Oven baked fish fingers
What’s your favourite finger food? If I were to name one, it would be fish fingers (or fish sticks). Who doesn’t love fish fingers? Not even a picky eater.
Trust me! Making your own fish fingers from scratch is very easy and they taste absolutely delicious too. Besides, you have full control in the selection of the type of fish and seasoning. If you have 30 minutes or so to spare for cooking, then this recipe is something you shouldn’t miss. Undeniably, the classic deep-frying version offers the ultimate crispiness that neither the baking nor pan-frying versions can replace. But for my family’s overall wellness, I’m pretty satisfied with my baked/pan-fried version.
(I love playing with food. Do you?)
I have a little confession to make here. This is one recipe that I had silently kept for the longest time (Yes, there is still a long list of other recipes as well. I blame my lazy bones for this procrastination.). Whenever I baked these fish fingers, they ended up pleasing my stomach first and made me quickly forget to share with you in my blog. Hmm! That’s so selfish of me. So, if you have tried it and liked it, I hope you would share it with others and don’t be like me.
These fish fingers, when served warm, are extremely irresistible – crunchy and crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. They are so good that waiting for them to cool down is kind of mental torture. That’s the favourite comment my hubby loves to give before gobbling down his share (and more).
These fish fingers are perfect for the entire family. They can be eaten just about anytime and anywhere you like. For a healthy version of fast food experience, you can serve them with oven-baked potatoes wedges, peas or mixed vegetables, and don’t forget to go with some delicious dips like mayonnaise, tartar sauce, ketchup of chili sauce. Bon appetit!
A word of caution! We know that fish is a great source of lean protein but it also contains traces of mercury with varied degree. So, pregnant women, nursing mothers and young children (under 6) must be very careful about the amount and types of fish they eat. There are four types of fish with high level of mercury that this group should not eat: sharks, swordfish, tilefish and King mackerel. For more reading references, please go through the following suggested links:
- Babycenter – Should your kids eat fish? How they can avoid mercury and still get their omega-3s
- What to expect – Fish for toddlers
- US EPA – What You Need to Know about Mercury in Fish and Shellfish
- Momstatic – Wholesomebabyfood – Is Fish an Allergenic food for Babies and When Can Babies Eat Fish?
- Business Week – Too Much Mercury in Canned Tuna – Or Is There?
It’s good to serve your toddlers with a variety of fish with low mercury contents two to three times a week, with quantity ranging from one to three ounces of fish per serving depending on your child’s age. For more info, please go to this LINK. Remember, if you are uncertain of the mercury content in any type of fish you plan to introduce to your toddlers, please consult your pediatrician beforehand. Better be safe than late!
Get the recipe and steps by steps photos for oven baked fish fingers at PAGE 2 BELOW.
If you like this article, please share:
So tempting fish fingers! Good to share and satisfy our stomach! 😀
Alice: Thanks!! Hope your family will have a satisfied stomach soon! 😉
woah, this is so good. And oven-baked means less oily too, can indulge in a few more =)
Noobcook: Thanks!! That’s one of the reasons I love baking. 😉
I love fish fingers too! esp when they are homemade. yum yum…
Used to eat them with bread when I was much younger. Dad and Mom say it’s breakfast! ahhaha
Tigerfish: I love your fish sticks too. Looks so delicious!! A fusion breakfast? Interesting! 😉
Oh I looove your playful plate! This will bring wonderful conversation and laughter for lunch/dinner time! My kids actually prefer fish than chicken and this will definitely be a great hit at our house. And I like it’s oven baked recipe. I need to learn how to use oven for deep fry dish. I should try with paprika and garlic powder next time. You really write thorough recipe and I love it!
Nami (JOC): Thanks for your kind words!! Hope it will suit your family’s palate. 😉
I love the fact that it’s oven – baked and it can look super crispy and crunchy too!
The Sudden Cook: Give it a try and hope you will like it! 😉
I love fish fingers.. love your photos especially the one you’ve made a face of you and your son
Tres Delicious: Thanks for dropping by and your wonderful comments. 😉
Saw your picture on Tastespotting. My little guy turned a year old yesterday. I love making his food and am always looking for new ideas. These look great!
Lisa (TCB): Thanks for dropping by and hope your little tot’s taste bud. 😉
LK, love fish fingers! Yours look so deliciously golden! And they are healthy too 😀
Jen (TOH): Thanks!! They are simply heaven to us! 😉
I use to love fish sticks as a kid. Of course those were the gross frozen boxed variety. I may be 25 now but I am definitely going to try this recipe. It looks scrumptious and fun. Thanks for the nostalgic trip down memory lane. Gorgeous photos too!
Russell: Before I discovered this baked version, I had been eating the frozen boxed variety for many decades. Hahaha! Thanks for your wonderful compliments! 😉
Wow, those look way better than the frozen fish sticks I grew up on. Yum!
Cubicle: Thanks for your kind comment. Do give it a try! 😉
How cute and irresistible! Simply delicious!
