Description
Tropical Grouper with Spicy Coconut is a quick, flavor-packed dinner featuring golden-seared grouper in a creamy coconut-lime sauce with fresh chili, ginger, and cilantro. Served over fluffy rice, this easy tropical-inspired recipe delivers bold flavor in just 30 minutes—perfect for weeknights or an impressive yet simple dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 grouper fillets, skin removed (about 6 ounces each)
- 1 cup canned coconut milk (full-fat, shaken)
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
- 1 fresh red chili, thinly sliced (remove seeds for less heat)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or coconut oil (plus extra for searing fish)
- Juice of 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons)
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar, packed
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped (for garnish)
- Optional: 1 tablespoon fish sauce
Instructions
- Prep ingredients: Dice onion, mince garlic, grate ginger, and slice chili. Shake coconut milk well before measuring.
- Sauté aromatics: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook 3 minutes until softened. Stir in garlic, ginger, and chili; cook 1 minute until fragrant.
- Make the sauce: Pour in coconut milk, lime juice, and brown sugar. Season with salt, pepper, and fish sauce (if using). Simmer gently on low heat.
- Cook the fish: Pat grouper dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat a little oil in a separate pan over medium-high heat. Sear fish 3–4 minutes per side until opaque and flaky.
- Combine and serve: Transfer grouper to the coconut sauce and simmer together 1–2 minutes. Spoon sauce over fish and garnish with fresh cilantro. Serve over rice.
Notes
- Remove chili seeds for milder heat.
- Do not boil the coconut sauce; keep it at a gentle simmer to prevent splitting.
- Substitute mahi-mahi, snapper, cod, or halibut if grouper isn’t available.
- Best served immediately. Leftovers keep refrigerated up to 2 days.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Pan-Seared
- Cuisine: Tropical / Caribbean-Inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 fillet with sauce
- Calories: 420 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 480 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 16 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 34 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg