What Sauce to Serve with Fish Cakes: 21 Delicious Recipes

It’s no wonder that fish cakes are one of the most popular picnic and barbeque side dishes.

They’re tasty, light, and extremely great! But there is one thing you may not be aware of:

Fish cakes are often served with sauces.

Also see: What Salad Pairs With Fish Cakes? (15 of the Best Salads)

They might be accompanied with a tomato sauce, tartar sauce, remoulade, or even a creamy dill sauce.

When choosing a sauce for fish cakes, bear in mind that the sauce should complement the taste of the fish. A salmon mayonnaise, for example, would be a fantastic choice if you were cooking salmon cakes.

But don’t limit yourself to just one sauce; you can always add a different sauce to a different sort of fish cake.

Here are a few of the greatest sauces to go with fish cakes.

Why Consider Serving Sauces for Fish Cakes?

A fish cake is a batter that is cooked and filled with different items such as fish, veggies, rice, or minced meat.

Fish cakes are a popular appetizer in many Chinese restaurants, but they are also popular in other nations.

Making fish cakes at home is fairly easy.

However, dipping sauces should be considered if you want the tastiest fish cakes possible.

These sauces are simple to create and can quickly elevate a simple fish cake to a gourmet level.

Here are a few reasons why you should add sauces to your fish cakes:

1. Sauces can add extra flavor and dimension to your fish cakes

While fish cakes are already tasty, adding sauces may enhance the dish’s richness and depth.

2. Sauces can help bring out the best flavors in fish and fish cakes

Fish cakes can be bland when fried or boiled.

However, some sauces, such as curry, may enhance the taste of fish.

3. Sauces can make a dish more appealing

Sauces enhance the aesthetic attractiveness of the meal and the fish cakes.

This is due to the fact that sauces provide color to the meal and will contrast with the white fish.

4. Sauces can help cut down on the cost of your meal

Some fish cakes cost around $10 per serving.

However, you may easily reduce this expense by serving your fish cakes with sauces rather than dipping sauces, which are typically approximately $1 per serving.

5. Sauces can make fish cakes tastier

Some seasonings, such as soy sauce, may enhance the natural taste of the fish.

Sauces may also be added to the fish cakes to make them more flavorful.

What Sauce to Serve with Fish Cakes: 13 Best Sauces

I like a nice fish cake as a snack, but it’s always interesting to serve them with something a little unusual.

Here are some sauce suggestions to go with fish cakes:

1. Lemon Butter Sauce

One of my favorite sauces to use with fish cakes is lemon butter sauce. It’s excellent, with a beautiful lemony flavor that complements the richness of the fish cakes.

I also like to pair this sauce with fresh, homemade pickles. If you are unsure how to create your own, it is quite simple! Simply mix your favourite vinegar with half a lemon’s juice.

2. Tartar Sauce

I usually prepare my own tartar sauce for fish cakes, but tartar sauce is a nice choice if I need something fast. It’s often prepared with chopped capers, which give it a fairly powerful, salty flavor, but you may add your favorite flavors as well, such as chopped red onion and black pepper, if you like. It goes well with fish cakes for a flavor explosion.

3. Tomato Sauce

I like a rich tomato sauce. It gives a lot of flavor depth and goes excellent with fish cakes. To add depth of flavor to your sauce, experiment with various herbs and spices.

4. Creamy Dill Sauce

Another fantastic choice for what to serve with fish cakes is a creamy dill sauce. It’s fast and simple to prepare, but if you want something a little more sophisticated, create a handmade version using cream cheese, cream, and dill.

5. Creamy Parmesan Sauce

Fish cakes are delightful, and a creamy sauce goes well with them. If you’re intending to serve this with a fresh salad or crusty bread, aim for a lighter version.

It has a good depth of flavor from the cheese, yet there is no additional fat or calories. It’s also a tasty side dish for fish, making it a flexible choice. You may add as much or as little Parmesan as you want here, depending on how rich you want your sauce to be.

6. Lemon and Parsley Sauce

Lemon and parsley is a traditional combo, but it also pairs beautifully with fish. The lemon cuts through the richness of the fish cakes, adding a little of freshness and zing, while the parsley offers a nice contrast of color and texture.

If you’re in a rush, you can purchase ready-made fish cakes at the supermarket, but if you have the time to create your own, they’ll be far tastier and healthier than the sort you buy! You may use whatever kind of fish you like here, and you can substitute whatever veggies are in season at the moment.

7. Creamy Mustard Sauce

Mustard is a traditional addition to fish and fish cakes, making it an ideal sauce to serve with them. The creaminess of the sauce cuts through the richness of the fish cakes and provides a hint of spice that complements the fish.

You may also add some additional mustard to the creamy sauce to give it a punch.

8. Cajun Cream Sauce

Cajun cream makes an excellent dipping sauce for fish cakes. It’s similar to tartar sauce or mayonnaise and is often served with grilled fish and shellfish. So, if you’re planning a BBQ this summer, serve your fish cakes with a dollop of cajun cream!

9. Fish Sauce

Fish sauce is a classic side dish with fish cakes. The inclusion of lime juice makes the sauce a bit tangier than the conventional version, but it’s great for cutting through the richness of the fish cakes.

