Skip to Content

What Sauce to Serve with Fish Cakes: 21 Best Options

It’s no surprise that fish cakes are one of the most popular sides to serve at picnics and barbecues.

They’re light, flavorful, and absolutely delicious! But there’s one thing that you may not know:

Fish cakes are often served with sauces.

Read Also: What Salad Goes With Fish Cakes? (15 Best Salads)

what sauce to serve with fish cakes

For example, they might be served with a tomato sauce, a tartar sauce, a remoulade, or even a creamy dill sauce.

When it comes to selecting the right sauce for fish cakes, keep in mind that the sauce should go well with the flavor of the fish. For example, if you’re making salmon cakes, a salmon mayonnaise would be a good option.

But don’t feel like you have to stick with just one sauce; you can always add a different sauce to a new type of fish cake.

Here are some of the best sauces that go well with fish cakes.

Why Consider Serving Sauces for Fish Cakes?

Why Consider Serving Sauces for Fish Cakes

A fish cake is a batter filled with various ingredients, such as fish, vegetables, rice, or minced meat, and then fried.

They are a common appetizer in many Chinese restaurants, but fish cakes are also popular in other countries.

Making fish cakes at home is fairly easy.

However, if you want to have the best possible fish cakes, you should consider adding dipping sauces.

These sauces are easy to make, and they can easily transform a basic fish cake into a gourmet dish.

Here are a few reasons you should consider adding sauces to your fish cakes:

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

While fish cakes are already flavorful, adding sauces can add richness and depth to your dish.

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

Fish cakes can be bland when fried or boiled.

However, certain sauces, like curry, can bring out the flavor in fish.

3. Sauces can make a dish more appealing

Sauces make the dish and the fish cakes more visually appealing.

This is because sauces add color to the dish, and the sauce 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 can easily cut this cost down if you serve your fish cakes with sauces instead of dipping sauces, which are usually around $1 per serving.

5. Sauces can make fish cakes tastier

Some sauces, like soy sauce, can help bring out the natural flavor of the fish.

You can also add sauces to the fish cakes to make them tastier.

What Sauce to Serve with Fish Cakes: 13 Best Sauces

What Sauce to Serve with Fish Cakes

I love a good fish cake as a snack, but it’s always fun to have something a bit different when I serve them.

Here are some ideas for what sauce to serve with fish cakes:

1. Lemon Butter Sauce

Lemon butter sauce is one of my favourite sauces to serve alongside fish cakes. It tastes delicious, has a lovely lemony tang, and really compliments the richness of the fish cakes.

I also love using fresh, home-made pickles with this sauce. If you’re not sure how to make your own, it’s super easy! Just combine your preferred vinegar with the juice of half a lemon.

2. Tartar Sauce

I often make my own tartar sauce for fish cakes, but if I need to make a quick version, tartar sauce is a great option. It’s usually made with chopped capers, which gives it a really intense, salty flavour, and you can add your favourite flavours too if you like, such as chopped red onion and black pepper. It’s perfect served alongside fish cakes for a taste sensation.

3. Tomato Sauce

I love a good, thick tomato sauce. It adds a great depth of flavour and works really well with fish cakes. You can add different herbs and spices to give your sauce some more depth of flavour.

4. Creamy Dill Sauce

A creamy dill sauce is another great option for what to serve with fish cakes. It’s really quick and easy to make, but if you’re looking for something a bit more complex, you can make a homemade version with cream cheese, cream, and dill.

5. Creamy Parmesan Sauce

Fish cakes are delicious, and a creamy sauce is the perfect way to complement them. If you’re going to serve this with a fresh salad or some crusty bread, then try a light version like this.

It’s got a nice depth of flavour from the cheese, but it doesn’t have any added fat or extra calories. It’s also a great accompaniment for fish dishes, so it’s a versatile option. You can use as much or as little Parmesan as you want here, depending on the level of richness you want in your sauce.

