Homemade Fishballs with Fishball Sauce – Filipino Street Food Recipe

Nothing brings back childhood merienda memories quite like a cup of Filipino fishballs served with a generous amount of sweet and savory fishball sauce. Whether bought from a neighborhood street vendor or enjoyed at home, fishballs are one of those simple snacks that Filipinos can easily crave.

This Homemade Fishballs with Fishball Sauce recipe takes the classic street food and makes it from scratch using real fish meat. The fish is steamed, finely chopped, and combined with carrots, spring onions, garlic, onion, flour, cornstarch, and seasonings. The mixture is then shaped into small balls and fried until golden.

The homemade fishballs are delicious on their own, but the experience is not complete without the signature sauce. This easy sauce combines brown sugar, soy sauce, aromatics, and cornstarch or cassava flour to create a thick, sweet-savory dip. Add chili if you like a little heat.

Watch how to Cook Homemade Fishball with Sauce

What Are Fishballs?

Fishballs are small balls made from seasoned fish meat mixed with starch and other ingredients. They are commonly associated with Chinese cuisine and have been adapted in many countries, including the Philippines.

In the Philippines, fishballs are especially popular as street food. Vendors usually fry them in hot oil and serve them on bamboo skewers with cups of fishball sauce. Customers can dip the fried balls into the sauce before enjoying them.

Commercial fishballs are convenient, but making them at home gives you more control over the ingredients and lets you enjoy a stronger fish flavor. This recipe uses galunggong, although other suitable fish may also be used.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

The biggest difference you will notice with homemade fishballs is the flavor. Instead of relying mainly on flour and starch, this recipe uses real steamed fish meat as the main ingredient.

It is also a fun recipe to prepare with family. Once the fish mixture is ready, shaping the balls can become an enjoyable kitchen activity. You can make them small for snacks, or slightly larger for a more filling serving.

The sauce is another reason this recipe is worth making. It is sweet, salty, thick, and flavorful, and you can adjust the sugar, soy sauce, and chili according to your taste.

Most importantly, the ingredients are simple and familiar, making this recipe practical for Filipino home cooks.

Ingredients

For the Fishballs

• 1/2 kilo galunggong or other fish
• 3/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon spring onions, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 3–4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/4 cup carrots, grated, optional
• Cooking oil, for deep-frying

For the Fishball Sauce

• 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons cassava flour or cornstarch
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2–3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 chili, chopped, optional
• Salt, to taste

How to Make Homemade Fishballs

1. Prepare the Fish

Wash the fish and remove the scales. Fillet the fish carefully, separating the meat from the bones. Remove the skin and place the flesh in a clean bowl.

Feel the fish carefully with your fingertips to check for small bones. Remove any remaining bones using clean tweezers if necessary. This step is particularly important because nobody wants to bite into a fishball and find a bone.

If you prefer a quicker preparation, use boneless, pre-filleted fish from the market.

2. Steam the Fish

Chop the fish meat into very small pieces. Place it in a heatproof dish or steamer and steam for about 10 minutes, or until the flesh turns opaque and is completely cooked.

Allow the fish to cool before handling it. Mash the cooked fish with a spoon until it becomes fine and paste-like. A food processor can also be used, but avoid turning it into an overly smooth puree.

Steaming helps cook the fish without adding much extra moisture, while keeping its natural flavor.

3. Make the Fishball Mixture

Place the cooled fish in a large mixing bowl. Add the grated carrots, chopped spring onions, onion, and garlic. Season with black pepper and salt.

Mix well, then add the white sugar, cornstarch, all-purpose flour, and water. Stir thoroughly until everything is evenly combined and the mixture becomes thick and pasty.

Finally, add the baking powder and mix again. The finished mixture should be soft enough to shape but firm enough to hold its form.

If the mixture seems too wet, add a small amount of cornstarch. If it is too dry, add water a little at a time.

4. Shape the Fishballs

Heat enough cooking oil in a deep pan for frying. Use low to medium heat and make sure the oil is properly heated before adding the fishball mixture.

Using two spoons, scoop a small amount of the mixture and shape it into a ball. Carefully drop each ball into the hot oil.

Leave enough space between the fishballs so they do not stick together. Work in batches if necessary rather than overcrowding the pan.

Fry the fishballs until they become golden brown and cooked through. Turn them gently as they fry so they brown evenly.

Once cooked, transfer them to a strainer or a plate lined with paper towels to remove excess oil.

5. Make the Fishball Sauce

While the fishballs are cooking, prepare the sauce.

In a saucepan, combine the water, brown sugar, soy sauce, chopped onion, garlic, optional chili, salt, and cassava flour or cornstarch. Stir well while the ingredients are still cold so the starch dissolves properly.

Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Stir continuously to prevent the starch from settling and sticking to the bottom.

Cook for about 5 to 7 minutes, or until the sauce becomes noticeably thick. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

For a sweeter sauce, add a little more brown sugar. For extra heat, add more chopped chili.

Tips for Perfect Homemade Fishballs

Choose fish with firm, flavorful flesh and make sure all bones are removed before preparing the mixture. Galunggong works well, but other boneless fish can also be used.

Do not skip steaming the fish before mixing the batter. It makes the fish easier to mash and helps you check that the fish is fully cooked.

Keep the oil temperature moderate. Oil that is too hot can brown the outside quickly while leaving the inside undercooked. If the oil is not hot enough, the fishballs may absorb too much oil.

Fry a small test fishball first. This allows you to check the texture and seasoning before frying the entire batch. Adjust the mixture if necessary.

Keep the fishballs relatively small so they cook evenly. If you make very large balls, the center will take longer to cook.

How to Serve Fishballs

Serve the freshly fried fishballs hot with plenty of fishball sauce. You can arrange them on bamboo skewers for the classic Filipino street-food experience.

For a simple merienda, serve them with the sauce in a small cup for dipping. You can also offer different sauces if you are serving them at a gathering.

Homemade fishballs are especially fun for parties because guests can choose their own sauce and toppings. Add chopped chili for those who enjoy spicy food.

Storage and Reheating

Allow leftover cooked fishballs to cool before placing them in an airtight container. Refrigerate promptly and consume within a few days.

For longer storage, cooked fishballs can be frozen in a suitable freezer-safe container. Separate them so they do not freeze into one solid block.

To reheat, fry them briefly in a pan or use an air fryer until heated through. Reheating in hot oil can also restore some of their crisp exterior.

Store the fishball sauce separately in a clean, covered container and refrigerate it promptly.

Conclusion

Making Homemade Fishballs with Fishball Sauce is a delicious way to recreate one of the Philippines’ favorite street-food snacks in your own kitchen. Using real fish meat, vegetables, and simple seasonings gives these fishballs a satisfying flavor that is perfect for merienda, parties, or family snack time.

The process may take a little more effort than buying ready-made fishballs, especially when preparing and deboning the fish, but the homemade result is worth it. You get to control the ingredients, adjust the seasoning, and enjoy fishballs with a fresh, homemade taste.

Serve them hot, skewer them like traditional street food, and prepare plenty of that sweet and savory sauce. Once you make these at home, your next fishball craving can be satisfied right from your own kitchen.