Go Back
–+ servings
a caramelized catfish steak topped with chopped green onion and Thai red chilies

Easy Braised Fish Recipe (Vietnamese-style)

This easy braised fish recipe is perfect for your weekly budget-friendly meal. The fish falls apart while maintaining their juiciness.
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 2 people
Calories per serving: 704kcal
Author: Tu

Ingredients 

  • 1.5 lb fish steaks about 4 steaks with 2 inches of thickness, prefer catfish
  • ⅓ c pork fat cut in small cubes

Marinade mixture

  • 2 medium shallots thinly sliced
  • ¼ c fish sauce
  • 3 tsp light brown sugar
  • ¼ tsp black pepper
  • ¼ tsp paprika
  • 2 medium Thai chilies

Garnish

  • 1 tbsp green onion chopped
  • 1 tsp fried garlic
  • ground black pepper as needed

Instructions

  • In a large mixing bowl, combine fish steaks and marinade ingredients. Mix everything and set it aside for later use.
    1.5 lb fish steaks, 2 medium shallots, ¼ c fish sauce, 3 tsp light brown sugar, ¼ tsp black pepper, ¼ tsp paprika, 2 medium Thai chilies
  • Add a small amount of vegetable oil (about 1tsp) and pork fat to a cooking pan. Pan fry pork fat on medium-high heat until they turn golden brown, approximately 3-4 minutes.
    ⅓ c pork fat
  • Then add only fish steaks to the pan and put them on top of pork fat. Cook for 2 minutes. Save the marinade for later.
  • Turn fish steaks and cook the other side for another 2 minutes. Both sides should be golden brown by now.
  • Add the rest of the marinade liquid to deglaze the pan, followed by enough water (about 2 cups) to cover the fish steaks completely.
  • Turn the heat to medium-high to bring the pan to boiling point, about 2 minutes.
  • Then immediately lower the heat back to medium and simmer the fish steaks. Braised catfish should be done after 30 minutes of slow-cooking: the liquid should be reduced by more than half, and fish steaks are super tender and almost fall apart if touched.
  • Garnish with green onion, fried garlic, and black pepper. Served immediately with a hot bowl of steamed rice.
    1 tbsp green onion, 1 tsp fried garlic, ground black pepper

Notes

  • Don't stir or turn the fish too much: to keep fish steaks intact during the braising process, it is best to only turn them once with a flat spatula.

Nutrition

Calories: 704kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 59gFat: 44gSaturated Fat: 16gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 230mgSodium: 2432mgPotassium: 1557mgFiber: 2gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 654IUVitamin C: 71mgCalcium: 87mgIron: 2mg