These beer-battered Vegan Fish Sticks are crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and perfect for pairing with homemade vegan tartar sauce!
I have four words for you: vegan fish and chips. Make these faux fish sticks and a batch of fries and you can enjoy a plant-based version of the British pub staple. Or use vegan fish sticks to make vegan fish tacos . Or…just devour them as-is with creamy tartar sauce for dipping. Basically, if you’ve been looking for a vegan seafood recipe, this is going to become your go-to anytime you’ve got a craving for something fishy.
When I stopped eating meat, seafood was the hardest for me to give up, so I was over-the-moon when I took my first bite of these vegan fish sticks. Let me tell you: seasoning is key here. I took all the fishy and salty seasonings I had—crushed nori and Old Bay seasoning—and paired them with hearts of palm and my trusty beer batter recipe. The result is a crispy, crunchy, golden-brown exterior and an inside that tastes like fish!
Notes on Ingredients
Please note that this is important information on the ingredients and instructions and the FULL recipe with amounts and details can be found DOWN BELOW (scroll to it) in the recipe card.
For the Vegan Fish Sticks:
- Hearts of palm
- Breadcrumbs – This recipe works with either gluten-free or regular breadcrumbs.
- Old Bay seasoning – Because this seasoning is so often used with seafood, it’s a flavour that tricks your brain into thinking you’re eating real fish!
- Dried crumbled nori – And this is the ingredient that gives the recipe that distinctive fishy flavour. Don’t skip it!
- Sea salt
- Ground black pepper
For the Beer Batter:
- Flour
- Salt
- Pepper
- Garlic powder
- Old Bay seasoning
- Beer or sparkling water – Use a pale-colored ale; avoid stout and other strong, dark beers.
For the Vegan Tartar Sauce:
- Vegan mayo – Store-bought or make your own vegan mayonnaise .
- Lemon or lime juice
- Chopped pickles or sweet relish
- Salt
- Pepper
- Fresh dill
Oil for Frying
- Peanut oil or safflower oil
What are hearts of palm?
Hearts of palm are harvested from the core of a palm tree. It’s hard to describe, but their texture is very much like artichokes. They work so well here because of their colour, texture, and natural flakiness. Hearts of palm make the best texture for vegan fish sticks because of this flakiness! Like tofu, hearts of palm take on any flavours you add to it.
How to Make Vegan Fish Sticks and Tartar Sauce
You’ll never buy disappointing plant-based seafood at the grocery store again when you see how easy it is to make vegan fish at home!
Make the vegan tartar sauce. Stir all of the ingredients together in a small bowl; season to taste and refrigerate until you’re ready to eat.
Pulse the ingredients. Place all of the fish stick ingredients in a food processor and pulse until flaky and well-combined. This should take about a minute; the mixture is done when you can press it into a firm shape, but it’s not yet mushy.
Form the fish sticks. Transfer the fish mixture to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Use clean hands to shape the mixture into fish sticks; you should be able to make about 8. Press the sticks together firmly so they don’t fall apart! Place the baking sheet in the fridge.
Make the batter. Mix all of the dry ingredients in a large, wide bowl, then stir in the beer.
Cook the fish sticks. Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet set over high heat. Take the fish sticks out of the fridge and dip each into the batter, letting the excess drip off. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to absorb any excess oil.
Serve. Once all of the vegan fish sticks are cooked, serve them with tartar sauce for dipping!
Tips for Success
Here are some tips for getting the best vegan fish sticks!
- Shaping the sticks. I used about 2 tablespoons of the fish mixture for each stick; you can make them smaller if you like (fish bites!), but larger than this and it’s more likely that the sticks will fall apart while frying. Mine were roughly 3 inches long and 1 inch wide.
- Using less oil. If you like, you can use less oil, but I don’t recommend baking these in the oven—they won’t get as crispy!
- Serving suggestions. Not into tartar sauce? Try spooning Mango Basil Salsa over the fish sticks!
