This is a delicious recipe for fish cakes that look gourmet, yet unbelievably easy to make! Crunchy, but no dipping or coating required! These are gluten-free fish cakes without potatoes, flour, or breadcrumbs- all these are replaced by a single ingredient!
Homemade fish cake recipe
These easy fish cakes are the ideal comfort food you need to perk up your mood on a cold day. Perfect as an appetizer or main course with a salad, this fish cake recipe can easily become your favorite EVEN if you don’t feel great about fish. And don’t forget to add them to your party menu!
This recipe makes about 15 fish cakes that serve 5 as an appetizer or 3 as a main course accompanied by a lentil salad, easy chickpea salad with a rice dish like the lemon rice with brown rice. You can even pair the fish cakes with rice and a simple spinach dal curry.
Fish cakes without potatoes
I’m not against potatoes, but fish cakes made with potatoes tend to be too potato-ish, totally enveloping the dish. You want fish to be the hero here, right? So do away with potatoes in this recipe.
LOVE POTATOES? Try the Italian potato croquettes with cheese.
Do you hate fish, yet want to try eating it because of its health benefits? Or you want to start eating fish and don’t know where to start? You’ve come to the right place. These fish cakes have the right amount of seasoning and don’t taste or smell “fishy” at all. So HEALTHY, so TASTY!
What makes these easy fish cakes the best?
- The unique seasoning with onions, tomatoes and simple spices is the secret behind this healthy fish cake recipe.
- The other secret ingredient is oatmeal. It plays the role of 3 ingredients: flour, breadcrumbs and potatoes and makes the fish patties crunchier and tastier. Since oatmeal doesn’t have a distinctive taste of its own, it brings out the flavor of the fish, which is not the case when potatoes are used.
Which fish is best for fish cakes?
I’ve used Spanish Mackerel here, but this fish cake recipe is so versatile, it can be made with any fish- fresh or frozen. They taste great with salmon, tuna, cod, sardines or any other fish. Canned fish works great, too. In that case, the fish cakes are even easier to make since you can skip the step of boiling the fish.
Ingredients
- Fish, of course.
- Vegetables and seasoning– Onions, tomato, ginger, garlic and spices.
- Binding agent– eggs+oatmeal.
- For frying– vegetable oil.
How to make fish cakes without potato
(You can find the exact measurements and instructions in the recipe card at the end of this page.)
Do you get intimidated when you think of fish cakes that require dipping in flour, brushing with egg wash, coating with breadcrumbs, etc, etc.? Don’t be. Here you just follow these 4 steps:
Boil the fish, remove skin and bones, if any and mash. Grind the instant oatmeal to a coarse powder.
Boil fish in a pot of salt water. Remove skin and bones, if any and mash the fish.
Saute onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic with spices.
Saute onions. Add ginger-garlic paste. Saute tomatoes. Add spices to the sauteed onions and tomatoes. Saute the onion-tomato-spice mixture until browned.
Mix the mashed fish with the onion-tomato mixture, egg, ground oatmeal and cilantro.
Shape the mixture into patties and shallow fry in batches. Done!
Fish cakes ready to be fried. Shallow fry the fish cakes in batches. Easy fish cakes!
Homemade healthy cashew-yogurt sauce
These fish cakes taste great as is. If you want to make them extra-special, make this dipping sauce that’s much healthier than tartar sauce. A simple dip made of Greek yogurt, lemon juice, salt, pepper and finely chopped cashews and cilantro, it complements the flavors of the fish cakes so well. See the exact measurements in the recipe card below.
Cashew yogurt dip with cilantro. Serve with style!
Frequently asked questions
How do you keep fish cakes from falling apart?
Fish cakes require a binding agent to keep them intact. In this recipe, we use egg and oatmeal for the purpose. Oatmeal acts as a substitute for potatoes and flour.
Why are my fish cakes soggy?
Fish cakes don’t come out crispy if there is excess moisture. After boiling the fish, pat them dry before flaking and mashing. The mixture for the fish cakes should be firm so that you can easily shape them into patties. If it’s not, try adding 1 or 2 more tablespoons of ground oatmeal with a dash of salt and pepper.
How long will fish cakes last in the fridge/ freezer?
Fried fish cakes will stay fresh for about a week in the fridge and 1 month in the freezer. Thaw them before reheating in the microwave or oven.
If you’re storing the mixture before frying, shape them into patties first. They can last for about 2 days in the fridge or up to 3 weeks in the freezer.
Can fish cakes be cooked from frozen?
These homemade fish cakes have to be thawed before frying. Since we’re trying to keep them healthy by shallow-frying them in less oil, the insides of the fish cakes may not get cooked if they are frozen.
Are fish cakes healthy?
This fish cake recipe uses natural ingredients and less oil, in addition to the fact that fish is one of the healthiest foods. The homemade yogurt-based dip adds to the health benefits of this appetizer.
HUNGRY FOR MORE? Follow me on your favorite social media: facebook, pinterest, instagram, and youtube.
Or why not subscribe to my weekly newsletter to get all the latest recipes right in your inbox?
*****If you like this recipe, please give a star rating to help more readers see this post. *****
Thank you and happy cooking!
– Sheeba.
Health benefits of fish
- One of the healthiest foods on the planet, fish has numerous evidence-based health benefits. It is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids and a rich source of Vitamins D and B2.
- Other nutrients include high-quality protein, iodine and various vitamins and minerals, being rich in calcium and phosphorus, along with iron, zinc, iodine, magnesium and potassium.
- That’s why eating fish may lower your risk of heart attacks and strokes. It is also essential for the development of the brain and eyes.
- Regular consumption of fish is known to reduce the decline in brain function due to aging, prevent and treat depression, reduce the risk of autoimmune diseases, prevent the risk of asthma in children, protect your vision in old age and may improve sleep quality.
- And what more, fish is delicious and easy to prepare!
This recipe was originally published in December 2017 and has been updated with new photos to give you an awesome experience!
What do you think of this recipe? Please share in the comments section if you made and liked these fish cakes.
Thanks for the encouraging words! Motivates me to write more recipes.
Looks yummy!
Thank you!
Reblogged this on mamabatesmotel.
Thank you for the reblog!
You’re welcome ! Yummy post : )
Tried this. Really tasty. Thank you!
You’re welcome, glad you liked the recipe!
Brilliant and very tasty
Thanks, Jeff! I’m glad you liked the recipe.