Hairy Bikers Thai Fish Cakes​ Recipe

These Hairy Bikers Thai fish cakes are made with fresh sea bass, red curry paste, fish sauce, galangal, lemongrass, and crisp green beans. This recipe creates wonderfully springy fish cakes with a gentle kick of spice, served with a honey and cucumber dip. Ready in just over an hour including chilling time, this recipe makes 18–20 fish cakes.

I love making these as a starter when friends come round for a Thai-themed dinner. They disappear in minutes and always get people asking for the recipe.

Thai Fish Cakes Ingredients

For the Fish Cakes:

• 1 lemongrass stalk
• 500g sea bass fillet, skinned and pin-boned, chilled
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tsp Thai red curry paste
• 1 kaffir lime leaf, finely shredded
• 30g galangal, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp grated palm sugar
• 50g green beans, trimmed and thinly sliced
• Juice of ½ lime
• Plain flour, for dusting
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil, for shallow frying

For the Honey and Cucumber Dip:

• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp runny honey
• Juice of ½ lime
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 100g cucumber, peeled, deseeded and diced
• 1 small carrot, finely diced
• 1 shallot, finely diced
• 2 bird’s-eye chillies, deseeded and finely sliced

How To Make Thai Fish Cakes

1. Prepare the lemongrass: Trim the lemongrass stalk and remove the tough outer leaves. Finely slice the tender inner part and set aside.
2. Make the fish paste: Place the sea bass, fish sauce, curry paste, lime leaf, galangal, lemongrass, coriander, egg, palm sugar, green beans, and lime juice in a food processor. Blitz until the mixture forms a smooth, thick paste.
3. Shape the fish cakes: Dust a plate with plain flour. Wet your hands, take a walnut-sized piece of mixture, roll it into a ball, and flatten into a thin disc. Place on the floured plate and repeat with the remaining mixture.
4. Chill: Cover the fish cakes and place them in the fridge until you are ready to cook. This helps them firm up and hold their shape during frying.
5. Make the dip: Whisk together the rice vinegar, honey, lime juice, fish sauce, and 2 tablespoons of water. Stir in the diced cucumber, carrot, shallot, and chillies. Leave for 30 minutes for the flavours to develop.
6. Cook the fish cakes: Heat the vegetable oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat. Fry the fish cakes in batches for about 2 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through. Drain on kitchen paper and serve hot with the dip.

What Is the Secret to Perfect Thai Fish Cakes?

• Keep the fish cold: Make sure your sea bass is well chilled before blitzing. Cold fish binds better in the processor, giving you that signature springy texture.
• Use wet hands: Dampening your hands with cold water stops the sticky paste from clinging to your fingers when shaping the patties.
• Fry in small batches: Cook 3–4 fish cakes at a time so the oil stays hot. Overcrowding the pan drops the temperature and makes them greasy instead of crisp.
• Finding galangal: Look for galangal in Asian supermarkets. If you cannot find it fresh, frozen galangal works well. It adds a peppery, citrusy warmth that ginger alone cannot replicate.
• Pair with more Thai flavours: These fish cakes sit perfectly alongside a Hairy Bikers green curry for a full Thai-inspired spread.

What Should You Serve on the Side?

These fish cakes are traditionally served as a starter or snack with the honey and cucumber dip on the side. For an extra flourish, present them on a banana leaf with a garnish of lamb’s lettuce.

To turn them into a main course, serve with steamed jasmine rice and a crisp Asian-style salad or stir-fried greens like pak choi. They also make a brilliant addition to a Thai-themed dinner alongside Hairy Bikers Thai son-in-law eggs as a starter.

Does This Keep Well?

Store cooked, cooled fish cakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Keep the dip in a separate container. Reheat the fish cakes in a hot oven or air fryer to bring back some crispness.

For freezing, it is best to freeze them uncooked. Arrange the shaped patties on a lined baking tray and freeze until solid. Transfer to a freezer bag and cook from frozen, adding an extra 2–3 minutes to the frying time.

