Crispy Homemade Fish Sticks {with Tartar Sauce}

Quick Summary

These homemade fish sticks are healthy, easy to make, and taste much better than store bought! Serve with a simple tartar sauce, kids and adults love them!

Did you know that it is easy to make fish sticks at home? YEP! And I promise they taste way better than frozen fish sticks you buy at the store. Plus, they are healthier because they are made with fresh and simple ingredients and they are baked and not fried.

The recipe is simple and the fish sticks are crispy on the outside and flaky on the inside. Perfect in any way, especially when you dunk them in our homemade tartar sauce. Don’t worry, it’s easy to whisk up!

Say goodbye to frozen fish sticks and hello to homemade fish sticks! Kids and adults love these crispy fish sticks. My boys beg for them all of the time.

How to Make Tartar Sauce

Fish sticks and tartar sauce are a match made in heaven! We always whisk up homemade tartar sauce before we start making the fish sticks so it is ready to go. It’s super simple to make!

All you have to do is combine mayonnaise, pickles, mustard, capers, and lemon juice in a bowl and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cover and place in the refrigerator until the fish sticks are ready.

You can make it in advance, which is nice. It will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.

What Fish to Use

We use cod, but any white firm fish will work. Halibut, catfish, and tilapia are other good options. If you are using frozen fish, make sure you thaw it out before hand.

How to Make Homemade Fish Sticks

Preheat the oven to 425°F. You want the oven nice and hot so the fish sticks get nice and crispy. Place a wire rack on a large baking sheet and spray with nonstick spray. Baking them on a rack will help the bottoms get crispy too.
Pat the fish with paper towels until dry. Season with salt and pepper. With a sharp knife, cut the fish into sticks, about 1-inch by 4-inch pieces.

Place the eggs in medium bowl and whisk until well beaten. Place the panko, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and lemon zest in a medium bowl or pie plate. Stir with a fork until well combined.
One at a time, dip the fish sticks into the egg mixture and then the panko mixture, pressing the panko firmly on all sides so it sticks.
Place the fish sticks on the rack and bake until they get nice and crispy!
Of course, if you wanted to fry the fish sticks in oil on the stove, you can. I just prefer baking to keep things healthy. And if you have an air fryer, you can make the fish sticks in the air fryer. You will just need to make them in batches.

Serving Suggestions

We recommend serving the warm, crispy fish sticks with our homemade tartar sauce. But if you aren’t a tartar sauce fan, you can serve the fish sticks with ketchup, BBQ sauce, a little drizzle of malted vinegar, or even tzatziki sauce.

If you want to serve a few dishes on the side, here are a few suggestions:

How to Store

Store fish sticks in the refrigerator for up to four days. The tartar sauce will keep for up to 5 days so you can make it the day before if you want to get it out of the way!

I recommend reheating the fish sticks in the oven or air fryer so they get nice and crispy. If you reheat them in the microwave they might be a little soggy.

You can freeze baked fish sticks. Once they are cool, place them in a freezer-safe container or bag and freeze for up to one month.

More Kid Friendly Recipes

Main Dishes

Fish Sticks

These homemade fish sticks are healthy, easy to make, and taste much better than store bought! Serve with a simple tartar sauce! Kids and adults love them!

For the tartar sauce:

1/2 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons finely chopped kosher dill pickles
1 tablespoon finely chopped sweet pickles
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon chopped capers
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

For the fish sticks:

1 1/2 lbs fresh or thawed cod, can use halibut
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups panko
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Zest of one lemon

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place a wire rack on a large baking sheet and spray with nonstick spray. Set aside.
To make the tartar sauce: Combine the mayonnaise, pickles, mustard, capers, and lemon juice in a bowl and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cover and place in the refrigerator until ready to use. You can make it in advance. It will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
To make the fish sticks: Pat the fish with paper towels until dry. Season lightly with salt and pepper. With a sharp knife, cut the fish into sticks, about 1-inch by 4-inch pieces.
Place the eggs in medium bowl and whisk until well beaten. Place the panko, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and lemon zest in a medium bowl or pie plate. Stir with a fork until well combined.
One at a time, dip the fish sticks into the egg mixture and then the panko mixture, pressing the panko firmly on all sides so it sticks.
Place the fish sticks on the wire rack, leaving space in between so they get brown nicely in the oven.
Bake until crispy, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve warm with tartar sauce.

Calories: 285kcal, Carbohydrates: 13g, Protein: 24g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 93mg, Sodium: 426mg, Potassium: 565mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 331IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 70mg, Iron: 2mg