Spicy Chili Bean Fish
Douban Yu (豆瓣鱼)
A hallmark of Sichuan cooking, Spicy Chili Bean Fish showcases fresh carp that’s first pan-fried to a crisp exterior, then simmered in a rich, fragrant-spicy sauce built on the bold, savory heat of chili broad bean paste.
Sichuan Chili Bean Fish (豆瓣鱼)—which boasts a strikingly red appearance and is sometimes called “Red Braised Fish” in Sichuan—takes the flavor profile in a completely different direction. Instead of subtle sweetness, it leans heavily on fragrant-spicy and slightly sour notes from Sichuan Chili Bean Paste (豆瓣酱), Pickled Red Chilies, and fresh Scallion.
Choosing the Fish
Any fresh white fish works well for both Red Braised Fish and Spicy Chili Bean Fish. Great options include tilapia, catfish, flounder, cod, and whiting. In Sichuan, however, grass carp (草鱼), silver carp (花莲), and bighead carp (鳙鱼) are by far the most common choices.
Traditionally, these dishes are prepared with a whole fish, tail and head intact. But for modern home cooks—especially those without a large wok—using fillets makes the dish far more accessible. Whether whole or filleted, freshness is key to achieving the best flavor and texture.
Before You Cook a Whole Fish: Things to Know
Preparing a whole fish for the first time can be challenging. Keep these points in mind:
- Bony freshwater fish – Many Sichuan varieties are filled with fine bones, so eat with care.
- The head stays on – In authentic presentation, your meal may be looking back at you.
- Skill and equipment matter – Frying a whole fish requires experience and a large wok.
- Ideally, the fish should be shorter than your forearm so it fits comfortably and cooks evenly.
- Oil temperature control is crucial: too hot and the skin will tear while the meat overcooks.
- Shallow knife cuts help the fish cook through, but cutting too deeply risks breaking it apart during frying.
The bold, fragrant-spicy Sichuan Chili Bean Fish delivers unforgettable flavors. Whether you choose the whole-fish tradition or a simpler fillet version, you’ll be rewarded with a dish that’s rich in taste, color, and Chinese culinary heritage.
Spicy Chili Bean Fish (Whole Fish)
Douban Yu (豆瓣鱼)
A classic of Sichuan cuisine—Spicy Chili Bean Fish features a fresh carp pan-fried and then braised in a fragrant-spicy sauce infused with the iconic flavors of chili broad bean paste.
Spicy Chili Bean Fish (豆瓣鱼) is a celebrated home-style and restaurant dish from China’s Sichuan province, famous for its bold, layered flavors and signature deep-red sauce. At its heart is Doubanjiang (豆瓣酱), a fermented chili broad bean paste that brings a rich combination of saltiness, umami, and heat. The dish typically features a whole freshwater fish—often grass carp or silver carp—pan-fried or deep-fried before being braised in the sauce. The method of cooking not only influences the texture of the fish but also subtly changes the balance of flavors, making this a versatile recipe with many regional and personal variations.
In this version, the fish is pan-fried, which gives it a delicate crust and allows the sauce to cling beautifully to the surface. Another common method, especially in restaurants, is to deep-fry the fish, which results in a more robust texture and slightly less saltiness, but often calls for a greater amount of Doubanjiang for bolder flavor. Pork belly is a distinctive addition here—rendered until lightly crisp to release its savory fat, it adds depth and richness to the sauce. However, it’s optional; lard can be used instead to stir-fry the aromatics and chili bean paste while still achieving a similar richness.
For best results, choose a fish about the length of your forearm or slightly smaller—large enough for a satisfying presentation, yet small enough to fit in the wok or pan and cook evenly. In this recipe, the sauce is left naturally glossy without thickening, allowing the flavors to fully saturate the fish, but a corn-starch slurry can be added at the end for a silkier texture, as is common in many other versions. Whether pan-fried or deep-fried, with or without pork belly, Sichuan Spicy Chili Bean Fish delivers a deeply satisfying balance of heat, fragrance, and savoriness—perfect for pairing with a bowl of plain steamed rice.
