Crispy tilapia with spicy Thai basil sauce can be easily made with any white fish and is topped with a hot, sweet and sour sauce with fragrant basil.
Crispy Tilapia with Spicy Thai Basil Sauce
By Sue Lau | Palatable Pastime
My recipe of the day is for crispy tilapia with spicy Thai basil sauce, which has been posted for a few years now, but I am updating the photography. I hope you like the new photos. I have to say this is one of the most delicious Thai fish recipes I have ever eaten.
I first tried this recipe when it appeared back on the old Recipezaar site, but had found it later on another blog called Sel et Sucre which is now archived and abandoned. It’s a shame because she had nice recipes, but had gone on hiatus and never returned. Reading her blog, I can see that she changed her focus to travel blogging on a different blog.
Usually if I try someone else’s recipe, it goes very badly and falls apart, and I have to scramble to save it. I am sure this has happened to you. But fortunately this is a recipe where it worked as written.
She wrote this one using tilapia but I have made it a number of times and you can use any kind of fish you like. I know some people hate tilapia but the saving grace there is that the type of fish doesn’t matter that much. You could even serve this over something like broiled salmon.
You can easily serve this with something like steamed jasmine rice, or if you have more time, it works with something like pad thai or any other Asian noodles. I sometimes like to make a cucumber salad to go with this too, as I like the coolness and crunch.
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Today’s Recipe
Crispy Tilapia with Spicy Thai Basil Sauce
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 pounds tilapia or other fish fillets
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 egg (beaten with 1 Tbsp water)
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 4 tablespoons cooking oil
- 6 to 8 shallots minced
- 4 to 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 bell pepper chopped
- 6 to 8 Thai chile peppers sliced
- 1/4 cup chicken stock or fish stock
- 1/4 cup fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/2 lime juiced
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch (with 1 tsp cold water, whisked into a slurry)
- 1 cup Thai basil leaves
Instructions
- Dredge fish pieces in flour, then beaten egg wash, then panko, then set aside while you assemble the sauce.
- Saute the shallots, garlic and bell pepper in one tablespoon of the oil until they soften and start to caramelize.
- Stir in the stock, fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar and lime juice with the cornstarch slurry and cook to thicken slightly.
- Remove from heat and keep warm.
- Cook the fish fillets in the remaining oil in both sides until browned and crispy, being careful not to crowd the pan. Add oil if needed for a second pan full.
- Warm the sauce and add the basil; spoon the sauce over the fish.
Notes
Adapted from a recipe by set el sucre
Its a shame I’m not more fond of fish since it is invariably such an easy meal to prepare!! My husband loves it and is always thrilled when I take the plunge 🙂 I followed the recipe exactly, and am lucky to have a plentiful supply of Thai Basil in my herb garden. I made extra fish, for my husband to enjoy again next day, which he did, remarking again that sauces like this are almost always better on the next day!!! I served this on rice. Great recipe, Sue, and thanks for sharing!!
I love cookbooks, too – and cooking magazines. I get so excited when my issue of Southern Living arrives every month. My husband will love this recipe. We both love spicy Thai food so this is right up our alley!
Thanks! 🙂
OK this looks way too good! I’m making this next week for the family!
Thank you. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
YUM! We have a bunch of frozen tilapia in our freezer right now, and I need to start using it. This looks like an amazing recipe!
Thanks! It’s one of our favorite Thai style fish recipes.
You had me at crispy and spicy! That fry on your fish looks also perfect.
Thanks!
I LOVE tilapia! In any way, shape or form, and the basil sauce you put on this looks awesome! I can see myself making this any night of the week – great recipe.
Thanks!
This looks absolutely amazing! Pinning so I won’t lose this, looks like a keeper for sure!!!!
Thank you!
I love Tilapia! I also love finding new things to do with it and this looks great!!
Thank you!
That sauce on top is totally calling my name. What a gorgeous dish! I have some white fish in the freezer … must try this!
This sounds delicious! I love crispy fish, and I bet it is amazing with the thai basil sauce!
Just so much flavor going on here! Sounds amazing!