Avoid soggy fishsticks! These crispy baked fish sticks with tartar sauce are made with a flavorful lemon pepper panko coating.

My husband grew up on the North Shore of Boston, just 30 minutes from Gloucester. Needless to say, he grew up eating his fair share of fish sticks out of the yellow box in the freezer aisle. You know the ones – with the man in the yellow jacket on the ships of Gloucester.

Don’t get me wrong, I used to love fish sticks as a kid but the great thing about making your own is that you can control the quality of ingredients. Fresh lemon zest and Japanese panko create a perfect, crispy crust without any butter or oil. Our 2 year old normally isn’t a huge fan of fish but he and my husband were fighting over the last bites. Mission: Accomplished.

One final note: homemade fish sticks literally took me 10 additional minutes. For me, there is nothing better than spending 10 minutes in the kitchen with my family gathered around at the end of a busy day. Yes, throwing the frozen sticks in the oven might be a few minutes faster. But once you see how much more flavor and how much less guilt comes with the homemade variety you will never look back.

No forks required.