Air fryer fish sticks are such an easy way to get dinner on the table, and kids love them! Check out our homemade tartar sauce recipe (just 5 ingredients!) to make this dinner oh so delicious!
I grew up eating fish sticks. My mama would stick a tray of them in the oven and that’d be that.
I know she appreciated how quick and easy they were, because now that I’m a mama I feel the exact same way!
We obviously had to test fish sticks in the air fryer to see if they were better than in the oven and as expected-they are much better!
The coating gets nice and crisp, like they were freshly fried. No soggy fish sticks here!
We often just eat these as is, with a side of tartar sauce for dipping. Although as a kid, I used to dip mine in ketchup. 😉
Lately, though, we’ve been getting fancy and making fish stick tacos and fish finger sandwiches (if you prefer fish fingers to fish sticks for some reason).
How To Cook Frozen Fish Sticks in an Air Fryer:
Prepare your air fryer basket by brushing oil on the basket or spritzing it if you have a pump spray bottle.
Place your fish sticks in the air fryer basket. Do not stack them, and do not let them touch. This will give you the best results in that the breading will be nice and crisp.
Cook for 8-9 minutes at 400 degrees F.
How to Make Homemade Tartar Sauce:
Making tartar sauce is just as easy as remembering to buy a bottle of the stuff and you probably have the ingredients on hand.
You’ll need:
Mayonnaise – It is recommended to use mayonnaise and not Miracle Whip as Miracle Whip is a little sweeter.
Chopped Dill Pickles – We prefer to chop pickles, but dill relish will also work.
Dill – If you have fresh dill, go ahead and use that. Otherwise, dried dill is great.
Onion Powder – My family doesn’t like chunks of onion in their tartar sauce, but you could use really finely minced or grated onion if you preferred.
Lemon Juice – Fresh or from a bottle.
Stir it all together and then serve it up with your fish sticks.
This will keep in the fridge for up to 10 days.
FAQ:
French fries, cole slaw, roasted potatoes, broccoli, carrots, or a salad.
Yes, but if you think you will eat them again soon, you can just put them in a baggie and keep them in your fridge.
YES! Depending on the region you were in when you first had these you may call them fish sticks or fish fingers. Fish sticks are more the more American name, while fish fingers are the more common name in the United Kingdom.
More Frozen Foods For Your Air Fryer:
- Air Fryer Frozen French Fries
- Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Nuggets
- Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Wings
- Frozen Corn Dogs in the Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Frozen Burritos
Air Fryer Fish Sticks
Equipment
Ingredients
For the fish sticks:
- 10 frozen fish sticks
For the tartar sauce:
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons chopped dill pickles
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh dill or 1/2 teaspoon dried dill
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
- Spritz the air fryer basket with oil.
- Add the fish sticks in a single layer with room between each. Spritz the tops with oil lightly.
- Air fryer at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes, depending on how crisp you'd like the coating.
- While the fish sticks are cooking, stir together all of the ingredients for the tartar sauce.
- Serve fish sticks with tartar sauce, for dipping.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
Share it with us on Instagram @air.fried and tag us #air.fried
Comments & Reviews
David Link says
Frozen hamburger patties in the air fryer?
Karly says
Yep, super easy! https://airfried.com/air-fryer-frozen-burgers-recipe/