Fish sauce can be one of the most confusing bottles in an Asian grocery aisle.
Open it for the first time and the strong aroma can make you wonder why anyone would want to put it in their dinner. But once it is used correctly, fish sauce can do something quite different. It adds a deep savoury flavour, rounds out sauces and gives dishes that extra layer that is sometimes difficult to get from salt alone.
For Australian home cooks, fish sauce is becoming a much more useful pantry ingredient. It appears in Thai, Vietnamese and Filipino cooking, but its uses go well beyond traditional recipes. A small amount can improve stir fries, soups, marinades, curries, salad dressings and even some everyday Western-style dishes.
The trick is knowing how much to use.
Fish sauce is highly concentrated and salty, so adding a large splash can quickly take over a meal. The better approach is to start small, taste and then build the flavour gradually.
What Is Fish Sauce?
Fish sauce is a fermented liquid seasoning traditionally made by combining small fish, commonly anchovies, with salt and allowing the mixture to ferment.
Over time, fermentation breaks down the fish and produces a salty, savoury liquid rich in umami.
The finished sauce can range from pale amber to a much darker brown, depending on the ingredients, fermentation process and style.
Although the smell can be quite strong straight from the bottle, the flavour becomes much more integrated when it is cooked with other ingredients.
Good fish sauce is not simply about making food taste like fish. It is about adding depth.
That is why a small amount can make a noodle stir-fry or curry taste much more complete without making the seafood flavour obvious.
Why Does Fish Sauce Smell So Strong?
This is probably the biggest hurdle for beginners.
Fish sauce has a distinctive fermented aroma, and it can be surprisingly intense when the bottle is opened.
That does not mean the finished meal will taste the same way.
When fish sauce is mixed with ingredients such as garlic, chilli, lime, sugar, coconut milk or soy sauce, its flavour becomes part of the overall dish.
Cooking also helps soften some of the sharper aromas.
Think of fish sauce more like a seasoning than a main ingredient.
You are not usually trying to taste a spoonful of fish sauce in the final meal. You are using it to make everything else taste better.
How Much Fish Sauce Should You Use?
This is where many first-time cooks go wrong.
There is no universal measurement because different brands can vary in saltiness and intensity.
A useful starting point is half a teaspoon to one teaspoon for a small dish, then taste and adjust.
For a larger stir-fry or soup, you may need more, but it is still better to add it gradually.
You can always add another splash.
You cannot easily remove it once the dish has become too salty.
This is particularly important when your recipe already includes soy sauce, oyster sauce, stock or other salty ingredients.
Fish Sauce Is More Than Just Salt
It is tempting to think of fish sauce as a replacement for table salt.
It can certainly provide saltiness, but that is not its only job.
The fermentation process gives fish sauce a savoury, complex quality that plain salt cannot provide.
This is the reason it works so well in dishes containing several contrasting flavours.
A Thai-style sauce might combine fish sauce with chilli, lime and sugar.
A Vietnamese dressing can balance fish sauce with sourness, sweetness, garlic and fresh herbs.
A curry can use fish sauce to add savoury depth underneath coconut milk and spices.
The result is not simply salty. It is more rounded.
How to Use Fish Sauce in a Stir Fry
Stir-fries are one of the easiest places to start.
Once your vegetables and protein are nearly cooked, add a small amount of fish sauce along with your other seasonings.
For a simple stir-fry, you could combine:
- Fish sauce
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Chilli
- A little sugar
- Lime juice
- Sesame oil
You can adjust the mixture according to the ingredients in your wok.
Chicken, prawns, beef, tofu, mushrooms and vegetables can all work.
One important tip is to avoid pouring fish sauce directly over a huge pile of ingredients without tasting.
Mix it into the sauce first or add it around the hot pan so it can distribute more evenly.
Fish Sauce in Thai Curries
Fish sauce is a natural partner for Thai-style curries.
When combined with coconut milk and curry paste, it provides the salty savoury element that balances the richness of the coconut.
For a quick curry, you might start with:
- Curry paste
- Coconut milk
- Fish sauce
- Vegetables
- Chicken, prawns or tofu
- Lime juice
The fish sauce should support the curry paste, not dominate it.
Add a small amount while the curry is cooking, taste, and then decide whether it needs more.
