Happy Fry-day, once again! I genuinely cannot recall the last time I had a fish stick (before creating this recipe, that is), but when the boyfriend got me an air fryer for my birthday, and put in a special request for fish sticks, Hope and I [obviously] delivered. And we didn’t just stop at fish sticks. As condiment lovers, we had to go the extra mile and make homemade tartar sauce, using our favorite mayo and sour cream substitute: plain nonfat Greek yogurt.

I feel about fish sticks the same way I feel about taco night: nostalgic AF. Even though it had been many, many years since I ate a fish stick, I could still close my eyes, think back to my childhood, and remember exactly what they tasted like. Well, dare I say that these air fryer fish sticks are even better than what I remember? 10ish minutes in the toaster oven for frozen, mystery fish sticks versus 10 minutes in the air fryer for fresh, homemade fish sticks? Sold!

Note: These could easily be made gluten free/paleo by swapping breadcrumbs with almond flour!

Air Fryer Fish Sticks with Greek Yogurt Tartar Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 lb cod filet, cut into sticks (about 1/2″ wide by 3″ tall)
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs (sub almond flour for gluten free)
• 1/4 cup arrowroot starch
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• salt and pepper, to taste
• olive oil spray

For the Greek yogurt tartar sauce:

• 1/2 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
• 2 kosher dill pickle spear, finely diced
• 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp sea salt

Instructions:

1. Combine tartar sauce ingredients in a small bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.
2. Set up your dredging station by placing arrowroot starch in one bowl and eggs in another. Then mix breadcrumbs, Old Bay seasoning, onion powder, salt and pepper in another bowl.
3. One at a time, dip cod pieces into arrowroot starch (shaking off excess), followed by eggs, and then breadcrumb mixture, setting aside on a plate when finished.
4. Add fish sticks to air fryer basket in an even layer (you may have to do this in batches so as not to overcrowd the air fryer). Spray tops of fish sticks with olive oil spray, and cook at 400ºF for 10 minutes, flipping halfway. Continue this step until all fish sticks are cooked.
5. Serve with Greek yogurt tartar sauce + enjoy!

Yield: 4 servings
Serving size: 5 fish sticks + 1/4 tartar sauce

220 calories per serving • Fat: 2.7g • Carbohydrates: 20g • Protein: 27.3g