It's easier than ever to make crispy homemade fish sticks by using your air fryer! Air Fryer Fish Sticks are crisp, flaky, and oh-so tasty with a side of 4-ingredient tartar sauce and fresh french fries or chips. We'll walk you through every step on how to make fish sticks from scratch and how to air fry them!
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Have you ever tried making fish sticks from scratch? It's easier than it sounds! Using fish fillets and a simple breading mixture, these crispy air fryer fish sticks come together in under 45 minutes. The best part about this recipe is that the air fryer oven is the perfect tool for cooking fish sticks so they're crispy all over on the outside, while remaining flaky and tender on the inside. Honestly, they're so easy you may never want to buy frozen fish sticks again!
Ingredients
- Self-Rising Flour: If you don't have self-rising flour or can't find it at the store, you can use 1 cup of all-purpose flour mixed with 1½ teaspoons of baking powder and ¼ teaspoon of salt.
- Cornstarch: Along with the flour, helps the batter mixture stick to the fish.
- Eggs: We recommend using pasture-raised or cage-free eggs for best results. If you can find fresh eggs from a local farm, those are even better!
- Beer: We recommend you use a light beer like a Pilsner. You don't want the beer to overpower the flavor of the fish sticks; all of the flavors should work together to complement each other. We used a budget-friendly beer from ALDI, Wernesgrüner Pils.
- Garlic Powder: A little bit of garlic powder adds a nice balance to the flavor of the seasoning on these fish sticks without overpowering them.
- Salt: Kosher salt works best.
- Black Pepper: We recommend freshly cracked black pepper if possible.
- Curry Powder: The addition of curry powder is a tip we picked up from Gordon Ramsay. It's just a touch, because curry powder can be overpowering. But, the small amount gives the flavor a little lift and pairs so well with the beer!
- Stone-Ground Yellow Cornmeal: See below for why we use cornmeal.
- Cod: While we prefer to use cod for classic fish sticks, you can use any firm white fish you prefer, such as tilapia. We thaw our fish before coating and air frying. See below for a tip on thawing fish for fish sticks so the fish doesn't get mushy. The fish should be cold before coating.
- Oil Spray: We're using avocado oil spray in a sprayer bottle. Avoid using a pressurized cooking spray, as these tend to have additives that can break down the non-stick coating of your air fryer. See our guide to air frying oils for more info.
- Lemon Slices: Some fresh lemon slices are great for pairing with fish sticks. A little squeeze of fresh lemon juice adds a pop of freshness that complements the fried texture and taste of the fish sticks very well.
These air fryer fish sticks are so tasty. The breading turns out crispy, and stays on even when you bite it! This is the same beer batter we use to make our onion rings recipe, and it is delicious.
Other spices to use with fish sticks include paprika or even Old Bay seasoning, but we prefer a simple mix so the flavor of the fish sticks can really shine on its own.
Why use cornmeal for beer batter in the air fryer?
We tested this recipe several times: once with just the batter, another time with panko breadcrumbs, again with crushed pork rinds, and finally with cornmeal.
The cornmeal was the big winner, with the crushed pork rinds coming in second. We feel the cornmeal gives a more authentic 'fried' flavor and texture.
The panko basically fell off of the fish when trying to eat it, so we recommend you don't use panko or regular breadcrumbs. Using beer batter by itself without crumbs doesn't work well in the air fryer as it tends to just stick to the basket and fall off when eating.
How to Thaw Fish before Air Frying Fish Sticks
To thaw fish, we recommend you remove the fish from the packaging and place it in a colander or strainer. Place the strainer in a bowl, then refrigerate. Allow the fish to thaw in the refrigerator overnight. By thawing in a strainer, the fish can drain as it thaws and won't become mushy from the excess water.
How to Air Fry Homemade Fish Sticks
To prepare the fish batter you will want to set up a work station using 3 containers. You can use any deep and wide container that will comfortably fit each fish stick.
Step 1
In the first container, whisk together ½ cup flour with 2 tablespoons cornstarch.
Step 2
In the second dish, whisk together 2 eggs, ½ cup beer, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, and ¼ teaspoon curry powder. Add remaining ½ cup flour and whisk until smooth. This mixture will have a thin batter consistency.
Step 3
Pour ½ cup cornmeal into the third dish. NOTE: We work with ½ cup cornmeal at a time to help prevent clumping. Add more cornmeal as needed and discard cornmeal that gets clumpy.
Step 4
Pat the fish dry with paper towels and cut into strips. Dry the fish thoroughly, pressing down to squeeze out any moisture.
Step 5
Using a fork, coat a piece of fish in the flour and cornstarch mixture, and gently shake off any excess flour. Place in beer batter. Don’t let your flour fork touch the batter.
Step 6
Using a separate fork, coat the fish in beer batter, making sure to fully coat all sides. Gently lift the fish out of the beer batter and allow excess to drip off. Carefully place the fish in the cornmeal mixture. Don’t let your beer batter fork touch the cornmeal.
Step 7
Finally, using a different fork, fully coat the fish with cornmeal. Gently shake off excess and place fish on a rack while you continue to coat the remaining fish in this same manner. Continue until all fish is coated. Note: Use a rack placed inside a baking tray. I line the tray with foil for easy clean up.
Step 8
Set rack with fish in fridge for at least 30 minutes before air frying.
When ready to air fry, preheat the air fryer to 400°F (200°C). When air fryer is preheated, remove the air fryer basket and spray the basket with oil spray.
