Fish Sticks
Fish sticks are a childhood classic! Once you see how easy it is to make your own fish sticks, you'll never buy them frozen again.

Fish sticks are a childhood classic! But fish sticks are rarely made from scratch. This fish stick recipe uses cod, which is a great source of B12 vitamins and protein, another notable benefit is the amount of omega-3 fatty acids which keeps your brain healthy!
Once you see how easy it is to make your own fish sticks, you'll never buy them frozen again. In this episode of Eating by Heart, Colombe demonstrates how to make fish sticks using cod, which is both healthy and widely available across the United States. These fish sticks are given a flavor boost from the garlic butter and terrific texture from Panko bread crumbs. Colombe takes this recipe to the next level with her homemade smokey tartar sauce - a condiment you'll never have to buy again!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds cod
- 2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
- 3 egg whites +1 tablespoon water (whisked gently)
- ½ cup mayonnaise (or veganaise)
- ¼ cup Ronnybrook garlic butter, melted (you can use unflavored butter too)
- 1 tablespoon butter +1 tablespoon olive oil for greasing the pan
- ¼ cup small-diced sweet pickle
- Salt and pepper for seasoning
- 1 tablespoon chipotle chili sauce
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut the cod down the middle then into about 7 or 8 finger sized portions (~1- ½ inch wide and 4 inches long). Add a touch of sea salt to the fish. Melt the garlic butter in a small saucepan. Lay out 3 shallow bowls for dredging the fish, one with the melted butter, one with the egg whites and one with the breadcrumbs. Dredge each of the fish sticks in the garlic butter, egg whites and then finally end with the breadcrumbs. Be sure to press the final layer of breadcrumbs to cover the surface of the fish completely. Lay them on a plate and chill in the refrigerator for 10 minutes. Using a large cast iron skillet or baking sheet, add the unflavored butter and olive oil and heat in the oven. Once hot, remove and swirl the oil and butter to evenly coat the bottom of pan. Lay out the fish sticks so they are not crowding the pan. Bake for roughly 15 minutes, flipping once. Tartar Sauce: makes ¾ cup sauce Mix ½ cup mayonnaise (or veganaise), ¼ cup small-diced pickle, chipotle sauce and salt and pepper. Serves 4-6
Nutrition Information
Nutrition Information Based on a Single Serving
*Percent Daily Value are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Dietary Needs
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[SOUND] Cod is a mild, firm fleshed fish,
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which makes it a great choice in lots of
recipes.
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It's also available year-round, and it's
high in protein.
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I'm Colombe, and you're watching Eating by
Heart.
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[MUSIC]
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Today we're gonna make fish sticks.
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And the first thing we need to do is cut
our fish.
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So here I have a nice fillet, I'm just
gonna cut it down the middle.
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And then I wanna cut it into finger sized
portions.
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Now, I love cod because it's available
locally where I live on the East Coast,
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and it's a wild fish too, so it's, it's
more healthy.
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So here I have my fish in the perfect
sizes.
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Gonna add a little bit of sea salt.
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Give it more flavor.
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And here I have melted garlic butter.
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Now, this is basically butter with
pre-cooked garlic in it, but
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you can use regular butter, if you don't
have garlic butter on hand.
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Then I have egg whites.
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So I'm basically building a nice crispy
layer of flavor and
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texture, for my fish sticks.
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And then I have my whole wheat panko bread
crumbs.
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I use whole wheat because it's got more
fiber and it's more nutritious.
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So, now that I have these ready,
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I'm gonna start by placing my piece of
fish in the butter.
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Instead of butter, you can use olive oil
or coconut oil.
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Both heart-healthy oils.
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And then you wanna get a nice layer over
top, so
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that the panko is evenly distributed, and
provides that golden layer of crispness.
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Studies have shown that those that consume
fish,
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have a lower incidence of heart disease.
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So, it's always a good thing to
incorporate into your diet.
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You're getting healthy omega threes,
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which help maintain good cholesterol, and
cardiovascular health.
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And this garlic in the butter will add a
nice boost of flavor.
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And you don't wanna crowd the pan, because
you want it to get crisp all around.
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Get all the good garlic bits at the
bottom.
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Garlic is really great for your immune
system, so whenever you're
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feeling a little rundown, it's always good
to put garlic into more of your dishes.
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Our last and final fish stick here.
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The oven's preheating at 450, and I'll put
them in for about 15 minutes.
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[SOUND] Now we're gonna make a home-made
tartar sauce, and
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you'll never buy a store-bought again.
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So this is just pre-cut pickles.
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I'm adding my pickles to canola oil
mayonnaise.
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This is light mayonnaise, so it has fewer
calories and less fat.
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I'll go ahead and add just a teaspoon of
the sauce that comes with chipotles.
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You can find it in your local grocery
store.
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It's called Chipotles in Adobo.
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And as you can see, I'm getting a nice red
color.
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A smoky flavor with a kick.
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And this is gonna go really nicely with my
fish sticks.
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Just for something different.
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It's always nice to try something new and
different.
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And there we go.
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See, fish sticks are not just for kids.
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I'm gonna give this one a try.
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[MUSIC]
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That chipotle tartar sauce, it's so good.
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Has a nice smoky flavor, with a little bit
of a kick.
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And then you get the pickles like your
classic tartar sauce.
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I really like it.
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Thanks for watching Eating by Heart.
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I'm Colombe.
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See you next time.
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[MUSIC]