I loved fish sticks growing up. I think we ate them at least once a week. They were an easy, cheap and fast dinner during the week and I honestly don’t remember them being that bad. I’m not sure what they are made of today but I know I don’t buy them. We usually had macaroni and cheese with them and sometimes French fries. I always liked the fish sticks because they were so crunchy. Now when I want fish sticks I make my own and they are so good! No minced mystery fish here, just good old mahi mahi that is seasoned perfectly and coated in panko. Other kinds of fish will work also, just make sure to use a firm fish. The really great thing about these is that if you are making them from fresh fish you can bread them up and freeze them.
I made these with some mahi mahi pieces that Trader Joe’s sells and they are around $5.00 a pound so they are pretty economical too. The only thing is the fish is frozen when you get it so I wouldn’t bread it and refreeze it. Each piece was cut into 2 pieces and I think are a perfect size for fish sticks.
I got 22 pieces out of the pound package I had. I made homemade tartar sauce to go with it which is so easy to make. I use 1/2 cup real mayonnaise, 3 tablespoons sweet relish, the juice of 1/2 lemon, salt and lots of freshly ground pepper.
You could also bake these if desired instead of frying. The time is going to depend on how big your pieces are but I would think 15 – 20 minutes at 400 degrees. I would spray them lightly with some cooking spray before putting in the oven and turning them over half way thru the cooking time.
Mahi mahi fish sticks coated with panko and served with homemade tartar sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. mahi mahi
- 2 cups panko or bread crumbs
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 2 eggs
- 3 tablespoons water
- salt and pepper
- 1 teaspoon of any seasoning you like - I used Everyday seasoning by Trader Joe's which is a mixture of sea salt, garlic, peppers, pepper flakes and mustard seeds freshly ground as you need it.
- Oil
- Sea Salt
Instructions
- Cut the mahi mahi into finger size pieces.
- Place the flour and panko in dishes, separate of each other. Add the eggs and water to another dish.
- Pat the fish dry with a paper towel. Season the fish with salt, pepper and whatever spice you are using. Roll in the flour, then dip in the egg mixture and then the panko. Place on a cookie sheet while you do all of the fish. Refrigerate the fish for at least 20 minutes.
- Put a couple inches of oil in a pan. Fry fish pieces without crowding them for about 4 minutes at 350 degrees. Drain on a piece of paper towel. Sprinkle with a little sea salt if you have it.
Notes
Total time includes resting time in refrigerator.
What a great idea to make them up and freeze them! These are so much healthier than those store bought ones, and what a great deal at that price too! Sweeeeeet!!
What a great idea! These look beautiful and much nicer than the commercial kind. Thanks for sharing.
I love these Fishsticks MaryEllen! I used to eat them from the box as a kid also but never cared much for them. I liked the tarter sauce with my fries better. 😉 I am sure these are fish sticks I could enjoy. They look delicious.
Thanks for coming and linking up at #The Weekend Social. Please be sure to come back next week starting Thursdays at 9PM EST on KitchenDreaming.com ! I hope to see you there!
i made these as a last minute idea and they were excellent. i flash fried them in 1/2 inch of coconut oil til golden, and then baked them at 350 to temp at 150. win!
So, I had not eggs, so I made up some buttermilk…. Seems to have worked!! And freezing!? Brilliant!!