Fish Cakes can be so dull and boring. But THAI Fish Cakes are FABULOUS! A classic Thai street food and my favourite starter at Thai restaurants along with Chicken Satay.
Surprisingly easy to make at home – all you need is fish, red curry paste, egg, rice flour and fish sauce. Blitz, make patties and pan fry!
Thai fish cakes
If I order an appetiser at a Thai restaurant, 9 times out of 10 it will either be Thai Fish Cakes or Thai Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce.
And both of these are irritatingly pricey at Thai restaurants for what you get! $7 for 3 piddly little fish cakes or 3 teeny tiny skewers with a midget tub of peanut sauce.
Homemade is 80% cheaper – and just as good as takeout!
Thai Fish Cakes are (in my humble opinion) the most fabulous fish cakes in the world!
What Thai Fish Cakes taste like
The main flavouring in Thai Fish Cakes is red curry paste, so if you love Thai Red Curry, fish and food made to be eaten with hands, then this has got your name written all over it!
The unique thing about these fish cakes is the texture. It’s like Asian fish balls, kind of spongey. I know that sounds thoroughly unappetising, to say they are “spongey”, but there’s no other word I can think of! 😂
It’s not an unpleasant texture, it’s just different to other pattie shaped things like fritters and sausage patties!
What you need
Best fish for Thai Fish Cakes
Most of the most common white fish fillets are great here, also very tasty with salmon and trout.
Great for: Ling, Tilapia, Snapper, Barramundi, Silver Dory, John Dory, Basa, Hokki, Perch, Flathead, Monkfish
Avoid:
- super lean fish (swordfish, tuna)
- delicate fish (flounder, Dover sole)
- small whole fish like sardines or mackerel
The BEST Thai Red Curry Paste – Maesri
For recipes like this where you only need a few tablespoons of curry paste, I typically use store bought rather than homemade Red Curry Paste.
The best store bought Thai Red Curry Paste by a long shot is a brand called Maesri. This is also the brand I use for Thai Green Curry. Other brands tend to have less authentic flavour and are (usually) too sweet.
Sold in small cans for around $1.30 (it’s the cheapest!), it’s available in some Aussie large grocery stores (Coles, Woolies, Harris), Asian grocery stores and here is the cheapest one on Amazon US.
**Don’t worry if you can’t find Maesri. This recipe is still great even with mainstream curry pastes.**
How to make Thai Fish Cakes
Place fish, red curry paste (homemade or store bought), cilantro/coriander, egg, lime juice and fish sauce in a food processor, whizz to mince;
Mix in rice or cornflour (cornstarch) and green beans; and
Form patties and cook.
Simple, right? Do you really need me to write out the whole recipe for you??? (Don’t worry, I did! I always do!)
A note on authenticity!
Thai Fish Cakes are a classic Thai street food that you’ll find all over Thailand, from Bangkok to the popular tourist islands like Pukhet and Koh Samui (I really need to go back soon, I miss Thailand!!).
Here are the 2 things I do differently to the real authentic Fish Cakes made in Thailand:
Inclusion of rice flour – Truly authentic recipes are made with fish paste which is starchy fish (yes there is such thing!) that has been fermented and is a pretty smooth paste. This is then beaten for ages (i.e. 30 minutes by hand!) to activate the starch and this is the secret to beautifully bouncy, spongey fish cakes. However, in Western countries, the same texture is achieved by starting with fish fillets, minced them and mixing in either rice flour or cornflour (cornstarch); and
I don’t deep fry! In both Thailand and restaurants, Thai Fish Cakes are deep fried. I really believe that very little compromise is made by pan frying instead of deep frying!
How to serve Thai Fish Cakes
A simple store bought bottle of Sweet Chilli Sauce serves well as a convenient version of the dipping sauces you get at Thai restaurants.
In terms of what to serve it with, Thai Fish Cakes are typically served as a starter at Thai restaurants.
