Air fryer frozen fish sticks are crisp, crunchy, and made in less than 10 minutes. These frozen fish sticks can be cooked straight from frozen. Cooking frozen fish sticks in the air fryer is a total game changer, especially if you have kids. The perfect fast, and easy meal.

Cooking frozen food in the air fryer is so convenient and tastes great. I also love making frozen popcorn shrimp, frozen crab cakes, pizza rolls, and frozen egg rolls because they always turn out golden and crispy.

I love cooking in the air fryer! It’s such a great way to get food crunchy and delicious without a lot of oil and grease. It’s also nice not to have to preheat your oven and heat up the house.

Air fryer cook by circulating hot air around the food which helps to achieve maximum tastiness.

These air fryer fish sticks have been made on repeat at our house. My kids request them at least once a week. I serve them with a side of sweet potato fries, pasta salad, and garlic bread.

Why you should make fish sticks in the air fryer

• Delicious, crunchy fish sticks with no need to add any extra oil. You will still get that deep fried taste without the added oil. Frozen fish sticks already have oil cooked into them so you don’t need to add any.
• These are super fast and simple to make. They cook up in about 10 minutes and clean-up is a breeze.
• No oven to preheat. You can cook these frozen fish sticks in the time it would take you to preheat the oven.

What you need for air fryer fish sticks

• Frozen fish sticks – You need a box of your favorite frozen fish sticks. I used Gorton’s but any brand will work.
• Air fryer – You can use any air fryer. Note – Each air fryer cooks a little different so I recommend checking the fish sticks after 8 minutes of cooking.

How to make air fryer frozen fish sticks

Scroll down for full printable recipe, ingredients and video. 

1. Place frozen fish sticks in the air fryer basket. Make sure to keep them in a single layer to ensure they get cooked all around.
2. Set the temperature for 400 degrees F. Cook the fish sticks for 5 minutes. Remove the air fryer basket and flip them over.
3. Cook another 4-5 minutes at 400 degrees F.
4. If desired, sprinkle with salt or Old Bay Seasoning.

Are frozen fish sticks made from real fish?

Yes, most brands use a white fish like cod and then bread or batter the fish sticks. There can be fillers in the processed fish sticks.

What to serve with air fryer fish sticks

There are many great options to serve with fish sticks. Here are a few favorites:

• Onion rings
• Pea salad
• Cucumber salad
• French fries
• Sweet potato fries
• Broccoli salad

Fish sticks are also great with dips like homemade tartar sauce, cocktail sauce, remoulade sauce, red ranch, Wingstop ranch, and horseradish sauce.

How to reheat fish sticks in the air fryer

Air fryers are great for reheating food. Place leftover fish sticks in the air fryer basket. Cook at 400 degrees for 3-4 minutes or until heated through.

Heather’s recipe tips

• Make sure to place these in a single layer in the air fryer basket. You want the hot air to be able to circulate around the fish sticks for even cooking.
• Cooking time might depend on how large or thick the fish is made.
• There is no need for extra oil for this recipe. If you would like your frozen fish sticks extra crispy, you can lightly spray them with olive oil.
• If you would like to season with salt, Old Bay, or another spice, do it right after they come out and are hot.

Common questions

More seafood recipes 

• Shrimp dip – A warm dip that tastes like shrimp scampi.
• BBQ shrimp – Delicious shrimp in a spicy sauce.
• Mini crab cakes – Great for an appetizer or meal.
• Baked salmon – A simple recipe for baked salmon.
• Air fryer coconut shrimp – Frozen coconut shrimp in the air fryer.