Ever crave a restaurant quality seafood dish, but feel like you don’t have the time or the fancy ingredients? Meet your new weeknight hero: Chilli Lime Fish. This dish is a vibrant, speedy take on a classic Thai street food, where pan seared pieces of white fish are smothered in a sticky, sweet, spicy, and tangy lime sauce. It’s an explosion of flavor in every bite, and the best part? It’s on your table in about 20 minutes.
We’re talking tender, flaky fish with a light crust, coated in a glossy, syrupy sauce packed with garlic, ginger, and chilli. It’s incredibly versatile; use your favorite white fish; and perfectly balanced. Serve it over a pile of rice to soak up every last drop of that incredible sauce, and you have a meal that feels like a treat, without any of the fuss.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- 20 Minute Weeknight Wonder: Seriously, about 10 minutes of prep and 8 minutes of cooking. It’s faster than takeout.
- Big, Bold, Balanced Flavors: This sauce has it all; sweet from brown sugar, savory from soy, spicy from sriracha, and a bright zing from fresh lime. It’s seriously addictive.
- Incredibly Flexible: Use any thin white fish fillets you like or find on sale. Cod, tilapia, barramundi, haddock; they all work beautifully.
- One Pan Cooking: You’ll cook the fish and make the sauce in the same skillet. That means maximum flavor and minimal cleanup.
- Healthy & Satisfying: Packed with lean protein and big flavors, it’s a light yet completely satisfying meal.
Let’s Make Chilli Lime Fish
The magic here is in the quick, two step process: a fast sear for the fish, then a speedy simmer for the sauce. Having all your ingredients prepped before you start cooking (a mise en place) is the key to success.
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the Fish:
- 11 oz (about 330g) thin white fish fillets (like tilapia, cod, or haddock), cut into 2.5 inch pieces
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup rice flour or all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
For the Sauce:
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced with a knife
- 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, finely minced with a knife
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (adjust to taste)
- 2 tablespoons sriracha
- 2 teaspoons light soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
For Serving (Optional):
- Fresh cilantro (coriander)
- Sliced red chilli
- Lime wedges
- Steamed jasmine rice
- Steamed greens (like baby bok choy)
Step by Step Instructions
1Prep and Dust the Fish: Pat your fish pieces dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle them evenly with the kosher salt. Place the flour on a plate and lightly dust each piece of fish, shaking off any excess. This light coating will give the fish a nice surface for the sauce to cling to.
2Pan Sear the Fish: Heat the canola oil in a large non stick skillet over medium high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the fish in a single layer (cook in batches if needed to avoid crowding). Cook for about 1.5 to 2 minutes per side, until golden and just cooked through. The fish should flake easily with a fork. Transfer to a clean plate and set aside.
3Create the Flavor Base: Reduce the heat to medium. In the same skillet, add the sesame oil. Add the minced garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes. Sauté for just 20-30 seconds until incredibly fragrant and the garlic turns light golden. Be careful not to burn it!
4Build the Sauce: To the skillet, add the sriracha, soy sauce, brown sugar, and water. Stir well and bring to a simmer. Let it bubble gently for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce reduces and becomes syrupy; it should coat the back of a spoon.
5Finish and Combine: Remove the skillet from the heat. Stir in the fresh lime juice; adding it off the heat preserves its bright flavor. Carefully return the seared fish fillets to the skillet. Gently toss and turn them in the glorious sauce until every piece is beautifully coated.
6Serve Immediately: Spoon the Chilli Lime Fish over a bed of fluffy jasmine rice. Garnish with fresh cilantro, sliced red chilli, and a lime wedge on the side for an extra squeeze. Don’t forget a side of steamed greens to complete the meal!
Pro Tips for the Best Results
- Mince, Don’t Grate: For the garlic and ginger, take the extra minute to mince them finely with a knife. Grating makes them too wet and pasty, which causes them to burn quickly in the hot pan instead of turning golden and fragrant.
- Control the Heat: The spice level here is customizable! If you’re sensitive to heat, start by omitting the red pepper flakes. The sriracha is essential for the sauce’s flavor and body, so try to keep at least 1 tablespoon in the recipe.
- Choose Your Fish: The recipe works with virtually any white fish. For the best texture, look for fillets that are about 1 cm (0.4 inches) thick. If yours are thicker, you can slice them in half horizontally (“butterfly” them) to create thinner, quicker cooking pieces.
- Don’t Overcook the Fish: White fish cooks very quickly. It’s done as soon as it becomes opaque and flakes. Overcooking will make it dry.
- Serve Right Away: This dish is at its absolute best when served immediately, while the sauce is glossy and the fish is perfectly tender.
Chilli Lime Fish
Ingredients
For the Fish:
- 11 oz 330g thin white fish fillets (e.g., tilapia, cod), cut into 2.5 inch pieces
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ cup rice flour or all purpose flour
- 2 tbsp canola oil
For the Sauce:
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic finely minced
- 2 tsp fresh ginger finely minced
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes adjust to taste
- 2 tbsp sriracha
- 2 tsp light soy sauce
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- ½ cup water
- 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
For Serving (optional):
- Fresh cilantro
- Sliced red chilli
- Lime wedges
- Steamed jasmine rice
Instructions
- Sprinkle fish with salt and lightly dust with flour.
- Heat canola oil in a non stick skillet over medium high. Cook fish for 1.5-2 mins per side until golden and cooked. Remove to a plate.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add sesame oil to the skillet. Sauté garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes for 20-30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add sriracha, soy sauce, brown sugar, and water. Simmer for 2 mins until sauce is syrupy.
- Remove from heat. Stir in lime juice.
- Return fish to skillet, gently turning to coat in sauce.
- Serve immediately over rice with optional garnishes.
Notes
- Spice Level: Omit red pepper flakes for a milder dish. Do not reduce sriracha below 1 tbsp for best sauce consistency.
- Garlic & Ginger: Mince with a knife for best results; grating can cause burning.
- Fish: Works with most white fish. For thicker fillets, slice horizontally to create thinner pieces.
