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Discover how to make fish balls and a flavorful fish ball soup. This step-by-step recipe with pictures shows you how to make bouncy, delicious fish balls at home. Enjoy an easy recipe for making perfect fish balls and a comforting soup.
I have wanted to create this post “How to make fish balls from scratch” for the longest time…but it has taken me so long to do it. The reason is simple: the fish.
Living in Southern California, right off the Pacific coast, you would think that fresh fish is plentiful and bountiful and that I should be able to get any fish I like.
Wrong! The fish we get here in the market are not great. In fact, they are really bad considering how close we are to the ocean.
90% of the fish we get here are frozen, and most of them do not look fresh. Let’s just put it this way, sometimes I wonder why people don’t get sick eating the fish here.
They are really quite bad, red eyes, oozing blood, and just plain fishy. Once in a while you get some decent fish and that’s when I would buy them to cook.
Otherwise, I usually eat steamed fish at Chinese restaurants, those alive ones and swimming in the tank.
Granted, I can get pretty decent salmon and deep-sea fish here but they are not what I normally like to eat. Other than that, I eat fish at Japanese restaurant.
Anyway, simply put, to make fish balls from scratch, you need fresh fish so your fish balls won’t be fishy, and you need certain kind of fish to give you the best and bouncy texture.
So finally, I chanced upon a big mackerel (马鲛鱼) that is great for fish balls so in this post, I will teach you the step-by-step how to make fish balls.
I will warn you that it’s going to take some time but when you bite into a bouncy fish ball, you will realize that it’s worth the effort. I have included step-by-step pictures in the gallery for your reference.
I will be honest I am not the best person to ask about the fish species, so check with your local fish monger if they can recommend a good fish for fish balls.
You can use mackerel (马鲛鱼), 西刀鱼 (not sure about its English name), eel (鳗鱼), etc., so please check with your fish vendors.
Please take note that the kinds of fish best for fish balls are not commonly found in western countries but you never know…so good luck!
You can also use the fish paste to make Thai fish cakes.
Looking for other recipes to use these delicious homemade fish balls? Check out my Chinese hot pot recipe!
Ingredients
Ingredients For Fish Balls
- Whole mackerel
- Ground white pepper
- Salt
Ingredients For Fish Ball Soup
- Fish bone
- Chicken broth
- Chinese seaweed
- Soy sauce
- Water
- Sesame oil
- Salt
- White pepper
Toppings For Fish Ball Soup:
- Scallion
- Garlic oil
- Lettuce
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients.
How To Make Fish Balls
Step 1: Clean the fish and rinse with cold water, pat dry with paper towels. Filet the fish along the bones from the tail up towards the head using a very sharp knife. Repeat on the other side.
Step 2: Get a bowl to put the fish meat. Using a spoon, scrape the fish meat off the skin of the fish filet, from the tail upwards. Scrape until all meat is off the skin. Discard the skin. Use the spoon to scrape off the fish meat off the fish bone, too.
Step 3: Place all the fish meat on a chopping board, using a Chinese cleaver (preferably) to chop the fish meat, for about 10 minutes.
Step 4: The fish will become slightly sticky as you chop. Add the salt and pepper and continue chopping for another 10 minutes, the fish meat will become a fish paste.
Step 5: Wet your hands with some water and take a tablespoon of the fish paste onto your palm and shape them into fish balls.
How To Make Fish Ball Soup
Step 1: Get a 5-quart soup pot, put in the chicken broth, water, and fish bones. Bring to boil over high heat, and then let it boil on low to medium heat for about 20 minutes or until the soup is flavorful.
Step 2: Remove the fish bones, turn to high heat and drop the fish balls into the soup.
Step 3: Add the Chinese seaweed, soy sauce, sesame oil, salt and pepper to taste. When the fish balls float to the top, turn off the heat.
Step 4: Transfer the fish balls soup into serving bowls, add the Toppings and serve immediately.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe is only 199 calories per serving.
What To Serve With This Recipe
For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
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Other Recipes You Might Like
How to Make Fish Balls
Ingredients
- 1 whole mackerel with bones and head, about 2 1/2 lbs. (1.2 kg)
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
Fish Ball Soup:
- fish bones, discard the fish head, chopped into 3 pieces
- 1 can chicken broth
- 4 cups water
- 1 oz (30g) Chinese seaweed, 紫菜
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- white pepper and salt to taste
Fish Ball Soup Topping:
- garlic oil
- some shredded lettuce leaves
- 1 stalk scallion, cut into rings
Instructions
Fish Ball:
- Clean the fish and rinse with cold water, pat dry with paper towels. Filet the fish along the bones from the tail up towards the head using a very sharp knife. Repeat on the other side.
- Get a bowl to put the fish meat. Using a spoon, scrape the fish meat off the skin of the fish filet, from the tail upwards. Scrape until all meat is off the skin. Discard the skin. Use the spoon to scrape off the fish meat off the fish bone, too.
- Place all the fish meat on a chopping board, using a Chinese cleaver (preferably) to chop the fish meat, for about 10 minutes.
- The fish will become slightly sticky as you chop. Add the salt and pepper and continue chopping for another 10 minutes, the fish meat will become a fish paste.
- Wet your hands with some water and take a tablespoon of the fish paste onto your palm and shape them into fish balls.
Fish Ball Soup:
- Get a 5-quart soup pot, put in the chicken broth, water, and fish bones. Bring to boil over high heat, and then let it boil on low to medium heat for about 20 minutes or until the soup is flavorful.
- Remove the fish bones, turn to high heat and drop the fish balls into the Soup.
