Chilli Lime Fish with Syrupy Spicy Lime Sauce
By Olivia Hayes
Prep
10 min
Cook
8 min
Total
18 min
Servings
2
Level
Easy
Prep all but the lime juice‚ which you will add later․ This Chilli Lime Fish recipe serves two with pan-fried white fish and sweet-and-spicy lime sauce․ The recipe also provides ideas for side dishes‚ including rice and vegetables․
Rice flour is used to coat salted fish with sauce․ Other flours or cornflour could also work․ Sauce ingredients include Sriracha‚ chili flakes‚ light soy sauce‚ brown sugar‚ water‚ and lime juice․ Cook minced garlic and ginger in sesame oil to create browned bits that flavor the pan․ Other sauce ingredients are added to the pan after garlic and ginger․
Expect the fish to be fully cooked on both sides before taking it out of the pan․ Simmer the sauce to thicken it․ One sign that the sauce is thick enough is when the fish can be flipped in the sauce without sticking․ Cook aromatics over medium heat and do not grate or crush garlic and ginger to reduce the risk of burning them․
Serve with jasmine or other white or brown rice or cauliflower rice or vermicelli noodles to absorb the sauce․ Additional meal planning ideas include steamed Asian greens on the side and Asian Sesame Dressing․ Leftover dishes will not be as crunchy․ Reheat rice and other leftovers‚ including fish‚ separately to eat them without the crunchy coating․
Why you'll love this recipe
- The fish recipe requires three minutes of cooking time‚ and the sauce needs an extra two minutes to simmer down․
- These fast cooking times make this dish suitable for rushed meal service days․
- Sauce ingredients can be prepped․ Garlic‚ ginger‚ sriracha sauce‚ soy sauce‚ sugar‚ water‚ and lime juice are used at various steps in this recipe․
- Single servings of rice and fish are easy to package because small pieces of fish are fully coated and easier to eat than larger pieces of fish․
- Leftovers are delicious when reheated because the thick sauce sticks to the other components of the meal․
- The rice flour topping will likely be soggy when you reheat leftover meal components with the sauce․
- A doubled recipe can work for planned meals if the fish is seared in batches to prevent steaming in the pan․
- Other serving ideas help the main dish last longer by offering other ways to serve it besides jasmine rice‚ white rice‚ brown rice‚ cauliflower rice‚ and vermicelli‚ all of which can absorb sauce․
Ingredients
- •330 g thin white fish fillets (skinless, about 1 cm / 0.4 inch thick, cut into about 6 cm / 2.5 inch square pieces)
- •¼ tsp cooking or kosher salt
- •¼ cup rice flour (or ordinary flour)
- •2 tbsp canola oil
- •2 tsp sesame oil
- •2 garlic cloves (finely minced with a knife)
- •2 tsp ginger (finely minced with a knife)
- •1 tsp chilli flakes or red pepper flakes
- •2 tbsp sriracha
- •2 tsp light soy sauce or fish sauce
- •3 tbsp brown sugar
- •½ cup water
- •2 tbsp lime juice
- •2 tbsp coriander or cilantro leaves (optional garnish)
- •1 tbsp large red chilli (finely sliced, optional garnish)
- •lime wedges (optional garnish)
- •rice of choice (jasmine, white, or brown, for serving)
- •steamed Asian greens (tossed with Asian Sesame Dressing, for serving)
Instructions
- 1
Sprinkle the fish with salt, dust with rice flour, and shake off the excess.
- 2
Heat the canola oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
- 3
Cook the fish until golden on each side, then remove it to a plate.
- 4
For fish about 1 cm / 0.4 inch thick, cook for 1 1/2 minutes per side. For fish 1.5 to 1.75 cm / 0.6 to 0.75 inch thick, cook for 2 minutes per side or until the internal temperature is 55°C / 130°F.
- 5
In the same pan over medium heat, add the sesame oil.
- 6
Cook the garlic, chilli flakes, and ginger until golden, about 20 seconds.
- 7
Add the sriracha, light soy sauce or fish sauce, brown sugar, and water. Stir, simmer, and reduce until syrupy, about 2 minutes.
- 8
Add the lime juice and stir. If the sauce becomes too thick, add water.
- 9
Return the fish to the sauce and turn to coat.
- 10
Serve over rice with garnishes of choice and steamed Asian greens tossed with Asian Sesame Dressing.
FAQ
Reviews
Pin this recipe
Tap an image to save it to Pinterest.
