After making these Crispy Homemade Fish Sticks, you’ll never go back to the frozen store-bought fish sticks again! The flavor is next level, with the perfect crunch on the outside and tender, flaky fish on the inside. Plus, they are super easy to make!

Are you a big fan of seafood? I definitely am! Check out my Garlic Butter Shrimp or Fish and Grits with Gravy recipe next!

These Homemade Fish Sticks are nostalgic for me. Growing up as kids, fish sticks were a favorite childhood snack in my family. This right here is a family recipe that I’ve been enjoying my whole life and I am happy to share it with you.

Why You’ll Love This Homemade Fish Sticks Recipe:

Way Better Than Store-Bought! These crispy breaded fish sticks are fresh and made with much better ingredients than ones you buy in the store. AND, they taste better too!
The Perfect Quick Meal! Serve with fries, tartar sauce, and pickles on the side for a crazy good fish and chips meal.
Full Of Flavor! The flour is seasoned just right with Bayou City Seasoning and parmesan cheese is added to the breadcrumb mixture to give the fish sticks even more flavor. It’s so good!

ingredients to make fish sticks shown are a bowl of flour with a whisk a bowl with two eggs and a bowl in the background

Ingredient’s You’ll Need

All-Purpose Flour: Make sure to season your flour before adding the fish.
Egg: You’ll need to whisk two eggs to make the egg mixture
Bread Crumbs: Use your favorite bread crumbs. I like to use panko breadcrumbs
Shredded Parmesan: Add parmesan cheese to the bread crumbs or you can skip it completely.
Seasonings And Fresh Herbs: You’ll need Bayou City All Purpose, Bayou City Garlic Pepper, Parsley, and Rosemary.
Shallot: This is added to the hot oil with the rosemary before cooking to add more flavor to the oil.
Vegetable oil for frying: Have plenty of cooking oil to use. Remember, you may need to add more as you cook the fish sticks.
Salt to taste: Sprinkle salt on the fish sticks as soon as they are done cooking.
Garnish: Top your fish sticks with fresh parsley, lemon juice and zest, and grated parmesan.

@kolby_kash These Fish Stix are not out the box!! Fish sticks were my favorite childhood snack. Picture it, it’s 2002 we are all wearing Tall Tee’s and running home to watch Jimmy Neutron and sing every word to country grammar. What a time! – Full recipe is up on my blog #linkinbio ♬ Shirt – SZA

How To Make Homemade Crispy Fish Sticks

CUT THE FISH: Pat the fish fillet with a clean paper towel. Cut Cod into equal strips, think finger size.

PREPARE THE FISH: Place the eggs, panko, parmesan, and flour in 3 separate shallow medium bowls. Whisk the seasoning into the flour Then, one at a time, coat the fish sticks in flour dredge the fish in flour, and shake off any excess flour. Coat with the egg mixture, allowing excess to drip back into the bowl. Finish by coating in the panko bread crumbs and press to adhere. Transfer fish to a plate and repeat until all the fish is coated.

COOK THE FISH STICKS: Heat 1 inch cooking oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, toss in rosemary and shallot and let those cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes, and then discard.

Working in 2 batches and adding 1/4 cup oil between batches if needed, cook fish until golden brown and cooked through, about 3 – 5 minutes. Transfer the fish sticks to a paper towel-lined plate or wire rack in a single layer. Season with salt, as desired.

Storage and Rewarming

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Rewarm in the oven or air fryer for a few minutes for the best results.

You can also make these ahead of time and freeze the cooked fish sticks in a freezer-safe bag for up to 2 months. Just be sure to allow the fish sticks to cool completely before freezing.

Chef Kolby holding a crispy fish stick in his hand close to the camera to show the fish stick

What To Serve With Your Homemade Fish Sticks

Dipping Sauce: Use tartar sauce, mustard, mayonnaise, ketchup, or whatever you prefer as a dipping sauce.

Side Dishes: Of course, fish and chips are a classic option, but you can also serve these fish sticks with Mac and Cheese or Potato Salad.

FAQs

What Fish Is Used For Fish Sticks?

Hearty white fish is best to use for fish sticks, like cod, haddock, halibut, pollock, or hake.

How do you get breadcrumbs to stick to fish?

Coating the fish in flour and egg wash acts as a binder so that the breadcrumbs can then stick onto the fish. To help the breadcrumbs stick further, you can set the fish sticks aside on a baking sheet to let the breadcrumbs set.

How Do you Get Breadcrumbs To Stick To Fish Without Eggs?

You will need a liquid such as milk, yogurt, or even olive oil. Make sure to coat the fish in flour first so that the outside of the fish gets sticky enough so the breadcrumbs adhere.

fingers picking up crispy homemade fish sticks

If you loved this Homemade Fish Sticks recipe, let me know in the comments. For more delicious recipes, follow me on TikTok and Instagram!

More Crazy Good Fish Dishes To Try!