Crispy Fish Sticks

These homemade baked fish sticks are perfectly crispy and so easy to make! Cod strips are coated in seasoned panko breadcrumbs and they are ready to enjoy in less than 30 minutes.

Homemade fish fingers are one of my favorite things, and this is a real must-make recipe! They are a fun and delicious kid-friendly dinner

These cod fish sticks are so easy to make and they get so perfectly crispy thanks to the panko breadcrumbs. Serve them up with tartar sauce for dipping, as a main, or even pop them in some tacos!

Be sure to try my Salmon Patties and Crab Cakes too!

Ingredients For Baked Fish Sticks

• Firm Fish Fillets: I make these homemade fish sticks with cod. They also work great with other firm fish like haddock, bass and mahi mahi.
• Seasonings: Salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder.
• Flour: You can use all-purpose or a gluten-free flour.
• Panko breadcrumbs: Panko breadcrumbs are super crunchy and are perfect for these breadsticks. In a pinch you can use fine breadcrumbs, but they won’t have the same crispy texture.
• Eggs: The cod is dipped into the egg so that the breadcrumbs stick to each piece.
• Parmesan: I like to add grated parm to the coating for extra flavor.

How To Make Baked Fish Sticks

• Preheat the oven to 400 F.
• Add panko breadcrumbs to a parchment-lined large baking sheet and spread out in an even layer. Bake for 2 -3 minutes, then stir breadcrumbs, and then bake for 2-3 minutes or until breadcrumbs are golden brown. (Watch them closely so they don’t burn.) Immediately, remove breadcrumbs from the oven and the sheet. Add freshly grated parmesan cheese to the panko breadcrumbs.
• Season fish pieces with salt, pepper, paprika, onion, and garlic powder.
• Dip each fish stick in flour first, then egg mixture, and lastly breadcrumbs/parmesan mixture. Coat evenly, shake off excess. Set them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Repeat with all fish pieces.
• Bake fish sticks for 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let them rest for about 5 minutes. Serve with chopped fresh parsley, a drizzle of lemon juice, and tartar sauce.

Can you make these fish fingers ahead of time?

To get ahead of things, you can bread the cod up to a day ahead of time and keep it covered in the fridge until you are ready to cook. Leftover cod fish fingers will keep well in the fridge for up to 4 days and can be reheated in the oven at 350F for 10 minutes till heated through.

Can you use frozen fish fillets?

Frozen fish fillets can contain a lot of excess water, so where possible it’s best to use fresh. If you only have frozen, be sure to thaw completely and use kitchen paper to dab away as much excess water as you can before breading them.

Can you freeze them?

These homemade fish sticks are perfect for freezer meals, make up a big batch, and freeze them for easy-to-grab dinners as they can be cooked right from frozen. You can freeze them either cooked or uncooked.

• Uncooked: Freeze them solid on a baking sheet and then transfer them to a freezer bag or container for up to 3 months. Cook from frozen at 400F for around 20 minutes.
• Cooked: Let cool completely before freezing as above. They will cook from frozen at 400F in around 10 minutes.

What do you serve them with

These cod fish sticks are great served with homemade fries, sweet potato fries, potato wedges, or sweet potato wedges for the perfect fish and chips meal.

You can also serve them with your favorite fresh side salad like Tomato Cucumber Avocado Salad, Caesar Salad, Chickpea Salad, or Wedge Salad.

And don’t forget the perfect dipping sauce for these fish sticks – this homemade Tartar sauce is absolutely creamy, tangy, and complements wonderfully the fish flavor.

More Fish Recipes

• Salmon Tacos
• Mahi Mahi with Roasted Pepper Butter Sauce
• Mediterranean Tuna Salad
• Honey Sriracha Salmon

If you enjoyed this Baked Fish Sticks recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!