Fish Cakes Recipe with Simple Mayo Dipping Sauce

Crispy fish cakes are a delicious meal of flaky fish with seasonings fried to perfection. Add a homemade dipping sauce for an extra zing of flavor. 

This recipe is almost straight from the 100 Days of Real Food book. It’s so simple, takes only about 30 minutes, and is a great way to eat fish. Over the years, I have learned to like more fish recipes. While I am not necessarily a huge fan of all things seafood, I will eat some recipes such as this one. 

Honestly, I was a little unsure about this recipe when I first read it. But Justin wanted to try it, so we did. I also like that the ingredients are simple ingredients that we almost always have on hand. So it’s a quick easy dinner to whip up if we forgot to take something out that day.

This is a meal that Justin always helps with because I am not great at making fish patties. We’ve made this recipe a few times when friends or family were over and they have all enjoyed it.

This easy recipe is perfect for busy weeknight dinners. It’s a perfect way to use up leftover fish and make something new out of it. 

The dipping sauce is what makes this so good. It’s so simple, yet adds a lot of flavor to the meal. It reminds me a little bit of the white sauce that you can get at hibachi restaurants. You can use any white fish, but I always prefer tilapia since it isn’t too strong of a fish. One day I will be adventurous and try it with another type of fish, such as a salmon fillet, but today is not that day.

A few notes about the ingredients:

• ​You can use fresh fish or frozen fish since it is cooked in the first step. This is also a good recipe to use up leftover cooked fish. 
• When we are out of whole-wheat breadcrumbs, I sub them with regular breadcrumbs or panko breadcrumbs.
• If you are looking for this to be dairy-free, try making it with vegan sour cream.
• You can replace the dried herbs with fresh herbs. 
• Cayenne pepper can be replaced with Old Bay Seasoning if you prefer. 
• Garnish with sliced green onion, lemon wedges, or fresh parsley. 

Fish Cakes with Dipping Sauce Step by Step

Ingredients

Fish Cakes:

• 1 lb white fish fillets (such as tilapia)
• 1 cup whole-wheat bread crumbs
• 2 eggs (lightly beaten)
• 1 tbsp fresh onion (minced)
• 2 tbsp sour cream
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp yellow mustard
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• olive oil (for cooking)

Dipping Sauce:

• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp yellow mustard

Instructions

Start by cooking and shredding the fish. I usually put the fillets in a skillet with a little bit of oil or butter. Fry until they are cooked through. Then shred and place in a large bowl.

Meanwhile, prepare the dipping sauce by combining all of the ingredients in a small bowl with a whisk. Cover the bowl and refrigerate until you are ready to serve.

Once the fish has cooked, spread half of the breadcrumbs out on a plate. In a medium bowl, combine the shredded fish, eggs, onion, sour cream, lemon juice, mustard, salt, cayenne pepper, and the other half of the breadcrumbs.

To make the fish cakes, grab a golf-ball-sized handful of the fish mixture and squeeze it together. Slightly flatten it, like you would when making a hamburger patty. Coat it in the breadcrumbs and set it aside on a plate. 

Repeat this process until all of the fish mixture has been used.

In a large saute pan, over medium heat, add a layer of oil to the pan, enough to cover the fish cakes halfway. Place a single layer of fish cakes into the hot oil. Cook on each side until browned, about 3-5 minutes per side, until golden brown. Repeat with remaining fish cakes until all are cooked.

Serve the fish cakes warm with the dipping sauce either on the side or top of the cakes.

Fish Cake Leftovers

Storage: Keep the leftover fish cakes separate from the dipping sauce when storing leftovers. Both should be in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. 

Reheating: The best way to reheat the fish cakes is in an air fryer or in a skillet until warmed through. 

Freezing: You can freeze the fish cakes by freezing them in individual layers separated by parchment paper and then moving them to a freezer bag when they are frozen. I do not recommend keeping the dipping sauce but making a new batch when you are ready to serve the frozen fish cakes. 

Recipe

Fish Cakes with Dipping Sauce

Fish cakes are easy to make, and use common ingredients. They are one of my favorite ways to eat fish, and the boys will eat it too!

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Course:

Main Dish

Cuisine:

American

Keyword:

fish

|

sauce

|

seafood

Servings: 8 fish cakes

5 from 9 votes

Ingredients

Fish Cakes:

• 1 lb white fish (such as tilapia)
• 1 cup whole-wheat breadcrumbs
• 2 eggs (lightly beaten)
• 1 tbsp fresh onion (minced)
• 2 tbsp sour cream
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp yellow mustard
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• olive oil (for cooking)

Dipping Sauce:

• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp yellow mustard

Recommended Equipment

• Frying Pan
• Mixing Bowls – Stainless Steel
• Saute Pan

Instructions

• Cook the fish in a frying pan until white and flaky, then shred
• Meanwhile, prepare the dipping sauce by combining all the ingredients then cover and refrigerate
• Spread 1/2 cup of the breadcrumbs on a plate
• In a large saute pan, over medium heat, add a thin layer of olive oil
• Meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl, combine the shredded fish, eggs, onion, sour cream, lemon juice, mustard, salt, cayenne pepper, and the other 1/2 cup of the breadcrumbs
• To make the fish cakes, grab a golf ball-sized handful of the fish mixture and squeeze it together
• Slightly flatten the fish cake and coat the outside with the breadcrumbs on the plate and place on an empty plate
• Repeat with the rest of the fish mixture
• When the oil is hot, cook the fish cakes until brown, about 3-5 minutes per side
• Serve fish cakes warm with dipping sauce

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Nutrition Facts

Fish Cakes with Dipping Sauce

Amount Per Serving

Calories 161 Calories from Fat 63

% Daily Value*

Fat 7g11%

Saturated Fat 2g10%

Cholesterol 78mg26%

Sodium 283mg12%

Potassium 206mg6%

Carbohydrates 11g4%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 14g28%

Vitamin A 170IU3%

Vitamin C 3.8mg5%

Calcium 31mg3%

Iron 1.5mg8%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.

Other Fish Recipes to try

• Broiled Tilapia Parmesan
• Fried Tilapia Sandwich
• Sheet Pan Baked Tilapia with Roasted Vegetables
• Lemon Rosemary Tilapia
• Dijon-Herb Tilapia
• Tilapia with Pinot Noir Sauce
• Coconut-Turmeric Tilapia and Rice
• Tilapia with Lemon Butter Sauce
• Swai Fish with Orzo
• Cornmeal-Crusted Salmon
• Sheet Pan Salmon with Smashed Potatoes
• Orange-Ginger Salmon with Toasted Snow Peas
• Salmon Cakes with Buttermilk Sauce
• Super Simple Cilantro and Lime Fish Dinner
• Avocado Fish Tacos
• Fish Cakes with Dipping Sauce
• Teriyaki Salmon
• Sesame Salmon
• Salmon with a Bold Soy-Molasses Glaze over Rice and Vegetables