To make a meal out of it, try these on the side:
Steamed Jasmine rice, Thai Fried Rice, Pineapple Fried Rice or Coconut Rice
Crunchy Asian Slaw on the side – great all rounder Asian salad that goes with all Asian foods
Asian Sesame Dressing for any fresh salad or steamed vegetables
If you try these Fish Cakes, and I really hope you do, all it will take is one bite to be overwhelmed by a sense of familiarity. These really do taste just like what you get at Thai restaurants! – Nagi x
More Thai takeout favourites
Pad Thai – truly just like takeout!
Pad See Ew – Thai stir fried noodles
Browse the Thai recipe collection
Watch how to make it
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
Thai Fish Cakes
Ingredients
- 1 lb / 500g white fish fillets , skinless and pin boned, cut into chunks (Note 1)
- 3 tbsp red curry paste (Note 2)
- 1 tbsp cilantro/coriander leaves , chopped
- 1 tbsp fish sauce (sub soy sauce)
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup (40g) rice flour (or cornstarch / corn flour)
- 6 green beans , finely sliced (optional, Note 3)
- 4 – 6 tbsp oil (vegetable, canola, sun flower)
To Serve
- Sweet chilli sauce
- Cilantro/coriander leaves
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- Place fish, red curry paste, cilantro/coriander, fish sauce, lime and egg in a food processor. Whizz until the fish is minced and it looks like a paste. (See video)
- Transfer to a bowl and stir through rice flour and green beans until flour is all incorporated. (Note 4)
- Measure 1/4 cup of mixture (I use an ice cream scoop – Note 5), form 1cm / 2/5″ thick patties.
- Heat enough oil in skillet over medium high heat to cover the base (4 tbsp or so)
- Place in oil, cook 2 minutes until deep golden brown, then turn and cook the other side for 2 minutes. Transfer to paper towel lined plate.
- Repeat with remaining mixture, adding more oil into the skillet if required.
- Serve with Sweet Chilli Sauce, garnished with cilantro/coriander leaves and lime wedges on the side. Add a side of Thai Fried Rice or even just plain jasmine rice to make a meal!
Recipe Notes:
- super lean fish (swordfish, tuna)
- delicate fish (flounder, Dover sole)
- small whole fish like sardines or mackerel
Nutrition Information:
Originally published April 2016. Minor recipe updates to make cooking process easier, brand new video, photos, process shots and Life of Dozer update!
LIFE OF DOZER
Weekend Nana Naps often end with Dozer using ME as his pillow. It’s the wrong way round – I should be laying MY head on his fluffy, soft mass!! 😂
Flashback to when this recipe was originally published:
Snippet from Life As Dozer. He basically has 4 modes: playing, sleeping, eating food or hoping for food. He lives a hard, hard life, doesn’t he?
Hi Nagi
Great website. Been following for years when in Oz but now in the USA.
You nailed the taste of the fish cakes but the texture is not there. I believe its most attributable to the fish species. When I lived in Sydney and tried Thai Fish Cakes from every possible source, I became quite attached to the taste and feel of the fish as provided in most Thai restaurants (some better than others). There is a special heaviness/flex/squeak that their fish cakes have.
I tried many species from the Sydney Fish Market and while making acceptable patties, the standout, hands-down, best (and used by many Thai restaurants) was the Redfish (eastern nannygai or Centroberyx affinis).
All the rest failed on taste or texture and many felt more like your salmon-pattie than a fish cake.
So, can you please help with some guidance on the species to achieve the taste and feel of the real Thai fish cake? The US does not have the nannygai.
I had the same experience, then realised I’d omitted to dry the fish first – the water gives the fine granularity – like cod roe. When I did this (using thawed flathead fillets which were initially way too wet), the results were perfect.
Hi Jeff, the texture comes down to the way it’s prepared more than the type of fish but here’s a few things you can try:
* Try Spanish Mackerel
* Blend the mix longer until super smooth
* Leave mix in fridge for a couple of hours for the salt in fish sauce to help set proteins for a tighter texture – N x
Hi Nagi, was wondering if you could oven bake these? I absolutely love your recipes and enjoy the Dozer updates so much. He is famous in our house x
Outstanding…with the homemade paste. Screwed up the sea bass weight so used prawns on top.
