What to Cook with Snakehead Fish? Easy Recipes Compilation

Snakehead fish is a familiar ingredient in the meals of many Vietnamese families, especially popular in the Southwest region. Snakehead fish meat is firm, naturally sweet, nutritious, and can be processed into many attractive delicious dishes such as sour soup, congee, grilled, noodle soup, or thick noodle soup. If you are wondering what to cook with snakehead fish, let’s explore the list of diverse and easy-to-cook dishes in the following article by Ola Squid!

1. What to cook with snakehead fish?

Snakehead fish (also known as mudfish) is a familiar ingredient in Vietnamese cuisine thanks to its firm, naturally sweet meat that can be transformed from rustic dishes to sophisticated ones. Here are suggestions for 17 delicious dishes made from snakehead fish with simple processing recipes for you:

1.1. Snakehead fish congee

Ingredients:

• 100g rice, 300g snakehead fish
• 10g ginger, 20g spring onion heads
• 50g straw mushrooms, 200g bitter vegetables
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 1 tablespoon minced shallots
• 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon seasoning powder, 1 liter water

How to cook snakehead fish congee:

• First, roast the rice until golden and fragrant. Rub the snakehead fish with salt and ginger to remove the fishy smell, wash clean, and cut into bite-sized pieces.
• Then, sauté the shallots and garlic until fragrant, add the fish to lightly fry until the meat is firm, then quickly stir-fry the straw mushrooms to bring out the aroma.
• Next, boil the fish with water until just cooked and remove. Add the roasted rice to the fish broth and cook until the congee is soft.
• Put the fish and straw mushrooms back into the pot, season to taste, then add spring onion heads for fragrance. Finally, scoop the congee into a bowl and enjoy with bitter vegetables.

1.2. Snakehead fish thick noodle soup (Banh canh)

Ingredients:

• 1 snakehead fish (about 1kg)
• 1kg thick noodles (banh canh)
• 50g shallots, 10g dried shrimp
• 1 tablespoon wheat flour, 1 teaspoon minced shallots
• 3 sprigs spring onions, a little coriander
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce, a little white wine
• 3 tablespoons cooking oil, 3 tablespoons rock sugar

How to cook snakehead fish thick noodle soup:

• After buying the snakehead fish, clean the slime, and separate the head, bones, and meat. Rub the head and bones with salt and white wine to clean the fishy smell. Cut the fish meat into bite-sized pieces and marinate with fish sauce, salt, sugar, MSG, pepper, and oil for about 30 minutes.
• Next, boil 3.5 liters of water and add dried shrimp and shallots, skim off the foam, then add the head, bones, fish fat, and coriander roots to simmer for about 45 minutes for a sweet broth.
• Then, remove the fish remains and shallots, then season with salt, rock sugar, and MSG. Add washed straw mushrooms and spring onion roots, continue to add fish sauce, bring back to a boil, and season to taste.
• Finally, blanch the thick noodles and place the marinated fish in a bowl, pour the hot broth over, then sprinkle spring onions and coriander on top for fragrance.

1.3. Snakehead fish rice noodle soup (Bun ca loc)

Ingredients:

• 1 snakehead fish about 600g
• 500g fresh rice noodles, 600g pork marrow bones
• 6-7 Boesenbergia rotunda roots, 1 turmeric root
• Thai basil, spring onions, bean sprouts
• 100g yardlong beans, 50g tamarind pulp
• 1 teaspoon minced chili, 1 teaspoon minced shallots
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic, 1/2 tablespoon turmeric powder
• Salt, sugar, seasoning powder, MSG, fish sauce, shrimp paste, oil

Instructions for Western style snakehead fish rice noodle soup:

• First, clean the newly bought snakehead fish and fillet the meat. Marinate the fish with turmeric powder, sugar, garlic, shallots, salt, pepper, seasoning powder, and minced chili; let it absorb the spices for about 30 minutes.
• Next, blanch the marrow bones for about 2-3 minutes in boiling water and then wash clean. Briefly boil the yardlong beans and soak in cold water to keep them green. Crush the turmeric and Boesenbergia rotunda, and filter for the juice.
• Then, boil a pot of about 2 liters of water to simmer the bones until sweet. Continue to add the turmeric and Boesenbergia rotunda juice, then season with shrimp paste and other seasonings to taste, cooking over medium heat.
• Place a pan on the stove, heat the oil, and fry the fish until golden brown, then drop it into the broth pot and cook for a few more minutes for the fish to absorb the flavor.
• Finally, put the rice noodles and accompanying vegetables into a bowl, arrange the fish on top, then pour the hot broth over, served with sweet and sour tamarind sauce and herbs.