|
Prep Time: 10 min |
Cook Time: 25 min |
Total Time: 35 min |
Serving: 2 people |
Ingredients
1 whole fresh Fish (preferably Carp; about 800 grams to 1 kg)
Marinade
4 Tbsp. Shaoxing Rice Wine
2 Tbsp. Ginger Scallion Slurry
200 grams of Pork Belly
Aromatics and Chilies
6 Pickled Red Chilies
4 cloves of Garlic
1 4-inch block of Ginger
1 white stalk of Big Scallion (大葱)
Garnish
2 green stalks of Small Scallion (小葱)
Peanut Oil
Salt (to keep the Fish from sticking to the work)
1 heaping Tbsp. Sichuan Chili Bean Paste (豆瓣酱)
Sauces and Seasonings
1/2 tsp. Light Soy Sauce
1/4 tsp. Chinkiang Black Vinegar
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. White Sugar
1/4 tsp. ground White Pepper
Sauce Adjustments
1/2 tsp. Light Soy Sauce
1/4 tsp. Chinkiang Black Vinegar
1/4 tsp. Salt (Optional; to taste)
1/4 tsp. White Sugar
1/4 tsp. Scallion Oil
Directions
1.) Prepare and marinate the Fish:
- Clean, scale, and wash the Fish.
- Score the Fish by making several shallow 45-degree-angle cuts at 2-inch intervals along the length of the Fish.
- Place the Fish in a bowl and add the Marinade (Rice Wine and Ginger-Scallion Slurry).
- Mix by hand until every inch is thoroughly coated.
- Allow the Fish to rest while preparing the other ingredients.
2.) Slice the Pork Belly about 1/4-inch thick. Cut the slices into 1/4-inch-thick batons and then cut across these batons to create 1/4-inch-thick cubes. Place the diced Pork Belly in its own bowl.
3.) Prepare the Aromatics and Chilies, placing them into the same bowl:
- Cut the Pickled Red Chilies into 1/2-inch pieces.
- Peel and cut the Garlic cloves into thirds or into roughly 1/2-inch pieces.
- Peel and slice the Ginger into 1/2-inch batons; cut across these to make 1/2-inch cubes.
- Cut the Big Scallion into 2-inch-long pieces.
4.) Slice the Small Scallion into 1/4-inch pieces and set the pieces aside in a bowl to be used as a Garnish later.
5.) Remove the Fish from the marinade and give it a quick rinse to remove any debris. Pat it dry inside and out with a towel to dry it as much as possible before frying.
6.) Season the wok, add about 1 cup of Peanut Oil, and heat on medium. Once the Oil is hot, sprinkle plenty of Salt around the sides of the wok.
(The Salt is extremely important because it prevents the Fish from sticking to the wok).
7.) Pull the wok away from the heat and carefully slide the Fish in on the side of the wok into the basin. Return the wok to heat and pan-fry the Fish on medium-low heat for about 5-minutes while gently swirling the Oil around the Fish in the bottom of the wok.
8.) Sprinkle the uncooked side of the Fish with more Salt before carefully flipping it over using a large slotted spoon. Pan-fry the Fish on this side for another 5-minutes and then carefully remove it from the Oil, setting it on a large plate. Also, pour the remaining contents of the wok into a wire strainer set over a pot to quickly separate any debris from the Oil.
9.) Add about 1/4 cup of the Oil back to the wok and heat on medium-high. Once hot, add the Pork Belly and cook until the meat is starting to get crispy but still rather white in color.
10.) Add the bowl of Aromatics, stir-frying them just a few seconds until fragrant. Then, add the Sichuan Chili Bean Paste and stir-fry it with the Pork Belly until it breaks down into the oil.
11.) Pour in 2 cups of Water, bring the sauce to a boil, and add the Sauces and Seasonings (Soy Sauce, Vinegar, Salt, Sugar, and White Pepper).
12.) Reduce the heat to medium-low, carefully add the Fish to the sauce, and simmer everything for about 10 minutes, constantly spooning the sauce over the Fish. After 10 minutes, remove the Fish from the sauce and set it on the serving plate.
13.) Increase the heat to high and boil the sauce, stirring constantly and allowing it to thicken to a thin gravy-like consistency.
14.) Cut off the heat and stir in the Sauce Adjustments (Soy Sauce, Vinegar, Salt, Sugar, and Scallion Oil), tasting and adding more or less seasonings as needed.
15.) Pour the thickened sauce over the Fish and Garnish with plenty of sliced Scallion. Serve the salty-umami Spicy Chili Bean Fish immediately along with individual bowls of white rice.
Spicy Chili Bean Fish (Fillet)
Douban Yupai (豆瓣鱼排)
Tender fillets of fish are poached in a fragrant spicy red sauce with classic Sichuan flavors like chili bean paste, pickled red chilies, ginger, and garlic.
The following is a simplified take on a classic Sichuan dish, Spicy Chili Bean Fish, made with fillets instead of a whole fish. In Sichuan, this dish is also known simply as Red Braised Fish (红烧鱼) for its vibrant red color. Traditionally, Red Braised Fish relies on red-colored syrup (糖色), five-spice flavor (五香味), and a subtle sweetness. In this fragrant-spicy version, however, the sauce is built around Sichuan chili bean paste, garlic, ginger, and scallion.
