How to Cook Frozen Fish Sticks in Air Fryer (Easy!)
Something quick and easy. During Lent, we are trying to find some good options to have on Fridays. We grabbed a bag of fish sticks and then thought to myself. I then had to think to myself, how to cook frozen fish sticks in the air fryer?
The air fryer has got to be the best way to make fish sticks in the shortest amount of time. It can be an easy meal for kids or a healthy side dish for the whole family to enjoy.
You might be making this during lent, which means meatless Fridays. This is the perfect time to do a Disney dinner theme night (like Little Mermaid). It also means St. Patrick’s Day is around the corner. This is the cutest rainbow fruit platter.
Knowing how to cook fish sticks in the air fryer can be so helpful to make dinnertime go smoothly.
Why Use an Air Fryer for Frozen Fish Sticks?
Air fryers are awesome because they cook food fast with hot air instead of lots of oil. This means your fish sticks get really crispy without being greasy.
Plus, using an air fryer is easy, and cleaning up afterward is a breeze. When you cook frozen fish sticks in an air fryer, they taste even better and are a bit healthier, too!
What You’ll Need
- An air fryer
- Fish sticks
- Spray oil/non-stick cooking spray
- Optional: Your favorite sauces for dipping.
When air frying your fish sticks, it can help to flip them halfway through.
Step-by-Step Guide: Cooking Frozen Fish Sticks in an Air Fryer
- Preparing Your Air Fryer: Turn it on and set it to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Let it warm up for a few minutes.
- Spray your air fryer basket with spray oil.
- Arranging the Fish Sticks: Put your frozen fish sticks in the air fryer basket. Don’t stack them; lay them in a single layer so they can get crispy all around. Sometimes people like to spray the tops of your frozen fish sticks with oil, but you don’t need to because they’re already pre-cooked in a way that makes them crispy.
- Cooking Time and Temperature: Cook them for about 10 minutes. Flip them about halfway through.
- Checking for Doneness: After 10 minutes, check if they’re crispy and golden brown. If they are, take them out and let them cool for a minute.
You can make fish stick tacos or just eat them with a dipping sauce. Enjoy!
Tips for Perfect Air Fryer Fish Sticks
- Don’t let the fish sticks touch too much, or they won’t get crispy on all sides.
- Halfway through cooking, you might want to flip them so both sides get equally crispy.
- A little spray of oil can make them even crunchier, but it’s totally optional.
- You can use homemade fish sticks instead, check out this great recipe (this requires about 5 more minutes in the air fryer)
Different Brands for Fish Sticks
- Gorton’s fish sticks (the best frozen fish sticks IMO- check out their fish fillets)
- Van de Kamp fish sticks
- 365 by Whole Foods (another favorite brand)
- Mrs. Paul’s Crunchy Breaded Fish Sticks
These fish sticks are Gorton’s brand. Delicious!
Serving Suggestions
Try your crispy fish sticks with tartar sauce, ketchup, or any sauce you love. My favorite dipping sauce is this homemade tartar sauce.
For sides, you have some great options.
Either a salad, green beans or steamed broccoli or carrots. Don’t forget some lemon wedges for your sticks.
If you’re doubling down on the fried foods, check out French fries, tater tots or even mozzarella sticks.
FAQs
Do I need to thaw the fish sticks first?
Nope! Cook them straight from the freezer. You can find a good homemade air fryer fish sticks recipe here.
How do I prevent the fish sticks from sticking to the basket?
A light spray of cooking oil can help, but usually, they don’t stick much. Something aluminum foil will be helpful, but check out this helpful blog post. It’s helpful to understand foil and air fryers. You need the hot circulating air and the foil can prevent that from swirling.
How do I clean my air fryer tray?
Check out a great way to clean your air fryer here.
How to store cooked fish sticks?
Place them in an airtight container and pop them in the refrigerator. Eat them within 3 days.
Wrapping It Up
Having an air fryer recipe for your frozen fish sticks is clutch! It always produces the best results with just minutes cook time. You just can’t beat an easy dinner like this.