1.4. Snakehead fish sour soup (Canh chua)

Ingredients:

• 1 snakehead fish (500g)
• 2 tomatoes, ¼ pineapple
• 50g taro stems, 50g okra, 50g bean sprouts
• 20g tamarind pulp
• 1 sprig culantro, 1 sprig rice paddy herb
• Salt, sugar, fish sauce, seasoning powder, pepper

Steps to perform:

• Clean the snakehead fish, wash thoroughly with salt, then cut into bite-sized pieces. Then marinate the fish with fish sauce, seasoning powder, and pepper for about 15 minutes to absorb the spices.
• Peel the pineapple and cut it into bite-sized pieces, wash the tomatoes and cut them into wedges. Slice the okra and taro stems diagonally, wash the bean sprouts, and finely chop the rice paddy herb and culantro.
• Next, mash the tamarind with warm water to soften it, then boil it with 1 liter of water until it boils to create a balanced sour taste.
• Then add the fish to the tamarind water, cook for about 10 minutes, and skim off the foam. Continue to add tomatoes, pineapple, okra, taro stems, and bean sprouts, season with sugar and other seasonings to taste.
• Finally, bring back to a boil, turn off the stove, scoop the soup into a bowl, and sprinkle with rice paddy herb and culantro before enjoying.

1.5. Dried snakehead fish (Kho ca loc)

Ingredients:

• 1kg fresh snakehead fish
• 200ml white wine and 200ml cooking oil
• 200g grain salt
• 3 teaspoons finely ground ginger, 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 3 teaspoons minced lemongrass, 2 teaspoons chili powder
• ½ bowl of fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon yellow turmeric powder
• 2 teaspoons sugar, 3 teaspoons seasoning powder

Steps to make dried snakehead fish as follows:

• First, you need to clean the fish, remove slime, scales, and organs, wash several times with water, and drain. Then fillet the fish along the spine, lightly marinate with white wine for about 10 minutes, and then remove to drain.
• Mix fish sauce, seasoning powder, sugar, chili powder, ginger, lemongrass, pepper, garlic powder, turmeric powder, and onion powder into a uniform mixture.
• Next, put the fish in a large bowl and slowly pour the spice mixture over it, squeezing gently so the fish is evenly marinated for about 10-15 minutes.
• Then spread the fish on a bamboo tray, tray or hang it on a wire to dry in 1-3 suns as desired; however, for the fish to achieve the best taste, it needs 2 suns.
• Heat the oil, lower the heat, then fry the fish until golden on both sides. Then remove the fish to a plate with oil-absorbing paper and enjoy.

=>> FURTHER REFERENCE: How to make delicious garlic burnt dried squid that everyone loves

1.6. Snakehead fish Mi Quang

Ingredients:

• 1kg snakehead fish
• 700g Mi Quang noodles
• 50g chives (cu nen), 100g peanuts
• 3-4 chilies, 2 shallots
• 1 lemon, 50g turmeric
• Fish sauce, cooking oil, pepper, seasoning powder, sugar

Steps to make snakehead fish Mi Quang as follows:

• Wash the snakehead fish, rub with lemon to remove the fishy smell, fillet and cut into bite-sized pieces. Wash the chives and turmeric and crush them finely.
• Marinate the fish with pepper, seasoning powder, fish sauce, cooking oil, and sugar, mix well and let it absorb for about 1 hour.
• Boil the fish bones with ½ shallot for 30 minutes, then remove the bones and season with fish sauce to taste.
• Next, sauté the chives with oil, add the fish and minced turmeric, and stir-fry until cooked for 15-20 minutes, turning both sides evenly.
• Put the Mi Quang noodles into a bowl, arrange the fish on top, then sprinkle roasted peanuts and pour in the broth. You should enjoy it while it’s still hot and serve with raw vegetables and chili.