6. Lemon and Parsley Sauce

Lemon and parsley is a classic combination, but it also works really well when paired with fish. The lemon really cuts through the richness of the fish cakes and adds a bit of freshness and zing, and the parsley provides a lovely contrast of colour and texture.

If you’re in a hurry, you can buy ready-made fish cakes from the supermarket, but if you can spare the time to make your own, they’re so much tastier and healthier than the kind you buy! You can use any kind of fish that takes your fancy here, and you can swap it for whatever vegetables are in season at the time.

7. Creamy Mustard Sauce

Mustard is a classic accompaniment to fish and fish cakes, so it’s a perfect sauce to serve alongside them. The creaminess of the sauce cuts through the richness of the fish cakes, and it also adds a touch of spiciness, which is a good match for the fish.

You could add a bit of extra mustard to the creamy sauce too to give it a bit more punch.

8. Cajun Cream Sauce

Cajun cream is a delicious dipping sauce for fish cakes. It’s a little like a tartar sauce or mayonnaise and is often served with barbecued fish and seafood. So, if you’re looking to have a barbecue this summer, serve your fish cakes with a little cajun cream!

9. Fish Sauce

Fish sauce is a traditional accompaniment to fish cakes. With the addition of lime juice, it makes the sauce a little more tangy than the classic version, but it’s good for balancing the richness of the fish cakes.

10. Garlic Sauce

Fish cakes are a great accompaniment for garlic sauce, which is typically served alongside seafood. Garlic sauce is quite thick and rich, so it’s best to serve it on the side so that it doesn’t overwhelm the fish cakes.

You can also serve it alongside some of the sauce from the seafood dish, which will give the fish cakes a bit of a kick.

11. Red Wine Sauce

Red wine is always a great option to pair with fish, as it’s rich and meaty, and it cuts through the fatty richness of the fish. Plus, the red wine sauce is a great way to use up any leftover red wine.

You can serve the fish cakes on their own or with salad, but red cabbage or green beans would make great accompaniments here.

12. Vietnamese Dipping Fish Sauce

Fish cakes are a quick, tasty and healthy way to eat fish, and they’re really easy to prepare.

This dipping sauce takes just a few minutes to make, and you can store it in an airtight container to keep in the fridge for a couple of weeks.

13. Cream Sauce

The cream sauce complements the fish cakes well, and you could even serve it to guests as a side dish if you fancy a bit of variety. It’s good to have a few sides to choose from at a dinner party, as guests can choose whether to eat their meal as a main or a side dish.

8 Other Dippings To Serve With Fish Cakes

1. Mayonnaise

If you’re serving fish cakes, it makes perfect sense to serve them with mayonnaise. Unlike ketchup, mayonnaise is light and fresh, and it works really well with fish cakes.

Choose an mayonnaise that’s made with plain oil and vinegar to keep your calories down. Mayonnaise is also a nice alternative to tartar sauce, which is sometimes served with fish cakes.

2. Miso

Miso is a very interesting and mysterious flavour, so if you haven’t tried it before, it might be a good idea to start off by dipping a chip in it. The salty, savoury flavour really complements fish cakes, and it’s also nice to dip fish cakes in soy sauce if you prefer.

3. Soy Sauce

Soy sauce is a classic accompaniment to fish cakes, and it works really well. The soy sauce adds a salty, savoury flavour to the fish cake, and it works really well with lemon and parsley sauce, too.

If you’re serving it alongside tomato and onion sauce, then you’ll want something slightly sweet to balance out the flavours, so try something like sweet chilli sauce or honey.

4. Hoisin Sauce

Hoisin sauce is a traditional Asian sauce made from fermented and cooked soya beans. It has a sweet, savoury flavour that’s great with fish cakes.

5. Tomato Ketchup

Fish cakes are a really popular starter, so they’re ideal for party food and appetisers. You can serve them with any number of dips, but tomato ketchup is a classic choice.

It’s delicious and works with any kind of fish cakes, so it’s a really practical option when you’re cooking for a lot of people.