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
These vegan fish sticks are really best eaten fresh, so I don’t recommend making them for meal prep. If you do end up having some leftovers, you can refrigerate them for 3 to 4 days and reheat them in a 350ºF oven or in a pan with a tablespoon oil.
Can This Recipe Be Frozen?
No, this is not a good recipe for freezing. If you want to make fish sticks to freeze, skip the beer batter and use a panko coating instead. They’ll keep in the freezer for up to 3 months; you can bake the fish sticks in a 350ºF oven from frozen for about 15 minutes, or until warmed through.
Ingredients
For the “Fish” Sticks
- 1 14 oz. jar , 396g of hearts of palm, drained, rinsed and pat dry and chopped up
- ½ cup breadcrumbs, gluten free or regular , 30g
- 1 teaspoon old bay seasoning
- 1 tablespoon dried crumbled nori
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Beer Batter
- 1 1/2 cup flour of your choice , Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour weight is 222g
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon old bay seasoning
- 1 cup beer or sparkling water
Vegan Tartar Sauce
- ½ cup vegan mayonnaise , 112g
- 1 teaspoon lemon or lime juice
- 1 tablespoon chopped pickles or sweet relish
- A pinch of salt , Less than ¼ teaspoon
- A pinch of pepper
- 1 tablespoon freshly chopped dill
Oil for Frying
- 1 cup peanut oil or safflower oil , 224g
Instructions
Vegan Tartar Sauce
- Stir all the ingredients together. Taste and add more salt or seasoning as preferred. Set in the fridge until you’re ready for it!
Fish Sticks
- In a food processor, PULSE all the fish sticks ingredients above until combined, for about 1 minute and you can easily stick it together and press into a firm shape. You want to still have some flakiness to it so don’t mix it too much that it’s mushy.
- Dump the mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat or even a plate lined with parchment paper and press together. Then shape the mixture into individual fish sticks, using about two tablespoons of mixture for each stick, to get about 8 fish sticks. Make sure that you press the sticks firmly together – you want it to be a solid piece for when you are battering it. I did roughly into 3 inches long and 1 inches wide. Set it in the fridge to harden up a bit while you make you batter.
- Make the batter by mixing all the dry ingredients together first, then pouring in the beer. Stir together to combine.
- Heat up a pan with the oil (I like using peanut oil or safflower oil since it won’t be bitter). You can definitely make these with less oil, just test one first to see how it works for your preference! Remove the raw fish sticks from the fridge, dip into the batter, allowing the excess to drip off. Fry for 2-3 minutes on each side on high heat, depending on your oil’s heat, until golden brown. Keep an eye on these so you don’t burn them, and don’t take them out until they are golden brown. Remove from oil and place on a paper towel to absorb any oil.
- Make some crispy chips/fries on the side! Serve with some chips on the side and tartar sauce and enjoy !!
Notes
These beer-battered Vegan Fish Sticks are crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and perfect for pairing with homemade vegan tartar sauce!
I have four words for you: vegan fish and chips. Make these faux fish sticks and a batch of fries and you can enjoy a plant-based version of the British pub staple. Or use vegan fish sticks to make vegan fish tacos . Or…just devour them as-is with creamy tartar sauce for dipping. Basically, if you’ve been looking for a vegan seafood recipe, this is going to become your go-to anytime you’ve got a craving for something fishy.
When I stopped eating meat, seafood was the hardest for me to give up, so I was over-the-moon when I took my first bite of these vegan fish sticks. Let me tell you: seasoning is key here. I took all the fishy and salty seasonings I had—crushed nori and Old Bay seasoning—and paired them with hearts of palm and my trusty beer batter recipe. The result is a crispy, crunchy, golden-brown exterior and an inside that tastes like fish!
Notes on Ingredients
Please note that this is important information on the ingredients and instructions and the FULL recipe with amounts and details can be found DOWN BELOW (scroll to it) in the recipe card.
