If you love sweet and sour chicken or pork, you will love this sweet and sour fish made with salmon. It’s a perfect balance of sweet, sour and savory, and the vegetables add a perfect crunch. This recipe is great for a weeknight dinner.
Ingredients for Sweet and Sour Fish
Before making this recipe, make sure you have all the ingredients you need. Recommended swaps and alternatives are listed next to each individual ingredient.
- Fish filet: I use salmon, but any kind of fish should work. The cooking times may differ depending on the type of fish and size of filet though. I recommend checking the internal temperature every few minutes and remove it from the oven once it reaches 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Pineapple juice: I recommend using the pineapple juice in the can.
- Orange juice: You can always replace it with more pineapple juice, but personally I like the flavor dimension the orange adds.
- Minced garlic: Fresh is great, but I usually just go for the jarred kind.
- Soy sauce: I use low sodium, but the regular stuff will do as well.
- Brown sugar: You can use white sugar, honey or maple syrup as a replacement.
- Ketchup: Can also use tomato paste as an alternative.
- Apple cider vinegar: You can use white vinegar as an alternative.
- Cornstarch: Arrowroot starch or potato starch can also work.
- Yellow onion: Any variety of onion can work too.
- Bell pepper: I like one green bell pepper and one red or orange bell pepper.
How to make Sweet and Sour Fish
In a medium sized bowl or container, add pineapple juice, orange juice, garlic, soy sauce, brown sugar, ketchup and apple cider vinegar. Whisk together and add fish filet. Ensure the filet is submerged in the sauce and let marinate for 10 minutes.
Preheat the oven for 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut the onion and bell pepper into bite sized pieces. On a large parchment paper lined baking sheet, add fish filet to the middle and surround with onion and bell pepper. Lightly coat the vegetables with cooking spray. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until the fish reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
While the fish and vegetables are cooking, transfer the remaining marinade to a small saucepan. In a small bowl, mix water and cornstarch and add to the sauce. Heat over medium until the sauce is bubbling. Set aside. Once the fish and vegetables are done cooking, brush a small amount of marinade over the fish and transfer the vegetables to a bowl. Toss in the remaining marinade. Serve the fish and vegetables with rice and enjoy.
What fish works best for this recipe?
You can use any fish you would like for this recipe, but personally I would recommend salmon since that is what I tested this recipe for. If using another kind of fish, you may not have to cook it for the full time.
I recommend starting with 10 minutes and checking the internal temperature. Then, check every 3-5 minutes until the fish is thoroughly cooked. If you need to, remove the fish and let the vegetables cook for a while longer.
Other fish you can use for this recipe include tilapia, cod, mahi mahi, catfish, halibut, trout, haddock, grouper or snapper. You can even use shrimp, though the cook time will be much shorter (just cook until pink).
Is this recipe healthy for you?
Yes! This recipe is a great healthy dinner option. If you use salmon, you will get all the benefits of consuming fatty fish and the vegetables will provide some fiber and additional micronutrients. Pair it with some brown rice for additional fiber and nutrients.
This recipe does contain some added sugar, which is fine in moderation, but if you wanted to reduce the amount, I would suggest omitting the brown sugar and replacing the ketchup with tomato paste. But, for most people the amount of sugar in this recipe won’t cause any health issues.
Can I make this with different vegetables?
Yes! This recipe is quite versatile and can be made using a variety of vegetables. Typically this dish is served with onions and peppers, but there is no reason it must be these vegetables. Plenty of other options would taste great.
Some other vegetables that would work well for this recipe include green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, carrots, bok choy or cabbage.
Can I pan fry or deep fry the fish instead?
Yes. As an alternative to baking, you could pan fry or deep fry the fish instead. If you pan fry, I would recommend following the same steps, but instead of baking it, fry it on a large skillet over medium heat.
You can also deep fry the fish. If you choose this method, I would recommend skipping the marinade and breading the fish. Then, add the marinade as a sauce afterwards.
How to store the leftovers
If you have leftovers, transfer the salmon and the vegetables to an airtight container. They should last about 2-3 days in the refrigerator. If you think you will have leftovers before serving, I would recommend keeping the sauce and vegetables separate to avoid them becoming soggy.
Similar Recipes
Sweet and Sour Fish
Ingredients
- 1 lb fish filet salmon, tilapia, cod, etc.
- 1/4 cup pineapple juice
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 yellow onion
- 2 bell peppers
- 1 tbsp oil of choice
- 1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp water
Instructions
- In a medium sized bowl or container, add pineapple juice, orange juice, garlic, soy sauce, brown sugar, ketchup and apple cider vinegar.
- Whisk together and add fish filet. Ensure the filet is submerged in the sauce and let marinate for 10 minutes.
- Preheat the oven for 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Cut the onion and bell pepper into bite sized pieces. On a large parchment paper lined baking sheet, add fish filet to the middle and surround with onion and bell pepper. Lightly coat the vegetables with oil.
- Bake for 20-30 minutes or until the fish reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
- While the fish and vegetables are cooking, transfer the remaining marinade to a small saucepan. In a small bowl, mix water and cornstarch and add to the sauce. Heat over medium until the sauce is bubbling. Set aside.
- Once the fish and vegetables are done cooking, brush a small amount of marinade over the fish and transfer the vegetables to a bowl. Toss in the remaining marinade. Serve the fish and vegetables with rice and enjoy.
