25-Minute Sweet and Sour Fish

I feel like LA is having a bit of an identity crisis with the weather but it is 85 DEGREES right now. And when it’s that hot, I only want to make super easy recipes, and it seems like you guys seem to like that too. Some recipes you guys have been making like my Chinese chicken and mushroom, Shrimp Stir Fry, and Ga Kho are not only tasty but also so easy to make. So I wanted to continue the trend of easy, simple weeknight dinners with this sweet and sour fish.

Sweet and sour is a flavor profile you see a lot at Americanized Chinese places because it catered more to Western palettes. I had never made a sweet and sour dish before, but thankfully, my mom makes them all the time because she cooks for my dad every day. This particular one is a favorite because it’s a lot healthier than a typical sweet and sour chicken or sweet and sour pork, and you can use a variety of fish to make it.

What is the sweet and sour sauce made of?

The sweet and sour sauce is essentially made up of a “sweet” ingredient and a “sour” ingredient to make it taste sweet and sour. This is my mom’s recipe, and she uses sugar as her sweet ingredient and vinegar as her sour ingredient. She uses various types of vinegar depending on what she has at the moment. Vinegars she’s used are white distilled vinegar, rice wine vinegar (my personal favorite), or apple cider vinegar. You can use any of these vinegars to make your sweet and sour sauce. In terms of sugars, she usually uses white granulated sugar. You can use natural sweeteners like honey and agave sweetener, but I would recommend tasting the dish as you cook so you can adjust the sweetness to your liking.

My mom also adds oyster sauce to her sweet and sour sauce to add umami flavor, which is a signature flavor of Chinese sauces. If you are vegetarian, I would recommend using vegan oyster sauce which is made with mushrooms. The last component of the sauce is a thickener in the form of corn starch. Corn starch is mixed with water to create a slurry, and it is added to the sauce. You can also use tapioca starch as a substitute.

Ingredients, Substitutions & Adjustments

Fried Salmon

• Salmon – I love to use salmon for this dish because it’s not only good but also available everywhere. If you don’t like salmon or can’t find it, I would use any kind of firm fish like sea bass, tilapia, or cod. My personal favorite is sea bass.
• Sesame oil – This gives the fish flavor and helps the coating to stick to the fish. Any type of neutral oil or even a whisked egg would work as substitutes.
• All purpose flour and corn starch – My mom uses a combination of all purpose flour and corn starch because it provides the perfect balance between crunchiness and lightness to the coating. You can also use only all purpose flour or only corn starch.
• Baking powder – Makes the coating airy.
• Salt and pepper for seasoning
• Chicken bouillon powder (optional) – This powder is the powder you use to make instant chicken stock. Just an optional ingredient that adds more flavor to the fish.

Stir Fry

• Yellow onion – Adds sweetness to the dish. A good substitute is white onion.
• Red and green bell peppers – Adds color and different textures to the dish. You can use any color of bell pepper you want.
• Oyster sauce – Adds umami flavor to the dish. A substitute for oyster sauce is soy sauce or tamari for a gluten free alternative.
• Rice wine vinegar – This is the “sour” flavor of the dish. I used rice wine vinegar but you can also use apple cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar.
• Granulated sugar – This is the “sweet” flavor of the dish. You can also use brown sugar.
• Corn starch and water – Combining these two ingredients make a corn starch slurry which helps thicken the sauce and makes it sticky.

How to make sweet and sour fish

First make the fried salmon. Add the salmon to a bowl. Drizzle the sesame oil over it. Mix all the ingredients from flour through chicken stock powder together. Coat the salmon in the flour mixture. Heat oil over medium heat for 5 minutes. Make sure the oil comes 1/2 inch up the sides of the pan. Fry the salmon pieces until they are brown on all sides. See picture above for reference. Once done, empty onto a plate and set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil over high heat. Add the onion and saute for 1-2 minutes until it becomes shiny. Add the green and red bell peppers. Saute until soft (3-5 minutes). Add the oyster sauce and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Mix the corn starch with the water to make a corn starch slurry. Add the vinegar, sugar, and corn starch slurry to the pan. Cook for another 1-2 minutes until the sauce thickens. Pour the cooked vegetables over the fried salmon from step 3. Garnish with cilantro (optional) and enjoy!

Tips on how to make the perfect sweet and sour fish

Use high heat for the stir fry

This dish is essentially a stir fry, so you have to use high heat when making it. The high heat ensures all ingredients are cooked and the sauce doesn’t become too watery. Cooking on a lower heat will cause the water to come out of the fish and vegetables, causing them to become mushy and the sauce to be watery.

What can I serve sweet and sour fish with?

White rice! That’s the best option because it’s very neutral in flavor. You can also serve it with brown rice or quinoa.

Did you make this dish?

If you made this dish, I would love to see!

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