10. Garlic Sauce

Garlic sauce, which is generally paired with seafood, pairs well with fish cakes. Garlic sauce is fairly thick and flavorful, so serve it on the side to avoid overpowering the fish cakes.

You can also serve it with some of the sauce from the seafood dish to give the fish cakes a little kick.

11. Red Wine Sauce

Red wine is an excellent choice for pairing with fish because it is rich and meaty, and it cuts through the fatty richness of the fish. Furthermore, the red wine sauce is an excellent way to use up any leftover red wine.

The fish cakes may be served alone or with salad, although red cabbage or green beans would be excellent accompaniments.

12. Vietnamese Dipping Fish Sauce

Fish cakes are a fast, delicious, and healthful way to consume fish that is also quite simple to make.

This dipping sauce comes together quickly and can be stored in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to two weeks.

13. Cream Sauce

The cream sauce compliments the fish cakes well, and you could even offer it as a side dish to guests if you want to add some variation. It’s a good idea to have a few sides on hand at a dinner party so that visitors may pick whether to eat their meal as a main course or as a side dish.

8 Other Dippings To Serve With Fish Cakes

1. Mayonnaise

If you’re offering fish cakes, it’s only natural to serve them with mayonnaise. Mayonnaise, unlike ketchup, is light and fresh, and it goes well with fish cakes.

To save calories, use a mayonnaise prepared with just oil and vinegar. Mayonnaise is also a tasty substitute for tartar sauce, which is often served with fish cakes.

2. Miso

Miso is a pretty unique and mysterious flavor, so dipping a chip in it would be a nice place to start if you’ve never had it before. The salty, savory flavor goes well with fish cakes, and you may even dip them in soy sauce if you want.

3. Soy Sauce

Soy sauce is a traditional and delicious addition to fish cakes. The soy sauce gives the fish cake a salty, savory flavor, and it pairs beautifully with the lemon and parsley sauce.

If you’re serving it with tomato and onion sauce, add something somewhat sweet to balance off the flavors, such as sweet chilli sauce or honey.

4. Hoisin Sauce

Hoisin sauce is an Asian traditional sauce prepared from fermented and cooked soya beans. It has a sweet and savory flavor that goes well with fish cakes.

5. Tomato Ketchup

Fish cakes are a popular appetizer, making them great for party meals and appetisers. You may serve them with a variety of dips, but tomato ketchup is a traditional option.

It’s excellent and works with any kind of fish cakes, making it a great alternative when preparing for a large group.

6. Peanut Butter

Peanut butter (or peanut paste) is a popular dipping option for savory foods, so I couldn’t leave it off of my list! Unlike mayonnaise, peanut butter tends to bring out the inherent flavor of your dish, making it an excellent companion to fatty fish cakes. To serve, give it a thorough toss and season with salt and pepper.

7. Chili Paste

Chili paste is an excellent complement to fish cakes. The chili paste’s heat cuts through the richness and gives a bit of a bite. It also works great as a vegetable dip. If you want to make it more spicy, add additional soy sauce or rice vinegar.

8. Wasabi

Wasabi is a wonderful sauce that gives every meal a spicy kick. It is often eaten with sushi or sashimi, but it may also be used to flavor a variety of other meals. If you’re serving fish cakes, a dash of wasabi will help them stand out.

Simply scoop some out with a teaspoon and combine it with some soy sauce. You may also serve it with sushi or sashimi, or as a dipping sauce.

How To Choose A Sauce For Fish Cakes

Fish cakes are a popular fish dish that may be served with a variety of sauces. It might still be difficult to decide which sauce is the finest, but if you keep a few simple factors in mind, you’ll be able to pick a delicious sauce to go with your fish cakes every time.

Consider the flavor profile

Traditionally, fish cakes are eaten with sweet, acidic, or savory sauces. However, you may serve them with a citrusy sauce, such as the Ginger-Citrus Sauce, or a lemony sauce, such as the Lemon and Herb Sauce. If you want a more powerful taste, use a sauce containing umami, such as the Miso-Soy Sauce.

Avoid a Sauces With a Lot of Unwanted Ingredients

When serving fish cakes, use a sauce that enhances them rather than competes with them. (The garnishes should not overpower the fish cakes.) Acidic or forceful sauces, such as bottled barbecue sauce, often overpower the fish cakes. We also like anything creamy, such as barbeque sauce, or spicy, such as tzatziki.

Related:

What Sauce to Serve with Butternut Squash Ravioli

What Sauces Pair Well With Chicken and Rice? (15 of the Best Sauces)

What Sauce to Serve with Pumpkin Ravioli: 7 Delicious Options

What Sauce Goes with Gammon? (10 Best Sauces)

18 Best Sauces for Philly Cheesesteak

What Sauce to Serve with Bao Buns (15 Sauces)

What Sauce Should You Serve With Beef Wellington? The 14 Best Sauces

What Sauce Should You Serve With Spinach Ricotta Ravioli? (16 different sauces)

What Sauces Go with Venison? (13 Best Sauces)

28 Best Sauces for Chicken Cordon Bleu