best fish sticks in the oven
- Prep your oven & fish. Start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees F and patting the cod filet dry on both sides. You’ll then want to cut the filet into 1 inch thick sticks that are about 3 inches long (depending on the size of your fish filet).
- Bake your breadcrumbs. Like we discussed, you’ll then want to toast your breadcrumbs in the oven. Spread them out on a baking sheet, spray with nonstick cooking spray, bake for 2 minutes, and then stir them around and bake for 2-3 minutes more until golden.
- Spice your breadcrumbs. Add your toasted breadcrumbs to a bowl with all of your spices.
- Make your egg mixture. In a separate bowl whisk together the eggs and milk of choice.
- Prep your pan. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper, add your metal rack and give that a spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- Make the fish sticks. Dip each piece of cod into the egg mixture, then use tongs to grab and toss it into the breadcrumb mixture. Roll it around to coat it and use tongs to transfer each fish stick to the wire rack.
- Bake & serve. Once you’ve repeated with all of your fish sticks, spray them with nonstick cooking spray and bake until cooked through, about 15-20 minutes. Serve with your fav sauces and enjoy!
Let’s talk dipping sauces
If you grew up on fish sticks (likely from the freezer) I’m sure you’ve eaten them with tartar sauce. Yes, these homemade, kid-friendly fish sticks are perfect for dipping in beloved tartar sauce, but they’re also amazing in one of these delicious, slightly more nutritious dips:
- The Best Creamy Tahini Sauce Recipe
- Homemade Tzatziki Sauce Recipe (yogurt cucumber sauce!)
- Creamy Feta Yogurt Dressing (or dip!)
- Jalapeño Green Tahini Sauce
- Healthy Chipotle Ranch Dressing
Also, no shame in dunking these in ketchup! Get all of our fresh & delicious dip recipes here.
How to store leftovers
Store any leftover fish sticks in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. To reheat, place the fish sticks on a baking sheet and broil them on high for a couple of minutes until heated through and crispy on the outside.
Freezer-friendly fish sticks
Skip the packaged, frozen fish sticks and freeze a batch of these homemade ones instead!
- Let the fish sticks cool completely before transferring them to a baking sheet.
- Freeze them on the baking sheet to ensure that they don’t stick together, then transfer the frozen fish sticks to a freezer-safe bag or container and place in the freezer for up to 2-3 months.
- To reheat, I’d recommend heating them in the oven so that they’re nice and crispy.
What to serve with homemade fish sticks
The options are endless! Serve these crispy baked fish stick with a side of veggies, maybe some fries, or some of our fav side dishes:
- Sesame Garlic Grilled Sweet Potato Fries
- Tony’s Melt-In-Your-Mouth Grilled Brussels Sprouts
- Balsamic Herb Sheet Pan Roasted Vegetables
- California Roasted Sweet Potato Kale Salad
- Maybe some Cauliflower Tots and Zucchini Mac and Cheese for the kiddos? YEP.
I hope you love these homemade crispy baked fish sticks! If you make the be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked them. Enjoy, xo!
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Homemade Crispy Baked Fish Sticks
Ingredients
- 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- Nonstick olive oil cooking spray
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, only if you like a little bit of heat
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons milk of choice
- 1 ¼ pound cod filet
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Pat the fish fillet dry on both sides with a paper towel. Cut the fish into 1 inch thick sticks/strips. They should be about 3 inches long, but this will vary based on your fish filet.
- Add panko breadcrumbs to a large baking sheet and spread out in an even layer. Spray breadcrumbs with nonstick olive oil cooking spray. Bake for 2 minutes, then stir breadcrumbs (or just give the pan a shake) and then bake for 2-3 minutes or until breadcrumbs are golden brown. Keep heat in the oven.
- Transfer breadcrumbs to a medium bowl. Whisk in spices: salt, black pepper, onion powder, paprika, garlic powder and cayenne pepper. Set aside.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and almond milk. Set aside.
- Line the large baking sheet with an oven safe wire metal rack. Spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- Dip each fish piece into the egg mixture, then use a tong to grab and toss into the breadcrumb mixture and roll it in completely coat with breadcrumbs. Use tongs to transfer each fish stick to the wire rack, placing about 1 inch apart.
- Generously spray the tops of the fish sticks with nonstick spray. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until cooked through. Serves 4. Serve with tartar sauce, my feta sauce, tahini sauce, tzatziki, ketchup or whatever sauce you’d like! Makes 12-16 fish sticks.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
This post was originally published on August 20th, 2021, and republished on May 3rd, 2023.
21 comments
What a recipe! looks incredibly yummy 🙂 My mouth is watering, Can’t wait to try it. Thanks for sharing such a unique and great recipe.
You’re welcome, I can’t wait for you to try them!
I was skeptical at first – this wouldn’t be a go to choice for our family. But, I decided to give it a try and I’m so glad I did! They were delicious and so tender! Also, pretty easy to make, which is a bonus. I paired them with AK’s sweet potato fries and homemade honey mustard sauce. Would definitely recommend,
Oh yay!! I’m so happy you tried and loved them 🙂 And ooh sweet potato fries on the side sound delish!
Absolutely obsessed with these. I make them 2-3 times a month, at least. It is one of the VERY FEW meals that my 2 year old will happily and excitedly eat.
Only modification I use is to do a layer of flour before the egg. The first time I made them, I found that the panko fell off of the fish sticks very easily once baked. The flour helps keep the panko stuck for yummy, crunchy fish sticks!
Found this to be rather tasteless. Also, the outside failed to get crisp, though I followed the recipe precisely.
So sorry you didn’t love this one! Any chance it needed more salt? And you cooked them on a wire rack?
Can you make these in an air fryer?
Probably but I don’t own one so I haven’t tested it!
Thank you for this recipe! We tried it tonight and my whole family enjoyed it. Even my husband who doesn’t really like any fish, aside from salmon. My 2 and 3 year old ate it up. My 2 year old was sneaking his sister’s!!
Ahh this is amazing! SO glad you and the fam loved this recipe!
My boyfriend liked costco shopping
I have never tried fish sticks, this sounds good! Thank you for the recipes!
Hope you love it!
Made these today and they turned out really well! My 2 year old ate some, which for me is the highest compliment any recipe can get
Amazing! Best feeling 🙂
This recipe came out beautifully! The only thing I’d say is it easily made 2.2lbs of fish (20+ fish sticks) and I still tossed some of the breadcrumbs after. So I’ll probably cut that down as I hate wasting! Also browning the bread crumbs took 2-3x longer than recipe called for, but that’s probably my oven. Otherwise I suggest following exactly! Wire racks and olive oil spray worked like a charm to crisp them up. We’ll be freezing the leftovers!
Good to know that you got a lot of fish sticks out of this (and great idea to freeze leftovers!) I always err on the side of more bread crumb coating so that each one gets easily, fully coated.
Any suggestions on how to make this egg free? I have an egg allergy but would love to try these
You could try using an egg alternative like the brand Just Egg!
I made these for my 15 month old and she absolutely loved them! I didn’t have paprika so just left it out and they were still yummy. Thank you! 🙂