Crispy Coconut Crusted Fish with Easy Sweet Chili Sauce
Sweet 'n crispy coconut crusted fish is a great weeknight dinner or party appetizer. What's not to love about a piece of fish that's covered in sweet coconut flakes and panko before being fried! So juicy, so tender, so mouthwateringly delicious!
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
EASY SWEET CHILI SAUCE
- ¼ cup apricot preserves
- ¼ cup sweet chili sauce
COCONUT CRUSTED FISH
- 1 pound skinless, boneless fish fillets, cut to ¾ to 1 inch thick and about 2 inches long
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 eggs
- 1 ½ cups sweetened shredded coconut
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- vegetable oil, for frying
- 1 lime, cut into wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Gather all of your ingredients.
- In a medium bowl, combine the apricot preserves and chili sauce and mix well. Set aside.
- Set a cooling rack over a rimmed baking sheet in your oven and set it to 220 degrees F.
- Use ½ teaspoon of the kosher salt to salt the fish, press the salt into the fish fillets, and let them sit on a cutting board while you set up your dredging station.
- Set up three medium shallow bowls. In the first, add the flour, salt, black pepper, and garlic powder and whisk with a fork to combine. In the second bowl, use a fork to thoroughly beat together the eggs. In the third bowl, stir together the coconut and panko breadcrumbs.
- Dredge fish in the flour mixture, turning them to coat well, then tap off any excess. Coat the fish in the egg, allowing any excess to drip back into the bowl. Finally, roll the fish in the breadcrumb mixture, using your fingers to gently press the crumbs into the fish to help them adhere for a nice thick coating. Transfer the breaded fish to a plate and repeat with the remaining pieces of fish.
- In a large cast-iron skillet or deep frying pan over medium heat, add about ¼ inch of vegetable oil. Once the oil is hot (about 350 degrees F), add ¼ of the fish pieces. (Don't be tempted to crowd the pan! That will cool the oil and make it difficult for the fish to crisp up.) Cook for 1 ½ minutes on each side until the fish is golden brown and cooked through. An instant-read thermometer inserted should read 145 degrees F.
- Transfer the fried fish to the cooling rack in the oven to keep warm while you cook the remaining fish. Using a metal slotted spoon, strain out any pieces of breading in the il so it doesn't burn. Repeat with the remaining fish.
- Serve warm with the easy sweet chili sauce and lime wedges.