The keys to this Sichuan-style red-braising are pickled red chilies and Sichuan chili bean paste. While these two ingredients bring the signature spicy heat, they also deliver remarkable depth of flavor. The lacto-fermented pickled chilies add a bright, sour kick with delicate aromatic notes, while the Sichuan chili bean paste contributes an intense umami punch and a hint of aroma. Combined with the fresh aromatics, they create a rich, bold chili bean sauce—perfect for soaking into steamed white rice.
Spicy heat is only one side of Chili Bean Fish’s flavor profile. The fragrant layers from garlic, ginger, and scallion are equally important. In this recipe, scallion flavor comes from a splash of scallion oil rather than from whole stalks, though sliced small scallion (葱花) can be used alongside—or in place of—cilantro as a garnish.
|
Prep Time: 10 min |
Cook Time: 10 min |
Total Time: 20 min |
Serving: 2 people |
Ingredients
2 fresh Fish Fillets (White Fish such as Tilapia, Flounder, Cod, Whiting, or Carp; About 250 grams)
Marinade
2 Tbsp. Shaoxing Rice Wine
1 Tbsp. Ginger Scallion Slurry
Aromatics and Chilies
5 Pickled Red Chilies
2 cloves of Garlic
1 2-inch block of Ginger
1/2 tsp. Green Sichuan Peppercorns
Garnish
1 small bunch of Cilantro
1 1/2 Tbsp. Corn Starch Slurry
Peanut Oil
1/2 Tbsp. Sichuan Chili Bean Paste (豆瓣酱)
Sauces and Seasonings
1/2 tsp. Light Soy Sauce
1/4 tsp. Chinkiang Black Vinegar
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Chicken Bouillon Powder
1/4 tsp. White Sugar
1/8 tsp. ground White Pepper
Brightening Oil
1/4 tsp. Scallion Oil
Directions
1.) Wash off the Fish Fillets, place them in a bowl, and add the Marinade (Rice Wine and Ginger-Scallion Slurry). Mix by hand until every piece is thoroughly coated and allow them to rest for about 15 minutes.
2.) Prepare the Aromatics and Chilies, placing them into the same bowl:
- Cut the Pickled Red Chilies into 1/2-inch pieces.
- Peel, smash, and mince the Garlic.
- Peel, smash, and mince the Ginger.
- Add the Sichuan Peppercorns to this bowl.
3.) Chop the Cilantro and set it aside in a bowl to be used as a Garnish later. Also, prepare the Corn Starch Slurry at this time if not already made.
4.) Add about 2 tablespoons of Peanut Oil to a skillet and heat on medium heat. Once the Oil is hot, carefully add the Fish Fillets, shaking off any excess Marinade before adding them to the skillet, and pan-fry them for about 45 seconds while gently swirling the fillets in the bottom of the pan. Flip the Fish and pan-fry them for another 45 seconds. Remove the Fish from the skillet and set them aside on a plate.
5.) Add another 2 Tbsp. of Peanut Oil to the skillet and heat on medium-high. Once the Oil is hot, add the bowl of Aromatics, stir-frying them just a few seconds until fragrant.
6.) Add the Chili Bean Paste and stir-fry it quickly until the Chili Bean Paste breaks down into the Oil. Then pour in about 1 cup of Water and bring the sauce to a boil.
7.) While the sauce heats, add the Sauces and Seasonings (Soy Sauce, Vinegar, Salt, Chicken Bouillon, Sugar, and White Pepper).
8.) Reduce the heat to low, add the Fish to the sauce, and simmer the fillets for 6 – 8 minutes, basting the fillets as necessary. After 6 minutes, remove the Fish from the sauce and set them on the serving plate.
9.) Increase the heat to high and boil the sauce, reducing it slightly. Add the Corn Starch Slurry, stirring it into the sauce with a constant motion.
10.) Cut off the heat and stir in the Brightening Oil before pouring the sauce over the Fish.
11.) Garnish the Fragrant-Spicy Red Braised Fish with plenty of fragrant Cilantro and serve immediately along with individual bowls of rice.
Contribute to Sichuan Soul
Sichuan Soul is funded in part thanks to generous contributions by fans like you! Your donations supply Sichuan Soul with the funding needed to provide quality recipes and photos. All donations are processed safely and securely through PayPal. You can donate any amount using the 'Donate' button below. Thank you for your support.
Comments
Post a Comment