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These Baked Fish Sticks are tender on the inside, golden and crispy on the outside, and made with simple ingredients you likely already have on hand.
Looking for kid-friendly dinners? Don't miss my recipes for Baked Chicken Tenders, Shake and Bake Pork Chops, and Homemade Sloppy Joes.
Kristen's Keys for Baked Fish Sticks
Before you preheat the oven, let's talk about the small details that make a big difference. These are the make-or-break tips that ensure your fish sticks turn out crispy, flavorful, and better than store-bought.
- Use a firm white fish. Cod, haddock, or mahi mahi work best. They hold their shape and stay flaky. Thinner fish like tilapia cook faster, so reduce the bake time slightly to avoid drying them out.
- Don't skip the panko. Panko breadcrumbs are lighter and airier than regular breadcrumbs. That extra texture is what gives you that golden crunch without frying.
- Press the coating on firmly. After dipping in the egg mixture, gently press the panko onto the fish. This helps it stick and prevents bare spots.
- It is best to use a rimmed sheet pan fitted with a wire rack. This allows the air to circulate evenly around the fish as it bakes and prevents the bottom of the fish sticks from getting soggy.
How to Make Crispy Baked Fish Sticks
Let me walk you through how I make baked fish sticks, giving you a few tips along the way.
Step One: Prepare Fish
Slice the fish into strips about 1 inch wide and 2 inches long. Try to keep them similar in size so they cook evenly. Pat the fish dry with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture.
Season lightly with seasoned salt or salt and pepper to build flavor from the inside out instead of relying only on the coating.
Step Two: Set Up Breading Station
Set up three shallow dishes. In the first, combine flour with seasoned salt. In the second whisk eggs with lemon juice and Dijon. Add the panko and a bit more seasoned salt to the final dish. The lemon brightens the fish and the Dijon adds depth.
Step Three: Bread Fish Sticks
First, dip the fish sticks into seasoned flour, followed by an egg wash, followed by the panko mixture. Use your hands to press the breadcrumbs onto the fish to ensure the entire surface area is covered.
Step Three: Four
Place the breaded fish sticks on the lightly greased baking rack fitted over a rimmed sheet pan and lightly spray with cooking spray which will help the breading brown and become crispy without excessive oil.
Place the breaded fish sticks onto the pan and bake, flipping halfway through the baking process. I have found that even when using a baking rack, fish sticks turn out crispier if they are flipped midway through the baking process.
Step Five: Serve
And because everything is more enticing when served with a dipping sauce, pair these fish sticks with homemade tartar sauce to keep it classic, ranch dressing to make the kids happy, or bang bang sauce for a bit of spice. We actually like pairing them with my creamy dill dip recipe. The dill works beautifully with the fish!
Recipe Modifications
- Gluten-Free: Replace the all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour and gluten-free panko.
- Egg-Free: If you have an egg allergy, you can use ½ cup of milk or buttermilk in place of the 2 eggs.
- Air Fryer Option: Cook at 400°F for 10-12 minutes, flipping halfway through. Spray lightly with cooking spray before air frying to encourage browning.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Frozen fish is often fresher and more affordable. Just be sure to thaw completely and pat dry before breading. Extra moisture prevents crisping.
Usually it's one of two things. The fish was too wet or the coating wasn't pressed on firmly. Pat the fish dry with a paper towel before breading and press the breadcrumbs onto the fish before baking.
The breading should be golden brown and the fish should flake easily with a fork. If still in doubt, check to ensure the internal temperature reaches 145°F.
Storage Instructions
Fish Sticks are best served warm right from the oven. That said, leftovers freeze and reheat beautifully using the following instructions.
- Freeze Leftovers: Let cool completely. Freeze on a baking sheet until solid (about 1 hour), then transfer to a freezer-safe bag. Store up to 3 months.
- To Reheat: Bake from frozen at 425°F for 10-12 minutes until heated through and crispy.
More Kid-Friendly Seafood Recipes
Seafood can be a hard sell when it comes to kids at times. I have pulled together picky-eater approved seafood recipes you may want to bookmark, or browse a few favorites below:
Baked Fish Sticks
Video
Ingredients
- cooking spray
- 1 pound skinless white fish fillets, about 1-inch thick (thawed if frozen)
- 2 teaspoons seasoned salt, divided
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, about 1 medium lemon
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (215℃) and adjust the rack to the center position. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil (for easy clean-up) and place an oven-safe cooling rack on a rimmed baking sheet. Lightly spray with cooking spray. Alternatively, line the rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with non-stick spray.
- Slice each fillet into 2-inch long by 1-inch wide sticks. Season both sides of the fish sticks evenly with about ½ teaspoon of seasoned salt. Pat dry with a paper towel to remove excess moisture.
- Set up a breading station by setting out 3 shallow dishes. In first dish, combine ½ cup all-purpose flour and ½ teaspoon seasoned salt. In second, whisk 2 large eggs with 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice and 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard. In the final dish, combine 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1 teaspoon seasoned salt.
- Working one at a time, dip each fish stick into flour, tossing to coat. Shake off excess. Dip into the egg wash, and then finally into panko breadcrumbs, using your hands to help panko coat fish. Place the breaded fish onto the prepared pan and then repeat with the remaining fish strips. Spray the fish sticks generously with cooking spray until they are lightly glistening.
- Bake for 7 minutes, flip and bake for 5-7 minutes longer, or until golden brown and fish is no longer opaque.
- Allow to cool slightly and then serve with tartar sauce or your favorite dipping sauce.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Everyone loved it. I replaced the eggs with Greek yogurt because I have an egg allergy. That worked well. Delicious recipe! Will definitely use this again!
Dawn
So happy to hear you enjoyed, Dawn! And thank you for sharing your egg-free modification.
Just tried this recipe—so easy and delicious! I love how crispy it is with the breadcrumbs. Love the touch of garlic.
I love hearing you enjoyed, Maddy and appreciate you taking the time to leave a review 🙂
Had I known how easy these were to make from scratch, I would have made them a long time ago! Great recipe, thank you!
You bet! They really are easy and so much tastier! Thanks for sharing a review.
First time trying these homemade fish sticks and they turned out great! This recipe was a hit! So flavorful and an excellent crowd-pleaser!
Family ate this up! I had to cook them about 10 minutes longer but I did forget to spray them with the baking spray. Thank you so much for sharing this! Will be making this one again!
Thanks for sharing, Stefanie! I am thrilled to hear your family enjoyed. As for the extra cooking time, you are correct the cooking spray would have helped them brown quicker.
How long do we cook it if using tilapia ?
Hi Reginia! Because tilapia is thinner than cod, I would suggest baking for 5 minutes, flipping, and then baking for another 4-5 minutes.