How long to cook frozen fish sticks in the air fryer?
Cook frozen fish sticks at 400°F for 7–9 minutes, flipping halfway through, until crispy and heated through.
This method works for most brands and gives you crispy, golden fish sticks straight from frozen.
Jump to:
- Ingredients Needed to Make Air Fryer Fish Sticks
- How to Air Fry Fish Sticks
- Tips
- How Long to Cook Frozen Fish Sticks in Air Fryer
- Frozen Fish Sticks Air Fryer Temp
- Can You Microwave Fish Sticks?
- Dipping Sauce Ideas for Air-Fried Fish Sticks
- Storage and Reheating
- Try These Easy Air Fryer Dinner Recipes Next!
- Air Fryer Fish Sticks
The air fryer is definitely the way to go for making delicious and crispy fish sticks! These are the perfect easy meal for busy weeknights because there isn’t any prep. Plus, there’s no preheating like with a regular oven. I am finding that I use the air fryer more and more. It’s a great way to make your favorite frozen foods even quicker and easier, and that is something I can get behind 100%.
We eat these plain with our favorite dipping sauce, with a fresh vegetable and side salad. To make an especially easy dinner we either make the salad in advance or buy the pre-packaged lettuce and add some tomatoes and cucumbers. We also use these crunchy fish sticks in wraps and fish tacos.
Ingredients Needed to Make Air Fryer Fish Sticks
- Fish Sticks – use your favorite brand, we like Gorton’s, Van de Kamp’s, and Great Value. A quick internet search shows that Trader Joe’s has a reduced fat variety, but I couldn’t find evidence of that on the Trader Joe’s website.
- Nonstick Cooking Spray – we give our fish sticks a little spray before we cook them to help maintain the crunchy coating. Any type of spray will work; olive oil, canola oil or vegetable oil.
- Dipping Sauces – there are quite a few good options, see suggestions below.
How to Air Fry Fish Sticks
- Place fish sticks in the air fryer basket in a single layer.
- Spray them with non-stick cooking spray, turn them over and spray the other side.
- Set the temperature to 400° and the timer to 4 minutes, flip them over and cook another 4 minutes.
Subsequent batches will cook about a minute faster.
Tips
- For best results leave enough space between the fish sticks for the hot circulating air to move around them.
- Spraying them with cooking spray is optional but I find it helps them to get nice and crispy.
- Cooking time may vary by a minute or two, based on the brand of air fryer and fish stick you are using. You want them to be hot all the way through, crispy, and golden brown. Once you figure out the exact cook time for your air fryer and brand of fish sticks it should be the same every time.
How Long to Cook Frozen Fish Sticks in Air Fryer
Frozen fish sticks will take about 7-9 minutes to cook at 400° in the air fryer, turning them over at about the halfway mark. Subsequent batches will take a couple of minutes less as we don’t preheat our air fryer. Since different air fryers may vary a bit you will need to check them after about 6 minutes and you will have an idea how fast they are cooking when you turn them over.
Frozen Fish Sticks Air Fryer Temp
Set the air fryer to 400°F and cook frozen fish sticks for about 8 minutes.
Can You Microwave Fish Sticks?
Technically you can, but it would be hard to achieve that crispy breading fish sticks are known for. Microwaves cook food with the power of electromagnetic waves, which generates steam. This process tends to make food soggy rather than crispy.
Dipping Sauce Ideas for Air-Fried Fish Sticks
- Tartar Sauce
- Ketchup
- Cocktail Sauce
- Honey Mustard
- Ranch Dressing
- Chili Sauce
- Spicy Mayo
- Aioli
- Lemon Butter Sauce
Do you have a favorite sauce not mentioned here? Let me know by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post.
Storage and Reheating
Store leftover fish sticks in an airtight container, we use a zip top bag. Reheat in the air fryer at 400° for about 4-5 minutes.
Try These Easy Air Fryer Dinner Recipes Next!
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Air Fryer Fish Sticks
Ingredients
- 12 fish sticks
- cooking spray
- dipping sauce
Instructions
- Place fish sticks in the air fryer basket in a single layer.
- Spray with non-stick cooking spray, turn over and spray the other side.
- Air fry at 400° 4 minutes, flip and cook another 4 minutes.
About Mindy
Mindy has been cooking for over 30 years, starting as a young mother who learned how to create delicious meals on a budget. Today, she shares approachable recipes made with everyday ingredients that are easy, affordable, and family-friendly. Her goal is to show that great food doesn’t need to be complicated or expensive.