Introduction
Thailand has a way of making simple food taste far more exciting than it has any right to. These fish cakes are packed with fresh fish, garlic, chilli, lime, spring onion, and herbs, then air-fried until golden on the outside while staying soft and fragrant in the middle. They're the sort of thing you buy from a street stall, eat standing up, and immediately wish you'd ordered more of. Fresh. Zesty. Crispy. Proper Thai street-food energy.
You’ll Need
500g white fish fillets (cod, haddock, pollock, sea bass, or similar)
2 spring onions, finely sliced
1 red chilli, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp grated ginger
Zest of 1 lime
Juice of ½ lime
1 egg
50g breadcrumbs
1 tsp fish sauce
½ tsp black pepper
For the Chilli Lime Dip
3 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
Juice of ½ lime
1 tsp soy sauce
Optional but Dangerous
Fresh coriander
Extra chilli slices
Sticky rice
Cucumber salad
Method
Preheat your air fryer to 190°C.
Finely chop the fish by hand or pulse briefly in a food processor until roughly minced.
Place the fish into a large bowl.
Add the spring onions, chilli, garlic, ginger, lime zest, lime juice, egg, breadcrumbs, fish sauce, and black pepper.
Mix thoroughly until everything binds together.
Form into 8–10 small fish cakes roughly the size of your palm.
Lightly spray the air fryer basket with oil.
Place the fish cakes into the basket in a single layer.
Spray the tops lightly with oil.
Air fry at 190°C for 10–12 minutes, carefully flipping halfway through, until golden and lightly crisp on both sides.
While they cook, mix together the sweet chilli sauce, lime juice, and soy sauce.
Allow the fish cakes to rest for 1 minute before serving.
Serve hot with the chilli lime dip and fresh coriander if using.