Air Fried Salmon Fish Sticks and Easy Sesame Mayo
August 22nd, 2023Family-Friendly Sockeye Salmon Fish Sticks
These air-fried fish sticks are made with sockeye salmon, making them a wild, healthier alternative to fried chicken fingers. Crushed Ritz crackers give the salmon fish sticks a crispy, buttery crust that gets extra golden after a few minutes in an air fryer. A sweet, nutty, and savory dipping sauce gives the meal an optional Asian twist.
Try making this family-friendly recipe with younger home cooks — it’s an easy meal to prepare together, and fun to eat. Smaller children can help crush the crackers and bread the fish, while older kids may be able to help operate the air fryer when properly supervised.
Substitutions:
To make a gluten-free version of this recipe, substitute a gluten-free flour for dredging. Try rice flour, coconut flour, or even tapioca flour. Additionally, you’ll need to swap out Ritz crackers for a gluten-free option like rice crackers, then give the salmon fingers a spritz of cooking spray. The salmon fish sticks will be just as crispy, golden, and delicious.
For the dipping sauce, the recipe calls for the addition of furikake, a sweet-savory Japanese seasoning that is often sprinkled over a meal as garnish. Typically, furikake is made with seaweed and crunchy components like sesame seeds. If you can’t find furikake, toasted sesame seeds can be used to add texture to the dipping sauce. Gluten-free eaters should make sure that the furikake they’re using is appropriate for their dietary needs.
Air Fried Salmon Fish Sticks and Easy Sesame Mayo
By Wild Alaskan Company
Prep time
10 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Total time
20 minutes
Yield
2-3 servings
Ingredients
- For the Salmon:
- 2 (6 oz.) portions sockeye salmon, coho salmon, or king salmon, cut into "sticks"
- 1 egg, whisked
- Flour, enough for dredging
- 1 to 1½ cup ritz cracker crumbs
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- For the Sauce:
- ½ cup mayo
- 3 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce or gluten-free tamari
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- 3 teaspoons furikake
Instructions
1. Pat salmon fillets dry with a clean kitchen towel or paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Then, set up three dishes for a dredging station: Place about 1/2 cup of flour in one, place beaten egg in another, and place cracker crumbs in the last dish. Dip each fillet into flour, then egg, and finally cracker crumbs to evenly coat. Let rest for 15 minutes in the refrigerator.
2. Meanwhile, in small bowl combine mayo, sesame oil, tamari, maple syrup, and furikake. Set aside.
3. When ready to cook, preheat air fryer to 390F.
4. Arrange salmon in single layer in air fryer and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, depending on thickness of fillets. Serve immediately, with dipping sauce on the side.
Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish, or eggs may increase your risk of food-borne illness, especially if you have a certain medical condition. The FDA recommends an internal temperature of 145°F for cooked fish.
