Vietnamese Turmeric & Lemongrass Fried Fish Fillets (Ca Chien Sa Nghe)

If you are not a whole fish kind of person, try this fried fish fillet recipe with lemongrass and turmeric. It’s quick. It’s easy. But most importantly, it’s delicious.

I don’t always have time to prep a whole fish so I love having fish fillets in the freezer ready to go. This is especially helpful on busy week nights when there’s little time to prep dinner. Fillets are just the boneless flesh part of the fish so they cook up quickly. You can have a healthy and delicious meal on the table in less than 30 minutes.

This fillet fish recipe uses a marinade of fresh minced lemongrass, garlic, turmeric powder, sea salt, fish sauce and as always in Asian cooking, a bit of sugar to balance out the flavor. The fillets are lightly coated with corn starch then pan-fried to crispy perfection.

Because there are no bones, this recipe is my go-to fish recipe for my little ones. Quick. Delicious. No choking deaths. It’s win-win-win.

If you like this recipe, check out the famous noodle version, Hanoi’s turmeric fried fish with dill (Cha Ca La Vong).

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Vietnamese Turmeric Fried Fish Fillets (Ca Chien Nghe)

Serves 3-5

Ingredients

1-1/2 lbs fish fillets (cod, bass tilipia or any other white fish)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon granulated white sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/4 cup finely minced lemongrass
3 garlic cloves (minced)
2 tablespoons + 1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup corn starch

Instructions

In a small bowl, mix together salt, fish sauce, sugar, ground black pepper, turmeric powder, lemongrass, garlic and vegetable oil (2 tablespoons). Marinate fillets with mixture for at least 15 minutes or overnight in the fridge.
When ready to fry, lightly dust fillets with corn starch. Tap off excess.
Using a large non-stick skillet, heat vegetable oil (1/4 cup) on medium-high. Add fish fillets and pan-fry for 2 minutes per side. You may have to fry in two batches to prevent overcrowding.
Transfer fried fillet to a wire rack to drain excess oil. Serve immediately with steamed white rice for a complete meal.

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