For the Vegan Fish Sticks:
- Hearts of palm
- Breadcrumbs – This recipe works with either gluten-free or regular breadcrumbs.
- Old Bay seasoning – Because this seasoning is so often used with seafood, it’s a flavour that tricks your brain into thinking you’re eating real fish!
- Dried crumbled nori – And this is the ingredient that gives the recipe that distinctive fishy flavour. Don’t skip it!
- Sea salt
- Ground black pepper
For the Beer Batter:
- Flour
- Salt
- Pepper
- Garlic powder
- Old Bay seasoning
- Beer or sparkling water – Use a pale-colored ale; avoid stout and other strong, dark beers.
For the Vegan Tartar Sauce:
- Vegan mayo – Store-bought or make your own vegan mayonnaise .
- Lemon or lime juice
- Chopped pickles or sweet relish
- Salt
- Pepper
- Fresh dill
Oil for Frying
- Peanut oil or safflower oil
What are hearts of palm?
Hearts of palm are harvested from the core of a palm tree. It’s hard to describe, but their texture is very much like artichokes. They work so well here because of their colour, texture, and natural flakiness. Hearts of palm make the best texture for vegan fish sticks because of this flakiness! Like tofu, hearts of palm take on any flavours you add to it.
How to Make Vegan Fish Sticks and Tartar Sauce
You’ll never buy disappointing plant-based seafood at the grocery store again when you see how easy it is to make vegan fish at home!
Make the vegan tartar sauce. Stir all of the ingredients together in a small bowl; season to taste and refrigerate until you’re ready to eat.
Pulse the ingredients. Place all of the fish stick ingredients in a food processor and pulse until flaky and well-combined. This should take about a minute; the mixture is done when you can press it into a firm shape, but it’s not yet mushy.
Form the fish sticks. Transfer the fish mixture to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Use clean hands to shape the mixture into fish sticks; you should be able to make about 8. Press the sticks together firmly so they don’t fall apart! Place the baking sheet in the fridge.
Make the batter. Mix all of the dry ingredients in a large, wide bowl, then stir in the beer.
Cook the fish sticks. Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet set over high heat. Take the fish sticks out of the fridge and dip each into the batter, letting the excess drip off. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to absorb any excess oil.
Serve. Once all of the vegan fish sticks are cooked, serve them with tartar sauce for dipping!
Tips for Success
Here are some tips for getting the best vegan fish sticks!
- Shaping the sticks. I used about 2 tablespoons of the fish mixture for each stick; you can make them smaller if you like (fish bites!), but larger than this and it’s more likely that the sticks will fall apart while frying. Mine were roughly 3 inches long and 1 inch wide.
- Using less oil. If you like, you can use less oil, but I don’t recommend baking these in the oven—they won’t get as crispy!
- Serving suggestions. Not into tartar sauce? Try spooning Mango Basil Salsa over the fish sticks!
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
These vegan fish sticks are really best eaten fresh, so I don’t recommend making them for meal prep. If you do end up having some leftovers, you can refrigerate them for 3 to 4 days and reheat them in a 350ºF oven or in a pan with a tablespoon oil.
Can This Recipe Be Frozen?
No, this is not a good recipe for freezing. If you want to make fish sticks to freeze, skip the beer batter and use a panko coating instead. They’ll keep in the freezer for up to 3 months; you can bake the fish sticks in a 350ºF oven from frozen for about 15 minutes, or until warmed through.
Ingredients
For the “Fish” Sticks
- 1 14 oz. jar , 396g of hearts of palm, drained, rinsed and pat dry and chopped up
- ½ cup breadcrumbs, gluten free or regular , 30g
- 1 teaspoon old bay seasoning
- 1 tablespoon dried crumbled nori
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Beer Batter
- 1 1/2 cup flour of your choice , Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour weight is 222g
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon old bay seasoning
- 1 cup beer or sparkling water
Vegan Tartar Sauce
- ½ cup vegan mayonnaise , 112g
- 1 teaspoon lemon or lime juice
- 1 tablespoon chopped pickles or sweet relish
- A pinch of salt , Less than ¼ teaspoon
- A pinch of pepper
- 1 tablespoon freshly chopped dill
Oil for Frying
- 1 cup peanut oil or safflower oil , 224g
Instructions
Vegan Tartar Sauce
- Stir all the ingredients together. Taste and add more salt or seasoning as preferred. Set in the fridge until you’re ready for it!
