Fried Cod Fish Sticks are crispy on the outside and so flaky and delicious on the inside! Pieces of cod fish are dipped in an egg batter and then in a gluten free and low carb, keto friendly almond flour and parmesan cheese coating. A touch of Cajun seasoning made these homemade crispy fish sticks the perfect touch of spice.
Fried Cod Fish Sticks are great served with a side of homemade tartar sauce or cocktail sauce or homemade french fries. They are a perfect lunch or dinner option for the family.
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The Best Fish To Fry
Cod fish is a mild, firm, white fish that will hold up well to frying. It is high in protein, loaded with B vitamins and minerals and is lower in mercury than most fish which is a bonus.
It is a great fish to have on a menu rotation and there are many ways to enjoy fresh Cod. These Cajun flavored fried cod fish sticks are one of our newer ways. Not only are they gluten free, low carb, and Keto friendly, they are also easy to make and are ready in just 30 minutes.
🥘 Ingredients
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Cod Fish, I like to use the thicker end of the fist and cut it into 2" long pieces.
Eggs are used to coat the outside of the fish and helps create a layer between the fish and the batter.
Almond Flour, I used finely ground almond flour for this recipe.
Parmesan cheese was added to the almond flour and helps to make a crispy crust.
Old Bay seasoning adds a flavor and a tiny touch of heat to the crumb coating.
Deep Skillet for frying the fish. I shallow fry, so a frying pan that has tall sides is best.
Slotted frying spoon to remove and turn the fish over in the skillet.
💭 Top Tips
- Use codfish or any firm white fish that you like. Halibut is another fish I have made in this manner. As well as fresh-caught fish such as perch.
- If you like a thick crust around the fish, you can do the "double-dip" by dipping in eggs wash and almond flour mixture twice (starting with egg wash).
- Use sunflower oil if you have it. If not, then use any high heat oil you have on hand. Sunflower oil is a keto-friendly oil and has a high smoke point which is why I use it in this recipe. It is also more affordable than other keto-friendly oils.
- Prepare all the fish sticks before frying. Dipping them and laying out on a foil lined baking sheet so each is ready to fry as you move cooked ones from the skillet.
- Be sure to line a bowl with a double thickness of paper towels and allow the fish to drain once it is removed from the skillet.
Cooking Methods
Many people have asked me if baking or air frying the fish sticks would work. My response is, I have not tried it. But, that doesn't mean you can't. I just can't promise they will look like the photos here. However, that doesn't mean they won't taste great!
BAKING: I suggest you line a baking sheet with foil and spray with coconut or avocado oil. Then, lay the fish stick on the baking sheet, keeping them a good distance apart. Bake them for 15-20 minutes, turning once, at 350 degrees F, or until they look browned and the fish flakes.
AIR FRYER: I place the fish sticks in the air fryer basket leaving space between them. Spray the tops of the fish sticks with coconut or avocado oil spray. Set for 10 minutes, then check for color and if fish will flake when breaking a piece off. Cook longer if it is not quite ready yet.
📖 Variations
- Use panko or bread crumbs for the coating (this is if you are not low carb, keto, or gluten free)
- Substitute cajun seasoning for the old bay seasoning.
- Use ½ cup of buttermilk in place of the egg for the wet dip.
- Substitute ground pork rinds for the almond flour.
- Substitute grated pecorino romano cheese for the parmesan. If you do this, know that the change in cheese can add more salt flavor to the recipe.
🥗 Side dishes
I love to serve these fried cod fish sticks with a side of tarter sauce as well as cocktail sauce. But what else do you serve with fried fish other than french fries? Below are some recipes that I think go great with fried cod fish sticks.
Broccoli Salad (keto friendly)
Macaroni Salad with Tuna and Peas
Pea Salad with Bacon and Cheese
More Fish Recipes
Skillet Cod with Cilantro Lime Butter
*If you this recipe, please give it a star rating*
📖 Recipe
Fried Cod Fish Sticks
Ingredients
- 1 lb fresh cod fish fillet
- ½ cup almond flour
- ⅐ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp old bay seasoning
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 large egg
- Sunflower Oil for frying
Instructions
- Cut the cod fillet into 2 inch long pieces, about 1 to 1-½ inch thick.
