As a home cook who grew up in the bustling streets of Bantan Munti in Bataan, recreating the perfect Filipino Fish Ball recipe became my passion project during the pandemic. These golden, springy delights – a cornerstone of Filipino street food culture – bring back memories of afternoon dismissal bells and the familiar call of “Fish ball! Fish ball!” echoing through our neighborhood streets.
After countless attempts to capture that authentic manong’s fish ball recipe, I’ve finally mastered the perfect balance of bounce, crunch, and that signature sweet-spicy sauce that makes this merienda favorite irresistible.
This homemade version elevates the humble street food classic into a restaurant-worthy snack while maintaining its soul-satisfying comfort. Using fresh fish and traditional pounding techniques, these fish balls achieve that coveted texture: crispy outside, tender inside – that street food aficionados dream about.
Whether you’re missing your favorite street food vendor or wanting to create a healthier version at home, this tested and perfected recipe brings the beloved kanto experience right to your kitchen.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Authentic Street Food Taste: Recreate that classic manong’s (vendor’s) fish ball flavor at home
- Budget-Friendly: Cheaper than your daily milk tea habit
- Customizable: Adjust the spice level and sauce thickness to your preference
- Perfect Texture: Learn the secret to achieving that signature “bounce” (pagkamalabot)
- Family-Approved: Guaranteed to make everyone run to the kitchen faster than when you announce “libre ko!” (my treat!)
Authentic Homemade Filipino Fish Balls (Tusok-Tusok)
Ingredients
For the Fish Balls (Bola-bola ng Isda)
- 1 pound 500g fish flesh (laman ng isda) – preferably pollock or cream dory
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch corn starch or gawgaw
- 2 teaspoons salt asin
- 1 teaspoon sugar asukal
- ¼ cup cold water malamig na tubig
- Canola oil for frying mantika
For Manong’s Special Sauce (Espesyal na Sawsawan)
- 2 cups water tubig
- ⅓ cup soy sauce toyo
- 1 head garlic peeled and minced (bawang, tinadtad)
- 3 shallots peeled and finely chopped (sibuyas tagalog)
- 4 Thai chili peppers siling labuyo
- 1 cup brown sugar maskuvado
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour harina
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch gawgaw
- 1 teaspoon salt asin
- ½ teaspoon pepper paminta
Instructions
- First, clean your fresh fish thoroughly and remove all bones (Linisin at tanggalin lahat ng tinik ng isda). Cut the fish into small chunks and keep them very cold, below 40°F/4°C (Putulin ng maliliit at panatilihing malamig).
- Place the cold fish chunks into your food processor and grind until it becomes a smooth paste (Gilingin ang isda hanggang maging paste). Transfer the fish paste to a large mixing bowl.
- Add 2 tablespoons cornstarch (gawgaw), 2 teaspoons salt (asin), 1 teaspoon sugar (asukal), and ¼ cup ice-cold water (malamig na tubig) to the fish paste. Mix these ingredients together until well combined (Haluing mabuti).
- Now comes the important traditional pounding technique (pagbayo). Lift the mixture and forcefully slam it back into the bowl. Continue this pounding motion for about 15 minutes or approximately 100 times. The mixture will become smooth and glossy (makintab) and should pull away cleanly from the sides of the bowl. Keep the mixture cold throughout this process, ideally below 50°F/10°C.
- While pounding the fish paste, prepare the sauce (Ihanda ang sawsawan). In a pot, combine 2 cups water (tubig), ⅓ cup soy sauce (toyo), 1 minced head of garlic (tinadtad na bawang), 3 finely chopped shallots (sibuyas tagalog), 4 chopped Thai chilies (siling labuyo), 1 cup brown sugar (asukal na pula), 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (harina), 1 tablespoon cornstarch (gawgaw), 1 teaspoon salt (asin), and ½ teaspoon ground black pepper (paminta).
- Heat the sauce mixture to 200°F/93°C while stirring constantly (Pakuluan habang hinahalo). Simmer for 3-5 minutes until it thickens (Pakapal). Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature.
- Return to your fish paste mixture. Wet your hands with cold water and shape the mixture into 1-inch balls (Gumawa ng maliliit na bola). Place the shaped balls on a clean plate.
- Bring a pot of water to exactly 175°F/80°C (Painit ang tubig). Carefully drop the fish balls into the hot water and cook until they float to the surface, about 1-2 minutes (Lutuin hanggang lumutang). Remove them with a strainer and let them cool completely.
- Heat cooking oil in a deep pan to 350°F/175°C (Painit ang mantika). Fry the cooled fish balls in small batches, 8-10 pieces at a time, until golden brown (Prituhan hanggang maging golden brown). Don’t overcrowd the pan (Huwag masyadong marami sa kawali). Remove and drain on paper towels.