Fish Sticks
- In a food processor, PULSE all the fish sticks ingredients above until combined, for about 1 minute and you can easily stick it together and press into a firm shape. You want to still have some flakiness to it so don’t mix it too much that it’s mushy.
- Dump the mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat or even a plate lined with parchment paper and press together. Then shape the mixture into individual fish sticks, using about two tablespoons of mixture for each stick, to get about 8 fish sticks. Make sure that you press the sticks firmly together – you want it to be a solid piece for when you are battering it. I did roughly into 3 inches long and 1 inches wide. Set it in the fridge to harden up a bit while you make you batter.
- Make the batter by mixing all the dry ingredients together first, then pouring in the beer. Stir together to combine.
- Heat up a pan with the oil (I like using peanut oil or safflower oil since it won’t be bitter). You can definitely make these with less oil, just test one first to see how it works for your preference! Remove the raw fish sticks from the fridge, dip into the batter, allowing the excess to drip off. Fry for 2-3 minutes on each side on high heat, depending on your oil’s heat, until golden brown. Keep an eye on these so you don’t burn them, and don’t take them out until they are golden brown. Remove from oil and place on a paper towel to absorb any oil.
- Make some crispy chips/fries on the side! Serve with some chips on the side and tartar sauce and enjoy !!
Notes
These beer-battered Vegan Fish Sticks are crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and perfect for pairing with homemade vegan tartar sauce!
I have four words for you: vegan fish and chips. Make these faux fish sticks and a batch of fries and you can enjoy a plant-based version of the British pub staple. Or use vegan fish sticks to make vegan fish tacos . Or…just devour them as-is with creamy tartar sauce for dipping. Basically, if you’ve been looking for a vegan seafood recipe, this is going to become your go-to anytime you’ve got a craving for something fishy.
When I stopped eating meat, seafood was the hardest for me to give up, so I was over-the-moon when I took my first bite of these vegan fish sticks. Let me tell you: seasoning is key here. I took all the fishy and salty seasonings I had—crushed nori and Old Bay seasoning—and paired them with hearts of palm and my trusty beer batter recipe. The result is a crispy, crunchy, golden-brown exterior and an inside that tastes like fish!
Notes on Ingredients
Please note that this is important information on the ingredients and instructions and the FULL recipe with amounts and details can be found DOWN BELOW (scroll to it) in the recipe card.
For the Vegan Fish Sticks:
- Hearts of palm
- Breadcrumbs – This recipe works with either gluten-free or regular breadcrumbs.
- Old Bay seasoning – Because this seasoning is so often used with seafood, it’s a flavour that tricks your brain into thinking you’re eating real fish!
- Dried crumbled nori – And this is the ingredient that gives the recipe that distinctive fishy flavour. Don’t skip it!
- Sea salt
- Ground black pepper
For the Beer Batter:
- Flour
- Salt
- Pepper
- Garlic powder
- Old Bay seasoning
- Beer or sparkling water – Use a pale-colored ale; avoid stout and other strong, dark beers.
For the Vegan Tartar Sauce:
- Vegan mayo – Store-bought or make your own vegan mayonnaise .
- Lemon or lime juice
- Chopped pickles or sweet relish
- Salt
- Pepper
- Fresh dill
Oil for Frying
- Peanut oil or safflower oil
What are hearts of palm?
Hearts of palm are harvested from the core of a palm tree. It’s hard to describe, but their texture is very much like artichokes. They work so well here because of their colour, texture, and natural flakiness. Hearts of palm make the best texture for vegan fish sticks because of this flakiness! Like tofu, hearts of palm take on any flavours you add to it.
