If you are looking for a way to prepare deliciously golden and crispy fish sticks at home without the additives, I have a fantastic recipe for you that comes with a delicious sweet mayo dipping sauce! It's far tastier in the end than the alternative.
We all know kids love fish and chips, and what could go wrong with such a quick and tasty dinner? Even though they are enjoyable, it's common knowledge that store-bought frozen, breaded fish fillets are usually filled with sodium, preservatives, and a number of fillers that kids just don't need.
For this recipe, your most important ingredients are a few white fish fillets, breading ingredients, and oil! As a bonus, I've whipped up a tangy dipping sauce for the fish sticks. What kid wouldn't love that?!
My kids think these are the best and prefer them to store-bought. They're especially great for a special back to school dinner alongside some kimchi fries or baked turnip fries for a healthier option. The fish stick sauce is a big hit!
What I love is the breading sticks perfectly to the fish without coming apart and they are perfectly seasoned.
I also have this electric skillet fried fish recipe and kimchi tacos with breaded cod that you might like.
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Ingredients
- eggs - To help the breading to stick.
- bread crumbs - I use seasoned breadcrumbs.
- white fish fillets - My favorite are cod (tastes great and it's a cheaper fish) and halibut (amazing taste and texture but more expensive). You're looking for firm, meaty fish. You can also go with haddock or tilapia but they will be a bit thinner than cod and halibut.
- cooking oil - Such as canola or peanut oil. They have a high smoke point which is perfect for frying.
- Worcestershire sauce - This will be for the fish stick dipping sauce. It's an English, fermented sauce with punchy, umami flavor. A little goes a long way.
*Check recipe card for ingredient amounts.
How to Make Fish Sticks with Sauce
Step 1. Bread the fish. In 3 separate shallow dishes, place the flour mixture, beaten eggs and breadcrumbs. Cut the fish into strips and dip them into the flour, then eggs, then breadcrumbs.
Step 2. Fry the fish. Heat 1 to 2 cups of cooking oil over medium-high heat in a deep skillet. Carefully add the fish strips to the pan in batches. Fy until golden and crispy on both sides.
Step 3. Make the fish stick sauce. To make the special dip, simply mix the ketchup, mayonnaise and Worcestershire sauce together.
Step 4. Serve. Serve the crispy, breaded fish with the homemade sauce and lemon wedges.
Joss' Top Tips
- In all honesty, the trickiest part of this recipe is the slicing of the fillets into sticks. My suggestion would be to make the slices lengthwise and then cut those pieces in half if the fillets are particularly long.
- The fish sticks may be as thin or chunky as you like, just note that the wider the sticks, the fewer you'll have in the end. Once you've sliced them, the rest of the recipe is easy.
- Keep your hands clean in between breading the fillets to avoid clumps in your breading.
- Keep the thickest fish pieces in the middle of the pan as that tends to be where the oil gets the hottest.
- For perfectly golden fish sticks: If the fish stick breading is getting too dark within the 2 minutes of frying per side, turn the heat down a touch. You want it to be simultaneously golden brown on the outside and cooked all of the way through on the inside.
Storage & Reheating Instructions
- The fish stick sauce should last, covered in the fridge, for up to two weeks.
- The fish sticks should be refrigerated in a covered container for up to 3 to 4 days.
- Reheating: They can be reheated in the oven at 350°F for 10 to 15 minutes.
More Kid-Friendly Recipes to Try
Have you prepared homemade fish sticks before? If you tried this Fish Sticks Recipe with Sweet Mayo Sauce or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. And please share the recipe!
📋Recipe
Fish Sticks with Sweet Mayo
Ingredients
For the Fish Sticks
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon paprika powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
- 4 white fish fillets - such as cod or halibut
- 1-2 cups cooking oil - for frying
- 1 lemon - cut into wedges
- sea salt
For the Sweet Mayo Dip
- ¼ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Beat the eggs in a medium bowl. Add the flour, paprika and salt in a separate bowl and whisk together.2 eggs, ½ cup all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon paprika powder, 1 teaspoon salt
- Place the bread crumbs in another separate bowl or shallow dish.1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
- Pat the fillets dry with paper towel and slice them into small strips. Add them to the flour to coat them and then shake off the excess.4 white fish fillets
- Dip the flour-coated fish pieces into the egg and then press them into the breadcrumbs, until covered. Place them all on a large tray.
- Heat 1 to 2 cups of cooking oil over medium-high heat in a deep skillet. Carefully add the fish sticks to the pan in batches (4-5 at a time so the oil doesn't cool off--this way the fish won't absorb so much oil).
- When they are golden and crispy on both sides (about two minutes per side), remove them to a baking rack with paper towel underneath to catch the excess oil. Immediately sprinkle them with a touch of sea salt and let cool for a few minutes because they will be very hot on the inside.
- To make the dip, simply mix the ketchup, mayonnaise and Worcestershire sauce together.¼ cup ketchup, ¼ cup mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- Serve the fish sticks with the dip and lemon wedges.
Notes
- White fish: My favorite white fish fillets for fish sticks are cod (tastes great and it's a cheaper fish) and halibut (amazing taste and texture but more expensive). It's best to go with firm, meaty white fish. You can also go with haddock or tilapia but they will be a bit thinner than cod and halibut.
- Sauce storage: The fish stick sauce should last, covered in the fridge, for up to two weeks.
- Fish stick storage: The fish sticks should be refrigerated in a covered container for up to 3 to 4 days.
- Reheating: They can be reheated in the oven at 350°F for 10 to 15 minutes, until hot and crispy.
- Tips:
- Keep your hands clean in between breading the fillets to avoid clumps in your breading.
- Keep the thickest pieces in the middle of the pan as that tends to be where the oil gets the hottest.
- If the fish stick breading is getting too dark within the 2 minutes of frying per side, turn the heat down a touch. You want it to be simultaneously golden brown on the outside and cooked all of the way through on the inside.
Nutrition
Nutrition information on In the Kitch is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may not include toppings and/or sauces.
Joss says
These fish sticks turn out golden, crispy and delicious! The sauce is tangy and perfect for the fish. My whole family enjoys them.