Get ready for a nutritious and delicious dinner with these sweetpotato fish cakes! This recipe is a great way to transform leftover fish into a new meal. Add-ins like cilantro, chili garlic sauce, and green onions pair well with the naturally sweet and earthy flavor of sweetpotatoes. I love to top ‘em off with a drizzle of sriracha for a little spice.
Disclosure: This recipe was developed in a paid partnership with the North Carolina Sweetpotato Commission Inc.
Ingredients
Here’s a photo of all the ingredients you’ll need, along with selected ingredient notes:
- Sweetpotatoes – Such a winning piece of produce! Sweetpotatoes are a great choice for active women, as they contain healthy carbs to fuel your fitness goals. You’re going to use mashed sweetpotatoes in this recipe. You can make the mash the same day, or you can use leftover mashed sweetpotatoes (provided they’re plain).
- Cod – Leftover cod is a great option for this recipe. You can also buy fresh cod and cook it specifically to make in this dish. Alaskan-caught Pacific cod is considered a best choice option as far as seafood sustainability goes, so that’s generally what I like to look for. Other white fish, like haddock or pollock, will also work in this recipe. Oily fish like salmon can be used too, though note that the flavor profile and nutrition analysis of the finished dish will change with oily fish.
- Chia seeds – Along with the breadcrumbs, chia seeds help the patties stick together. It also adds fiber and omega-3 fatty acids.
While not pictured, I also recommend having some sriracha or hot sauce on hand for topping.
Instructions
You’ll find the full recipe amounts and instructions in the recipe card below, but here’s a helpful overview with photos and tips.
If you’re using leftover cod, you’re all set to get started with the recipe. If you don’t have leftover cod and you purchased fresh for this recipe, you’ll want to preheat your oven to 400°F and place the cod in a casserole dish. Season with a pinch of salt, and optionally drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil (this can help seal in moisture). Cook the cod for 10-15 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily.
Meanwhile, make your mashed sweetpotatoes (if you don’t have leftovers of those on hand). Peel two medium-large sweetpotatoes and chop ‘em into 1-inch pieces. Place them in a medium pot and cover with water. Bring that to a boil over high heat, then continue to cook for about 15 minutes, until the sweetpotatoes are tender. Drain, then go ahead and mash ‘em. Let cool for a few minutes.
Tip: If you’re not sure about the sizing of your sweetpotatoes, it’s better to use ones that are slightly bigger than you need. You can measure out the mash for the fish cakes, and save any extra mashed sweetpotato to use in pancakes, smoothies, etc.
Grab a large mixing bowl, and add the mashed sweetpotatoes, breadcrumbs, green onions, cilantro, chia seeds, chili garlic sauce, soy sauce, and garlic. Then flake the cooked cod into the mixing bowl using your hands.
Mix all the ingredients together.
Form one test patty. If it feels a little moist and holds together well, it’s the right texture (which it should be if following the recipe, but sometimes slight variations in measurements or ingredient size can lead to issues). If it feels overly dry, add some more sweetpotato (if you have extra available) or an egg yolk. If it feels too wet, add extra breadcrumbs.
Form the rest of the patties to make eight total.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and let it get hot.
Place the patties in the skillet. Cook for 3-4 minutes per side, or until turning a light golden brown on each side. Depending on the size of your skillet, you may have to work in two batches. I was pumped to get this giant skillet a couple years ago and it’s been so helpful for making big batches of food all at once!
Once the fish cakes are cooked, serve them alongside your preferred side. As mentioned, I also like to top these sweetpotato fish cakes with an ample amount of sriracha for a little heat!
Recipe FAQ
Here are some common questions that may come up as you’re preparing this recipe:
If you’re using fish that was already cooked a day or two beforehand, this recipe is best prepared and eaten the same day. If you have additional leftovers, though, you can chill them immediately in the fridge and use them within 3-4 days from the initial date that the fish was cooked. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat, in the toaster oven, or in the microwave.
Yes. Use gluten-free breadcrumbs and use tamari or coconut aminos instead of soy sauce. Also, confirm that your chili garlic sauce is gluten free (most are, but worth double checking).
Cooking in a skillet adds a crisper texture to the exterior of the fish cake. If you don’t want to cook them in the skillet, I would recommend air-frying over a conventional oven to try to achieve a similar texture.
