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A white bowl full of sweet and sour fish on a yellow background.

Caribbean Sweet and Sour Fish

Get a taste of the islands with this traditional sweet and sour fish recipe. Crispy fried fish in a pineapple-packed sauce with just the right amount of heat.
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Resting time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 55 minutes
Servings: 8
Course: Main Course, Seafood
Cuisine: Caribbean
Calories: 280

Ingredients
  

For Fish (Seasoning and Frying)
  • 2 pounds kingfish deboned and cut into bite-sized pieces.
  • Water
  • Juice from 1 lime
  • 2 tablespoons green seasoning
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/3 cup corn starch
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • Oil for frying
  • 2 tablespoons butter
For sweet and sour sauce
  • 3/4 cup bell peppers cut into chunks (use half of two colors)
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon grated ginger
  • 3 pimento peppers thinly sliced
  • 1/2 hot pepper thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup chopped onions
  • 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 cup pineapple juice juice from canned pineapples
  • 1/2 cup tomato ketchup
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 16 oz pineapple chunks
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons flour
  • 2 tablespoons water

Method
 

For Frying Fish
  1. If you got the kingfish in steaks, take a sharp knife and cut it into bite-sized pieces.
  2. Wash the fish pieces out with water and juice from the lime.
  3. Drain the water and pat dry the fish pieces.
  4. Season the fish with green seasoning and let sit for at least 45 minutes or overnight.
  5. Heat oil in a deep pan. I used my deep wide pan.
  6. Add fish pieces in batches till golden—about 3 minutes per side.
  7. Remove from oil and set aside on a paper towel to drain excess oil.
For the sauce
  1. Drain the deep pan and wipe out any excess oil.
  2. On medium heat, heat the same pan used above.
  3. Add the butter and let it melt.
  4. Add in the garlic and ginger and saute for 2 minutes.
  5. Add the onion, bell peppers, hot pepper (if using), and peppers and continue to saute for another 2 - 3 minutes.
  6. Add soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, tomato ketchup, and pineapple juice and combine well. Let it simmer for another 5 minutes
  7. While that is simmering, mix flour and water to make a paste.
  8. Add the flour paste to the sauce and continue to simmer.
  9. Adjust sauce for salt or pepper if needed.
  10. As the sauce thickens, add the pineapple chunks and the fried fish pieces and mix well.
  11. Lower the heat to simmer, and simmer the dish for another 5 - 8 minutes.
  12. Serve hot.

Nutrition

Calories: 280kcal

Notes

  • You can also just use fish steak pieces whole instead of cutting them up.
  • You can use fresh pineapple pieces. Just make sure they are sweet.
  • I prefer to roll the fish in the flour mixture to fry rather than throw the flour on top in a bowl. It gives a better crust.

Tried this recipe?

Let us know how it was!