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Home Quick and Easy

Chilli Lime Fish

By:Nagi
Published:18 Oct '22Updated:8 Dec '23
138 Comments
Recipe v Video v Dozer v

Pan-seared chunks of white fish are coated in a syrupy, spicy lime sauce in this dish based on pla tort sahm rot, a traditional Thai street stall favourite. It tastes a bit like a fish version of everybody’s favourite Chilli Garlic Prawns. Very quick to make, it’s loaded with big flavours!

This recipe is an reworked version of a cookbook reject. Read the back-story below!

Close up of freshly made Chilli Lime Fish in a skillet

From the cookbook cutting room floor …

This recipe grew out of an infamous fish recipe draft that didn’t make it into my cookbook. I say “infamous” because after my brother was asked to try the draft recipe, he returned blunt feedback declaring, “There is nothing about this recipe that I like.”

BRUTAL!! 😂😂😂

The ruthlessness of this comment that only family can give to one another had the whole team in stitches – especially after I lost my nerve and decided to pull it from the book even after I “fixed” it for him. And to be fair, he did follow up his “constructive feedback” with suggestions of what he thought needed to be done to improve it.

And so here it is today, back from the dead: Originally a cookbook reject but reworked and tweaked until finally getting the thumbs-up from a certain detractor everyone. I’m sharing it with you now to also enjoy!

Chilli Lime Fish in a bowl served over rice

What this Chilli Lime Fish tastes like

This recipe is loosely based on a sweet-and-spicy Thai fish dish you find served by street vendors across Thailand. Called pla tort sahm rot, the name means “three-flavoured sauce” – the flavours being sweet, savoury and sour. I tried this delicious hawker classic on my last trip to Bangkok (pictured below) at a lunchtime food court jammed with hungry locals.

Traditionally the fish is deep-fried before being smothered with a an irresistible, sticky red sauce made with palm sugar, fish sauce, tamarind, chilli and holy basil. My recipe is essentially a streamlined home-cook version that substitutes ingredients I usually have in the pantry such as sriracha, brown sugar, lime. Also, I skip the deep-fry and just pan-fry – healthier, easier and quicker!

Thailand-Bangkok-photos-for-Chilli-Lime-Fish-1
Food court in Silom, Bangkok
Thailand-Bangkok-photos-for-Chilli-Lime-Fish-1
Pla tort sahm rot – Thai fish dish on which this recipe is based
Thailand-Bangkok-photos-for-Chilli-Lime-Fish-1
The vendor serving this dish and others

What you need to make Chilli Lime Fish

Here’s what you need to make this.

Ingredients in Chilli Lime Fish
  • Fish – Use any thin-ish white fish fillets that are ideally of even thickness so that each piece cooks through in the same time.

    – Thinner is better for this recipe so we get maximum surface area for the tasty sauce to cling to, with the bonus that it cooks quickly. Aim for fillets around 1cm / 0.4″ thick.
    – Thicker pieces: If your fish is 2.5cm / 2″ or thicker, just split them in half horizontally to form thinner pieces.

    See the box below for suggested fish. For most large fish, the shape of fillets will vary depending what part of the fish it is cut from. Whatever fish you choose, look for the thinner pieces (usually the tail end).

  • Garlic and ginger – Finely minced with a knife so you get tasty little golden bits and flavour that infuses into the sauce. Don’t grate or mince them using a garlic press. It becomes wet and pasty, and will burn because it’s too fine!

  • Lime – Because we’re making chilli LIME fish here. 😂 Reflecting the Thai influence in this dish, the sharp zingy-ness pairs fabulously with spiciness and brings brightness to the sauce.

  • Sriracha – This popular Asian chilli sauce plays a few roles in this recipe. It adds spiciness but also flavour because it is has other ingredients in it other than chilli such as vinegar and garlic. Because it has a thickness like ketchup, it also helps thicken the sauce.

    Concerned about the spiciness of this dish? See note 4 of the recipe for how to control or reduce it. But note! I am a spice wuss myself. I make out like I am tough. But really, I cannot handle too much heat!

