Fried Fish with Green Mango Salad (Cá Chiên Mắm Xoài)

Grandma’s simple Fried Fish with Green Mango Salad is the EASIEST weeknight recipe! Take your favorite fish to the next level by topping it with mango threads bursting with flavor, then smothering everything in a signature Vietnamese dipping sauce to get a classic side dish perfect for rice.

If vibrant salads excite you, check out our Gỏi Xoài (Vietnamese Mango Salad) and Gỏi Cuốn (Rice Paper Rolls)!

Fried Fish with Green Mango Salad on a plate surrounded by chili.

A simple childhood recipe

What I love about Vietnamese home dishes is that they’re often very humble and easy to put together. That’s exactly how I see Grandma’s Fried Fish with Green Mango Salad.

It’s one of those dishes that you would eat on a hot and humid day [like our Bún Thịt Nướng (Grilled Pork Noodle Salad) or Bò Xào Xà Lách Xoong (Vietnamese Beef Salad)], when nothing else will help with the heat!

While I didn’t love this dish as a child because I thought it was too simple, I do appreciate the vibrant flavors and textures now as an adult. It’s not only a meal that reminds me of home, but it also brings me back to the times when we’d all sit together to eat as a family.

In the modern household with everyone coming home from work at different times, we rarely do that now.

So making this childhood classic as a grown person made it feel like I had reconnected with a part of me that I had forgotten about.

That only made each chopstickful all the more delicious!

A hand using chopsticks to pick up some Fried Fish with Green Mango Salad on a plate.

Why this recipe works

Pan frying without any seasoning keeps the flavor fresh.
Julienning the mangoes increases each bite’s texture and helps to absorb more dressing.
Cleaning the fish’s skin a second time will help to remove any leftover scales that the fishmonger missed.

What you’ll need

A plate of fish along with green mangoes and bowls of oil and fish sauce.

About the ingredients

For Grandma’s Fried Fish with Green Mango Salad recipe, you can use whichever of your favorite fish you like. Even frozen or fillets will work. This time, we used silver perch and asked our fishmonger to descale and remove the insides for us before we brought it home.

Our house always has a jar of homemade Nước Mắm (Vietnamese Dipping Sauce) in the fridge, ready to be used. If you don’t have this at your disposal, you can quickly make one or use your favorite salad dressing.

Opt for the greener variety of mangoes. If they’re starting to turn orange or yellow, then they’re too ripe for this recipe.

How to make this recipe

Hands holding a cleaver scraping a fish in a sink under running tap water.

Put the fish under running cold water and scrape a knife’s blade across the skin to remove any leftover scales the fishmonger may have missed.

Score each side of the flesh twice by cutting through the meat diagonally, roughly 5mm (0.2″) deep. This will help it cook on the inside.

Set up a pan large enough to fit the entire fish’s body and heat it up on high. Pour 3 tbsp of oil in to start.

Fish frying in a pan with a wooden spatula on top.

Once hot, add the fish in to cook for 10 minutes on one side or until golden brown. Flip to the other side and do the same.

Note: If the oil starts to run low in the pan, pour in 1 tbsp at a time around the body.

Hands holding a green mango and cutting into it.

Meanwhile, peel the mangoes and use a cleaver to tap it against the flesh. This will create slivers in the fruit.

Hands holding a mango while a knife is slicing through the fruit.

Then use the blade to slice horizontally (flat against the fruit) so that each thin sliver gets shaved off.

For a video tutorial, you can watch Luke Nguyen prepare it for his salad on MasterChef Australia.

Once both sides are golden and cooked, plate the fish on a long dish.

Pro Tip: To check to see if the meat is cooked, use a fork or chopsticks to twist and pull the flesh away closer to the bone. If it’s flaky and not transparent, then it’s ready.

Green mango threads on a fried fish on a plate.

Serve immediately with the cut green mango and a generous drizzle of Vietnamese Dipping Sauce (Nước Mắm)!

Recipe FAQs

Can I use something else if I can’t get green mangoes?

Definitely! You can substitute it for your favorite vegetables or salad and still serve it with rice. Just keep in mind that the flavors and textures won’t be the same.

How do you make fried fish crispy?

For a batter-free recipe, the key is to remove as much moisture from the skin before frying as you can. Pat it dry with a clean paper towel, then let it sear skin-side down on a hot surface until golden. Make sure to serve it immediately so it stays crisp.

How long can I store this for?

Ideally, it’s eaten straight away for the best results. However, if there are leftovers, pack it in an air-tight container and it can stay in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Also, if you can predict that there will be leftovers before eating, I would suggest keeping all three components (the protein, dressing and fruit) separate from each other and only combined in each person’s serving bowl. That way, they can all keep fresher for longer in the fridge.

Tips for the best results

Use fresh fish. If the seafood isn’t selected fresh from a tank, you can check out Grandma’s Cantonese Steamed Fish with Ginger and Shallots (清蒸鱼) recipe for tips on how to choose the best ones.
Choose a firmer green mango. Some are more tart and firm, while others are slightly riper for a sweeter and softer experience. Firmer ones – while more sour – will be easier to julienne.
Serve the fruit to the side of the fish. While layering mangoes on top looks nice, unless you plan to serve the dish immediately, the moisture will soften the fish’s crispy skin over time.

Fried Fish with Green Mango Salad on a plate surrounded by a dish of fish sauce, a bowl of rice and green mangoes.

Make it a Vietnamese family feast

Whet everyone’s appetite with Bánh Tráng Trộn (Rice Paper Salad), which is packed with texture and flavor.
Line the table with other homey favorites, including Gà Xào Sả Ớt (Spicy Lemongrass Chicken), Thịt Kho (Braised Pork Belly and Eggs in Coconut Water) and Bò Lúc Lắc (Shaking Beef).
Enjoy a comforting Canh Khoai Mỡ (Creamy Purple Yam Soup) to balance out the vibrant flavors.
Have some Thạch Dừa (Vietnamese Coconut Jelly) stocked in the fridge, ready to finish any meal off!

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