Air Fryer Fish Sticks (frozen)

If you’re looking for a quick and easy meal, look no further than air fryer frozen fish sticks! This recipe is so simple, and the fish comes out perfectly crispy every time. Serve with some dipping sauce and a side of veggies, and you’ve got a complete meal that the whole family will love.

I love fish sticks and my favorite way to cook them is in an air fryer. They end up so crispy and delicious you won’t want to cook them any other way! 

Air frying fish sticks is better than cooking in an ordinary oven because the action of the hot air circulating crisps them up without needing to add extra oil. As a bonus, they are ready in minutes for a quick weeknight dinner or lunch with no need to turn your oven on!

Ingredients

You can use any brand of frozen breaded fish sticks or frozen fish fingers. I often use Trident or Gorton’s fish sticks. Note that fish sticks vary a lot in size and thickness, so the brand you choose will affect the cooking times. See section below for more details.

How to cook frozen fish sticks (or fish fingers) in an air fryer

• Preheat your air fryer to 400°F/ 200°C, this takes approximately 3 minutes.
• Place frozen fish sticks in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Ensure they are not touching.
• Air fry fish sticks for 8-10 minutes

How long to air fry frozen fish sticks

Frozen fish sticks can vary greatly in size and thickness, so the time required to cook them fully will vary too.

To make matters more complicated, air fryers all cook at different rates, so the cooking time will also depend on how powerful your particular air fryer is. 

Fish needs to be cooked until it reaches an internal temperature of 145°F/ 63°C. Check with an instant-read thermometer if you are at all unsure whether they are cooked fully.

Start by air frying them for around 8 minutes (turning halfway through if required), and then check the temperature. Air fry for additional 1-2 minute intervals, if required, until they are cooked fully.

I would recommend printing off the recipe card below and making a note of exactly how long the correct cook time for your air fryer is. 

Cooking fish sticks and fries in your air fryer

Frozen fish sticks and fries (or chips) is the perfect combination to make in an air fryer for an easy dinner the whole family will love.

Air fryer frozen fries take slightly longer to air fry than frozen fish sticks, but it is easy to add the fish sticks in once the french fries have started cooking.

Here are the steps:

1. Place frozen french fries in the air fryer basket. 
2. Cook the fries for 5 minutes, remove the basket and shake to redistribute the fries.
3. Place the frozen fish sticks on top of the fries.
4. Cook for another 5 minutes.
5. Remove the basket, remove the fish sticks to a plate, shake the french fries, return the fish sticks to the air fryer basket, flipped over.
6. Return the basket to the air fryer and cook for an additional 5-7 minutes until the fries and fish sticks are golden brown and cooked through.  

You could also use frozen tater tots, smiley fries, or potato wedges.

Serving ideas

Serve fish sticks as a snack or appetizer with a dipping sauce like tartar sauce, or add a side of fries and some steamed vegetables to make them into a meal.