  • Chilli flakes (red pepper flakes) – This is the other ingredient that adds some heat to this dish. I like to sauté it with the garlic and ginger so it flavours the oil.

  • Soy sauce – This is the saltiness in the sauce. Use light soy or all-purpose soy sauce, not dark soy sauce as the colour and flavour is too intense. More on different types of soy sauces here. Fish sauce can also be used. It will dial up the savouriness in the sauce even more (but I think there’s enough with soy sauce which is why it’s the base ingredient).

  • Brown sugar – For the sweetness in the sauce. It also thickens it to make it syrupy.

  • Sesame oil – For a hint of tasty sesame flavour that’s more interesting than flavourless oil.

  • Rice flour – Easily substituted with plain/all-purpose flour or cornflour/cornstarch, the purpose of this is to create a light crust on the surface of the fish that the sauce clings to. It’s not for crispiness; while the fish is crispy straight out of the pan, once it’s sauced up it loses crispiness.

  • Coriander/cilantro and fresh chilli – These are optional, for garnishes.

Rice flour dusted Chilli Lime Fish ready to be cooked
Golden pan fried fish for Chilli Lime Fish

Best fish to use for this recipe

This recipe can be used with any white fish suitable for pan-frying, or even salmon and trout. here are some suggestions:

  • Australia: Barramundi, Blue eye cod / trevalla, Basa, Bream, Cod, Flathead, Flounder, Jewfish, John Dory, Ling, Monkfish / Stargazer, Ocean perch, Trout (ocean and river), Orange roughy, Salmon, Whiting.

  • US: Above and below listed, plus Alaskan pollock, Catfish, Halibut, Pangasius, Tilapia, Mahi-mahi.

  • UK: Above listed, plus Dover sole, Haddock, Hake, Pollack, Sea bass.

Fish to avoid

I recommend avoiding:

  • Fish that dry out easily when cooked – Like swordfish, tuna, bonito, kingfish, marlin. Unless you’re extremely careful they can become dry inside. I feel these fish are (mostly) better in raw/rare form such as Ceviche, Poke Bowls, Tartare.

  • Oily, strong-tasting fish – Like mackerels, mullet and sardines. While it will work just fine, it’s not so common to serve those types of fish with sauces like this. Fresher, vibrant sauces are better, like these Italian-style Crusted Sardines.

How to make Chilli Lime Fish

Once you’ve prepared the ingredients, this is terrifically fast to cook – 3 minutes for the fish and 3 minutes for the sauce.

How to make Chilli Lime Fish
  1. Cut the fish into pieces around 5cm / 2″ squares or rectangles. No need to be exact here, we just want to cut the fish into pieces rather than cooking one large fillet so we get more surface area for maximum sauce-coating potential!

  2. Season and dust – Sprinkle the fish with salt then dust with rice flour (or cornflour/cornstarch or ordinary flour). Shake off the excess before cooking.

  3. Pan fry – Heat oil in a non-stick pan then cook the fish until golden on both sides.
    – Thin fillets around 1 cm /0.4″ thick with take around 1 1/2 minutes on each side.
    – Thicker fillets around 1.5 – 1.75cm / 0.6 – 0.75″ thick 2 minutes each side) or until the internal temperature is 55°C / 130°F. Remove fish onto a plate and set aside.

  4. Remove the fish to a plate and set aside while you make the sauce. Don’t worry if the fish cools down, it will warm back up when we add it to the sauce later.

How to make Chilli Lime Fish
  1. Sauté aromatics – Return the same pan to the stove and reduce to medium heat. Heat the sesame oil then sauté the garlic, ginger and chilli flakes for just 20 seconds until the garlic becomes golden. Be prepared for tasty smells here!!

  2. Sauce – Add all the other Sauce ingredients except the lime. Then simmer it for a 2 minutes until it becomes syrup. Finally stir the lime (to preserve its freshness).

  3. Return fish – Once the sauce is syrupy, return the fish to the sauce.

  4. Turn the fish to coat in the sauce. At this stage, the residual heat in the pan will also re-warm the fish if it cooled down.