1.7. Crispy fried snakehead fish

Ingredients:

• 1 snakehead fish
• Crispy frying flour
• Salt, pepper, seasoning powder, cooking oil, MSG

Steps to process crispy fried snakehead fish:

• You need to clean the fish, remove the gut, cut the gills, and scale. Then rub the fish with salt or lemon/white wine to remove the fishy smell. Cut a few lines on the fish body and marinate with salt, seasoning powder, MSG, and pepper for 15-20 minutes to absorb the flavor.
• Next, sprinkle crispy frying flour evenly over the fish, rolling it gently so the flour sticks all over the fish body.
• Place a pan on the stove and heat 150ml of cooking oil, then put the fish in and fry over medium heat for about 10-15 minutes, turning both sides until golden and crispy. Remove to drain the oil and enjoy.

1.8. Grilled snakehead fish

Ingredients:

• 1 snakehead fish (about 800g – 1kg)
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic, 2 tablespoons minced shallots
• 1 tablespoon seasoning powder, 1 tablespoon MSG
• 2 teaspoons BBQ marinating sauce, 1 tablespoon sugar
• A little salt

Steps to make grilled snakehead fish

• First, remove the gut, fins, and tail of the bought snakehead fish and rub with salt for about 3 minutes, then wash clean. Cut longitudinal or diagonal lines on the body so the fish absorbs the spices when marinated and grilled.
• Next, mix the garlic, shallots, BBQ sauce, seasoning powder, MSG, and sugar. Rub the mixture on both sides of the fish and stuff some into the gut, then marinate for about 1 hour to absorb the spices.
• Then spread out aluminum foil, place the fish in the middle, and fold the two ends and two sides tightly. Grill over charcoal, 30 minutes for each side, then open the top of the foil and grill for another 15 minutes to let the fish turn golden brown.
• Foil-grilled snakehead fish has fragrant sweet meat, well-marinated. You should eat it with rice paper, rice noodles, raw vegetables, green bananas, star fruit, and ginger fish sauce dip, it will be very delicious.

=>> LEARN MORE: Secret to making delicious grilled dried squid right at home

1.9. Steamed snakehead fish

Ingredients:

• 1 snakehead fish
• 1 chili, 3 sprigs lemongrass
• Seasoning powder, ground pepper: sufficient amount

Steps to perform:

• Clean the snakehead fish, removing the gut, scales, and slime, then use a knife to cut a few lines on the fish body so that when steamed, the spices absorb evenly and it cooks faster. Mix the seasoning powder and ground pepper, rub evenly over the fish body to let the spices soak into the meat.
• Next, put the fish in a pot, place some crushed lemongrass stalks around the fish, and let it steam for about 20 minutes until the fish is soft and cooked. Present the fish on a plate and serve with a dipping sauce mixed with lemongrass and minced chili to enhance the flavor.

1.10. Braised snakehead fish (Ca loc kho)

Ingredients:

• 1 snakehead fish
• Spring onions, fresh chilies
• Minced shallots, minced garlic
• Seasoning powder, fish sauce, Korean chili powder, MSG, pepper
• Ginger powder, rock sugar, sesame oil, chili paste

Steps to perform:

• Remove the roots of the spring onions, cut the head part into 3-4cm pieces, and finely chop the leaves. Clean the fish, remove the gut and blood to avoid fishiness, then cut the head separately, and cut the body and tail into bite-sized chunks.
• Put the fish in a bowl and stir well with seasonings like seasoning powder, fish sauce, MSG, pepper, chili powder, ginger powder, and minced shallots and garlic. Marinate for about 15 minutes to let the spices soak into the meat.
• Next, put the clay pot on the stove, add sesame oil and rock sugar, stir until the sugar turns into a caramel color. Sauté the shallots and garlic, add chili paste, then arrange the fish in the pot. Then, pour coconut water until it barely covers the fish, add fish sauce, spring onion heads, and chilies. Braise over low heat with the lid slightly open for about 1 hour so the fish absorbs the spices evenly.
• Finally, present the fish on a plate to serve with hot rice. The braised sauce poured over the rice will make the dish delicious and rich, blending the greasy, spicy, and salty taste perfectly.