Ching (LCOM): Thanks! 😉
mmmmmmmm…yuuuuuuuuuum!
homemade fish fingers were my mother’s weapon for us kids hating fish.
ur receipe looks amazing! gonna try it next week with pangasius.
thank u! 🙂
Thalssamov: Thanks for your nice words. Happy trying! 😉
I love your fish fingers. What kind of fish is that in your picture? The fillets I found at my markets are too thin to make it into fingers.
Wendy: I used halibuts because it is easy to find in my local supermarket. If you are preparing it for kids below 6, it’s better to use fish with low mercury level based on the list given by this link: http://longevity.about.com/od/lifelongnutrition/a/fish_mercury.htm. Hope it helps!
I love the way fish is prepared here. looks healthy as well since it’s oven baked, means no cooking oil.
Tres Delicious: Thanks! I still add a little bit of oil but it’s definitely healthier than deep-frying. 😉
I love fish sticks (at any age)! These look crispy and delicious.
Lisa: Thanks! 😉
This dish has been on my must try list for a long time! You have re-inspired me to try it out soon!
A Little Yumminess: Hope your kids will like it! 😉
I love fish fingers! I love the second photo, so cute! 🙂
MCH: Thanks for your lovely comments, Lee Mei!!
These do sound really good. They also sound like a great way to get my kids to try fish. I will have to give it a try. I love the face made with fish and veges.
Jackie: Thanks! Hope your kids will love these fish fingers as much as my son. Happy trying! 😉
After reading your blog and also the link on which type of fishes to feed toddlers, I am completely loss for words. Because, Snapper, Grouper, Alantic Salmon (Norway), cod, sea bass are commonly found in the supermarket which considered to avoid for small children. And these are the fish I typically served on our dinner. Oh dear, and I juz bought the hallibut from NTUC to make the fish finger 🙁
Evelyn: This is something new to me too. According to the reading resources, salmon and cod are still considered safe for toddlers. I think the best is to avoid the high mercury fish and eat the rest moderately based on the recommended amount and frequency. 😉
Guess so, anyway my boy has eaten a lot of fish since baby. Thanks for the advice 🙂
Evelyn: My son as well. I bought thread fin for him most of the time. It’s my pleasure to share. 😉
Hi there, I love your blog, simply because it’s a pleasing layout and I believe you are a very detailed person. Looking at the comments, it seems many have yet to try your recipe, safe for a couple of persons. You used western names for your fish recipe. Could you use also local names. Halibut, flounder – where did you get your fish. Did you use frozen? For one, fish like Sole is only found in Tekka market, where the guys will tell you they can fillet it up and u can make a fish and chip . So please use local names, what exactly did you buy at the local market. We know they mainly have snapper, threadfin, pomfret, salmon, cod fish, selar -kembong
Baby: Thanks for dropping by and your kind words!! I bought my fish from both NTUC supermarket and wet market (Tampines). I haven’t been to Tekka market so far. I bought halibut fillet from NTUC at the chiller section. It is prepacked and the name of the fish is stated on the price tag. So sorry that I don’t know their local names.
Hi Lai Kuan,
I just tried this dish tonight. I didn’t have all the ingredients for seasoning the breadcrumbs and hence used salt, pepper, Italian herb mix and a bit of Cajun seasoning – stuff I have at home. I used only panko as I don’t have the typical breadcrumbs too.
Taste wise is a bit bland. Perhaps I didn’t use Parmesan cheese? And my breadcrumbs didn’t really brown…it was sort of beigy. Maybe I used all panko.
But I concocted my own tartar sauce at home and it went well with the fish fingers 🙂
Hoping to try this again with all ingredients as recommended in your blog 🙂
Thanks for sharing and BTW, you’re such a creative food decorator! 😀
Ling: Thanks for your kind feedback and wonderful compliment. Do give this recipe another change and let me know how it turns out. Glad it goes well with your tartar sauce!
Hi,
Can I make this in a batch & freeze it?
If yes, do I freeze it after it’s coated with breadcrumbs? And how long can I put it in freezer?
Thanks,
PC
PC: Yes, it is possible to freeze them. After coating with breadcrumbs, put them on a baking sheet lined with aluminium foil. Freeze for 2-3 hours until solid, then transfer to a zip lock bag. Cook them direct from frozen. You may need to extra 30 seconds of cooking time. You can freeze it for 5-6 days. Happy trying! 😉
hi there, your fish fingers look so good with its golden brown colour. mine was a pale yellow instead. wonder if my oven was not hot enough. i didnt want to bake them longer than stated in case they turned out dry. also i used only panko crumbs. do u think it made a difference? i also used frozen fillet that was thawed. did u use freash fish? thanks. so far i can only find frozen halibut in supermarts.