Then that’s it! Ready to serve.

Freshly made Chilli Lime Fish
Chilli Lime Fish in a bowl served over rice

What I serve with Chilli Lime Fish

As in Thailand, this is a dish made for serving over rice to soak up the tasty sauce. I like jasmine rice for its fragrance (and as a nod to the Thai influence on this dish) but you could also use plain white rice, brown rice or, for a low-carb option, cauliflower rice.

Also, vermicelli noodles makes a good quick no-cook option.

Plate of Jasmine Rice
Jasmine Rice
How to cook rice featured image graphic
How to cook white rice – easily and perfectly
How to cook brown rice
How to Cook Brown Rice
Close up of Cauliflower Rice in a bowl
Cauliflower Rice
Asian Sesame Dressing - made with soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar and sugar. Lasts for 3 weeks, an essential pantry standby! recipetineats.com
Asian Sesame Dressing

It’s pictured in post with a side of steamed baby pak choi tossed with Asian sesame dressing. That dressing is one of my Asian food staples. It’ s super-quick to make (just 4 ingredients) and highly versatile. Use it for leafy greens or to make any plain steamed greens a whole lot more interesting. Think broccoli, carrots, even peas! – Nagi x


Watch how to make it

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Close up of freshly made Chilli Lime Fish in a skillet

Chilli Lime Fish

Author: Nagi
Prep: 10 minutes mins
Cook: 8 minutes mins
Mains
Modern Asian, Thai-ish
4.99 from 63 votes
Servings2
Tap or hover to scale
Print
Recipe video above. Pan-seared chunks of white fish are coated in a syrupy, spicy lime sauce in this dish loosely based on pla tort sahm rot, a traditional Thai street stall favourite. It tastes a bit like a fish version of everybody's favourite Chilli Garlic Prawns. Very quick to make, it's loaded with big flavours!
Spice level: fairly spicy but not blow-your-head-off. See Note 4 for how to control the spiciness.

Ingredients

Fish:

  • 330g / 11 oz thin white fish fillets (~1cm / 0.4" thick) , skinless, cut into 6cm / 2.5" (or so) squares pieces (Note 1)
  • 1/4 tsp cooking/kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup rice flour or ordinary flour (Note 2)
  • 2 tbsp canola oil

Sauce:

  • 2 tsp sesame oil
  • 2 garlic cloves , finely minced with a knife (Note 3)
  • 2 tsp ginger , finely minced with a knife (Note 3)
  • 1 tsp chilli flakes / red pepper flakes (Note 4)
  • 2 tbsp sriracha (Note 4)
  • 2 tsp light soy sauce or fish sauce (Note 5)
  • 3 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 tbsp lime juice

Garnishes (optional):

  • 2 tbsp coriander/cilantro leaves
  • 1 tbsp large red chilli , finely sliced
  • Lime wedges

Serve with:

  • Rice of choice (jasmine, white, brown)
  • Steamed Asian greens tossed with Asian Sesame Dressing

Instructions

Fish:

  • Dust fish – Sprinkle with salt, dust with rice flour, shake off excess.
  • Cook fish – In a non-stick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook the fish until golden on each side then remove to a plate.
  • Fish cooking times – Thin fillets 1 cm / 2/5" thick: 1 1/2 minutes each side; thicker fillets 1.5 – 1.75cm / 0.6 – 0.75" thick 2 minutes each side) or until the internal temperature is 55°C / 130°F. Remove fish to a plate and set aside.

Sauce:

  • Sauté aromatics – In the same pan, add sesame oil on medium heat. Cook garlic, chilli and ginger until golden – about 20 seconds.
  • Sauce – Add everything else except lime juice. Stir, simmer, then reduce until syrupy – about 2 minutes. Add lime juice and stir. (If sauce gets too thick, add water)
  • Coat fish – Return fish into sauce, turning to coat in the sauce.
  • Serve over rice, with garnishes of choice! Pictured with steamed baby pak choy tossed with Asian Sesame Dressing.

