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    Home » Vegan Filipino Recipes » Vegan Fried Fish Balls

    Vegan Fried Fish Balls

    by Lainey · Posted: Sep 27, 2020 · This post may contain affiliate links ·

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    Try these Vegan Fried Fish Balls that are delicious, crunchy, and dipped in a spicy and sweet sauce that will take you back to the streets of the Philippines!

    Missing Filipino street food? Try my Vegan Isaw (barbecued oyster mushrooms), Ube Ice Candy (Purple Yams), or my Shakoy (Filipino Donuts)!

    vegan fried fish balls on a skewer coated with sweet & sour sauce

    What are fish balls?

    Fish Balls are popular street food in the Philippines that are usually sold on carts by street vendors who peddle around town. Dipped in a sauce full of bold and fragrant flavors that also can be enjoyed with other street food like kwek kwek.

    What are fish balls made of?

    It’s usually made with fish paste, salt, egg whites, and corn starch. But manufacturers have changed the recipe to save money so it’s made more with cheaper ingredients.

    Thankfully, it’s super easy to make at home, so give them a try!

    Tips and Procedures:

    • If you’re unable to find kalabasa (pumpkin squash), you can use your favorite squash. Keep in mind, it’s best to stick with kalabasa.
    • Deep Frying: Feel free to use vegetable oil or canola oil, it has a high frying point and does not have any taste.
    • Salt: Himalayan rock salt or regular salt works if you can’t get rock salt.
    • Feel free to process the carrots and kalabasa (squash) in a food processor instead of grating.
    • Storage: Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days. To reheat, simply toast them in a small toaster oven for 10 minutes. Microwaving makes them soggy, but feel free to do so.
    Fried Fish balls in a green bowl

    How to Make Fried Vegan Fish Balls

    Listed below are all the ingredients you will need:

    Fish Balls:

    • water
    • dried seaweed or nori seaweed
    • all-purpose flour
    • cornstarch
    • onion powder
    • black pepper
    • rock salt
    • brown sugar
    • carrots
    • green onions
    • squash
    • coconut oil
    ingredients for fish balls

    For the sauce:

    • water
    • sugar
    • soy sauce
    • salt
    • cornstarch
    • onion powder
    • garlic powder
    • garlic cloves
    • red onions
    Ingredients for fish sauce

    To make the fish balls:

    In a medium bowl, add 2 cups of water, seaweed and soak until softened, about 10 minutes.  Next, remove the seaweed from the water, mince the seaweed, and place it back in the water.  If using nori seaweed, mince, then set aside.

    seaweed soaking in a glass cup on a white table

    In a large bowl, whisk flour, cornstarch, onion powder, black pepper, rock salt, and brown sugar until well combined.

    Whisked flour in a glass bowl on white table

    Next, gradually add soaked minced seaweed water to the bowl and mix. Then add carrots, green onions, and squash. 

    fish sauce batter with whisk in a bowl

    Heat a nonstick frying pan over medium heat and add coconut oil.

    Using a spoon, scoop and drop spoonfuls of the fishball batter into the pan and cook until it’s golden brown.

    dropping a spoonful of fish sauce batter in bubbling oil
    almost done fish balls cooking in deep fried oil

    Once it’s cooked, remove it from the saucepan, place it on a strainer to remove the excess oil, and place it on a plate and continue cooking until no more fish ball batter.

    cooked deep fried fish balls on strainer

    To make the sauce:

    In a medium bowl, add water, sugar and mix until the sugar is dissolved. Then add soy sauce, salt, cornstarch, onion powder, garlic powder, and mix until well combined making sure to remove any lumps.

    mixing salt in brown sauce

    In a saucepan, add sauce and over medium heat bring the sauce to a boil so the sauce can thicken.  Keep an eye on it, so the sauce does not burn.  Then add garlic and onions and simmer for a minute then turn off the heat.

    cooking the brown sauce to become thicker

    Then coat your fish balls and give them a try! You’ll love them!

    fish balls on a skewer dipped in delicious fish ball sauce

    Frequently Asked Questions:

    Why is it necessary to add seaweed?