Ting: May I know what do you mean by only panko crumbs? How about the rest of the ingredients as listed in the recipe? I think there is nothing wrong using thaw fillet. I used thawed halibut from NTUC. Did you preheat your oven for 15 minutes before baking? Maybe you can leave the fish fingers in the oven for another 2-3 minutes after the baking time (without switching on the power). Also, make sure your fish fingers are well-coated. Hope it helps! 😉
i typed too fast – i meant i used only panko crumbs. maybe i didnt coat enough crumbs. hope to try again. tks. 🙂
Ting: Did you mean that you only omitted the breadcrumbs from the recipe? If so, then it is better to add it as it will add some brownish to the fish fingers. Give it a try and let me know the outcome. 😉
Good morning, I featured this recipe on my blog today, it looks great! Thanks for allowing me to share. Here is the link http://carriesexperimentalkitchen.blogspot.com/2012/03/week-12-seafood-frenzy-friday.html
CarrieExpKtchn: Thanks a lot Carrie for including me in this great group! 😉
HI, love this recipe so much! anyways would like to ask if its possible to replace the plain flour with wholemeal flour as a healthier option?
CreativeMind: I haven’t tried it out myself but your substitution sounds feasible. Other than that, you can also use wholemeal breadcrumbs to replace normal breadcrumbs. Hope it helps! 😉
This was super yum. My 6-yr old liked it so much he had triple serves and my 16-mth old just went umm-umm-crunch away, thank you for this fantastic recipe!
Joyce: Thanks a lot for your wonderful feedback!! Glad to know that your little tots enjoy them so much!! 😉
Hi, love your blog. May i know the oven temp setting you use?
Cynthia: Thanks!! The oven temperature is 200°C as stated in step (1) in the recipe. 😉
Hi
Your website is really helpful giving me ideas to cook healthy food for my toddler! I tried the baked fish fingers yesterday and the result wasn’t too good. The crust was whitish with small parts burned.
Not sure if its the oven fault or because I didn’t follow ur recipe strictly. I only used plain flour, egg and bread crumbs. I had preheated the oven to 200degree 10mins before using it. Halfway through baking I noticed the fish fingers taking a long time to brown so I had increased the temp to 225 and eventually to 300. I even changed to tray to a higher level so it’s nearer the heating element. In all, the fish fingers took 20mins to bake.
Do u think its the oven? Cause mine is the tabletop kind. I be having my built in oven soon and looking forward to baking it again.. And hope to see better result.
Oh ya.. Best part even though my fish fingers didn’t turn looking nice, my son seem to love it anyway haha..
Justine: Thanks for your sweet compliment! It should be any problem using a table top oven. I’m using one now. I think 300 degree is too high. Maybe you can bake them at 200 degree for 10 minutes (turning them halfway) and later grill for another 5 minutes (turning them halfway) to get the crispy and browning effect. If possible, use panko crumb and include Parmesan cheese. Hope it helps! Do give it a try again and let me know the results. 😉
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I just made this for dinner, and my 5 year old asked me if I can make it for dinner every day!! It was a total hit!
Rachel: Thank you for the feedback! So glad the recipe works for you too! 🙂
My boy has been avoiding fish for almost half a year now. Tried many different recipes of cooking fish but nothing could whet his appetite for fish. He will usually take one bite and spit it out and push the rest away. Chanced upon this recipe and decided to try. He ate 2 pieces!I’m so happy. This is really easy to make and delicious. Thanks for sharing!
Karen: Wow! Thank you for your kind feedback! So glad it suits your little boy’s palate!
Hi! How can I get in touch with you regarding speaking at a event for mothers? I emailed you on Friday but I’m not sure if you received my email.
Myra: I will reply you via email. 🙂
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I tried these once and although they were DELISH and crispy (if eaten immediately after cooking) I couldn’t get them to brown either. They were pale with dark brown patches. I’m wondering if it’s the amount of oil you used. Can you be really specific about how, how much and what kind? You’ve suggested baking AND grilling. Do you mean broiling when you say grilling? I’d really like to get these right so my grand kids will eat some fish. Thanks.
Judee: You don’t need a specific amount of oil for this recipe. First, make sure the baking sheet is well-coated with oil. Then, drizzle 3-4 drops of oil onto the fish fillets, depending on their size. My oven has a grilling function with heat source coming from the top. If this is the same for broiling, then you can use it. Another trick you can try is to dry fry (without oil) the panko crumbs until light golden brown first before using them. 🙂
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Hi! Thanks for sharing the recipe. I tried to cook it but for some reason, the coating has never turn golden brown, but the fish is cooked. Do you have any idea what did I done wrong?
Thanks in advance for the tips!
Satita: This is quite a common scenario. Try baking them on a lightly greased baking parchment. This will help them to turn golden brown. Some people dry fry the panko crumbs until they turn slightly golden brown. But if you do so, you need to monitor the baking process closely to avoid them from getting burned.
Yummy. Never thought aout making my own fush fingers, looks good. Thanks.
Simon
Plasterers Bristol: Thank you! Do give it a try! 🙂
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Hi, my youngest is possibly yeast intolerant (still awaiting testing and confirmation) so, would I be ok using just the panko breadcrumbs rather than a mixture?
This is a an awesome recipe. I’m a new mom, and just having a difficulty to think of food menu to offer my kiddo which is healthy, I will add this to the menu this week. Thanks!
Josefine: Thanks for your wonderful compliment! Hope this recipe will suit your family especially your kid. 🙂