A squeeze of lime at the end can also help balance the salty richness.
Fish Sauce in Soups
Fish sauce can be particularly useful in broths.
It adds depth without changing the colour of the soup as much as some darker sauces might.
Try a small amount in noodle soups, vegetable broths, seafood soups or Southeast Asian-inspired chicken soups.
If your soup already contains stock, taste it before adding fish sauce.
Commercial stocks can contain quite a lot of sodium, so you may need much less fish sauce than expected.
This is one situation where adding the sauce slowly really matters.
Fish Sauce and Noodles
Noodles are another easy way to use fish sauce.
Rice noodles, vermicelli and other Southeast Asian-style noodles can work particularly well with it.
For a quick noodle dressing, combine fish sauce with lime juice, chilli, garlic and a little sugar.
You can then toss the dressing through noodles with vegetables, herbs and your preferred protein.
For a stir-fried noodle dish, fish sauce can be combined with soy sauce or another savoury seasoning.
But you do not necessarily need both.
If you are already using a generous amount of soy sauce, reduce the fish sauce so the finished dish does not become overly salty.
Fish Sauce for Salad Dressings
This is one of the best uses for fish sauce if you are trying to understand how it works.
A Southeast Asian-style dressing often combines four basic flavour directions:
Salty: fish sauce
Sour: lime juice or vinegar
Sweet: sugar
Spicy: chilli
Garlic and herbs can then add aroma.
The balance can be adjusted according to taste.
Too salty? Add more lime or a little water.
Too sour? Add a touch more sweetness.
Too sweet? Increase the lime.
Too mild? Add chilli.
This approach helps you understand fish sauce rather than simply following a fixed measurement.
Fish Sauce for Marinades
Fish sauce is excellent in marinades for meat, seafood and vegetables.
It pairs especially well with garlic, ginger, chilli, citrus and sweet ingredients.
For chicken, try combining fish sauce with garlic, lime juice, sugar and a little oil.
For prawns or seafood, use less fish sauce and allow the natural flavour of the seafood to remain noticeable.
For tofu, a stronger marinade can help provide more depth.
Fish sauce also works surprisingly well in barbecue marinades, which makes it particularly relevant for Australian cooking.
Can You Use Fish Sauce on the Barbecue?
Yes.
Australia’s barbecue culture makes fish sauce a useful ingredient to experiment with.
A small amount can be included in marinades for chicken, pork, prawns and other seafood.
It can also be mixed with garlic, chilli, lime and sugar for a dipping sauce served alongside grilled food.
The key is balance.
You do not want the marinade to taste overwhelmingly salty before the meat reaches the barbecue.
Remember that the meat will lose some moisture during cooking, which can concentrate the seasoning.
Fish Sauce Can Work With Vegetables Too
Fish sauce is often associated with meat and seafood, but it can be excellent with vegetables.
Try a few drops with:
- Broccoli
- Asian greens
- Cabbage
- Mushrooms
- Eggplant
- Green beans
- Carrots
- Corn
Mushrooms are especially good because their natural savoury flavour works well with the umami character of fish sauce.
For a simple vegetable side, stir-fry garlic and vegetables, then add a small amount of fish sauce and finish with lime or lemon juice.
You may be surprised by how little is needed.
What Happens If You Add Too Much Fish Sauce?
Unfortunately, this is easy to do.
Too much fish sauce can make a dish extremely salty and give it an overpowering fermented flavour.
If this happens, do not immediately add sugar.
Sugar can hide some saltiness but will not actually remove it.
Instead, increase the volume of the dish if possible.
For a curry, add more unsalted coconut milk or vegetables.
For soup, add unsalted stock or water and then rebalance the other flavours.
For a stir-fry, add more vegetables, noodles or rice.
Acid such as lime juice can also help restore balance, although it should be added carefully.
Should You Combine Fish Sauce and Soy Sauce?
You can, but you do not always need to.
The two sauces have different flavour profiles.
Soy sauce tends to provide salty, savoury seasoning and also adds colour.
Fish sauce provides a fermented, savoury depth with a distinct aroma.
Using both can create a more complex sauce.
For example, a noodle stir-fry might use a small amount of each.
But if you are new to fish sauce, try using it on its own first.
That makes it easier to understand what it contributes to the dish.
