Sweet and Sour Fish

Forget take out! This Sweet and Sour Fish recipe is super easy to make yet so tasty. Bite-sized fish are fried to golden perfection and then tossed in a sweet, tangy, sticky sauce with colorful bell peppers for a flavorful dish!

Sweet and sour dishes trace their origins to Chinese cuisine. The original sweet and sour sauce is said to have come from Hunan, a province in China. It was a combination of light vinegar and sugar and was initially used as a condiment or dipping sauce for meat and fish rather than cooking.

In the Philippines, the sweet and sour sauce, or agre dulce, consists of cornstarch, water, salt, sugar, ketchup, vinegar, and pineapple juice. The mixture is cooked until thickened and is commonly used as a sarsa for dipping or dousing meat or fish.

There are so many ways to enjoy this dish. The sweet, tangy, sticky sauce goes well with almost any protein, from lean chicken and meaty fish to crispy tofu. You can also check out my sweet and sour meatballs, and sweet and sour pork recipes for more ways to cook with these flavors.

Ingredient notes

• Fish- the recipe uses tilapia fillets as they're meaty and relatively inexpensive. Any white fish with firm flesh, such as catfish, cod, bass, or dory, are also good options.
• Soy sauce- marinates the fish to lend a savory boost of flavor
• Flour and cornstarch- create a golden, crispy crust
• Beaten egg- helps the breading stick
• Oil- use oil with a neutral taste and high smoke point, such as canola, safflower, grapeseed, or vegetable oil
• Bell Peppers- adds color and texture. Feel free to use a mix of red and green bell peppers for a more vibrant presentation
• Pineapple Juice- adds a fruity sweetness to the sauce
• Rice Vinegar- a type of vinegar made from fermented rice. It has a mild and slightly sweet flavor. In a pinch, you can use apple cider vinegar as a substitute.
• Ketchup—This recipe used tomato ketchup. If using banana ketchup (usually sweet), I suggest mixing the ingredients for the sauce together except the sugar and then adding the sugar according to your preference.
• Brown Sugar- has a less concentrated sweetness and contains molasses. If using white granulated sugar, adjust the amount to taste
• Cornstarch- thickens the sauce
• Salt and pepper- season to taste

The traditional Filipino version uses whole fried fish, much like the escabeche. This recipe cuts tilapia fillets into bite-size pieces, lightly batters them, deep-fries them until golden and crisp, and then tosses them in the sweet and tangy sauce called agre dulce with bell peppers and onions.

While entire fish might present better in a banquet, this version is easier to eat without the troublesome head and bones to pick through.

Sweet and sour fish cooking steps

1. Marinate fish fillets in soy sauce and drain well. Dredge in seasoned flour mixture, dip in the beaten egg, and then dredge again in the flour mixture to coat fully.
2. Fry fish- Heat oil in a pan. Add battered fish fillets and fry until golden. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels.
3. Prepare sauce- Saute bell peppers and onions in a pan until tender-crisp, then set aside. Combine the sauce mixture in a bowl and add it to the pan. Bring to a boil, whisking regularly until thickened. Add bell peppers and onions.
4. Toss everything together. Add fried fish fillets and cook just until coated with sauce. Season with salt and pepper if needed.

How to serve and store

• You can finish off the sweet and sour fish in two ways. You can drizzle the sauce just before serving to keep the fried fish nice and crispy or simmer them in the sauce to soak it up.
• Serve as a main entree for lunch or dinner with steamed rice, steamed veggies, and Panda Express chow mein stir-fry noodles for a filling Asian-themed meal at home.
• Store leftovers in a container with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave until completely warmed through.
• If you're planning future meals and want the best texture, you can make the sauce ahead of time and keep it refrigerated for up to 2 weeks. When ready to serve, batter and fry the fish.

More fish recipes

Coconut Curry Salmon

Crispy Fried Smelt Fish

Gising Gising with Bangus

Sinaing na Tulingan

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @kawalingpinoy on Facebook and Instagram!

4.89 from 9 votes

Sweet and Sour Sauce Fish

Level up plain fried fish fillets into this tasty Sweet and Sour Fish! It's easy to prepare, economical, and perfect for your everyday meals or even for special occasions.

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 20 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Author: Lalaine Manalo

Course: Main Entree

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4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 pound tilapia fillets, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• ½ cup flour
• ½ cup cornstarch
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 egg, well beaten
• canola oil
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded, cored, and cut into cubes
• 1 onion, peeled and sliced thinly

For Sweet and Sour Sauce

• 1 cup pineapple juice
• ½ cup rice vinegar
• ¼ cup ketchup
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon salt

US CustomaryMetric

Instructions

• In a bowl, combine fish and soy sauce. Marinate for about 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Drain well.
• In a bowl, whisk egg until frothy.
• In another bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Dredge fish fillets in flour mixture, dip in the beaten egg, and then dredge again in flour mixture to fully coat.
• In a pan over medium heat, heat about 1-inch deep of oil. Add battered fish fillets and cook, turning once or twice, until golden and cooked through. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels.
• In a bowl, combine pineapple juice, vinegar, ketchup, sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Stir until smooth.
• In a pan over medium heat, heat about 1 tablespoon oil. Add bell peppers and onions and cook, stirring regularly, until half cooked. Remove from pan and set aside.
• In the pan, add sauce mixture and bring to a boil, whisking regularly, for about 2 to 3 minutes or until thickened.
• Add bell peppers and onions.
• Add fried fish fillets and cook and toss quickly just until coated with sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

Notes

• For the best crisp, maintain oil at the optimal temperature of 350 F to 375 F when deep-frying. Too high and the outside coating will burn before the inside is thoroughly cooked; too low and they’ll absorb more grease.
• Do not overcrowd the pan, and fry in batches as needed to prevent the oil temperature from plummeting.
• Add pineapple chunks for extra flavor and texture.
• You can finish off the sweet and sour fish in two ways.
• You can drizzle the sauce just before serving to keep the fried fish nice and crispy or simmer them in the sauce to soak it up.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 496kcal, Carbohydrates: 72g, Protein: 28g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 98mg, Sodium: 1308mg, Potassium: 658mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 38g, Vitamin A: 1071IU, Vitamin C: 47mg, Calcium: 66mg, Iron: 2mg

“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”