How to Make Vegan Fish Sticks and Tartar Sauce
You’ll never buy disappointing plant-based seafood at the grocery store again when you see how easy it is to make vegan fish at home!
Make the vegan tartar sauce. Stir all of the ingredients together in a small bowl; season to taste and refrigerate until you’re ready to eat.
Pulse the ingredients. Place all of the fish stick ingredients in a food processor and pulse until flaky and well-combined. This should take about a minute; the mixture is done when you can press it into a firm shape, but it’s not yet mushy.
Form the fish sticks. Transfer the fish mixture to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Use clean hands to shape the mixture into fish sticks; you should be able to make about 8. Press the sticks together firmly so they don’t fall apart! Place the baking sheet in the fridge.
Make the batter. Mix all of the dry ingredients in a large, wide bowl, then stir in the beer.
Cook the fish sticks. Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet set over high heat. Take the fish sticks out of the fridge and dip each into the batter, letting the excess drip off. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to absorb any excess oil.
Serve. Once all of the vegan fish sticks are cooked, serve them with tartar sauce for dipping!
Tips for Success
Here are some tips for getting the best vegan fish sticks!
- Shaping the sticks. I used about 2 tablespoons of the fish mixture for each stick; you can make them smaller if you like (fish bites!), but larger than this and it’s more likely that the sticks will fall apart while frying. Mine were roughly 3 inches long and 1 inch wide.
- Using less oil. If you like, you can use less oil, but I don’t recommend baking these in the oven—they won’t get as crispy!
- Serving suggestions. Not into tartar sauce? Try spooning Mango Basil Salsa over the fish sticks!
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
These vegan fish sticks are really best eaten fresh, so I don’t recommend making them for meal prep. If you do end up having some leftovers, you can refrigerate them for 3 to 4 days and reheat them in a 350ºF oven or in a pan with a tablespoon oil.
Can This Recipe Be Frozen?
No, this is not a good recipe for freezing. If you want to make fish sticks to freeze, skip the beer batter and use a panko coating instead. They’ll keep in the freezer for up to 3 months; you can bake the fish sticks in a 350ºF oven from frozen for about 15 minutes, or until warmed through.
Ingredients
For the “Fish” Sticks
- 1 14 oz. jar , 396g of hearts of palm, drained, rinsed and pat dry and chopped up
- ½ cup breadcrumbs, gluten free or regular , 30g
- 1 teaspoon old bay seasoning
- 1 tablespoon dried crumbled nori
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Beer Batter
- 1 1/2 cup flour of your choice , Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour weight is 222g
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon old bay seasoning
- 1 cup beer or sparkling water
Vegan Tartar Sauce
- ½ cup vegan mayonnaise , 112g
- 1 teaspoon lemon or lime juice
- 1 tablespoon chopped pickles or sweet relish
- A pinch of salt , Less than ¼ teaspoon
- A pinch of pepper
- 1 tablespoon freshly chopped dill
Oil for Frying
- 1 cup peanut oil or safflower oil , 224g
Instructions
Vegan Tartar Sauce
- Stir all the ingredients together. Taste and add more salt or seasoning as preferred. Set in the fridge until you’re ready for it!
Fish Sticks
- In a food processor, PULSE all the fish sticks ingredients above until combined, for about 1 minute and you can easily stick it together and press into a firm shape. You want to still have some flakiness to it so don’t mix it too much that it’s mushy.
- Dump the mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat or even a plate lined with parchment paper and press together. Then shape the mixture into individual fish sticks, using about two tablespoons of mixture for each stick, to get about 8 fish sticks. Make sure that you press the sticks firmly together – you want it to be a solid piece for when you are battering it. I did roughly into 3 inches long and 1 inches wide. Set it in the fridge to harden up a bit while you make you batter.
- Make the batter by mixing all the dry ingredients together first, then pouring in the beer. Stir together to combine.