Side Dish Suggestions
The best pairing option for these is some type of vegetable. My absolute favorite side is a simple salad of baby arugula, shaved parmesan, and oil & vinegar dressing.
Other side dish ideas include:
- Sauteed green beans with slivered almonds
- Roasted broccoli
- Roasted chioggia beets
- Sauteed spinach
- Cucumber scallion salad
Nutrition Benefits
February is National Sweetpotato Month and Heart Health Month, and this recipe is definitely a winner (in this dietitian’s mind) to celebrate. Here are a few highlights:
- Seafood is heart healthy – The American Heart Association recommends eating two servings of fish each week. Some of these should be fatty fish (like salmon or bluefish) while other servings can be leaner fish like cod or haddock.
- Contains some omega-3 fatty acids – Omega-3’s may offer specific benefits for heart health. Cod is a lean fish, so this recipe isn’t going to be super rich in omega-3’s. But between the cod and chia seeds, each fish cake contains 270 mg of omega 3’s, making a serving of two add up to 540 mg. If you want to increase the omega-3 content, sub out the cod for fatty fish like salmon or bluefish instead.
- Excellent source of Vitamin A – Thank you, sweetpotatoes! This veggie is rich in Vitamin A, important for eye health and immune health.
- Provides protein – Each sweetpotato fish cake contains slightly over 11 grams of protein, with a serving of two clocking in at 23 grams of protein. If you pair this with a side dish that has a little protein, it’s easy to achieve a meal with 25-30 grams of high-quality protein.
- Excellent source of B12 – Just one fish cake clocks in at 45% of your Vitamin B12 needs, a vitamin that’s key for energy production and other functions. Vitamin B12 is particularly important for runners and other athletes.
More Sweetpotato Recipes
If you’re looking for more sweetpotato dinner ideas, you’ll definitely want to try BBQ ground beef stuffed sweetpotatoes (great for fueling runners, and one of my kiddo’s favs too). Brussels sprouts, plantain, and sweetpotato hash is also a nice option for dinner or breakfast, especially with fried eggs on top.
If you want some other unique ways to use sweetpotatoes, try it in dessert! Chocolate sweetpotato cupcakes or sweetpotato protein whoopie pies are two yummy options.
I hope you enjoy this recipe! If you get a chance to try it, feel free to leave a recipe rating or comment below.
Sweetpotato Fish Cakes
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups mashed NC sweetpotato (approximately 2 medium-large sweetpotatoes; see instructions)
- ⅔ cup plain breadcrumbs
- 3 green onions, chopped
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- 1 tbsp chili garlic sauce
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- ¾ lb leftover cooked cod (or 1 lb fresh cod, see notes)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Sriracha (optional for topping)
Instructions
- To prepare the mashed sweetpotatoes (if not using leftovers), peel the two sweetpotatoes and chop into 1-inch cubes. Place in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Continue to cook for 13-15 minutes over high heat, until sweetpotatoes are tender. Drain then use a potato masher to mash. Let cool slightly for a few minutes.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the mashed sweetpotatoes, breadcrumbs, green onions, cilantro, chia seeds, chili garlic sauce, soy sauce, and garlic.
- Use your hands to flake the cooked cod into bite size pieces into the mixing bowl.
- Mix together the ingredients until combined (using your hands or a spoon). Use your hands to form 8 patties.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and wait a few minutes for it to get hot.
- Place the fish cakes in the skillet (you may have to work in batches depending on the size of your skillet). Cook for 3-4 minutes per side, until slightly browned on each side. Serve topped with sriracha.
Notes
- If you are using fresh cod rather than leftover cooked cod, simply preheat the oven to 400°F and place the cod in a casserole dish. Season with a pinch of salt, and optionally drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil (to help seal in moisture). Cook for 10-15 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily. One pound of fresh cod will cook down to around ¾ pound cooked cod.
- When you mix together the ingredients for the fish cakes, the texture should hold together when formed into patties but not be overly dry. If it looks too dry, add extra mashed sweetpotatoes (if available) or an egg yolk. If it looks too wet, add extra breadcrumbs.
- This recipe makes eight fish cakes, and the nutrition analysis for each is provided below. One dinner-sized serving would be two fish cakes paired with a side dish.
Nutrition
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It looks delicious, it’s a new, healthy and nutritious recipe, I’ll write it down.
Awesome, glad to hear it! I hope you enjoy it when you get a chance to try it. 🙂