Low Fat High Protein Air Fryer Fish Sticks

Being a fish lover, I regret not trying these air fryer fish sticks soon enough! Crispy on the outside and juicy soft on the inside, these air fryer fish sticks are insanely addictive and they are here to stay!

I know I have been going bonkers with my air fryer and churning out back to back air fryer recipes; but I am genuinely helpless! I am just not so over this cooking genius!

Today’s recipe is also another gem from my beloved air fryer and that is crispy, crunchy & succulent air fryer fish sticks!

Eating mindfully and choosing healthy dishes for every meal, that too daily, can quickly become a daunting task which I can absolutely relate to as I am also going through the same grind everyday!

So I keep researching for interesting recipes which can help maintain our quota of daily protein intake while being as low in calorie as possible!

Hence my trusty air fryer comes as a savior which not only whips up tasty low-calorie dishes but also doesn’t make too much fuss in the kitchen!

This air fryer fish sticks recipe is a keeper which will come in handy when you crave for something crispy, but cannot afford to ruin the effort you had put in the morning during your killer workout by munching on deep fried snacks!

So what’s the solution? Check out how to make these air fryer fish sticks and also bookmark the whole list of my delicious air fryer recipes that will keep your healthy eating on track!

What are air fryer fish sticks?

To put it into perspective, fish sticks are a somewhat enlarged version of fish fingers; but unlike fish fingers they are very lightly breaded to keep the fresh fishy flavors as prominent as possible.

As you can easily guess, traditional fish sticks are deep fried in oil but not in my kitchen and hence enters air fryer fish sticks into our lives!

If you are a fish lover just like me, you will love the simplicity of this crunchy goodness where the fish is not overpowered with too many spices.

The magic is in the breading which includes a very light dusting of all-purpose flour (aka maida), egg, the natural tenderizer and finally breadcrumbs for mind-blowing crispiness!

Simple seasoning with a dash of chilli powder is what you need to spice up these incredibly tasty air fryer fish sticks! Serve it with a yogurt based dipping sauce and enjoy with a side of fresh salad.

You can safely consume a few air fryer fish sticks with peace of mind for your high protein lunch or dinner; but definitely pair it with a generous serving of fresh lettuce, cucumber and any other salad ingredient of your choice!

Ingredients for Air Fryer Fish Sticks

Fish fillet: For recreating restaurant style fish sticks at home, you will need a meaty boneless fish that’s as fresh as it could be!

I used the meaty Basa fish (aka Catfish) which is easily available here. I usually get the Basa fillet with the skin removed from my local fish shop.

Other good alternatives could be haddock, cod or halibut but unfortunately these are not local catch here in India and hence not easily sourceable.

Breadcrumbs: This is the key ingredient which will determine whether your air fryer fish sticks would turn out crispy, crunchy & gorgeous or sad & soggy!

Get the best quality breadcrumbs you can get from your supermarket. You may use Panko breadcrumbs if that’s what you have handy.

I just used the regular one as I liked its texture better for fish sticks even though I love the crispness of Panko otherwise!

All-purpose flour/Maida: The first layer of breading is the all-purpose flour or our very own maida. This helps the eggs to stick to the somewhat smooth texture of fish fillets.

Eggs: You will need a couple of eggs which will ensure your flaky fish fillet remains soft, succulent and juicy inside the breaded fish sticks.

Spices: Fish sticks are not loaded with too much spices. You should just have enough aromatics to complement the fresh flavor of the fish.

All you need are garlic powder, onion powder and just a dash of chilli powder with the quintessential black pepper to bring the fishy flavors together!

Seasoning: You will need to season the air fryer fish sticks in different layers – first the raw fish sticks, then the breadcrumbs and finally the flour. I didn’t season the eggs as I felt it may overseason the final product.

Oil: Since I made my fish sticks in the air fryer, I didn’t need a lot of oil. All I needed was a few sprays of olive oil or any other oil of your choice.

Pro tip: If you are interested in the oil sprayer that I use in all of my air fryer videos, you can get it here on Amazon; this has been my best kitchen purchase off late!

How to make Air Fryer Fish Sticks?

Step 1: Cut the fish fillet into 3-inch long and 1-inch wide sticks. Make sure to have all the sticks of almost the same size so that they cook uniformly within the same time.

