Chinese Steamed Fish Recipe
Published July 31, 2024. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
This delicious Chinese Steamed Fish Recipe is topped with fresh julienne vegetables and a sweetened soy sauce. The sauce’s flavors are incredible.
I absolutely love seafood and eat it whenever I can. If you want to try out a few new fish recipes, try my tasty Sicilian-Style Swordfish or Honey Garlic Salmon.
Steamed Fish
Steamed fish is seasoned fresh or frozen and thawed fish that is steamed until cooked. The result is a flaky, perfectly cooked fish. Chinese-style steamed fish is topped off with stir-fried fresh vegetables and a soy-based sauce. The sauce has variations, and I recommend using what you have.
You will need a steamer large enough to handle fresh fish, as I did, or you can use fish fillets in a smaller steamer.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Fish – I used fresh yellow snapper in my recipe. Other great fish are flounder, haddock, sea bass, perch, cod, or tilapia. Any flaky white fish will work.
- Citrus – I used lemon to stuff the fish. You can also use orange or lime.
- Peppers – You can use red, yellow, green, or orange bell peppers.
- Herbs – The sauce is finished with fresh cilantro. You can also use fresh mint.
- Onion – You can use a red, white, yellow, or sweet onion. In addition, I used green onions and garlic cloves.
- Ginger — Fresh, peeled, and finely grated ginger is best. However, you can substitute 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger.
- Soy Sauce – Any good soy sauce, such as tamari, will work. You can also use low-sodium soy to cut back on salt. Feel free to substitute with coconut aminos if you are soy-free.
- Wine – Rice wine is used. Substitute with Shaoxing, mirin, or dry sherry.
- Vinegar – You can use rice or white distilled vinegar.
- Sugar – Regular granulated sugar is used for the sauce.
- Seasoning – Coarse salt, freshly cracked black pepper, and optional fish sauce are used. You can substitute mushroom broth for the fish sauce.
How to Make Chinese Steamed Fish
Fill up the steamer.
Place the pan in the perforated pan and place a few savoy cabbage leaves down. Place the lid on and heat until the cabbage begins to steam.
Season the inside and outside of the fish with salt and pepper.
Stuff the cavity of the fish with lemon slices.
Once the steamer is steaming, slice the fish onto the cabbage, place the lid on, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until cooked through.
While the fish is cooking, add the ginger, garlic, soy, rice wine, rice wine vinegar, fish sauce, sugar, bell peppers, green onions, cilantro, and onions to a wok over high heat and bring to a boil for 1 minute.
When the fish is done cooking, remove it from the steamer and place it on a serving platter. Garnish with peppers, onions, green onions, cucumber, cilantro, and sauce.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: This recipe is meant to be eaten right away. However, you can make it up to 30 minutes ahead of time. Keep it warm before serving.
How to Store: Cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. This will freeze covered for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating.
How to Reheat: Add the desired number of snapper to a sheet tray lined with parchment paper and cook in the oven at 350° for 5-7 minutes or until warmed.
chef notes + Tips
- I like to add cabbage leaves or parchment paper to the steamer basket to help prevent the fish from sticking.
- You can use a perforated pan inside of a deeper pan with a lid to make a steamer. It can cook in the oven or on the stovetop.
More Seafood Recipes
Video
Chinese Steamed Fish Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 fresh whole head on Yellow Snapper
- 1 thinly sliced lemon
- 1 seeded julienne red bell pepper
- 1 seeded julienne yellow bell pepper
- 1/4 peeled thinly sliced red onion
- 3/4 cup julienned green onions
- 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
- 2 each finely minced cloves of garlic
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice wine
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- coarse salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- Fill up the steamer.
- Place the pan in the perforated pan and place a few savoy cabbage leaves down. Place the lid on and heat until the cabbage begins to steam.
- Season the inside and outside of the fish with salt and pepper.
- Stuff the cavity of the fish with lemon slices.
- Once the steamer is steaming, slice the fish onto the cabbage, place the lid on, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until cooked through.
- While the fish is cooking, add the ginger, garlic, soy, rice wine, rice wine vinegar, fish sauce, and sugar to a bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.
- When the fish is done cooking, remove it from the steamer and place it on a serving platter. Garnish with peppers, onions, green onions, cucumber, cilantro, and sauce.
Oh yum! This looks so amazing.
I loved how easy this is to make! Really amazing!
It looks so colorful and delicious! I love the idea of placing the fish on cabbage leaves so it doesn’t stick to the pan. Great tip!
This is great!
What a beautiful looking dish! I’ve never steamed a fish before, but I’m adding it to my list of things to make after reading this.