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    Homepage » Recipes

    Sweet and Sour Fish

    Published: Feb 10, 2020 · Modified: May 16, 2020 This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads · 25 Comments

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    sweet and sour fish recipe

    Learn how to make a popular seafood dish from China, sweet and sour fish.  This Chinese seafood is incredibly delicious and easy to make.

    This homestyle meal (known as Tang Cu Yu (糖醋鱼)), would be the perfect addition to your family dinner table, any weeknight or for a gathering or fun occasion.

    Sweet and Sour Fish

    Why You'll Love this Chinese Seafood Recipe

    Sweet and sour fish is one of the most popular seafood dishes you can find at Chinese restaurants.

    Today I am going to show you how to make good restaurant-style sweet and sour fish fillets. This dish tastes similar or even better than take-out, and is much healthier and cheaper!

    Sweet and Sour Fish

    The Ingredients:

    This dish consists of white fish that is smothered in a Cantonese-inspired sweet and sour sauce.

    To add fresh colors to the dish I added in some diced red bell pepper, green bell pepper, and yellow onions. 

    Some people opt to add pineapple into this dish.  I sometimes do, but other times I like the dish to have a little less sweet of a taste.   

    Sweet and Sour Fish

    The Best Fish to Use

    In this recipe, I used cod fillets that I marinated with a classic Chinese marinade sauce.

    I also added lightly beaten eggs and corn starch flour in the wok prior to adding the deep-fried the fillets, which I then cooked until golden browned in color.

    Sweet and Sour Fish

    Haddock, catfish, pollock, or similar mild white fish can also be used to make this recipe.

    Homemade Sweet and Sour Sauce:

    This homemade sweet and sour sauce is absolutely amazing and customizable.

    It has the perfect balance of sweetness and tanginess from pineapple juice, vinegar, and sugar.

    It's also garlicky and gingery. You can even use the same recipe for the sweet and sour sauce to make sweet and sour chicken or sweet and sour pork!

    Sweet and Sour Fish

    One of the best things about this homemade sweet and sour sauce is that you can adjust the sweetness or tanginess by adding extra sugar or vinegar until you reach the desired taste.

    Sweet and Sour Fish

    This sauce uses 100% pineapple juice as one of the main ingredients.

    The pineapple juice gives natural sweetness and tanginess to the dish, which also offers some health benefits. I think it's better than using all refined sugar like many restaurants do when making this sauce.

    Easy Cooking Process

    The cooking process of this dish is pretty easy and quick.

    1. First, marinate the fish, then mix in the eggs and flour.
    2. Second, deep fry the fish until golden brown. This process runs pretty quickly, just be ready for some oil splatter 🙂
    3. Next, make the homemade sweet and sour sauce.
    4. Lastly, you will need to cook the other ingredients, then add fish and sauce. 
    Sweet and Sour Fish

    Homemade Chinese Food Without MSG

    When planning a recipe like this I think of different ways to make the dish healthier, which oftentimes actually makes it taste better too. 

    I eat much less deep-fried foods than I used to and also try to cut back my MSG consumption.

    This fish dish is so delicious, and when you try recipes like this and can say “wow, it tastes better without MSG”, you’ll never want to go back. 

    While this recipe isn’t as healthy as a salad you’re still getting some veggies and fish, and the sauce that I use has much less sugar than most out there, which lets the other flavors shine through.

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    Sweet and Sour Fish
    5 from 13 votes

    Sweet and Sour Fish

    Rika
    Learn how to make a popular seafood dish from China, sweet and sour fish.  This Chinese seafood is incredibly delicious and easy to make. This homestyle meal (known as Tang Cu Yu (糖醋鱼)), would be the perfect addition to your family dinner table, any weeknight or for a gathering or fun occasion.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 15 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Chinese
    Servings 4
    Calories 257 kcal

    Ingredients
     

    • 1 pound cod fillets or any white fish of your choice , (cut into an ⅛ inch thick slices)

    Marinade:

    • 1 egg, (lightly beaten)
    • ½ tablespoon Shaoxing wine , (or use dry sherry)
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ cup corn starch
    • ½ teaspoon cooking oil , (such as vegetable, peanut, or canola oil)

    Sweet and Sour Sauce:

    • 1 cup 100% pineapple juice
    • ¼ cup water
    • 3 tablespoon light brown sugar
    • 3 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
    • 2 tablespoon ketchup
    • 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
    • 1 tablespoon corn starch , ( mix with 1 tablespoon water to thicken the sauce)

    Stir Fry:

    • 1 tablespoon minced ginger
    • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
    • ¾ cup diced green bell pepper
    • ¾ cup diced red bell pepper
    • ½ medium yellow onion , (diced)
    • vegetable oil

    Instructions
     

    • Place the fish fillets in a bowl. Add the Shaoxing wine and salt, mix well. Mix in the egg and flour until the fish slices are fully coated. Add the oil. Set aside.
    • Heat at least 1 cup of oil in a wok over high heat. Dip a chopstick into the oil. If the oil starts steadily bubbling, then the oil is hot enough for frying. 
      Working in batches, use chopsticks to drop the fish slices into the wok one by one. Deep-fry the fish slices until lightly golden. Do not overcook the fish. Remove the cooked fish from the pan, and transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Set aside.
    • In a medium-sized bowl, combine all sweet and sour ingredients. Set aside.
    • In a wok, heat 1 teaspoon of oil over high heat, cook garlic and ginger until fragrant for about 10 seconds. Whisk in the sweet and sour sauce into the wok, simmer, stirring occasionally until the sauce is thickened and glossy for about 5 minutes (or until have just enough sauce to wrap around the crispy pieces of fish, about 1¼ cup of sauce).
      Adjust seasoning with extra sugar and/or vinegar if needed or until you reach your desired taste. Remove from the heat, set aside.
    • In a clean wok, heat about 1½ tablespoon of oil over high heat. Cook the diced onion, red bell pepper, and green bell pepper until tender. Add the fish slices back into the skillet, then pour in the sweet and sour sauce. Toss to combine. Remove from the heat and serve.
      Or for a crispier result, you can pour the sweet and sour sauce with vegetable mixture over the fish before serving.