    Seaweed gives the fishy taste of traditional fish balls.

    How long do fish balls last?

    For this recipe, it’s best eaten immediately but can last up to 3 days. To reheat, bake in the oven for about 10 minutes at 350F.

    What is Kalabasa?

    Kalabasa is a pumpkin squash usually found in Asian markets.

    Looking for more vegan Filipino Recipes? Try these:

    • Ginataang Kalabasa
    • Grilled Eggplant with Coconut Milk
    • Vegan Kare-Kare
    • Pinakbet
    • Vegetarian Bicol Express
    fried vegan fish balls in a strainer
    Print Recipe Leave a Comment
    5 from 2 votes

    Filipino Vegan Fish Balls

    Vegan Fried Fish Balls are the healthy version of Filipinos’ favorite street food: fish balls dipped in a spicy and sweet sauce! They are super easy to make, delicious and crunchy snacks that you will love and enjoy!
    Prep Time15 mins
    Cook Time20 mins
    Total Time35 mins
    Course: Appetizer, Snack
    Cuisine: Filipino
    Keyword: vegan fish balls
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 1272kcal
    Author: Lainey

    Ingredients

    Fish Balls:

    • 2 cups water
    • ½ cup dried seaweed or nori seaweed
    • 2 cups all-purpose flour
    • ¼ cup cornstarch
    • ½ teaspoon onion powder
    • ½ teaspoon black pepper
    • 1 tablespoon rock salt
    • 1 ½ tablespoons brown sugar
    • ½ cup grated carrots
    • 2 tablespoons green onions sliced
    • ½ cup grated kalabasa squash
    • 2 cups coconut oil

    For the Sauce:

    • 2 cups water
    • 2 tablespoons sugar
    • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
    • 1 teaspoon onion powder
    • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
    • 2 garlic cloves minced
    • ¼ cup red onions minced

    Instructions

    For the Fish Balls:

    • In a medium bowl, add 2 cups of water, seaweed and soak until softened, about 10 minutes.  Next remove the seaweed from the water, mince the seaweed and place back in the water.  If using nori seaweed, mince, then set aside. 
    • In a large bowl, whisk flour, cornstarch, onion powder, black pepper, rock salt and brown sugar until well combined. 
    • Next, gradually add soaked minced seaweed water to the bowl and mix.
    • Add carrots, green onions, squash, and mix until well combined. 
    • Heat a nonstick frying pan over medium heat and add coconut oil.
    • Using a spoon, scoop and drop spoonfuls of the fish ball batter into the pan and cook until it’s golden brown.  Once it’s cooked, remove from the saucepan, place on a strainer to remove the excess oil,  and place on a plate and continue cooking until no more fish ball batter.  
    • Using a bamboo skewer, thread 5-6 fish balls and serve with the sauce. 

    For the Sauce:

    • In a medium bowl, add water, sugar and mix until the sugar is dissolved. Then add soy sauce, salt, cornstarch, onion powder, garlic powder and mix until well combined making sure to remove any lumps. 
    • In a saucepan, add sauce and over medium heat bring the sauce to a boil so the sauce can thicken.  Keep an eye on it, so the sauce does not burn. 
    • Add garlic and onions and simmer for a minute then turn off heat. Allow the sauce to cool and set aside sauce.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1g | Calories: 1272kcal | Carbohydrates: 73g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 110g | Saturated Fat: 94g | Sodium: 2607mg | Potassium: 230mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 2904IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 3mg
    DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? Share it on instagram or tag @simplybakings or #simplybakings!
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    Appetizers, Side Dishes, Summer, Vegan Filipino Recipes, Vegetarian Filipino Recipes, Vegetarian Meat

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Max says

      May 12, 2022 at 6:50 pm

      5 stars
      A favorite whenever I bring it to Filipino parties!

      Reply
      • Lainey says

        May 16, 2022 at 9:04 pm

        Oh yes, Max. This is really a crowd-pleaser in Filipino gatherings. Thank you for dropping by!

        Reply

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