1.11. Snakehead fish hotpot

Ingredients:

• 1 snakehead fish about 700g
• 3-4 tomatoes, 1 pineapple
• ½ carrot, fresh rice noodles
• Minced shallots, minced chili, minced lemongrass
• Hotpot vegetables like water spinach, water mimosa, yellow velvetleaf, culantro, rice paddy herb
• Sugar, MSG, cooking oil, seasoning powder, salt, fish sauce, satay, calamansi juice

Detailed instructions for spicy and sour snakehead fish hotpot:

• Clean the snakehead fish, remove scales, gut, tail, and fins, then use salt to rub inside and out for about 2-3 minutes, then wash and drain. Cut the fish into bite-sized chunks.
• Peel the pineapple and mince it. Divide the tomatoes into two parts: one part minced, the other part cut into wedges. Slice the carrot and wash the chili and mince it. Pick the old and wormy leaves off the vegetables, cut into pieces, then soak in diluted salt water for 3-5 minutes, wash again, and drain.
• Next, heat the oil in a pot, sauté shallots, lemongrass, and minced chili. Add 1.5 liters of water (fresh coconut water can be used for a more fragrant broth), add minced pineapple and minced tomatoes to cook together.
• When the water boils, add the fish, season with fish sauce, sugar, seasoning powder, MSG, salt, and satay, stir well to dissolve the seasonings. Continue to add carrots, tomato wedges, and calamansi juice, then boil for another 5-7 minutes. Scoop the hotpot into a smaller pot and serve with fresh rice noodles and raw vegetables. The sweet fish blended with the spicy and sour hotpot broth is very suitable for a family meal.

1.12. Snakehead fish salad (Goi ca loc)

Ingredients:

• 300g snakehead fish fillet
• 500g green mango, 100g pennywort
• 1 cucumber, 10 cloves garlic
• 2 horn chilies, 3 small chilies
• 1 ginger root (~20 g)
• 2 sprigs Vietnamese coriander (rau ram), 2 sprigs spearmint
• 50g sea grapes, 2 sprigs culantro
• 2 tablespoons vinegar, 3 tablespoons rice wine
• 2 tablespoons garlic oil, 1.5 tablespoons cooking oil
• 3.5 tablespoons fish sauce, 2 tablespoons palm sugar
• A little salt, pepper

Steps to make snakehead fish salad:

• First, soak the snakehead fish fillet in diluted salt water for about 10 minutes, wash clean, and drain. Cut the fish into bite-sized pieces about 1 finger thick.
• Peel the garlic and crush it, and peel the ginger and mince it. Peel the cucumber and shred it. Peel the green mango and shred it. Wash and finely chop culantro, Vietnamese coriander, and spearmint. Deseed the horn chilies and shred them, and pick the pennywort clean and drain. Lightly wash the sea grapes, soak in ice water for 10 minutes, and remove to drain.
• Next, mix the fish with salt, pepper, fish sauce, and cooking oil, and let it absorb for about 10 minutes. Crush the garlic and chilies, mix with minced ginger, palm sugar, fish sauce, and vinegar.
• Next, heat a pan with 1 tablespoon of cooking oil, pan-fry the fish for about 2 minutes until the meat is firm. Add rice wine and a little minced ginger, cook for 5 minutes to let the wine soak into the fish. Then add the fish sauce mixture, shake well and turn off the stove.
• Use a bowl to mix cucumber, mango, culantro, Vietnamese coriander, spearmint, and chilies with the fish sauce and garlic oil. Arrange pennywort on a plate, put the mixed salad on top, then place the snakehead fish fillets on top, then sprinkle roasted peanuts and sea grapes and it is complete.

