Sweet and Sour Fish features crispy, golden-brown fish fillets with a sweet and tangy sauce. This dish is surprisingly easy and quick to prepare, making it an excellent choice for a flavorful meal in no time!
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Ingredients you'll need
Notes and substitutions
- Fish: I used ocean perch, a saltwater fish with a mild flavor and firm texture. You can use any firm, white fish fillet like tilapia, cod, snapper, bass, or catfish. These types have a mild flavor that pairs well with the sweet and tangy sauce and maintains a good texture when fried.
- Starch: I used cornstarch for a light, crisp coating on the fish. You can use all-purpose flour for a slightly heavier coating, or try a combination of cornstarch and all-purpose flour for balance.
- Baking powder: This is key for achieving a crispy texture. It works by releasing gas bubbles during cooking, which helps create a beautifully crisp and crunchy coating.
How to make this recipe
Step 2: Prepare the fish
Rinse the fillets and lightly pat them dry - make sure they remain slightly damp so the starch adheres well. Cut them into large bite-sized pieces and gently score them. This creates more surface area for the coating, resulting in an even crunchier texture.
Combine the cornstarch and baking powder in a shallow bowl. Lightly season the fillets with salt and pepper, then dredge each piece in the flour mixture, shaking off any excess.
Step 3: Shallow-fry the fish
In a wok or a skillet, add about an inch of oil and set it over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the fish pieces carefully.
Fry them until crisp and golden brown for about 5 minutes, flipping halfway through. Set aside on a paper towel to drain excess oil.
Step 4: Stir fry the vegetables and pineapple
In the same wok or skillet, remove excess oil, leaving just enough to lightly coat the bottom. Turn the heat to high and quickly stir-fry the bell peppers, onion, and pineapple, about 2 minutes or until slightly charred.
Step 5: Sauté the aromatics
Push the vegetables to the side of the wok, then lower the heat to medium. Add more oil as needeed, then sauté the ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes in the center for 30 seconds.
Add the scallions, then toss everything together. Lightly season with salt and pepper.
Step 6: Add the sauce
Turn the heat up to high and add the sweet and sour sauce to the wok. Let it slighty thicken for about a minute or two.
Step 7: Add the fish
Carefully place the fish into the sauce, then turn off the heat. Gently toss to evenly coat the fish with the hot sauce. Season with ground pepper, as desired.
Enjoy your Sweet and Sour Fish right away to ensure the fish remains deliciously crisp. Serve with a side of steamed rice for a complete and satisfying meal!
Recipe FAQs
Sweet and Sour Fish is a stir-fry with crispy fish fillets and vegetables like bell peppers, onions, and pineapple, coated in a sweet and tangy sauce. This sauce typically includes ingredients like vinegar, sugar, ketchup, and sometimes pineapple juice.
Both dishes include fish in a sweet and tangy sauce, but differ in preparation and flavor profiles. Sweet and Sour Fish uses fish fillets with pineapples and bell peppers, then coating them in a thick, sweet, and tangy sauce with ketchup.
On the other hand, Filipino Escabeche uses whole fried fish covered in a milder sweet and sour sauce, with vegetables like carrots, bell peppers, and onions. Tomato sauce or tomatoes are sometimes added for color and flavor.
Yes, you can bake the fish for a healthier option. It won't be as crispy as frying, but it will still be delicious. Bake at 400°F (200°C) until the fish is cooked through.
Yes, you can skip the ketchup, but it will affect the flavor and color of the dish. Ketchup adds both sweetness and a tangy tomato flavor, as well as a vibrant red color. If you omit it, consider using tomato paste or fresh tomatoes to help compensate for the flavor and color that ketchup provides.
Explore more sweet and sour dishes
- Sweet and Sour Chicken: A popular dish with crispy chicken pieces in a vibrant, tangy sauce with pineapple and bell peppers.
- Sweet and Sour Pork: Juicy pork cubes fried until crispy and then drenched in a sweet and sour sauce.