Recipe Notes:

1. Fish – This recipe can be made with pretty much any white fish fillets or even salmon. See in post for an extensive list of fish suggestions. Skinless is easier though skin-on is fine too.
Thickness – Works best with thinnish fillets around 1cm / 0.4″ thick for maximum surface area. If your fish is around 2.5cm / 1″ or thicker, I suggest cutting it in half horizontally.
Cutting size – No need to be exact with size/shape. The idea is just smaller pieces to coat pieces all over in the sauce, rather than having 1 large fillet.
2. Rice flour gives the fish a light crust that the sauce clings to. Plain / all-purpose flour can be substituted, or cornflour/cornstarch – they are just not quite as crisp when pan-fried, that’s all (not a big deal as surface gets soggy once coated with sauce).
3. Garlic & ginger – Use a knife to mince, not a garlic press or grater which will make it wet and pasty so it will burn. We want lots of tiny little bits that we sauté until golden to infuse the sauce with flavour!
4. SPICINESS! 1 teaspoon chilli flakes + 2 tbsp sriracha is my default level which makes this pretty spicy but not blow-your-head-off.
Reduce spiciness: Better to reduce or skip chilli flakes than reduce sriracha. Sriracha is key for the sauce flavour and thickness so please do not reduce to less than 1 tbsp (start with that then add more if you can). I haven’t tried this with no spiciness, the sauce would need adjusting.
5. Soy sauce – Use light or all purpose soy sauce. More on different types of soy here.
6. Storage – Best eaten fresh though the cooked dish will be fine to consume for a further 2 to 3 days, keep in the fridge.
7. Nutrition per serving, assuming all sauce is consumed. Excludes rice.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 403cal (20%)Carbohydrates: 21g (7%)Protein: 26g (52%)Fat: 24g (37%)Saturated Fat: 3g (19%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 58mg (19%)Sodium: 1198mg (52%)Potassium: 95mg (3%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 18g (20%)Vitamin A: 56IU (1%)Vitamin C: 15mg (18%)Calcium: 27mg (3%)Iron: 1mg (6%)
Keywords: lime fish, spicy fish
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @recipe_tin.

Life of Dozer

Oh Dozer! What an exciting life you’re leading – book signings, book talks, publicity events!

In fact, at the time this recipe gets published, Dozer will be at his first public appearance in front of 400 people for Kinokuniya bookstore in Sydney city.

My main concern? See below. It’s an actual serious risk!

Nagi Dozer Kinokuniya event social media post
Instagram post I shared to let people know about the event.
Nagi Dozer sitting on couch

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Hi, I'm Nagi!

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138 Comments

  1. Kate says

    December 12, 2023 at 8:40 am

    5 stars
    I always turn to Recipie tin for fish recipes and this one doesn’t disappoint!!! I usually have a glut of fish and get bored of battered/ crumbed fish very quickly!!

    Served with rice and a fresh salad it’s an amazing balance of flavours!!

    It’s just a pity we can’t eat it everyday

    Reply
  2. Helena says

    December 4, 2023 at 9:31 pm

    Hi again,
    We’re farmers and grow Thai birds eye chillies for home consumption. My husband sun-dries them then processes in a separate coffee grinder (but I can mortar & pestle if necessary). Would these be good substitute for red pepper flakes? Don’t want to mess up final tastes.

    Reply
  3. Helena says

    December 4, 2023 at 9:18 pm

    Hi Nagi,
    Recipe is definitely of my heart! But, can you please tell me what “red pepper flakes” are? I can find chilli flakes but nothing labelled “red pepper flakes”. Maybe I live in the wrong part of Oz.

    Reply
  4. Sarah says

    November 21, 2023 at 6:33 pm

    Hi Nagi, my husband and I absolutely LOVE this dish. We can handle the heat though 🥵 any recommendations on how to increase the quantity of the sauce, whilst keeping its delicious flavour, if using less siracher??