6. Peanut Butter

Peanut butter (or peanut paste) is a really popular dipping choice for savoury food, so I couldn’t resist including it in this list! Unlike something like mayonnaise, peanut butter tends to bring out the natural flavour of your food, so it’s a great accompaniment to oily fish cakes. Give it a good stir with a bit of salt and pepper to serve alongside.

7. Chili Paste

Chili paste is a great accompaniment to fish cakes. The heat from the chili paste helps cut through the richness and adds a bit of a kick. It also works well as a dip for vegetables. You can add some soy sauce or rice vinegar to make it even spicier if you like.

8. Wasabi

Wasabi is a magical condiment that adds a spicy kick to any dish. It’s normally served with sushi or sashimi, but you can use it to flavour a number of other dishes, too. If you’re serving fish cakes, you can use a little bit of wasabi to spice them up.

Just scrape a little out with a a teaspoon and add it along with some soy sauce. You could also serve it alongside sushi or sashimi or as part of a dipping sauce.

How To Choose A Sauce For Fish Cakes

How To Choose A Sauce For Fish Cakes

Fish cakes are a favorite fish dish that can be served with many different sauces. It still can be an overwhelming process to try to choose which sauce is the best, but if you keep in mind a few basic things, you’ll be able to choose a great sauce to go with your fish cakes every time.

Consider the flavor profile

Fish cakes are traditionally served with sweet, tangy or savory sauces. But you can also serve them with a citrusy sauce, like the Ginger-Citrus Sauce, or a lemony one, like the Lemon and Herb Sauce. If you’re looking for a more robust flavor, try a sauce with umami, like the Miso-Soy Sauce.

Avoid a Sauces With a Lot of Unwanted Ingredients

When serving fish cakes, make sure you choose a sauce that complements them without competing with them. (The toppings shouldn’t overwhelm the fish cakes.) Sauces with acidic or assertive flavors, like bottled barbecue sauce, often overwhelm the fish cakes. We also like something creamy, like barbecue sauce, or spicy, like tzatziki.

Related:

What Sauce to Serve with Butternut Squash Ravioli

What Sauces Go with Chicken and Rice? (15 Best Sauces)

What Sauce to Serve with Pumpkin Ravioli: 7 Best Sauces

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 Goes with Beef Wellington? 14 Best Sauces

What Sauce Goes with Spinach Ricotta Ravioli? (16 Sauces)

What Sauces Go with Venison? (13 Best Sauces)

28 Best Sauces for Chicken Cordon Bleu

What Sauce to Serve with Fish Cakes

What Sauce to Serve with Fish Cakes: 21 Best Options

Fish cakes are delicious on their own, but when you pair them with a sauce, they’re even more delicious.
You can have the same flavors in your fish cakes as you would if you were eating the same dish with a creamy sauce.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Course Sauce
Cuisine American
Servings 4 people
Calories 175 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • Lemon Butter Sauce
  • Tartar Sauce
  • Tomato Sauce
  • Creamy Dill Sauce
  • Creamy Parmesan Sauce
  • Lemon and Parsley Sauce
  • Creamy Mustard Sauce
  • Cajun Cream Sauce
  • Fish Sauce
  • Garlic Sauce
  • Red Wine Sauce
  • Vietnamese Dipping Fish Sauce
  • Cream Sauce
  • Mayonnaise
  • Miso
  • Soy Sauce
  • Hoisin
  • Tomato Ketchup
  • Peanut Butter
  • Chili Paste
  • Wasabi

Instructions
 

  • Pick any of these easy and delicious sauces with your fish cakes.
  • Prepare the ingredients according to the recipe.
  • Enjoy your meal in less than 15 minutes!
Keyword What Sauce to Serve with Fish Cakes
CEO at Happy Muncher | benjamin@happymuncher.com | Website | + posts

Hi, I'm Benjamin. I love cooking, long walks, and my girlfriend! Here you’ll find simple and delicious recipes that you can make in 30 minutes or less.