Filipino Escabeche Sweet and Sour Fried Fish

Filipino Escabeche is a beloved sweet-and-sour fish dish where a whole fish is fried until golden-crisp, then draped in a tangy glaze of cane vinegar, sugar, ginger, bell peppers, and carrots. The contrast of crackling skin against glossy, pickled-style vegetables makes it a signature Sunday lunch plate across the Philippines. Serve over steaming jasmine rice to soak up every drop of the bright sauce.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving (estimated)

• 420 kcalCalories
• 22 gFat
• 4 gSaturated Fat
• 28 gCarbs
• 2 gFiber
• 22 gSugar
• 28 gProtein
• 620 mgSodium
• 580 mgPotassium
• 60 mgCalcium
• 2 mgIron
• 35 mgVitamin C
• 850 mcgVitamin A

Ingredients

For the fish

• 1 whole tilapia or red snapper (about 1 kg / 2.2 lb), cleaned, scaled, and butterflied
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup neutral frying oil (canola or peanut)

For the sweet-sour escabeche sauce

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 6 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 thumb (about 20 g) ginger, julienned
• 1 small red onion, sliced into rings
• 1 medium carrot, cut into thin matchsticks
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1.5 cm strips
• 1 green bell pepper, cut into 1.5 cm strips
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 1/2 cup Filipino sukang maasim (cane vinegar)
• 1/3 cup granulated white sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons golden raisins (optional)

Directions

1. Pat the fish completely dry inside and out with paper towels. Make three diagonal slashes on each side of the flesh, then rub all over with the salt and pepper. Let rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.
2. Heat the 1 cup frying oil in a wide skillet or wok over medium-high heat until shimmering (about 180°C / 350°F). Carefully lower in the fish and fry for 4-5 minutes per side, spooning hot oil over the top, until the skin is deeply golden and the flesh near the bone is opaque. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined platter.
3. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of oil from the pan. Reduce heat to medium and add the garlic and ginger; sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant.
4. Add the onion, carrot, and bell peppers. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften but still hold their color.
5. Pour in the cane vinegar and water, then add the sugar, bay leaves, raisins (if using), salt, and pepper. Stir to dissolve the sugar, bring to a gentle simmer, and cook for 5-6 minutes until the sauce reduces slightly and turns syrupy and the vegetables are just tender.
6. Taste the sauce and adjust with more sugar for sweetness or more vinegar for tartness, keeping a clear sweet-sour balance.
7. Arrange the fried fish on a warmed serving platter. Spoon the glossy escabeche vegetables and sauce generously over the top, letting it pool around the fish.
8. Serve immediately with hot steamed jasmine rice and a small dish of extra sauce on the side.

Cook’s Notes

• For the crispiest skin, thoroughly dry the fish before frying and avoid moving it once it hits the hot oil.
• Choose a firm, mild white fish like tilapia, snapper, or pompano; very oily fish can turn greasy under the sweet glaze.
• Filipino cane vinegar (sukang maasim) gives the most authentic tang; substitute with distilled white vinegar plus 1/4 teaspoon sugar if needed.
• Make the sauce a day ahead and keep the fried fish separate, then assemble just before serving to preserve the crackling skin.
• Leftover escabeche sauce is excellent drizzled over grilled pork chops or used as a quick pickle for boiled eggs.

More Philippines Recipes You’ll Love

Craving more flavors from Philippines? Try these traditional recipes:

• Filipino Chicken Adobo
• Filipino Sour Pork and Vegetable Soup
• Filipino Oxtail Peanut Stew

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