If you’re looking for a fish recipe that would wow your taste buds, you’ve come to the right place. This peppered croaker fish recipe is a special dish made with just a few aromatic spices that blend together perfectly for a mouthwatering experience!
❤️ Why you'll love it
This croaker fish stir fry is my favorite way to serve this delicious fish and is such an easy recipe that packs so much flavor! In Nigeria, this peppered fish is an elegant, delicious dish served at parties, and the tray of fish is usually emptied out pretty quickly.
This recipe will show you how to create this tasty delicacy at home and even wow your guests for a special occasion!
Is Croaker Fish Healthy?
Yes, croaker fish is very healthy! This delicious white fish contains a high level of Omega-3 fatty acids and is a great source of Vitamin A, which helps improve sight.
Croaker fish also aids the smooth running of the digestive system, boosts the immune system, and aids bone health. It is low in carbs, protein-packed, and nutrient-dense.
These are just some of the wonderful health benefits of croaker fish, so the next time you want to indulge, go right ahead!
🥘 Equipment Used
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To prepare this croaker fish recipe, you'll need a cutting board, knives, and a large saucepan or frying pan. It's a very simple recipe that doesn't require any fancy tools or equipment.
🧾 Ingredients Used
- Croaker fish: I use 1.5lb of yellow croaker fish for this recipe. You can also get white croaker from your local Asian or Mexican fish markets to have it cleaned and gutted.
- Vegetables: Red bell peppers, habanero pepper, and onion will add flavor and heat to this croaker fish recipe.
- Tomato sauce: This will form the base for the sauce.
- Spices: Add bouillon powder, black pepper, and a little salt to taste. You can also use your favorite spices if you'd prefer.
- Olive oil: This is used for frying the fish. You won't need much oil since you'll be pan-frying.
🔪 How To Make This Recipe
- Wash and pat the fish dry with a paper towel. Also, chop the red bell pepper and the onions into rings.
- Sprinkle the fresh fish with black pepper and salt and rub it all over the fish.
- Add some oil to a large frying pan on medium-high heat.
- Once heated, place fish in the oil, skin side down, and fry for about 10 minutes on medium heat, till it is golden brown. Flip the fish a few times to make sure it is fully cooked. Your total time will depend on the size of your yellow croaker fish.
- Take out the fried fish and place it on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb the extra oil.
- In a separate pan, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. When heated, sauté the onions in the oil for a few minutes till translucent. Pour in the tomato sauce and add bouillon, black pepper, salt, and stir.
- Simmer for 5 minutes, then add the chopped red bell pepper and half a cup of water. Cover and cook for 5 minutes on medium-low heat, till the red bell pepper is soft.
- Pour in the fried fish and stir. Simmer for a few minutes on low heat till the fish absorbs the flavors.
🥫 Storing and Reheating
Store your leftover peppered croaker in the refrigerator. Put it in an airtight container and then in the fridge for three to four days. It will remain fresh during this time.
You can also freeze this yellow croaker recipe. Allow it to cool completely, then put it in a freezer-safe bag. You can also put it in an airtight container before freezing it. It will keep fresh for about a month.
To reheat, transfer it from the freezer to the refrigerator overnight to thaw. Then warm it in a skillet. You can also reheat it in a microwave oven till it is hot.
💭 Tips and Variations
- Make sure to pat the fish dry with a paper towel after rinsing. Wet fish will cause hot oil splatters.
- If you want to reduce the spiciness, add half a habanero pepper or substitute with a little cayenne pepper. You will need a little pepper to neutralize the acidity of the tomatoes.
- If you have a little extra time, marinate the fish fillets for 30 minutes to an hour for even more flavor.
- To be sure the fish is well-fried, check the internal temperature for doneness with a meat thermometer. You should get a reading of 145F for it to be safe to eat.
- Feel free to garnish with chopped parsley leaves and a little lemon juice right before serving.
🍽️ What can I eat this recipe with?
This tasty fish delicacy goes perfectly with a lot of side dishes. Traditionally, this dish is usually eaten with white rice. For a low-carb dinner, I like to enjoy this peppered croaker recipe on a bed of cauliflower rice. It also tastes wonderful with a side of green vegetables, like this Instant Pot Broccoli or Air Fryer Green Beans.
👩🍳 Frequently asked questions
There are different ways to cook croaker fish, and they all depend on your preference. You can fry it, bake the whole fish in the oven, grill it, air fry it, or use it in a stew or stir fry. For the easiest fish recipe, I like to pan-fry croaker fish in simple spices then sautee it with fresh vegetables and tomato sauce for tons of flavor.
Croaker fish, which is also called Atlantic Croaker or hardhead fish, is a small, bony fish. It is a type of fish that is usually found along the East Coast of the United States or the East China sea. It has a somewhat briny taste, and the skin is edible. Croaker fish soaks up the flavors of the seasonings you use, so it’s a good idea to marinate it first if you don’t cook it with a sauce.
You can clean croaker fish by first scaling it with an electric or manual scaler. This is necessary because croaker fish's scales are inedible. Next, carefully cut off the head, then cut the fish from belly to tail and gut it. Rinse thoroughly inside and out. However, a lot of fish markets will gut, clean, and cut it up for you.
📚 Related Recipes
Need more seafood dishes? Here are some of my favorite recipes!
📖 Recipe
Croaker Fish (Nigerian Peppered Fish)
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs croaker fish
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 red bell peppers chopped
- 1 habanero pepper you can use just ½
- ½ onion sliced into rings
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon bouillon powder
- 2 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon to marinate, 1 teaspoon to cook
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste ½ teaspoon to marinate, ½ teaspoon to cook
- ½ cup water
- oil for frying
Instructions
- Wash and pat the fish dry with a paper towel.
- Sprinkle the fresh fish with 1 teaspoon black pepper and ½ teaspoon salt and rub it all over the fish.
- Add some oil to a large frying pan on medium-high heat.
- Once heated, place fish in the oil, skin side down, and fry for about 10 minutes on medium heat till it is golden brown. Flip the fish a few times to make sure it is fully cooked.
- Take out the fried fish and place it on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb the extra oil.
- In a separate pan, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. When heated, sauté the onions in the oil for a few minutes till translucent.
- Pour in the tomato sauce and add 1 teaspoon bouillon, 1 teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon salt, and stir. Add the bouillon first and taste for salt before adding any.
- Simmer for 5 minutes, then add the chopped red bell pepper and half a cup of water.
- With the pot covered, cook for 5 minutes on medium-low heat, till the red bell pepper is soft.
- Pour in the fried fish and stir. Simmer for a few minutes on low heat till the fish absorbs the flavors.
Notes
- Make sure to pat the fish dry with a paper towel after rinsing. Wet fish will cause hot oil splatters.
- If you want to reduce the heat, add half a habanero pepper or substitute with a little cayenne pepper. You will need a little pepper to neutralize the acidity of the tomatoes.
- If you have a little extra time, marinate the fish for 30 minutes to an hour for even more flavor.
- To be sure the fish is well fried, check the internal temperature for doneness with a meat thermometer. You should get a reading of 145F for it to be safe to eat.
- If you don't want to fry the fish, you can bake it in an oven instead. Mix a marinade of olive oil, black pepper, and salt and rub it all over the fish. Then wrap it in aluminum foil and bake for 25 mins at 400F in a preheated oven. Remove the foil for the last 5 minutes.
OMG THIS IS THE BEST THING IVE HAD ALL WEEK. very vegan friendly once you swap the fish out for 1lb of extra firm tofu. so flavorful. making this again soon for sure!
Thanks for the wonderful feedback!