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Homemade fish fingers with a yummy panko crumb

Homemade fish fingers with a yummy panko crumb

These homemade fish fingers are nothing like the frozen fish fingers that I grew up with. They are crunchy and full of flavour, not soggy and bland. They actually taste and look like fish.

Homemade fish fingers are such a good starting point for kids who won’t try fish. The crumb makes the fish more friendly looking and helps to disguise that ‘fishy smell’ that some kids are put off by. Really, if you need too, you could cut these into a nugget-shape and serve them up as chicken!


Try this recipe too: Chicken and veggie parma balls


Choose and strong white fish that will flake and that can be cut into strips without breaking up.  I used hoki for these fish fingers, and it tasted awesome. Other fish varieties that hold up well include Mahi Mahi, Blue-eye Trevalla, Dory and Ling.

To get a lovely golden colour, I’ve used polenta instead of bread crumbs. It gives the homemade fish fingers the bright yellow colour the kids’ associate with store-bought fish fingers. When the polenta is added to the panko, it gives the fish a lovely golden colour and adds to the crunch as well.

Homemade fish fingers

Homemade fish fingers with panko crumb

Makes 16 fish fingers
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 30 mins

400 grams hoki fillets, cut into strips for fish fingers
1 cup plain flour
1 egg, whisked with ½ cup water
1 cup panko
1 cup polenta
olive oil for drizzling

Preheat oven to 180ºC. Line an oven tray with non-stick baking paper.

Mix the panko and polenta together in a bowl.

First coat the fish in flour (I do this in a ziploc bag, just pop it in and shake).

Dip each strip individually in the egg and water mix then coat in the panko polenta mix.

Place each strip on the oven tray, then drizzle with olive oil and bake for 30 minutes at 180ºC.

Serve with a salad and some oven baked sweet potato chips.

Did you like fish fingers growing up?

Homemade fish fingers with panko crumb - so much nicer than store-bought