Lightly golden on the outside with a crisp snap from the breading, and tender and flaky on the inside, Air Fryer fish sticks made with cod and almond flour crackers dunked in dill-spiked, tangy tartar sauce make a nostalgic dunkable dinner to be enjoyed spread on a blanket in the backyard, cozied up on the couch, or at a dining table with family.

These aren't the fish sticks you might recall from your childhood that went straight from a blue box in the freezer to a sheet of aluminum foil in the oven that clung to the breading, tearing most of the back half off as your eager little fingers reached for the just-baked fish sticks. Our fish sticks recipe contain 10 real-food ingredients that add zippy flavor to the neutral white fish.

Bake these fish sticks in the oven if you don't have an Air Fryer—just spritz a baking sheet with our Avocado Oil Spray and forget the aluminum foil. 

Air Fryer Fish Sticks

Time: 20 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 box Simple Mills Crackers, pulverized into crumbs
• 1 big piece Butcher Box cod, cut into 12 strips (about 1/2-inch thick sticks)
• Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil Spray
• 1/4 cup cassava flour
• 1/4 cup arrowroot flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup Primal Kitchen Vegan Ranch Dressing
• Primal Kitchen Tartar Sauce, for dipping

Air Fryer Instructions

• Blitz crackers into crumbs in a food processor (or crush with rolling pin in a ziplock bag), and pour into a shallow dish or plate.

• Spray the Air Fryer basket with Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil Spray.
• Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl.
• Pour the water in another shallow bowl or dish. Add the Vegan Ranch Dressing and stir well to combine.
• Dip one fish strip into the wet batter and let excess drain off. Dip the wet fish strip into the cracker crumbs and gently use a clean hand or fork to coat all sides of it.
• Repeat with all of the fish sticks.
• Lay the breaded fish sticks onto greased Air Fryer basket. Spray each fish stick with Avocado Oil Spray. Air fry at 350º for 12–13 minutes. 
• Note: The almond flour in the cracker crust can burn easily, so start checking for doneness right at 12 minutes.

• Remove from the Air Fryer and serve with Primal Kitchen Tartar Sauce.

Oven Baked Fish Sticks Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350ºF. 
• Follow all of the pre-bake steps above in the Air Fryer instructions.
• Spray a baking sheet with Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil Spray. Place fish sticks on the baking sheet, about 1/4-inch apart.
• Bake in oven for 6 minutes. Remove baking sheet from oven, and turn each fish stick over. Spritz each fish stick with a bit more Avocado Oil Spray.
• Place fish sticks back in the oven to cook for another 6–7 minutes, or until the breading is golden brown on the outside and the fish flakes easily with a fork.
• Note: The almond flour in the cracker crust can burn easily, so be sure to check for doneness right at 12 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and cool for a few minutes before serving with Primal Kitchen Tartar Sauce. 

Nutrition info (per serving):

Calories: 500

Carbs: 32 grams

Fat: 37 grams

Protein: 9 grams

Nutrition info calculated using Cronometer. Nutrition info above includes 3 fish sticks with 2 Tbsp Primal Kitchen Tartar Sauce.