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    Home » Recipes » Italian Recipes

    Asian Fish Balls with Homemade Sweet and Sour Sauce

    Updated: May 5, 2022 · Published: Mar 1, 2014 by Andrea

    Jump to Recipe

    A quick and easy recipe for Asian fish balls served with homemade sweet and sour sauce. Perfect as an appetizer or snack to share!

    Super easy to make, you won't believe it takes less than 20 mins to make these tasty Asian fish balls.

    Covered with a quick homemade sweet & sour sauce, these fish balls take less than 30 minutes to make.

    Add a splash of sriracha sauce if you like some heat, or leave them plain to make them kid-friendly.

    Perfect as an appetizer to share, afternoon snack, or lunchbox add-on!

    asian fish balls with sweet and sour sauce.

    WHAT FISH TO USE IN FISH BALLS?

    This is not a traditional recipe by any means, so you can choose your favorite fish fillets.

    Here are a few suggestions:

    • cod fillets
    • salmon fillets
    • red snapper
    • pollock fillets
    • seabass fillets

    HOW TO STORE FISH BALLS

    You can easily make a big batch of these crispy fish balls and store leftovers for later use.

    Store them in an airtight container, they will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days.

    Alternatively, arrange them on a oven tray covered with parchment paper, freeze them for 30 minutes, then transfer them into a ziplock bag.

    They will keep in the freezer for up to 1 month.

    RECIPE TIPS

    If you don't like fish, use chicken instead.

    Substitute the fish with the same amount of chicken breast fillets, coarsely shredded or with uncooked chicken mince.

    DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?

    Please let me know how you liked it! Leave a comment below and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #thepetitecook!Don't forget to subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.

    Recipe

    Easy and quick to make asian fish balls covered in a sweet & sour sauce - Ready in less than 20 min and perfect to please a large crowd! Recipe by The Petite Cook
    Print SaveSaved!
    4.67 from 6 votes

    Sweet and Sour Asian Fish Balls

    Prevent your screen from going dark
    A quick and easy recipe for Asian fish balls served with homemade sweet and sour sauce. Perfect as an appetizer or snack to share!
    Prep Time10 minutes mins
    Cook Time10 minutes mins
    Total Time20 minutes mins
    Course: Appetizer, Finger Food, party food
    Cuisine: Asian
    Serving: 4
    Calories: 381kcal
    Author: Andrea Soranidis

    Ingredients

    • 10 oz fish fillet, cod, seabass, salmon etc, steamed and flaked
    • 1 tablespoon breadcrumbs
    • 2 tablespoon parsley, chopped
    • 2 cups ciabatta bread off the crust, cubed
    • milk , for soaking
    • 1 egg, beaten
    • ½ clove garlic, finely minced
    • all purpose flour
    • ⅓ teaspoon orange zest , optional
    • ⅓ teaspoon grated ginger, optional
    • 1 tablespoon spring onion, chopped, to serve
    • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds , toasted, to serve
    • vegetable oil

    For the sweet & sour sauce:

    • 1 cup sugar
    • juice of 1 orange
    • 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
    • ½ cup pineapple juice
    • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
    • 2 tablespoon soy sauce
    • ¼ cup white vinegar
    • a splash of sriracha
    • ¼ cup warm water
    • ¼ cup cornstarch

    Instructions

    • For the sweet & sour sauce:
    • Put all ingredients (besides water & cornstarch) into a saucepan, and bring to a boil.
    • In a small cup, dissolve corn starch into water. Stir into the sauce and simmer for 5 mins, until thickened enough. If you want it runny, add a little more of pineapple juice. Set aside when ready.
    • For the fish balls:
    • Soak the bread cubes into the milk for 5 mins. Squeeze the bread out of milk and transfer into a large bowl.
    • Add garlic, parsley, flaked fish, egg , breadcrumbs and a pinch of flour. If you like add some orange zest and grated ginger. Mix until combined and season.
    • Shape the fish mixture into small balls. Arrange a plate with some flour and evenly coat each fish balls.
    • Heat 1-inch of vegetable oil in a frying pan and when hot, add the fish balls in and cook them until they get a golden color. You can also arrange the fishballs on a tray, brush with oil and bake for 15 min or until cooked through at 170°C/350°F.
    • Drain on kitchen paper and transfer into a bowl. Pour some sweet&sour sauce and mix until evenly coated.
    • Sprinkle with spring onion and sesame seeds, then serve.
    Did you try this recipe? Tag @thepetitecook or use the hashtag #thepetitecook - Looking at your pictures makes my day!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 381kcal | Carbohydrates: 71g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 643mg | Potassium: 301mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 53g | Vitamin A: 245IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 2mg

    The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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    • Vietnamese Salmon Summer Rolls
    • Easy Thai Prawn Curry
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    • Thai Turkey Meatball Soup
    • Vegan Thai Green Curry (Ready in Just 20 min!)

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Karen says

      March 22, 2022 at 2:32 am

      4 stars
      The fish balls were good, and the sauce was good. However, the amount of cornflour made the sauce extremely gluggy...WAY too thick. I noted on my printout to considerably decrease the amount of cornflour next time.

      Reply
    2. Pascale says

      June 14, 2020 at 3:01 pm

      5 stars
      Soooi easy and sooooo tasty everybody loved it including the little ones! Fabulous recipe! Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
    3. Betty says

      March 11, 2017 at 8:05 am

      Can u substitute canned salmon for the fresh fish in this recipe?

      Reply
      • Andrea says

        March 11, 2017 at 2:34 pm

        Hi Betty, I personally never had canned salmon and wouldn't actually recommend it. Why don't you try frozen salmon or any other kind of fish? The taste will be 100% better than any frozen counterpart and the price is usually the same 🙂

        Reply
    4. asparklingjourney says

      April 19, 2016 at 11:01 am

      omg! it looks amazing and soo delicious!

      Reply
      • Andrea says

        April 19, 2016 at 12:39 pm

        Aww thank you! Let me know how you liked these little guys when you try the recipe!

        Reply
        • asparklingjourney says

          April 19, 2016 at 12:40 pm

          I will! x

          Reply
    5. Blog de recetas says

      February 21, 2015 at 1:46 pm

      Wow!! Great recipe and great blog!! I will try to do it at home. Regards from Spain.

      Reply
    4.67 from 6 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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    Andrea Soranidis, founder of The Petite Cook.


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