Still Making Fish Sticks In The Oven? We Know An Even Better Way

That very first bite of fish sticks, when you sink your teeth in and feel the breadcrumbs shattering — that's pure heaven. Most of the time, we try to achieve this defining crispiness by baking them in the oven, and just as often, they end up falling short of expectations. You're better off exploring a new method, and no, we're not talking about deep-frying. Air frying is a much simpler and better alternative.

Air frying fish sticks is an easy way to cook for everybody, especially those who don't have time to wait for the oven to preheat and another 20 to 25 minutes to bake. The process takes half the time, and the result is glorious. The oven, while marvelous for sauce-drenched lasagna and juicy meat, often under-delivers in food that calls for crispiness. This is because the oven's heat circulation is static and disperses all over a large chamber, which is more suitable for retaining moisture as it gradually cooks the food. Meanwhile, the air fryer basket is much smaller with a concentrated airflow, allowing the fish sticks to cook faster and crisp better thanks to how quickly the moisture evaporates from their exterior. It's the kind of crumbly crisp you typically find in regular pan-fried and deep-fried food, only this time, it's healthier due to less oil usage and requires half the effort.

When it comes to fish sticks, you can either make them from scratch or get them from the many frozen fish stick brands out there. And the air fryer can help you with both. The first one starts out no different than usual, with strips of white fish sliced into thick strips, patted dry, seasoned well, and dredged in a breadcrumb batter. Air fry them at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about five minutes or so per side.

Frozen fish sticks, needless to say, let you skip the multi-step preparation and jump straight to heating the food. And yes, that means no need to thaw them before cooking. In fact, this is one of the most common mistakes to avoid when cooking frozen fish sticks, since the water might mess up the breading exterior, as well as stop the fish from properly crisping up. Other than that, the timing and temperature are still pretty much the same, or you can cook them to package instructions.

If you're a novice, there are some tips you need to remember when cooking with an air fryer, but the most fundamental one is not to overcrowd the basket. Work in batches and make sure the pieces are evenly spread with a little space in between. Moreover, take the sticks' sizes into consideration. Thicker pieces will take longer to cook, and thin pieces will take longer. If you're unsure at first, feel free to pop open the basket every so often and check to see if they have reached your desired level of crispiness.