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1.13. Fermented snakehead fish (Mam ca loc)

Ingredients:

• 1 snakehead fish about 500 g
• 100g grain salt
• ½ bowl of roasted rice powder (thinh gao)
• 100g palm sugar
• A little lemon, salt

How to make fermented snakehead fish as follows:

• Wash the snakehead fish clean, remove the gut, blood, and fins, then rub the fish with lemon juice and a little salt to remove the fishy smell, wash several times and drain. Cut the fish into bite-sized chunks.
• Put the fish in a glass jar and spread grain salt evenly on top. Next, use bamboo sticks or chopsticks to press the fish down tightly so the fish does not float, helping the salt absorb evenly. Cover and soak for 5-6 days. (You can reduce the salt to 80-90g if you want a lighter taste, but not too little so the fish can be preserved for a long time.)
• After the salt has soaked in evenly, discard all the salt water in the jar and sprinkle roasted rice powder in, mix gently so the powder sticks evenly to the fish. Press tightly again with bamboo sticks, cover and leave for about 1 month.
• Next, cook 30 ml of water with 100 g of palm sugar until it boils and thickens. Let it cool, then pour into the fish jar that has been soaked with roasted rice powder for 1 month, mix well so the sugar water absorbs into the fish. Then cover it again and soak for another 2-3 months for the fermented fish to ripen evenly and become fragrant.

1.14. Snakehead fish spring rolls

Ingredients:

• 200g snakehead fish fillet
• 200g shrimp
• 100g raw pork paste (gio song)
• 100g breadcrumbs
• Carrots, dried rice vermicelli, wood ear mushrooms, spring onions, eggs
• Fish sauce, seasoning powder, pepper

Steps to make snakehead fish spring rolls as follows:

• Cut the snakehead fish fillet into thin slices to use as a wrapper, and cut the rest into cubes. Peel the shrimp and remove the black vein on the back. Soak the vermicelli in cold water until soft and drain. Peel the carrots and shred them thin, and soak the wood ear mushrooms until soft and shred them, and wash and finely chop the spring onions.
• In a bowl, mix the raw pork paste, wood ear mushrooms, carrots, rice vermicelli, and spring onions, season with fish sauce, seasoning powder, and pepper to make the spring roll filling.
• Next, spread out the thin snakehead fish slices, put a portion of the mixed filling on top, add a shrimp in the middle and start rolling tightly so the filling doesn’t fall out.
• Prepare a bowl of eggs and a separate bowl of breadcrumbs. Then dip the spring rolls into the egg, then roll them through the breadcrumbs. Heat the oil in a pan, and fry the spring rolls until they are golden and crispy on both sides. Snakehead fish spring rolls are golden and crispy, the filling inside is delicious, served with raw vegetables and sweet and sour fish sauce.

1.15. Roasted snakehead fish

Ingredients:

• 1 snakehead fish (about 700 g)
• 100g raw peanuts, 100g tamarind pulp
• 2 chilies, 2 cloves garlic
• 100 ml cooking oil, a little vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce, 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar

Instructions for making roasted snakehead fish as follows:

• Wash the snakehead fish and then lightly rub it with salt water and diluted vinegar to remove slime and fishy smell. Use a knife to cut a few lines on the fish body to help the fish absorb spices faster and look beautiful when fried.
• Next, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of salt evenly on the fish, which both creates a salty taste and helps the fish skin become crispy when fried.
• Mix 2 tablespoons of fish sauce with 2 tablespoons of sugar. Mash the tamarind with half a cup of boiling water to get the juice, and mix with the fish sauce and sugar mixture. Roast the peanuts over low heat until golden and crispy, the skin comes off and it’s fragrant.
• Then heat 100 ml of cooking oil, fry the fish over low heat until golden brown and the skin is crispy, then remove to drain. Keep about 2 tablespoons of oil in the pan, and sauté the minced garlic and chili until fragrant and golden. Next, add the tamarind sauce and stir over low heat until slightly thickened. Brush the sauce over the fish body and sprinkle roasted peanuts to increase the flavor.
• Tamarind roasted snakehead fish has a balanced salty taste from the fish sauce, blended with the characteristic sweet and sour taste of tamarind and the crispness of the fish skin, served with rice, rice noodles, or raw vegetables will be very attractive.