Is Fish Sauce Gluten Free?
Many traditional fish sauces are made primarily from fish and salt, but ingredients can vary between brands.
If you need to avoid gluten, do not rely on the name alone.
Read the ingredient list and check the product’s allergen and gluten-free information.
The same rule applies to people with fish allergies.
Fish sauce is a fish-based ingredient and should be treated as such.
Australian food labelling provides allergen information to help consumers identify ingredients that may be relevant to them.
How to Choose a Fish Sauce
The fish sauce aisle can contain a surprising number of choices.
Look at the ingredient list rather than choosing only based on the packaging.
A simple ingredient list can be a useful starting point, particularly if you are looking for a traditional-style sauce.
Some products contain additional ingredients such as sugar, flavour enhancers, preservatives or other seasonings.
That does not automatically make them bad products. It simply means that different bottles are designed for different uses and preferences.
If you are new to fish sauce, choose a product with a flavour profile you are comfortable experimenting with.
As you become more familiar with it, you can compare different styles.
What Does the Number on a Fish Sauce Bottle Mean?
Some fish sauces use numbers associated with amino nitrogen content.
For experienced cooks, these numbers can offer a clue about the concentration of protein-derived compounds in the sauce and are sometimes used as an indication of quality.
However, beginners do not need to become obsessed with the number on the bottle.
Taste, ingredients and how you intend to use the sauce are all important.
A more expensive bottle is not necessarily the best choice for every dish.
A delicate premium fish sauce may be excellent as a finishing seasoning, while a more affordable everyday bottle can be perfectly practical for stir-fries and marinades.
How Should You Store Fish Sauce?
Always follow the storage instructions printed on the bottle.
Generally, unopened fish sauce should be stored in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.
Once opened, keep the bottle tightly sealed and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
Because fish sauce is salty and fermented, it has a long shelf life compared with many fresh ingredients.
Still, that does not mean you should ignore the label.
If the smell, appearance or flavour changes noticeably, check the product information and use your judgement about whether it should still be used.
A Simple Beginner’s Fish Sauce Recipe
If you want to experiment without making a complicated dish, try this basic dressing.
Combine:
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 small chopped chilli
- A little minced garlic
- 1 to 2 teaspoons water
Mix everything together and taste.
If it is too salty, add more water or lime.
If it is too sour, add a little more sugar.
This simple mixture can be used with grilled chicken, rice noodles, vegetables or fresh salads.
It is also a good way to understand the basic balance of Southeast Asian flavours.
Fish Sauce Does Not Have to Taste Fishy
This is perhaps the most important thing for beginners to understand.
Used properly, fish sauce should not necessarily make your meal taste like seafood.
Instead, it can add a background savoury quality that is difficult to identify.
That is why experienced cooks sometimes add a small amount to dishes that do not obviously look like they need fish sauce.
It can work in soups, stews, rice dishes, marinades and even some vegetable-based meals.
The goal is not to announce that fish sauce has been added.
The goal is for someone to taste the dish and think it has more depth.
The Australian Kitchen Is a Good Place to Experiment
Fish sauce fits naturally into the way many Australians cook today.
Asian flavours are already a familiar part of the Australian food scene, and home cooks regularly combine ingredients from different cuisines.
A bottle of fish sauce can therefore sit comfortably alongside soy sauce, barbecue sauces, olive oil, spices and other everyday pantry staples.
It is especially useful for quick dinners because a few drops can transform basic ingredients.
A bowl of noodles, some leftover vegetables and a little chicken can become a completely different meal with the right balance of fish sauce, lime, chilli and aromatics.
The Biggest Rule: Start Small
Fish sauce is powerful, but that is exactly what makes it useful.
You do not need a large amount to make a difference.
Start with a few drops or about half a teaspoon, mix it through the food and taste.
Add more only if the dish needs it.
And remember that other salty ingredients count too.
If you are already using soy sauce, stock, oyster sauce or miso, your dish may need much less fish sauce.
Once you get used to that balance, the bottle that once seemed intimidating can become one of the most useful ingredients in your kitchen.
Fish sauce is not about making food taste fishy. It is about adding savoury depth, balancing flavours and making simple ingredients taste more complete.
Use it gently, taste as you go, and let the other ingredients have their moment too.