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Baked Fish Fingers (Grain Free)

Baked Fish Fingers - Quirky Cooking

If there’s one food that just about all kids love, it’s fish fingers. My kids would’ve lived on them when they were little, if I’d let them. But I soon realised the ones in the supermarket weren’t all that healthy, so I made them myself by dipping strips of fish into beaten egg, then into cornmeal, and shallow frying. The kids loved to help me make them, and as soon as they would smell the ghee and coconut oil cooking in the pan, they’d come running to the kitchen to ask if we were having fish fingers! 

Fast forward ten years, and my kids still love fish fingers – even though they are now 18, 16, 14 and 12! I think you really just don’t grow out of them. Right?

These days I make a grain free, egg free version, and I bake them instead of frying them. Baking them makes it a much less messy job, no fat spatting everywhere and burnt crumbs in the pan; and you can make a lot more at once. And while they’re baking, you can whip up a batch of mayonnaise or egg free aioli, chop up some raw veggie sticks or make a salad, and voila – dinner is done! (Or lunch. Or breakfast. Or whenever you like eating fish fingers.)

I developed this recipe for my Quirky Cooking for Gut Health program, which you can learn more about here.

Baked Fish Fingers - Quirky Cooking

These fish fingers also taste great cold, so make them the night before for lunch boxes. For little kids, cut into cubes before coating in the ghee and meal, and then you have fish nuggets! And if you need a nut free version or you can’t have ghee, see the notes at the end of the recipe – there’s options for you, too.

This recipe is super easy to make. The other day my son, Isaac, did a video showing how to make them – here it is, below. He’s working on getting some videos up on his YouTube channel showing easy, healthy recipes that kids can make, and he’d love it if you’d subscribe to his channel: QuirkyCookingJunior!

Happy cooking!

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Baked Fish Fingers (Grain Free)

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  • Author: QuirkyJo

Ingredients

Units

400g firm, white fish, cut into 2 cm thick ‘fingers’ (bones and skin removed)

3/4 cup blanched almond meal (or see below for nut free)

1/2 tsp fine sea salt

2 Tbsp fresh parsley or chives, finely chopped

1/2 tsp garlic powder (opt)

pepper to taste

1/3 cup melted ghee or coconut oil

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 200C.

2. In a bowl, mix almond meal, salt, parsley or chives, garlic powder and pepper. Have melted ghee or coconut oil ready in another bowl.

3. Dip each fish finger into the melted ghee/coconut oil, then roll in the almond meal mixture, pressing the mixture onto the fish. Place fish fingers onto a baking tray.

4. Drizzle any remaining ghee/ olive oil over the fish fingers, and place the tray into the oven.

5. Cook 20-30 mins at 200C, or until cooked through and lightly browned on edges.

6. Serve with Mayonnaise or Aioli, raw veggie sticks and avocado; or steamed veggies and Cauliflower Leek Mash for dinner.

7. Recipe can be doubled and the fish fingers can be kept in the fridge to be served cold for a quick meal or snack.

8. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for at least 4 months, but may dry out. If freezing, wrap them well so they are airtight.

Variations

Fish Nuggets: Cut fish into 2cm cubes and prepare as above, but cook only for 15 mins. Store in the fridge to use as snacks!

Nut Free: Use tapioca starch, banana flour or coconut flour instead of almond meal. Or mill sunflower seeds and pepitas to make a meal.

Did you make this recipe?

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36 thoughts on “Baked Fish Fingers (Grain Free)

  1. Lisa says:

    Your mumma must be so proud of you! What an inspiration you are Isaac. Always enjoy watching your videos. Such an encouragement. Thank you so mch for sharing!

  2. Ana says:

    It sounds lovely, I’ll will surely make them!
    I’ve got a question though (completely out of ignorance), why do you always use ghee or coconut oil? Is olive oil not recommended for cooking?
    I love your recipes!
    Thanks for sharing them!
    Ana

  3. Marthea says:

    The fish fingers look really tasty. I can’t wait to try them.

    Great video Isaac, keep up the good work.
    Cheers Marthea

  4. Andreza says:

    Wow Isaac what a fine and articulate young man you are. Jo I’m certain you are so incredibly proud.
    Can’t wait to try this for my littlies – Thanks for another delicious and nourishing recipe Jo.

  5. Jan Wallace says:

    Great recipe. Thank you. What a wonderful job Isaac did at presenting this. Future ‘Quirky Isaac’ lol. Jo. Can you please send me your postal address as I would love to send your family a couple of my little handmade botanical ceramic bowls, which are great for herbs, butter and seasonings. Email me at [email protected] A little something to say thanks for all that you have given me with you great blog and healthy, gut healing recipes. Jan Wallace.

  6. Steph says:

    Yum! Had them for dinner! My daughter helped make them and she wolfed them down. Loved by the whole family and super easy too make plus less mess than frying!

  7. Louisa says:

    These look yum! Can you give some more examples of firm white fish just in case my fishmonger doesn’t have Spanish mackerel? (beginner cook here!)

    • QuirkyJo says:

      Ling, Blue-eye Trevalla, Coral Trout, Emperors and Mahi Mahi are firm white fish. If you ask your fishmonger for recommendations, I’m sure they’d have some great ideas. 🙂

  8. Kerri says:

    They look yum. What is blanched almond meal? I have raw almonds.. Do I need to blanch them before milking?

    • QuirkyJo says:

      Blanched almond meal is white (no skin). You could go ahead and use raw but the crumb will be darker and it is best to pre soak and dehydrate them for sensitive guts. xx

  9. Janna says:

    Loved your video – thanks – I will be making these today – might make a homemade fresh grape tomato salad with olive oil and lemon and steam some of my perpetual spinach growing in a pot by the front door. You are an inspiration to other kids to learn about healthy food and get cooking.

  10. Kim says:

    I am looking forward to trying these fish fingers. They look healthy and delicious. Isaac, you did a great job at demonstrating how to cook. Jo, you must be very proud of your son. Thank you for sharing.

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