Boom. Thx
Hi Lisa, you could, I would spray them generously with oil and place on an oven rack. Bake for about 15-20 minutes at 190C/375F. N x
I trying this recipe tonight, it looks delicious. I have already made them, so easy, no all have do is wait and cook them as suggested in a skillet.
Hi Nagi, recipe looks amazing, I’m hopeless when come to fish, do you think it will work with catfish (sutchi fillet)?
Yes that will work fine here Evan! N x
Obsessed with these fish cakes. Love these cold the next day too. Yum yum yum
Hi Nagi
Do you think this will work with canned salmon?
Thanks!
Hi Marieke, it wont have the right consistency unfortunately but you could try this one: https://promotown.info/salmon-patties/%3C/a%3E N x
Love this Thai fish cake recipe 🙂
Soo good with minced fresh flathead…yum yum
Thanks Nagi, I will remember to take more care with the defrosting and drying next time.. I just cooked one to test and it’s amazing anyway, I was expecting the texture to be rubbery but they are probably the best fish cakes I’ve ever tasted! Nagi you did again! Thank you x
Awesome Angela! N x
I had a shocker! I used frozen basa fillets and I think I underestimated how much water was left in them when I deforested them! They turned out so gluggy and sticky, I tried adding more rice flour but it just kept getting worse!! I haven’t cooked them yet but I’m not hopeful! This was trial run before my Thai dinner party so I will learn from mistake!!
Hi Angela, yes frozen fish does contain loads of water, thaw and then pat dry to avoid this problem! N x
Thabks Nagi, i will remember to take more care with the defrosting and drying next time.. I just cooked one to test and it’s amazing anyway, I was expecting the texture to be rubbery but they are probably the best fish cakes I’ve ever tasted! Nagi you did again! Thank you x
I tried this recipe but my fish cakes turned out a bit grainy. Is it because I didn’t process the fish in the food processor long enough?
Could be that – or it could be the paste you were using. I’d just try blitzing it a little longer 🙂 N x
One word – DELICIOUS. Everyone in the family loved it. Super tasty and so easy to make. I have added this to my rotation.
WOOT!!! Thanks Sita! N x
Hi Nagi, your recipes are the best.
I made these yesterday and sneakily added some large king Exmouth Tiger prawns. YUM YUM.. thanks again.
Hi Nagi! These look super delicious, and I’d love to try making them for my family. My husband doesn’t go much on fish though, and neither do my three boys! However, I’m determined to get it into the rotation more often! I’m wondering if it would work to bake these in a 200 degree oven for 15 minutes or so to help streamline dinner prep? Maybe if I rolled them in breadcrumbs first to help them crisp up? Thanks 😊
Hi Courtney, I’ve tried and it just doesn’t work as well unfortunately! N x
Hi Nagi. Bit of a silly question…..Should I use raw Green Beans, or blanch/steam them beforehand?
Hi Aron, no need to blanch, they are raw. N x
my wife made the fish cake refrigerated for 2 hours ,I cooked them and they were like rubber had to chew could i have over cooked them, taste was great
Hi Barry, sorry you had issues here, it could have been a number of things. If you over process them they can go rubbery, or possibly leaving them in the fridge meant that the lemon par cooked them before being fried – N x
Nagi I really love your recipes. I made this and refrigerated them overnight and then pan fried them for lunch . They were so good. Also thanks for recommending the Maestri Red curry paste 👍
Sounds great Amelia!! N x
Nagi, these brought me straight back to Thailand. They were incredible we live on the East Coast in Canada and I made them with fresh haddock. They are an instant fam favorite. Thank you!
That’s great to hear Jo! I’m so glad you loved them!!! N x
Delicious…will only use this recipe from now on !
That’s the best compliment – thanks so much Colette! N x
Ni Nagi,
Am looking forward to making your fish cakes. Could I use raw cod or haddock?
Thank you
Sure could Bianca, enjoy!! N x
Yuuuummmmm! I’d forgotten that I made these, so defrosted them for my lunch today, and they were so good! Definitely a keeper recipe!
They are a great freezer meal – perfect for emergencies! N x