- If you want extra crispy fish balls, you can double-fry them. After the first frying, let them cool for 2 minutes, then fry again at 350°F/175°C for 30 seconds.
- Serve immediately while hot and crispy (Ihain habang mainit), with the prepared sauce on the side for dipping. For the authentic street food experience, serve them skewered on bamboo sticks (Tusukan ng stick).
- To store uncooked fish balls, keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator at 40°F/4°C for up to 3 days, or freeze at -0°F/-18°C for up to 3 months (Ilagay sa malamig). Store the sauce separately in the refrigerator. Always bring frozen fish balls to room temperature before cooking (Painitin muna bago lutuin).
- If your mixture is too soft, add cornstarch one teaspoon at a time (Magdagdag ng gawgaw kung masyadong malambot). If the fish balls aren’t bouncy enough, they need more pounding (Kailangan ng mas matagal na pagbayo). If they break apart while cooking, either the water is too hot or the mixture is too loose. If they don’t float while boiling, increase the water temperature to 175°F/80°C.
Tips from Lola’s Kitchen
- Always use the freshest fish possible (palaging gumamit ng sariwang isda)
- The more you pound, the bouncier the texture (mas matagal ang pagbayo, mas malutong)
- Test one fish ball first before shaping entire batch
- Keep hands wet while shaping to prevent sticking
- Don’t overcrowd when frying (huwag masyadong marami sa kawali)
Traditional Serving Suggestions
- Street-style: Skewered with bamboo sticks (tusok-tusok)
- In noodle soups (sa mami o sopas)
- Added to pancit canton
- With rice as ulam (viand)
Troubleshooting
- Too soft: Add more cornstarch, 1 teaspoon at a time
- Not bouncy: Need more pounding/mixing
- Breaking apart: Water too hot or mixture too loose
- Not floating: Water not hot enough
Ingredient Alternatives
- Fish options: mackerel (galunggong), round scad (alumahan), tilapia
- Cornstarch substitute: potato starch
- Thai chilies alternative: regular red chilies
- Brown sugar substitute: white sugar + molasses
Storage & Reheating
- Refrigerator: 3-4 days in airtight container
- Freezer: Up to 3 months
- Thaw completely before frying
- Sauce keeps for 1 week refrigerated
Variations
- Seafood balls (bola-bola ng seafood)
- Chicken balls (bola-bola ng manok)
- Cheese-stuffed fish balls
- Spicy fish balls (add chili powder to mixture)
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why aren’t my fish balls bouncy?
- Not enough pounding or wrong fish-to-starch ratio
- Can I use frozen fish?
- Yes, but fresh gives better texture
- How do I know when they’re properly cooked?
- They float when done
- Can I air fry instead?
- Yes, spray with oil and cook at 200°C for 8-10 minutes
Homemade Filipino Fish Balls (Tusok-Tusok)Nutrition
The Story Behind Homemade Filipino Fish Balls (Tusok-Tusok)
In the bustling streets of post-war Manila, fish balls emerged as an ingenious solution to making seafood more accessible to everyday Filipinos. This humble street food, inspired by Chinese fish paste techniques, transformed simple fish scraps into delectable golden spheres that would become a cornerstone of Philippine street food culture.
By the 1970s, the familiar cry of “Fish ball! Fish ball!” began echoing through neighborhood streets as vendors pushed their wooden carts loaded with bubbling oil and fresh sauce. These mobile stalls, known as “kariton,” became gathering spots where students, workers, and families would congregate for their afternoon merienda, creating a unique “tusok-tusok” (poke-poke) culture that defines Filipino street food dining.
The dish’s popularity soared due to its perfect combination of affordability and satisfaction. The bouncy texture of properly made fish balls, achieved through the traditional method of repeatedly pounding fish paste, became the benchmark of quality. While factory-made versions eventually flooded the market, many Filipino families preserved their recipes, passing down the authentic preparation techniques from generation to generation.
Today, homemade fish balls represent a return to tradition, offering a way to recreate the beloved street food experience with quality ingredients and proper preparation methods. Making them from scratch allows control over the fish-to-filler ratio, ensuring each bite delivers the signature springy texture and genuine seafood flavor that made them a Filipino comfort food favorite.
Whether enjoyed as a quick snack, party appetizer, or added to noodle soups, fish balls have transcended their humble origins to become an integral part of Filipino food culture. Their enduring popularity proves that sometimes the simplest foods create the most lasting memories, especially when shared with family and friends over a bowl of special sweet-spicy sauce.