Nutrition Facts

• Calories: 285 kcal
• Total Fat: 14g
• Saturated Fat: 2g
• Cholesterol: 115mg
• Sodium: 650mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 18g
• Dietary Fibre: 1g
• Sugars: 14g
• Protein: 22g

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you make Thai fish cakes ahead of time? Yes, shape the fish cakes and keep them covered in the fridge for up to 24 hours before cooking. This actually helps them firm up and hold together better when frying.

What can I use instead of sea bass for Thai fish cakes? Any firm white fish works well. Cod, haddock, pollock, or monkfish are all good substitutes, though sea bass gives the best flavour for this recipe.

How do Hairy Bikers Thai fish cakes compare to Rick Stein’s? The Hairy Bikers version uses sea bass with galangal and lemongrass for a fragrant paste, while Rick Stein typically keeps his closer to a traditional Thai street food style with a simpler spice base.

Can you bake Thai fish cakes instead of frying? You can bake them at 200°C (180°C Fan / Gas Mark 6) for 15–20 minutes, turning halfway. They will not be quite as crispy as fried, but it is a lighter alternative.

What is the difference between Thai fish cakes and British fish cakes? Thai fish cakes use a paste of blitzed raw fish with curry paste and fresh herbs, giving a bouncy texture. British fish cakes mix cooked fish with mashed potato and breadcrumbs for a softer, crumbed finish. Try our Hairy Bikers healthy fish pie for another take on British fish.

Try More Recipes:

• Hairy Bikers Green Curry Recipe
• Hairy Bikers Thai Son-in-Law Eggs
• Hairy Bikers Healthy Fish Pie Recipe

Hairy Bikers Thai Fish Cakes Recipe

Author: Alex Saidani Cooking Method:Shallow Frying Cuisine:British Courses:Starter

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 30 minutesCook time: 10 minutesRest time: 30 minutesTotal time:1 hour 10 minutesServings:18 servingsCalories:285 kcalCooking Temp:180 CEstimated Cost:8-12 £ Best Season:Summer

Description

These Hairy Bikers Thai fish cakes are made with sea bass, red curry paste, galangal, lemongrass, and kaffir lime leaf, then fried until golden and served with a honey and cucumber dip. They make a perfect starter or a light main course.

Ingredients

For the Fish Cakes:

• 1 lemongrass stalk
• 500g sea bass fillet, skinned and pin-boned, chilled
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tsp Thai red curry paste
• 1 kaffir lime leaf, finely shredded
• 30g galangal, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp grated palm sugar
• 50g green beans, trimmed and thinly sliced
• Juice of ½ lime
• Plain flour, for dusting
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil, for shallow frying

For the Honey and Cucumber Dip:

• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp runny honey
• Juice of ½ lime
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 100g cucumber, peeled, deseeded and diced
• 1 small carrot, finely diced
• 1 shallot, finely diced
• 2 bird’s-eye chillies, deseeded and finely sliced

Instructions

1. Prepare the lemongrass: Trim the stalk and remove the tough outer leaves. Finely slice the tender inner part.
2. Make the fish paste: Place the sea bass, fish sauce, curry paste, lime leaf, galangal, lemongrass, coriander, egg, palm sugar, green beans, and lime juice in a food processor. Blitz until smooth.
3. Shape the fish cakes: Dust a plate with flour. With wet hands, take walnut-sized pieces, roll into balls, and flatten into thin discs. Place on the floured plate.
4. Chill: Cover and place in the fridge until ready to cook.
5. Make the dip: Whisk together the rice vinegar, honey, lime juice, fish sauce, and 2 tablespoons of water. Stir in the cucumber, carrot, shallot, and chillies. Leave for 30 minutes.
6. Cook: Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Fry the fish cakes in batches for about 2 minutes on each side until golden and cooked through. Drain on kitchen paper and serve with the dip.