Step 9
Place fish in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Don’t let the fish touch. Spray fish with oil spray to coat each of the fish pieces well. You want to make sure you coat the top side of the fish pieces with the oil spray to wet all of the cornmeal. You don’t want to see any dry spots of cornmeal.
Step 10
Air fry at 400° F (200°C) for 7-8 minutes, until golden brown and crispy. Use tongs to carefully remove air fried fish to a cooling rack. Continue cooking until all fish is air fried. You may need to air fry in batches. Allow fish to rest while you prepare homemade french fries in the air fryer! Alternatively, you can follow our directions for frozen fries.
Serve
Serve homemade air fryer fish sticks with lemon slices for squeezing and our 4-ingredient tartar sauce! Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Working with cold fish will help the batter stick to the fish. Be sure you keep it refrigerated until ready to use.
- Use a different fork for each container when breading the fish. That will help keep each fork clean so you don’t get clumps in the cornmeal.
- We work with ½ cup cornmeal at a time to help prevent clumping. Add more cornmeal as needed and discard cornmeal that gets too many clumps.
- Discard remaining flour mixture, beer batter, and cornmeal. It can't be used again.
What to Serve with Fish Sticks
How to Store Leftover Fish Sticks
- Fish sticks are better the sooner you eat them, so we recommend eating them either the day of or the day after. But, you can store leftover fish sticks in the refrigerator for 2-3 days in a tightly sealed airtight container. Reheating fish sticks can be tricky, so we recommend reheating them in the air fryer for a couple of minutes until heated through.
FAQ
We recommend you use cornmeal rather than panko or bread crumbs. Cornmeal sticks to the fish the best in addition to giving it the best texture and fried taste. While you can use other options, from our extensive testing, we found that cornmeal works best.
Yes. While we recommend using beer for the best flavor, you can use a non-alcoholic beer or even club soda sparkling water as a substitute for beer. Soda water will have a good texture, but won't have the correct taste, so you may want to adjust the seasoning of your fish sticks if you aren't using beer.
More Air Fryer Recipes You'll Love
- Air Fryer Hamburgers
- Air Fryer Fish Tacos
- Air Fryer Shrimp Tacos
- Air Fryer Salmon Bites
- See all of our air fryer dinners!
Leave a comment and review for us below if you enjoyed this recipe, or if you have questions about any of our air fryer recipes!
Air Fryer Fish Sticks
Equipment
- Air Fryer
- Lined baking sheet with rack for resting fish sticks
- 3 containers for dredging fish in batter
- 1 Whisk
Ingredients
- 1 cup self-rising flour divided
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup beer we use Wernesgrüner Pils from ALDI
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon curry powder
- 1 cup stone ground yellow cornmeal divided
- 1 pound Cod or other firm white fish
- oil spray, such as avocado oil spray
- Lemon slices for serving
Instructions
- To prepare the fish batter you will want to set up a work station using 3 containers.
- In the first container, whisk together ½ cup self-rising flour with 2 Tablespoons cornstarch.
- In the second dish, whisk together 2 large eggs, ½ cup beer, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, and ¼ teaspoon curry powder. Add remaining ½ cup flour and whisk until smooth. This mixture will have a thin batter consistency.
- Pour ½ cup stone ground yellow cornmeal into the third dish. NOTE: We work with ½ cup cornmeal at a time to help prevent clumping. Add more cornmeal as needed and discard cornmeal that gets clumpy.
- Pat 1 pound Cod dry with paper towels and cut into strips. Dry the fish thoroughly, pressing down to squeeze out any moisture.
- Using a fork, coat a piece of fish in the flour and cornstarch mixture, and gently shake off any excess flour. Place in beer batter. Don’t let your flour fork touch the batter.
- Using a separate fork, coat the fish in beer batter, making sure to fully coat all sides. Gently lift the fish out of the beer batter and allow excess to drip off. Carefully place the fish in the cornmeal mixture. Don’t let your beer batter fork touch the cornmeal.
- Finally, using a different fork, fully coat the fish with cornmeal. Gently shake off excess and place fish on a rack while you continue to coat the remaining fish in this same manner. Continue until all fish is coated. Note: Use a rack placed inside a baking tray. I line the tray with foil for easy clean up.
- Set rack with fish in fridge for at least 30 minutes before air frying.
- When ready to air fry, preheat the air fryer to 400°F. (200°C)
- When air fryer is preheated, remove the air fryer basket and spray the basket with oil spray. Place fish in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Don’t let the fish touch.
- Spray fish with oil spray, such as avocado oil spray, to coat each of the fish pieces well. You want to make sure you coat the top side of the fish pieces with the oil spray to wet all of the cornmeal. You don’t want to see any dry spots of cornmeal.
- Air fry at 400°F (200°C) for 7-8 minutes, until golden brown and crispy. Use tongs to carefully remove air fried fish to a cooling rack. Continue cooking until all fish is air fried. You may need to air fry in batches.
- Allow fish to rest before serving. We like to use the resting time to make a side, like homemade french fries or onion rings!
- Serve with Lemon slices for squeezing on fish sticks and 4 ingredient tartar sauce, if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Working with cold fish will help the batter stick to the fish. Be sure you keep it refrigerated until ready to use.
- Use a different fork for each container when breading the fish. That will help keep each fork clean so you don’t get clumps in the cornmeal.
- We work with ½ cup cornmeal at a time to help prevent clumping. Add more cornmeal as needed and discard cornmeal that gets too many clumps.
- Discard remaining flour mixture, beer batter, and cornmeal. It can't be used again.
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