    Nutrition

    Sodium: 579mgCalcium: 49mgVitamin C: 67mgVitamin A: 1121IUSugar: 19gFiber: 1gPotassium: 724mgCholesterol: 90mgCalories: 257kcalSaturated Fat: 1gFat: 3gProtein: 23gCarbohydrates: 33gIron: 1mg
    Keyword Sweet and Sour Fish, Sweet and Sour Fish Fillets, Tang Cu Yu
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. melissa chapman

      February 24, 2020 at 8:03 am

      5 stars
      That fish dish looks so good and the sauce very special. I know my son would love a meal like this beause he loves fish and Chinese food

    2. Amber Myers

      February 24, 2020 at 11:00 am

      5 stars
      I do love a good stir fry! My husband and kids will enjoy this. They do gobble up their seafood.

    3. cait

      February 24, 2020 at 11:27 am

      we love a good stir fry in our house and this recipe is one id be excited to make for my family this week!

    4. Rena McDaniel

      February 24, 2020 at 12:38 pm

      I have never thought of using fish instead of chicken but I'm fascinated! Pinning! I have to try it.

    5. adriana

      February 24, 2020 at 1:19 pm

      5 stars
      I am a super fan of sweet and sour dishes and yours looks lovely! Besides, it is so easy to make and a good way to introduce fish to the diet.

    6. Tasheena

      February 24, 2020 at 1:53 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe looks so savory. Looking forward to making this for my family.

    7. Nancy L

      February 24, 2020 at 4:05 pm

      5 stars
      I've been trying to get my family to eat more fish and this might just work. They love sweet and sour chicken so why not use fish instead?

    8. Catalina

      February 25, 2020 at 3:49 am

      5 stars
      Oh my goodness! How good this dish looks! This is a brilliant idea for dinner!

    9. Lynndee

      February 25, 2020 at 6:02 am

      I haven't tried preparing nor have eaten sweet and sour cod before. Just saved your recipe. It looks good and I can't wait to try it.

    10. Lisa Martin

      February 25, 2020 at 7:10 am

      This looks amazing! I am trying to add more fish dishes throughout our week, and this will help me keep it interesting and delicious!

    11. Beth

      February 25, 2020 at 7:17 am

      5 stars
      I haven't tried sweet and sour fish before, but it looks delicious! Pinning for future reference!

    12. Ruth I

      February 25, 2020 at 10:48 am

      5 stars
      You have the best recipes! I've been craving for this since this year started but I rarely eat out. This looks so delicious!

    13. Tiffany Grau

      February 25, 2020 at 2:13 pm

      5 stars
      I've never thought of doing a sweet and sour fish before! Brilliant idea!

    14. Marysa

      February 25, 2020 at 6:47 pm

      I have never had a dish like this before, and it sounds delicious! I like how versatile stir fry can be.

    15. Lizzie Lau

      February 25, 2020 at 7:49 pm

      I love sweet and sour fish. I've never made it at home, but I buy haddock and mahi mahi at Costco and they'd probably work great with this recipe.

    16. Rika Livingston

      February 25, 2020 at 10:23 pm

      Thanks so much Ruth!

    17. Rika Livingston

      February 25, 2020 at 10:24 pm

      I think you should try to make it at home 🙂 So easy!

    18. Rika Livingston

      February 25, 2020 at 10:24 pm

      It's very similar to sweet sour chicken, try it out!

    19. Swathi

      February 25, 2020 at 10:52 pm

      5 stars
      These are delicious sweet and sour fish. Perfect meal.

    20. Megan

      July 01, 2020 at 9:49 pm

      5 stars
      Deliciously authentic

    21. Rika Livingston

      July 01, 2020 at 9:54 pm

      Hi Megan,

      Thanks for sharing your feedback! I am so glad that you enjoyed this recipe!

    22. Tamara Nikolajew

      September 08, 2020 at 1:08 pm

      5 stars
      I made this today. Easy recipe and very tasty. I used sea bass and it came out perfect! Thank you!

    23. Rika Livingston

      September 08, 2020 at 1:11 pm

      Hi Tamara,

      I appreciate you sharing your feedback! I am glad that this sweet and sour fish turned out well for you! The sea bass sounds really good. I will have to try it next time!

      Best,

      Rika

    24. Christiana

      November 29, 2020 at 5:13 pm

      Made this for Sunday dinner with catfish. It’s amazing. Taste like it was bought at a restaurant.

    25. Rika Livingston

      November 29, 2020 at 5:22 pm

      Thanks for sharing your feedback, Christiana! I am glad that this sweet and sour fish recipe turned out well for you!

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    Hi, I'm Rika! Through Posh Journal I share my passion for food, travel and other things I enjoy along the way.  Don’t let the name fool you, most of my recipes are easy to cook and can be enjoyed on a daily basis. 

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