Easy 20-min. Chinese Salt and Pepper Fish
Crispy, flavorful fish stir-fried with salt, black pepper, and fragrant aromatics! This easy Chinese salt and pepper fish recipe uses simple ingredients and is ready in 20 minutes! A delicious main that's family-friendly, restaurant quality, and budget-friendly!
- Prep time
- 10 min
- Cook time
- 10 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1.75 lb cod filet (or skinless boneless haddock, halibut, or pollock fillets)
- 6 garlic cloves (minced)
- 1 large red chilli (sliced)
- 2 tsp ginger (finely chopped)
- 2 green onions (finely chopped)
- 1 tsp white granulated sugar (or cane sugar)
- 1.5 tbsp Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry / dry white wine / chicken broth)
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil (or any neutral oil)
- 1/4 tsp salt (or add more if needed)
- 1/4 tsp black pepper (or add more if needed)
- 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry / dry white wine / chicken broth)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 large egg (beaten)
- 6 tbsp cornstarch (or potato starch (add more if needed))
Instructions
- 1
Thoroughly pat the fish filets dry with clean paper towels to remove excess moisture. Then dice the filets into 1-inch wide pieces and transfer into a large mixing bowl.
- 2
Evenly coat the diced fish with the batter ingredients as listed above: starting with the Shaoxing wine, salt, black pepper, and beaten egg. Lastly, evenly coat the seasoned fish with cornstarch. Set aside.
- 3
Heat vegetable oil in a large pan on medium heat until it's shimmering or 325 to 350 degrees F. You can also insert a wooden chopstick into the oil and look for rapid bubbles.
- 4
Fry the battered fish in small batches until cooked, crispy, and golden. Remove and transfer to a wire rack or paper towel-lined plate to remove excess oil. Keep 1 tsp (5 ml) of the oil in the pan and remove the rest.
- 5
Sauté ginger, garlic, green onions, red chilli, and sugar for 10 seconds. Add the fish, and Shaoxing wine, stir-frying until evenly tossed with aromatics.
- 6
Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste, if needed. Enjoy!