- Heat up a pan with the oil (I like using peanut oil or safflower oil since it won’t be bitter). You can definitely make these with less oil, just test one first to see how it works for your preference! Remove the raw fish sticks from the fridge, dip into the batter, allowing the excess to drip off. Fry for 2-3 minutes on each side on high heat, depending on your oil’s heat, until golden brown. Keep an eye on these so you don’t burn them, and don’t take them out until they are golden brown. Remove from oil and place on a paper towel to absorb any oil.
- Make some crispy chips/fries on the side! Serve with some chips on the side and tartar sauce and enjoy !!
Notes
Vegan Fish Sticks (with Vegan Tartar Sauce)
Ingredients
For the “Fish” Sticks
- 1 14 oz. jar 396g of hearts of palm, drained, rinsed and pat dry and chopped up
- ½ cup breadcrumbs, gluten free or regular 30g
- 1 teaspoon old bay seasoning
- 1 tablespoon dried crumbled nori
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Beer Batter
- 1 1/2 cup flour of your choice Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour weight is 222g
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon old bay seasoning
- 1 cup beer or sparkling water
Vegan Tartar Sauce
- ½ cup vegan mayonnaise 112g
- 1 teaspoon lemon or lime juice
- 1 tablespoon chopped pickles or sweet relish
- A pinch of salt Less than ¼ teaspoon
- A pinch of pepper
- 1 tablespoon freshly chopped dill
Oil for Frying
- 1 cup peanut oil or safflower oil 224g
Instructions
Vegan Tartar Sauce
- Stir all the ingredients together. Taste and add more salt or seasoning as preferred. Set in the fridge until you’re ready for it!
Fish Sticks
- In a food processor, PULSE all the fish sticks ingredients above until combined, for about 1 minute and you can easily stick it together and press into a firm shape. You want to still have some flakiness to it so don’t mix it too much that it’s mushy.
- Dump the mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat or even a plate lined with parchment paper and press together. Then shape the mixture into individual fish sticks, using about two tablespoons of mixture for each stick, to get about 8 fish sticks. Make sure that you press the sticks firmly together - you want it to be a solid piece for when you are battering it. I did roughly into 3 inches long and 1 inches wide. Set it in the fridge to harden up a bit while you make you batter.
- Make the batter by mixing all the dry ingredients together first, then pouring in the beer. Stir together to combine.
- Heat up a pan with the oil (I like using peanut oil or safflower oil since it won’t be bitter). You can definitely make these with less oil, just test one first to see how it works for your preference! Remove the raw fish sticks from the fridge, dip into the batter, allowing the excess to drip off. Fry for 2-3 minutes on each side on high heat, depending on your oil’s heat, until golden brown. Keep an eye on these so you don’t burn them, and don’t take them out until they are golden brown. Remove from oil and place on a paper towel to absorb any oil.
- Make some crispy chips/fries on the side! Serve with some chips on the side and tartar sauce and enjoy !!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Vegan Fish Sticks (with Vegan Tartar Sauce) https://jessicainthekitchen.com/vegan-fish-sticks-with-vegan-tartar-sauce/ February 21, 2022
With a crispy beer-battered crust, flavourful pico de gallo, and creamy tartar sauce, these Vegan Fish Tacos make for the ultimate plant-based taco experience!
Sometimes even when you’ve been vegan for a while, you still crave certain dishes based on tradition or time of year. For me, one of these cravings was fish on Good Friday, which is a tradition here in Jamaica. When I wanted to whip up a dish that would satisfy that itch for something traditional and nostalgic, I decided to use my vegan fish sticks recipe as a starting point for these vegan fish tacos.
Vegan fish? Yes! My plant-based fish sticks are made with hearts of palm and dried nori , which give the faux-fish that authentic seafood flavor. Add Old Bay seasoning, which isn’t inherently fishy but is associated with seafood because it’s so often used to season it, and you’ve got a stellar stand-in for fish— especially when it’s paired with an irresistibly crispy beer batter.