1.16. Stir-fried macaroni with snakehead fish

Ingredients:

• 300g long macaroni
• 1 snakehead fish (about 300 g)
• ½ carrot, ½ onion
• ½ white radish, 2 sprigs coriander
• 3 teaspoons cooking oil
• Salt, sugar, pepper, MSG, seasoning powder

How to process stir-fried macaroni with snakehead fish as follows:

• First, clean the fish, rub with salt to remove slime and fishy smell, wash several times and drain. Slice the fish into thin bite-sized slices.
• Boil about 1 liter of water, add macaroni and a little salt and boil until soft. Then remove and rinse with cold water, and drain to keep the macaroni loose.
• Marinate the fish with seasoning powder, pepper, sugar, MSG, and cooking oil then mix well, let it absorb for about 10 – 15 minutes. Peel the carrot and radish and slice them thin. Shred the onion and wash and finely chop the coriander.
• Heat the oil, add the fish and stir-fry quickly until firm. Next, add the vegetables and stir until just cooked, then add the macaroni to stir-fry together. Season again to taste, stir gently and turn off the stove.
• Finally, put the stir-fried macaroni with snakehead fish on a plate and sprinkle coriander on top. The dish has a rich taste, sweet soft fish blended with macaroni and vegetables, suitable for changing the taste for family meals.

1.17. Snakehead fish floss (Cha bong)

Ingredients:

• 2 dried snakehead fish
• A little cooking oil and a few cloves of garlic

Instructions for making snakehead fish floss as follows:

• Cut the dried snakehead fish into bite-sized pieces, wash clean and put in a pot to boil for about 15-20 minutes until soft. Remove the fish to cool down slightly, then shred it along the grain, removing skin and bones.
• Peel and mince the garlic. Next, put a pan on the stove to heat the oil, then sauté the garlic until it’s fragrant, then add the shredded fish and stir well. Keep medium heat, and stir gently continuously for about 10 -15 minutes until the fish is dry and fluffy.
• Finally, turn off the stove, let the floss cool completely and put it into a sealed jar. Store in a dry place or the cool compartment of the refrigerator to use gradually.

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2. Guide to preparing snakehead fish quickly

For snakehead fish dishes to be delicious and not fishy, the preparation stage plays an extremely important role.

• First, you need to clean the fish scales, cut off the gills and take out all the inner gut.
• Then, use grain salt to lightly rub on the fish body to remove the slime layer, then wash several times with clean water.
• Next, crushed ginger, lemon or diluted vinegar can be used to wash the fish one last time, helping to deodorize the fishy smell more effectively. If processing dishes that need cutting into chunks or fillets, use a sharp knife so the fish meat is not crushed and keeps its firmness.
• After preparation, you should cook the fish immediately or preserve it cold properly to maintain its freshness.

3. Notes when cooking and preserving snakehead fish

To make snakehead fish dishes always delicious and full-flavored, you need to pay attention from marinating, cooking to preservation.

• Snakehead fish should be pre-divided into bite-sized portions before preservation, making it easy to use and keeping it fresh longer.
• When not using immediately, put the fish in a sealed container or zip bag and store in the refrigerator for 1-2 days, or freeze if you want to keep it longer.
• During the processing, you should marinate the fish with spices for a sufficient time so the fish absorbs them evenly while still maintaining its freshness. Ingredients like ginger, lemongrass, pepper, turmeric, or spring onions not only help effectively deodorize fishiness but also make the dish more attractive.
• When cooking, you should control the heat reasonably, avoiding cooking for too long which makes the fish meat mushy. With soup or braised dishes, the fish should be put in when the water has boiled so the fish meat is firm and maintains its natural sweet taste.

Above is the summary of attractive dishes made from snakehead fish and hope it has helped you answer the concern of “what to cook with snakehead fish”. Wish you successful implementation and if you still want to explore many interesting cooking recipes or other fascinating culinary shares, don’t forget to visit the Ola Squid Blog for more updates! Besides snakehead fish, if you are looking for premium seafood snacks, check out our dried squid shop for the best quality products.