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These Air-Fryer Fish Sticks are a great update on the traditional store-bought frozen fish we all hate-to-love! While that version usually has a long list of foreign ingredients, our gluten-free version is made with tapioca and almond flour and cooked in an air-fryer! They’re paleo, kid-friendly, and they reheat well so you can make them in a big batch for a quick lunch or dinner anytime.
Paleo Air-Fryer Fish Sticks
By now many kids have returned to school and adults are starting to get back in to normal routines as summer rolls to a close. I know that an easy lunch or dinner is just what this time calls for! We busted out our (still-new-to-us) air fryer to remake a classic: Fish Sticks! We of course made them gluten-free, with a short list of ingredients you can pronounce and included a tasty side of tartar sauce to go with it.
Admittedly, we had to test this recipe MANY times. We loved the idea of skipping the deep fat fry on these (though we aren’t afraid of fat over here!). Deep frying can use a lot of oil and we will always take the opportunity to experiment with our air-fryer, but we still wanted it to be crisp. Because fish holds so much moisture the fish needs to be cut somewhat small, or similar in size to store-bought fish sticks, about 1/2″ by 1/2″ by 2″. Fish of course isn’t uniform, so you will have some pieces that are slightly different so you don’t waste any fish pieces, but try to keep most pieces about that size.
We also found that we needed bit more oil than we typically use in the air-fryer. We added two tablespoons to the bottom of the basket, and then additionally sprayed the basket and breaded fish with avocado oil. As always, we love using avocado oil because of its nutritional benefit and its high-smoke point, but feel free to use whatever oil you normally do.
How Long Does it Take To Cook Fish in the Air Fryer
We cooked our fish sticks for a total of 11 minutes at 390ºF, flipping after the first 5 minutes. Fish should be cooked to an internal temperature of 145º F. Take care not to overcook the fish as it becomes too flaky and delicate and it can break.
Best part about these fish sticks? They held up well in the freezer and were great when reheated. We froze ours for one month and had great results, but likely they will last at least 2-3 if properly stored. If you want, you can make a larger batch and freeze for a future quick lunch or dinner.
They must be frozen individually first so they don’t stick together. Simply place them on a plate or sheet pan with plenty of space in between. Once frozen you can place in a storage container or bag until ready to use. We reheated ours in a toaster oven and have included the instructions in the notes of the recipe.
Let’s also talk about the AIR FRYER!
- I have this one and I really like it, but one thing to keep in mind is despite the large size of the appliance, you can’t overcrowd the food you are frying so you have to cook in batches.
- It’s not a small appliance, so make sure you have space for it!
- I am really excited about the air fryer! It cooks things SO well. Really, I am super impressed with it and excited to make my chicken tenders and chicken nuggets in it moving forward!
If you like this fish recipe, check out these others:
- Paleo Fish and Chips
- Fish Tacos with Tropical Salsa
- Sheet Pan Cod with Vegetables in Lemon Herb Sauce
- 3-Ingredient Dijon Salmon (In 10 Minutes!)
Paleo Air-Fryer Fish Sticks
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 pound cod or other white fish
- 1/2 cup tapioca starch
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1-1/2 teaspoon dried dill
- 1-1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- avocado oil spray
For Tartar Sauce:
- 1/3 cup avocado oil mayo
- 1 tablespoon dill relish
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh or dried herbs dill, parsley, scallions are great here
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Pre-heat air fryer to 390ºF.
- Pat fish dry with paper towel and season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Cut into small fish sticks, about 1/2" x 1/2" x 2". (See note)
- In a medium bowl place tapioca starch. In a second medium bowl whisk eggs.
- In a large bowl, whisk almond flour, dill, onion powder, salt, pepper and mustard powder.
- Add the avocado oil to the basket and then spray the air fryer basket generously with avocado spray, and place as many fish sticks in the basket that will fit with plenty of space in between. Spray fish sticks with additional avocado spray to lightly coat.
- Fry for 11 minutes, delicately flipping once at 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile make tartar sauce by combining all ingredients in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Repeat with remaining fish until they have all been cooked through to reach an internal temperature of 145ºF. Be careful not to overcook or the fish will fall apart.
- Serve immediately with tartar sauce or cool completely before freezing.
A huge hit for an at home Friday night “Fish Fry” during Lent. We did not have cod, but had some other freshly caught white fish and had the option of fish tacos. Will definitely be making these again!
Can I substitute arrowroot starch for the Tapioca starch?
I’ve made these fried in avocado oil in a pan and turn out perfectly.
Do you think this recipe would work if you fried them in a pan or sprayed them with cooking spray and baked them? I really want to make these but unfortunately do not have an air fryer.
Lexi, I’m confused- what do you mean you added the oil to the bottom of the air fryer? Isn’t it slotted? The oil wouldn’t reach the fish sticks
These came out great! I used some Cobia and tried cassava flour instead of almond flour (I’m allergic to almonds). They came out nice and crispy in the air fryer. Delicious recipe!
Thank you so much for sharing your subs! 🙂
Love this healthy twist on a classic!