    Reply
  5. jane says

    November 7, 2023 at 3:38 pm

    This was delicious. I eyeballed the sriracha (less than advised) and added chili flakes after just for me as I was making it for my five year old. I would have made it a lot hotter just for me but he loved it with bits of fish and rice wrapped in home grown lettuce leaves and asked me to make it again so that’s a win. Thanks Nagi!

    Reply
  6. Barb says

    September 22, 2023 at 3:29 pm

    5 stars
    OMG Nagi…..love love love it. We’ve got a great fish monger nearby so I selected a lovely piece of snapper for this meal So full of punchy flavours without losing the fresh flavours of the snapper.

    I just only added some cayenne pepper to the flour for some extra oomph.

    Thanks heaps Nagi.

    Reply
  7. Kelli says

    September 16, 2023 at 6:21 pm

    5 stars
    Absolutely delicious and so simple. I only used 1/2 chilli flakes and perfect amount of spice for me.

    Reply
  8. Neety says

    September 11, 2023 at 8:39 pm

    I cooked this last week and it was delicious! Served it with white rice and baby bok choy and Naygi’s Asian Dressing. The sauce was fantastic!

    Reply
  9. Tony Parker says

    September 10, 2023 at 8:10 pm

    Loved it. I think I’ve found my new favourite sauce to go with all seafood.

    Reply
  10. Peter Fanning says

    September 9, 2023 at 5:41 pm

    Hi Nagi, my family are huge fans and have bought 5 copies of your cookbook. This is one recipe I’m going to try for sure. Just letting you know there is a typo in the explanation: 2.5cm is 1 inch rather than 2. Cheers, Peter

    Reply
  11. K Toughski says

    August 19, 2023 at 7:13 pm

    5 stars
    Yeow! What a dish!! Didn’t have enough fish so added some prawns too. Woooooo so yummy!!!! Paired it with coconut rice and perfect dinner!!!

    Reply
  12. Sarah says

    July 17, 2023 at 10:18 pm

    5 stars
    Omg Nagi, this was brilliant, and i’m someone who dislikes fish!
    I probably would double the sauce next time, because I like things saucier, but can’t wait to see how it tastes with chicken!

    Reply
  13. HotFlash says

    July 13, 2023 at 4:32 am

    5 stars
    Made this last night, it was truly spectacular. My husband, a fish skeptic, pronounced it 10 out of five. We will make this again, and soon!

    Reply
  14. Kristi Patterson says

    May 20, 2023 at 10:59 am

    5 stars
    We made this for supper tonight and it was delicious! We used 3/4 tsp of the red pepper flakes; all else as written. Served with jasmine rice, steamed broccoli, and fresh honey mango. Thanks for a really good recipe – we will make this again!

    Reply
  15. Seemi Khan says

    May 16, 2023 at 7:25 pm

    This was amazing Nagi and came together fairly quickly. I was hoping for leftovers for lunch tomorrow but it all got eaten. Thank you, all your recipes are foolproof and delicious!

    Reply
  16. Hibs says

    May 1, 2023 at 1:50 pm

    5 stars
    This was soooooo good

    Reply
  17. Alexandra Martell says

    April 25, 2023 at 3:57 pm

    5 stars
    Made this for supper last night, once all the ingredients are out and the fish is cut it’s very quick to make. Served with red carmarague rice and Brocolli – absolutely delicious, will definitely make again.

    Reply
  18. Diana Cranfield says

    April 24, 2023 at 10:13 pm

    Thank you.
    Your recipes are amazing.

    Reply
  19. Nicola says

    April 19, 2023 at 8:51 am

    5 stars
    Nagi, your recipes are the best. Love all the detail you provide, makes your readers lives so easy. Have made this chilli lime fish at least 20 times since you published it. Have also used the same sauce on meatballs, so delicious! Thanks for all your hard work and dedication to your tasty recipes, it is much appreciated by all who follow you x

    Reply
  20. Tilly says

    April 14, 2023 at 12:05 am

    Hi Nagi, I haven’t made it yet but this recipe looks great ( all of your recipes are) Thx

    Reply
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Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative! Read More

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