Chickpea Encrusted Fish with Jalapeno Lime Tartar Sauce is the perfect crunchy nut-free topping! Roasted chickpeas make a great crispy, crunchy topping everyone can enjoy!
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The inspiration behind this recipe:
As a personal chef, I often have to find ingredient substitutes for people with food allergies so they can continue to enjoy the same flavors and textures as people without those allergies. Nuts are one of the major food allergens that can cause a serious, life-threatening reaction. Roasted chickpeas make a great crunchy coating substitute for nuts.
When roasted, chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans) become crunchy. They are not as calorie-dense as nuts and can be seasoned in a variety of ways. For ease, I use canned chickpeas. (If you start with dried chickpeas, you’re looking at a lot more work to soak, cook and roast them.)
The roasted chickpea topping is perfect for my Chickpea-Encrusted Fish with Jalapeno-Lime Tartar Sauce. It’s a little Indian, a little Mexican with a whole lot of delicious!
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How to roast chickpeas:
- First, drain and rinse the canned chickpeas thoroughly.
- Pat them dry with a clean kitchen towel or paper towels. If you have the time, let them air dry for 30 minutes to an hour.
- Place on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and place in the oven.
- Shake the pan or stir every ten minutes.
- After approximately 30 minutes, they should have a crispy exterior with an oh-so-slight soft interior. (Don’t worry about that slightly soft interior–when chopped, placed on the fish and baked, it will all get delightfully crispy and crunchy!).
- Let cool thoroughly and then place in a mini food processor.
Ta-daa! An allergen-free crispy coating perfect for fish or chicken! I used barramundi here, but you could also use tilapia, sole or catfish.
I think you’ll love this tartar sauce! Instead of gherkin pickles typically used in tartar sauce, I use pickled jalapenos to give it a spicy kick. The lime tanginess pairs perfectly with the curry in the chickpea crust.
Soooooo good and hope you enjoy as much as we did!!
More great easy fish recipes:
- Sheet Pan Thai Sweet Chili – Lime Baked Fish with Garlic Broccolini
- Baked Veracruz-Style Fish (Pescado A La Veracruzana)
- Pistachio Crusted Fish with Lemon Dill Aioli
- Indian Spiced Sea Bass with Braised Red Lentils
- Asian Vegetable Noodle Broth Bowls with Pan Seared Fish
- Blackened Halibut with Mango and Avocado Salsa
- Mediterranean Fish en Papillote
- Butter-Basted Halibut with Lemon-Braised Baby Vegetables
Chickpea Encrusted Fish with Jalapeno Lime Tartar Sauce
Ingredients
Chickpeas and Fish
- 1 can (15-ounce) (chickpeas) garbanzo beans - drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil - plus more for the baking sheet
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper - to taste
- 2 teaspoons curry powder - hot or mild
- ¼ cup panko - regular or gluten-free
- 1 large lime - zested
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- 4 (8-ounce) fish fillets - such as barramundi, tilapia, sole or catfish
- 3-4 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- Cooking spray
Tartar Sauce
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 scallions - finely chopped
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- 2 cloves garlic - minced
- 1 large lime - juiced
- ⅓ cup pickled jalapeno peppers - chopped
Instructions
Chickpeas
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Pat the chickpeas as dry as possible with a clean dishtowel or paper towel. If possible, leave them to air dry for 30 minutes to an hour.)
- Place chickpeas on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and stir to coat. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Roast for approximately 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. The chickpeas are done when they are golden, dry and crispy with a slightly soft center. Let cool thoroughly.
- Place chickpeas in a food processor and pulse until coarsely ground, scraping the sides and stirring with a spatula if necessary. Transfer to a bowl.
- Add curry powder, panko, lime zest and cilantro and stir to combine. Adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper if needed.
Fish
- Brush a nonstick baking sheet with olive oil.
- Place fish fillets on the baking sheet and brush the top of the fish with mustard. Top the fish with equal amounts of the chickpea topping, pressing slightly to adhere. Spray lightly with cooking spray.
- Bake for 13-15 minutes at 400 degrees or until cooked through and fish flakes easily with a fork. Serve with tartar sauce.
Tartar Sauce
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Serve with fish.
Notes
Nutrition
These are estimated values generated from a nutritional database using unbranded products. Please do your own research with the products you're using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.
Sasha @ Eat Love Eat says
This looks divine! Really cool idea for a topping. I don’t think I can get barramundi here in the UK but I’m sure it’d be delish on other types of white fish too. Lovely!
Carol says
Absolutely, Sasha! Any mild white fish–cod, halibut, tilapia, etc. etc. will work. Thanks!
Megan says
This looks gorgeous, Carol! I love a little bit of crunch with fish, and chickpeas + panko seem like a great combination!
Scott G says
Beautiful recipe and really well photographed. Nice work and thanks for sharing.
Ashley @ Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen says
LOVE this recipe – that coating is genius! And we really enjoy barramundi in my house. This is a keeper for sure!
Laura @MotherWouldKnow says
I love the idea of using a chick pea coating for the fish instead of bread crumbs. I’ve been meaning to try adding flavor to roasted chick peas too, so this recipe could be a great way for me to try both chick peas as an appetizer and as a bread crumb substitute.