- Add the Chinese seaweed, soy sauce, sesame oil, salt and pepper to taste. When the fish balls float to the top, turn off the heat.
- Transfer the fish balls soup into serving bowls, add the Toppings and serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- You can make the garlic oil by stir-frying some minced garlic with heated oil.
- If you like, serve it with red chilies in soy sauce.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi Bee, You did the right thing is never wash after you fillet the fish.If you wash again, the fish ball will be soft !!
Place all the fish meat on a chopping board, using a Chinese cleaver (preferably) hold it to 30 degree and press and flatten the fish meat until smooth !! Don’t chop the fish meat, that’s why I saw your fish ball were not smooth !!
Bee you missed a big and important step !! After make them into a smooth paste, stir some starch powder into some water and add slowly them into the fish paste. Beat it with your hand, 1 direction, it should be slightly watery. Then sprinkle salt onto the watery paste and stir and beat well, just like we beat our minced meat into a meat ball !! The fish paste will be in 1 big ball, and check is it enough salt !! Put a bowl with water, dip the spoon into the water and wet your palm to make them into smooth fish balls !!
Bee, Never ever discard the fish head and the skin !! They are very good to make soup but please add some slices of ginger ! For better taste and milky soup, fry them with 1-2 spoon oil and fry the ginger and the fish bones, when slightly brown, pour in water and the fish skin to simmer. !! For Fish ball soup, boil them only, no need to fry them !!
Rebecca – thanks so much for all the wonderful tips, I will try again. I had to discard the fish head because the fish here isn’t that fresh and quite fishy. Yikes. The skin is also fishy. If I have a fresh fish like the ones we get in Penang, I would use everything.
Hi rebecca..i dun really get what u mean by beat it with hand , 1 direction..how do i beat it..the fish paste is sticky so im loss on how to do it..thanx for helping..
Thanks for the recipe. I have been wanting to make this and you have made the steps simple enough for me to try. I do have a few questions though:
(1) Can we use a food processor to chop instead?
(2) How do we make this ahead for weekday lunch for the kids? Do we freeze the uncooked fishballs or do we soak them in salt water in the fridge? How long can the uncooked fishball keep?
TKs
I have never tried food processor but I am sure the mass production fish balls all use food processor. You can just freeze the fish paste before shaping them. Please read Rebecca’s comment she has a lot of great tips to share.
Hi Bee. Only last week I made a kilo of fish balls with mackerel in a blender. It was bouncy and tasted fantastic. Make sure the fish is very fresh. Put fillet in blender add 2 tbspn cornflour, pepper salt and 2tbspn cold water and then blend. Once fish paste stick on the blades in a lump you know the fish is ready. Take paste out and dipping your hands in a bowl of cold water mould fish paste according to how you want It What I do is I take a small paste and shallow fry it to check the texture and taste. If not salty enough, put half of blended mixture in blender and blend again and do the same with second half.
Thanks for your tip Angline. :)
Hi Bee! Just to let you know ่ฅฟๅ้ฑผ is Ikan Parang; Wolf Herring. :)
Elaine, thanks so much. Yes I know ikan parang and wolf herring just don’t know it’s ่ฅฟๅ้ฑผ, haha. I can’t for my life recognize the shape and look of the fish. :)
My mum used to make fish balls a lot when we lived in Malaysia/ Since moving to Australia, she has been using blue grenadier, which she says is the bst she could find there. Pity I cant get this fish where i am. she has tried mackeral and said it is not nearly as good as it doesnt have the starchy texture as blue grenadier. Hope this helps
Violet, thanks for your comment. I wonder what is blue grenadier. Thanks for letting us know. :)
that is the blue fish with granade 1n mouth..dont catch them if you’re not a bomb expert. lol
I’m in Australia so will look for blue grenadier. Do you need to add any flour? Can the paste be made in the food processor? Thanks!
Hello, can you use the blender instead of chopping?
Yes I believe so. Try it and let me know how it works out for you.
My mom used pike …really fresh ones when she came to visit me in Australia.
It was really bouncy and didn’t need too much chopping.
I put it in the fridge after I scrape the fish meat to cool them down.
Find that it takes a lot less chopping to get them bouncy.
I only use salt.
I couldn’t agree more with you regarding the availability of fresh fishes in California. It’s quite sad considering how close we are to the ocean. However, if you ever feel like getting up at 5am in the weekends, you can go to the docks in Newport Beach for freshly caught fishes.
Can you use other fish besides mackerel? We fish a lot and was wondering if fish local to my area could be substituted? Like croaker or rockfish?
Love you website and recipes. Thank you!
Sandra, I am not a fish expert but you can try. Technically, you can use the fish to make fish balls the difference is the texture. Some fish (especially flakier fish) will not produce the bouncy texture which is prized in fish balls.
plz tell me about it more
Gar fish make excellent fish balls. FYI for anyone in the gulf south.
Try parrot fish
Thanks!
I have been wanting to make fish balls from scratch. This recipe is perfect. My family will enjoy this. Can I substitute other types of white fish? Like tilapia or snapper? Thanks for sharing this one!
I don’t think tilapia or snapper will work the best I think the fish meat is flaky and the texture will not be bouncy. If the fish meat doesn’t become sticky or “bind” together, then the texture of your fish balls will be “powdery” and not bouncy.
there is a fish caught in the gulf states called Ladyfish we catch large amounts of. I understand that the primary market for them is so. cal for fish balls, its all a frozen market but that’s totally fine if done properly. You just scrape the meat from the raw fillet and it is ready to become balls or cakes.
Thanks for the information about ladyfish.
Kudos on trying to make fish balls from scratch!
https://rasamalaysia.com/thai-peanut-sauce/