Fish tacos always benefit from the addition of garnishes, and these vegan fish tacos are no different! I serve them with a plant-based tartar sauce and bright, acidic homemade pico de gallo. The contrasting textures and flavors in these tacos makes them a real treat, and the perfect dinner for Lent, Easter, or any day of the week!
Notes on Ingredients
Please note that this is important information on the ingredients and instructions and the FULL recipe with amounts and details can be found DOWN BELOW (scroll to it) in the recipe card.
For the Pico de Gallo:
- Onion – A white onion is traditional, but yellow or red onion will work too.
- Tomato
- Chili pepper – This is optional.
- Parsley – Or use cilantro if you prefer.
- Lime juice
- Sea salt
- Ground black pepper
To Assemble the Tacos:
- Vegan fish sticks – Grab the recipe for my vegan fish sticks .
- Vegan tartar sauce – Grab the recipe for my vegan tartar sauce .
- Lime wedges
- Parsley – Cilantro can be used here, too.
- Tortillas – Use any kind you like!
- Optional handful of pickled cabbage or pickled onions
How to Make Vegan Fish Tacos
To make these fish tacos, you’ll need to start with my fish stick and tartar sauce recipes. Once you’ve made those, follow the steps below.
Make the pico de gallo. Place all of the ingredients in a medium bowl and gently toss to coat.
Warm the tortillas. Heat a teaspoon of olive oil in a skillet set over medium heat. Place a tortilla onto the skillet and warm until it’s puffy and golden brown, then flip it over and warm the other side. Transfer the warmed tortilla to a plate, then repeat with remaining tortillas.
Assemble. Top each tortilla with the pico de gallo, pickled veggies, crispy fish sticks, vegan tartar sauce, and chopped parsley. Serve with a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
Tips for Success
Here are my best tips for perfect vegan fish tacos.
- Getting the proportions right. I found that 1 ½ fish stick worked for one taco, but this will depend on the size of the tortillas you use.
- Making in advance. Make the different toppings and store them separately to keep everything fresh. When you’re ready to eat, make the fish sticks, heat the tortillas, and assemble.
- Meal prep advice . If you want to also make the fish sticks in advance, I recommend swapping the batter for seasoned panko breadcrumbs (to roll the fish sticks in before frying), which store much better. This will also allow you to bake the fish, too.
How to Store and Reheat
Just like real fish, these fish sticks taste best fresh. If you do have leftovers, they’ll keep in the fridge for about 3 days; store each component separately, then reheat the fish sticks in the oven, warm the tortillas, and put together your tacos.
Can This Recipe Be Frozen?
No, I don’t recommend freezing this recipe. If you’re looking for some freezer-friendly meal ideas, here are some of my favorites: 30 Freezer Friendly Recipes for Back to School
Ingredients
Pico de Gallo
- 1/2 small onion , diced
- 1 small tomato , diced
- 1 whole chili pepper , diced (optional)
- 3 tablespoons parsley , chopped
- juice of 3 small limes or 1 ½ large limes
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
To Assemble Tacos
- 1 batch vegan fish sticks
- 1 batch vegan tartar sauce
- optional handful of pickled cabbage or pickled onions
- 2 limes , sliced into wedges for garnish and fresh squeeze over tacos
- 2 tablespoons parsley , chopped
- 5 taco soft shells , use corn tacos if gluten free
Instructions
Pico de Gallo
- Stir all the ingredients together and set aside until ready for it!
To Assemble Tacos
- Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat (if possible, brush with a pastry brush).
- Place a taco shell in the heat until golden brown spots appear and they are slightly puffy for a few seconds, then flip and cook the same. Set on a plate to assemble.
- Layer with pico de Gallo, pickled veggies, crispy fish sticks, vegan tartar sauce and chopped parsley over the soft taco shells. Add other toppings here if so desired. I found that 1 ½ fish stick worked for one taco.
- Serve with limes to squeeze over for a fresh burst of flavour. Enjoy!