- In a small bowl, whisk 1 large egg. Set aside.
- In another small bowl, stir together ½ cup almond flour, ½ cup dry grated parmesan cheese, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon cajun seasoning (if using), ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper.
- Pour oil in a deep skillet until it is about 1-½ to 2 inches deep. Turn heat on medium-high to preheat.
- While oil is heating, dip cod fish sticks in egg wash, then dip in almond flour mixture.
- Set breaded fish stick on a foil lined cookie sheet until oil is ready for frying.
- Once oil is hot (at least 350 degrees, or when it sizzles when placing a test piece of breaded fish in the pan), add fish sticks to oil and cook 2-3 minutes on each side, until well browned.
- Remove fried fish sticks from hot oil and place on paper towel lined plate to drain.
- Serve with tartar sauce or salsa if desired.
Notes
- Use codfish or any firm white fish that you like. Halibut is another fish I have made in this manner. As well as fresh-caught fish such as perch.
- If you like a thick crust around the fish, you can do the "double-dip" by dipping in eggs wash and almond flour mixture twice (starting with egg wash).
- Use sunflower oil if you have it. If not, then use any high heat oil you have on hand. Sunflower oil is a keto-friendly oil and has a high smoke point which is why I use it in this recipe. It is also more affordable than other keto-friendly oils.
- Prepare all the fish sticks before frying. Dipping them and laying out on a foil lined baking sheet so each is ready to fry as you move cooked ones from the skillet.
- Be sure to line a bowl with a double thickness of paper towels and allow the fish to drain once it is removed from the skillet.
- Use panko or bread crumbs for the coating (this is if you are not low carb, keto, or gluten free)
- Substitute cajun seasoning for the old bay seasoning.
- Use ½ cup of buttermilk in place of the egg for the wet dip.
- Substitute ground pork rinds for the almond flour.
- Substitute grated pecorino romano cheese for the parmesan. If you do this, know that the change in cheese can add more salt flavor to the recipe.
These were absolutely delicious! The best fried fish ever! Way nicer than the traditional method.
Hi Jen, thank you so much! I'm so happy you enjoyed them!
Can you sub the sunflower oil for coconut oil or will that taste weird
I have not used sunflower oil in frying so I can't say how it would work. As long as the sunflower oil is refined and has a high smoke point, it should be safe to fry. As for taste, I can't comment as I have no experience with it.
Shelby, have you tried these baked in the oven instead frying in oil? I want to try this recipe. It looks delicious.
Hi Jenny, Sorry I am just seeing your question. I have not tried baking them, but I suggest if you do, spray them with some cooking spray first to help coat with a little oil before baking. These are firm when fried in the skillet. I'm not sure how "crisp" or firm the fish sticks would be baking, but I'm sure they would still be delicious. If you try it, please let me know how it turned out! Thanks! Shelby
Do you do other Keto recipes?
Hi Sharon, yes I do keto recipes here on Honeybunch Hunts and on Grumpy's Honeybunch. If your looking for keto recipes, just type keto in the search bar and you should find them. Thanks for stopping by! Shelby
under the tips section you write: “ Be sure to “double-dip” the fish when adding the batter” but then in the directions you write: “ You should not need to do a double-dip.” Can you please clarify? Thanks.
Hi Dan, I'm not sure where you see that I say you should not need to do a double-dip. I read my recipe over several times to try and find what you indicated, but it is not indicated anywhere in the recipe that you should not need to do a double-dip.
Hi, I see that too and was wondering about that... it’s above the picture of the fish when breading.... looks tasty though!
Thanks for clearing that up for me! I do the double dip - Its probably not necessary, but I do so to make sure the breading is thick and sturdy. We like our fish sticks to be sturdy enough to dip into tartar sauce. 🙂
Hi could you use smoked cod for this recipe please?
I have not used smoked cod. It is an already cooked fish (it cooks during the smoking process), so I'm not sure i would try it here either.
Trying this recipe soon. The grated Parmesan, is it actual grated Parmesan or from the green can?
Your recipe looks yummy!
Hi Michele, I used grated parmesan from the can, I linked to what I did use in the post. Thanks, I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Shelby