Step 2: Pat dry the fish sticks and ensure they are completely dry. Sprinkle salt over them on both sides and give a light mix using your hand. Set aside.

Step 3: Take the breadcrumbs in a shallow plate and season it with garlic powder, onion powder, chilli powder, salt & black pepper. Give a good mix to evenly distribute the spices & seasoning.

Step 4: Take the all-purpose flour in another shallow plate and season it with salt. Give a good mix. Break the eggs in a bowl and beat them well.

Step 5: Now all breading elements are ready. Start the breading process by taking one fish stick at a time and drop it into the seasoned flour first.

Step 6: Coat the fish stick with flour on all sides; then shake off excess and dip it in the beaten eggs. Lift it up and let the excess drip off.

Step 7: Finally drop it into the seasoned breadcrumbs. Coat the fish stick with breadcrumbs on all sides evenly making sure the entire fish is covered with breadcrumbs.

Step 8: Bread all the fish sticks similarly and once done, let them rest in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to firm up.

Pro tip: You can also freeze the breaded fish sticks for about a month and air fry them when you crave for this delicious fishy affair!

Step 9: When you are ready to air fry, start preheating the fryer at 200 C and set the timer at 15 minutes. Brush or spray oil over the base of the air fryer basket.

Step 10: Once the air fryer is preheated, place the breaded fish sticks inside the basket in a single layer as I have shown in the video. Spray or brush oil on top for a crispy outer coating.

Step 11: Start air frying the fish sticks and after about 10-11 minutes (or when your air fryer instructs), take the basket out, flip over the fish sticks, spray some oil over them and continue air frying them for the remaining time.

Step 12: Your crispy air fryer fish sticks would be completely done by 15 minutes! Serve them up with a hung curd dip on the side and a drizzle of lemon juice! Garnish with fresh herbs & enjoy!

More delicious fish recipes from Flavor Quotient

No-Oil Air Fryer Fish Sticks | Low Fat High Protein Fish Sticks in Air Fryer

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

30 mins

Author: Priyanka

Recipe type: Snacks

Serves: 10-12 Fish Sticks

Ingredients

Fish fillet - 500 gms, boneless & skinless
All-purpose flour - 1 cup
Eggs - 2
Breadcrumbs - 1 cup
Garlic powder - 1 tsp
Onion powder - 1 tsp
Red chilli powder - ½ tsp
Salt & pepper to taste
Oil to brush/spray
Lemon wedges to serve

Instructions

Cut the fish fillet into 3-inch long and 1-inch wide sticks. Make sure to have all the sticks of almost the same size so that they cook uniformly within the same time.
Pat dry the fish sticks and ensure they are completely dry. Sprinkle salt over them on both sides and give a light mix using your hand. Set aside.
Take the breadcrumbs in a shallow plate and season it with garlic powder, onion powder, chilli powder, salt & black pepper. Give a good mix to evenly distribute the spices & seasoning.
Take the all-purpose flour in another shallow plate and season it with salt. Give a good mix. Break the eggs in a bowl and beat them well.
Now all breading elements are ready. Start the breading process by taking one fish stick at a time and drop it into the seasoned flour first.
Coat the fish stick with flour on all sides; then shake off excess and dip it in the beaten eggs. Lift it up and let the excess drip off.
Finally drop it into the seasoned breadcrumbs. Coat the fish stick with breadcrumbs on all sides evenly making sure the entire fish is covered with breadcrumbs.
Bread all the fish sticks similarly and once done, let them rest in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to firm up.
When you are ready to air fry, start preheating the fryer at 200 C and set the timer at 15 minutes. Brush or spray oil over the base of the air fryer basket.
Once the air fryer is preheated, place the breaded fish sticks inside the basket in a single layer as I have shown in the video. Spray or brush oil on top for a crispy outer coating.
Start air frying the fish sticks and after about 10-11 minutes (or when your air fryer instructs), take the basket out, flip over the fish sticks, spray some oil over them and continue air frying them for the remaining time.
Your crispy air fryer fish sticks would be completely done by 15 minutes! Serve them up with a hung curd dip on the side and a drizzle of lemon juice! Garnish with fresh herbs & enjoy!