- Sweet and Sour Tofu: A vegetarian option where crispy tofu cubes are smothered in a glossy, tangy sauce.
- Sweet and Sour Meatballs: Seasoned meatballs coated in a sweet and sour sauce, stir-fried with peppers and onions.
- Sweet and Sour Shrimp: Lightly battered shrimp in a sticky, sweet and sour sauce.
- Filipino Escabeche: Whole fried fish is served with a milder sweet and sour sauce, often with added vegetables and sometimes tomato sauce for flavor and color.
Other seafood recipes you may like
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📖 Recipe
Sweet and Sour Fish Recipe
Equipment
- A wok or skillet
Ingredients
For the Fish
- 1 pound fish fillets (any firm white fish) cut into large pieces; see note
- ½ cup cornstarch sub: all-purpose flour; see note
- 1 teaspoon baking powder see note
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the Sweet and Sour Sauce
- ¼ cup cane or white vinegar (sub: rice or apple cider vinegar)
- ¼ cup ketchup
- ⅓ cup sugar adjust to taste
- ⅔ cup water
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
For the Stir-fry
- 1 medium white or yellow onion cut into 1-inch pieces
- ½ red bell pepper about 1 cup; cut into 1-inch pieces
- ½ green bell pepper about 1 cup; cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 cup pineapple chunks fresh, frozen, or canned; cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- 3 cloves 3 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 2 stalks scallions cut into 1½-inch sections
- Neutal oil (canola, avocado, or other vegetable oils) for shallow-frying and sautéing
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine the vinegar, ketchup, sugar, ⅔ cup water, soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Mix together and set aside.
- Rinse the fish fillets and lightly pat them dry - make sure they remain slightly damp so the starch adheres well.Cut the fillets into large bite-sized pieces and gently score them. This creates more surface area for the coating, resulting in an even crunchier texture.
- Combine the cornstarch and baking powder in a shallow bowl. Lightly season the fillets with salt and pepper, then dredge each piece in the flour mixture, shaking off any excess.
- In a wok or a skillet, add about an inch of oil and set it over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the fish pieces carefully.
- Fry them until crisp and golden brown for about 5 minutes, flipping halfway through. Set aside on a wire rack or paper towel to drain excess oil.
- In the same wok or skillet, remove excess oil, leaving just enough to lightly coat the bottom. Turn the heat to high and quickly stir-fry the bell peppers, onion, and pineapple, about 2 minutes or until slightly charred.
- Push the vegetables to the side of the wok, then lower the heat to medium. Add more oil as needeed, then sauté the ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes in the center for 30 seconds.
- Add the scallions, then toss everything together. Lightly season the vegetables with salt and pepper.
- Turn the heat up to high and add the sweet and sour sauce. Let it slighty thicken for about a minute or two.
- Carefully place the fish into the sauce, then turn off the heat. Gently toss to evenly coat them with the sauce. Season with more ground pepper, as desired.
- Enjoy your Sweet and Sour Fish right away to ensure the fish remains deliciously crisp. Serve with a side of steamed rice for a complete and satisfying meal.
Notes
- Fish: I used ocean perch, a saltwater fish with a mild flavor and firm texture. You can use any firm, white fish fillet like tilapia, cod, snapper, bass, or catfish. These types have a mild flavor that pairs well with the sweet and tangy sauce and maintains a good texture when fried.
- Starch: I used cornstarch for a light, crisp coating on the fish. You can use all-purpose flour for a slightly heavier coating, or try a combination of cornstarch and all-purpose flour for balance.
- Baking powder: This is key for achieving a crispy texture. It works by releasing gas bubbles during cooking, which helps create a beautifully crisp and crunchy coating.
Lynn says
I am making this for my family tonight. I got snapper for the fish. Thank you for sharing.
Nora Reyes says
Hi Lynn, Snapper is a wonderful fish! I hope you enjoy. Thanks!