These homemade air fryer fish sticks use crushed plantain chips for a crispy, crunchy coating that's naturally gluten-free and paleo-compliant. They cook in minutes and taste far superior to any frozen store-bought version.
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Pat the fish fillets dry with a paper towel and cut the fish into 3×1-inch strips, until you have about 16 uniform pieces. Sprinkle the the fish fillets on both sides with Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
Dump the plantain chips into a food processor or blender and process until a coarse powder is formed. You should end up with 1½ cups of plantain crumbs.
Place a wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet. Set it aside.
Pour half of the plantain chip crumbs in a shallow bowl. (If you put all of them in the shallow bowl at once, they’ll clump up as you coat the fish.) Add more crumbs as needed to the plate as you dredge the fish—that way you won’t run out of plantain crumbs prematurely.
In another shallow dish, add the eggs, cassava flour, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt. Whisk together until a uniform sticky paste forms.
In batches, dip the fish in the egg mixture, shaking off any excess batter. Coat the fish with the plantain chip crumbs, gently patting the crumbs on top. Place the battered fish sticks on the prepared wire rack in the rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining fish sticks.
Air Fryer Instructions: Preheat the air fryer to 400°F. As the air fryer is heating up, spray the tops of the fish sticks with avocado oil. When the air fryer is hot, lightly spray the bottom of the air fryer with avocado oil spray. Place the fish sticks with the avocado oil sprayed side down in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Spray the tops of the fish sticks with avocado oil. Air fry at 400°F for 7 to 9 minutes, flipping the the fish sticks over at the halfway point (at around the 4 minute mark). The fish sticks are ready when the outside is golden brown and the center is opaque and flaky. The final temperature of the cooked fish should reach 140°F.
Oven instructions:Heat your oven to 425°F convection with the rack in the middle. Place the fish sticks on a greased wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet. Spray the fish sticks with avocado oil and bake for 10 to 13 minutes, flipping the fish sticks at the halfway point (at around the 6 minute mark). The fish sticks are ready when the outside is golden brown and the center is opaque and flaky. The final temperature of the cooked fish should reach 140°F.
Serve with lemon wedges, ketchup, or homemade tartar sauce!
Store cooled fish sticks in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days; reheat in the air fryer at 350°F for 3–4 minutes to restore crispness.
air fryer · food processor
Yes, thaw them completely and pat dry before breading to ensure the coating adheres properly and crisps evenly.
Cod, halibut, pollock, and sea bass are ideal—they're mild, firm enough to hold shape, and cook quickly in the air fryer.
Place chips in a food processor and pulse 5–8 times until you have coarse crumbs with some texture; fine powder won't crisp as well.
Yes, bread the fish sticks up to 4 hours ahead and refrigerate on a parchment-lined tray before air frying.
Preheat to 400°F and cook for 8–10 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through, until the coating is golden and fish flakes easily.
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