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    home » Recipes » Dinner

    Homemade Fish Fingers

    Published: Feb 26, 2021. Modified: Feb 26, 2021By:Kylie·This post may contain affiliate links·

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video

    I grew up on fish fingers but nothing quite beats the taste and crunch of these Homemade Fish Fingers! Quick and easy to make and absolutely delicious, they are set to become a family favourite.

    Contents hide
    1 Why you're going to love these fish fingers
    2 What goes into the recipe
    3 How to make this recipe
    4 Expert tips and FAQS
    5 Want some more family friendly fish ideas?
    6 Homemade Fish Fingers

    Why you're going to love these fish fingers

    These are nothing like the storebought fish fingers that I grew up on, they actually taste and look like fish and are yummy! They are such a good starting point for kids who won't eat fish.

    • to get the golden colour we use polenta- it also adds to the crunch and helps them to have the appearance of storebought fingers
    • quick and easy to make, and ready in 40 minutes
    • you can freeze them uncooked and then cook them from frozen- meaning they are a great substitute for storebought fish fingers
    • use your favourite white fish, like basa, leather jacket, hoki, bream
    • perfect for a quick midweek dinner
    • you know exactly what is in them! No flavours, no colours, just real good food.

    What goes into the recipe

    don’t forget to scroll to the recipe card for quantities and the full method

    • fish- I use hoki, basa, sea bream or leather jacket. They all have the right consistency and are perfect for these fish fingers because they cook quickly and retain their shape and texture. You could also use cod, whiting, halibut, bass, perch, grouper or pollock. Fish is so important for our diet and white fish is an excellent way to start with kids if they haven't had much of it in their diet due to the subtle flavour and the texture.
    • polenta- polenta is what gives us the golden colour and it adds extra crunch to the fish.

    How to make this recipe

    Fish is so easy to crumb!

    • Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
    • Mix the panko and polenta together in a bowl.
    • Cut the fish into fish finger size pieces.
    • Coat the fish in flour.
    • Dip each strip individually in the egg and water mix.
    • Then coat in the panko polenta mix.
    • Place each strip on a lined oven tray. (this makes it so much easier to clean up!)
    • Spray the strips with olive oil and bake for 30 minutes at 180 degrees. I use a decor oil spray bottle for this. There is no need to turn them during cooking.

    Expert tips and FAQS

    Fun and simple recipes like this one are easy to make at home! My top tips:

    • cut your fish into manageable pieces for kids to eat by hand and serve with chips or other finger food (I did cucumbers, carrots and beans cut into sticks).
    • serve with a dipping sauce, either tarter, mayonnaise or if you have to...tomato sauce!
    • don't turn the fish during cooking- you risk losing some of the crumb if you do!
    What makes the crumbing stick?

    The flour acts as glue when it sticks to the egg and then the crumbing sticks to the outside!

    What's the best way to cook fish fingers?

    In the oven! It's healthier and better for you! And using olive oil and baking these means that they are the best they could be! They would also be perfect in the air fryer, and will probably only take 15 minutes.

    Are these the same as fish sticks?

    Yes, in Australia and the UK they are called fish fingers, but in the US they are referred to as fish sticks.

    How do I freeze these?

    I crumb them and then freeze. To cook from frozen, preheat the oven to 200˚ degrees celsius. Cook the fish fingers for 30 minutes at 200˚ celsius.

    Homemade fish fingers on a green plate with veggies.

    Want some more family friendly fish ideas?

    • Salmon Skewers with Orange Honey Mustard Glaze
    • Smoked salmon and dill tartlets
    • Yakitori salmon skewers
    • Salmon and veggie balls, kid friendly and lunchbox perfect!
    images of recipes overlaid with: want more family-friendly recipes?

    Why don't you subscribe to my newsletter, or follow along on Facebook and Instagram? If you make something from the blog please tag @kidgredients on instagram- it really makes my day to see why you've been making!

    homemade fish fingers on a tray and on a plate with a basket of veggies

    Homemade Fish Fingers

    Crunchy homemade fish fingers, the perfect way to make your own- and they are a kid favourite! Quick and easy recipe.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: dinner
    Cuisine: Modern Australian
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes
    Total Time: 35 minutes
    Servings: 16 fish fingers
    Calories: 357kcal
    Author: Kylie
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    • 400 grams basa fillets cut into strips for fish fingers
    • 1 cup plain flour
    • 1 egg whisked with ½ cup water
    • 1 cup panko
    • 1 cup polenta
    • olive oil for drizzling

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
    • Chop the fish pieces into fish finger shapes.
    • Mix the panko and polenta together in a bowl.
    • Coat the fish in flour.
    • Dip each strip individually in the egg and water mix.
    • Then coat in the panko polenta mix.
    • Place each strip on a lined oven tray.
    • Spray the strips with olive oil and bake for 30 minutes at 180 degrees.

    Notes

    You can freeze these after crumbing!  
    To cook from frozen preheat your oven to 200 degrees celsius and cook for 30 minutes. 
    Finding the perfect fish.For this recipe you could use:
    • basa
    • hoki
    • bream
    • cod
    • whiting
    • halibut
    • bass
    • perch
    • grouper
    • pollock
     
     

    Recipe video

    Nutrition

    Serving: 4fish fingers | Sodium: 459mg | Sugar: 2g | Fiber: 3g | Cholesterol: 57mg | Calories: 357kcal | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Fat: 11g | Protein: 11g | Carbohydrates: 52g
    Tried this Recipe? Share it Today!Mention @Kidgredients or tag #kidgredients!
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Black Ice says

      September 16, 2021 at 10:04 pm

      These sound amazing but, is there any reason that I cannot fry these rather than bake?

      Reply
      • Kylie says

        October 03, 2021 at 11:55 am

        In the interests of keeping them healthier, I bake them, but you could fry them!

        Reply
    2. Tiffany Turner says

      August 05, 2019 at 11:40 am

      how can i make these egg free and gluten free?

      Reply
      • Kylie says

        August 07, 2019 at 7:20 pm

        If you want to make them egg and gluten free, skip the egg wash and flour and just use a gluten free crumb directly on the fish.

        Reply
      • Diana says

        February 11, 2021 at 9:18 pm

        What other fish would be good with this recipe? I cannot find hoki fillets at my grocery. Thank you!

        Reply
        • Kylie says

          February 12, 2021 at 9:52 am

          Hi Diana, you could try any white fish, so perch would work, snapper, whiting even flat head fillets. I hope that helps!

          Reply
    3. staceymklb says

      November 24, 2016 at 4:50 am

      Yum!!! These look so crispy and crunchy!

      Reply
      • Kylie says

        November 24, 2016 at 1:41 pm

        They are. I have to admit, they were entirely kid friendly...and adult friendly!

        Reply

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