Steamed whole fish is a classic dish in Chinese home cooking. It uses very few ingredients to bring out the great flavor of fresh fish. Stuffed with ginger and green onion, the whole fish is steamed until flaky, tender, and juicy. It’s then quickly seared with an aromatic infused hot oil that makes the fish extra fragrant, and served with seasoned soy sauce. The fresh ginger and green onion help eliminate any fishiness. The seasoned soy sauce adds a bit of sweet and savory umami to the dish. The fish is cooked in a steamer for the shortest amount of time, so that the finished meat is silky, tender, and moist. Steamed fish is also a dish that represents wealth and good fortune. In Chinese, the character for fish (鱼, yu) has the same pronunciation as that for “surplus” (余, yu), which indicates that a family has a surplus of wealth and food at the end of the year. For a lot of families, steamed fish is a must-have on the dinner table for Chinese New Year. And when going to a restaurant with a group of friends or gathering for any celebration, steamed fish is a go-to dish. Steamed fish is a very simple dish that requires very little time to put together. Check out my video and step-by-step photos below to see how easy it is to make it.
Steamed fish ingredients
How to select fish for Chinese steamed fish
The best fish for Chinese steamed fish is a (recently) live fish. The next best is a fresh whole fish. You can always use a fish filet, but I highly recommend trying this one with a whole fish if you can. If using a whole fish, you can usually find it at a Chinatown market or a large Chinese grocery store. When you purchase the fish, have it gutted and scaled at the counter to save you some work. You can also purchase a fresh whole fish at a large grocery store with a fish counter. If the fish is fresh, it will have clear eyes and metallic scales. It shouldn’t have a fishy or stinky smell. It’s important to choose a small fish, which will cook faster and taste juicier. And you also need to make sure that your steamer (or whatever cookware you plan to use) can hold the fish. Try to select a fish that is around 1 lb (500 g). Do not select a fish that is heavier than 1.5 lb (700 g). This dish uses minimal seasoning and cooking. The bigger the fish, the tougher and thicker the flesh, which will result in a flakier, tougher texture. I used branzino in my recipe, which is quite a popular fish in the US these days, and rather easy to find. Other white fish such as flounder and tilapia work as well. If using a fish filet, you have a wider range of varieties to choose from. For example, snapper and cod would work well.
Seasoned soy sauce
The main seasoning in this dish is seasoned soy sauce (蒸鱼豉油, Zheng Yu Chi You). It’s a type of soy sauce that is seasoned with sugar and MSG. This ingredient is pretty much specifically formulated for Chinese steamed fish. If you do not wish to purchase it, you can also make your own seasoned soy sauce using regular soy sauce, sugar and a pinch of chicken bouillon.
Mise en place
Chinese steamed fish requires just seven ingredients and is quite easy to prep. It includes:
A whole fish (or fish filet) Ginger (sliced and julienned) Sliced green onion Seasoned soy sauce Shaoxing wine Dried chili pepper Sichuan peppercorns (Optional)
The dried chili pepper and Sichuan peppercorns create a very fragrant oil. When you pour the oil over the fish, it sizzles the aromatics and makes the dish extra fragrant.
How to set up the steamer
One of the biggest issues for making Chinese steamed fish is to find a steamer that is big enough to hold the whole fish. The most convenient way is to use a large wok (at least 18”), a steamer rack, and an oval plate. Alternatively, you can also use a large oval pot to replace the wok. If you have a smaller steamer, you can also cut the whole fish in half and place the halves in a round dish. And of course, you can also cook with a fish filet, which takes up less space.
How to make Chinese steamed fish
Making Chinese steamed fish is quite easy and fast: The process is quite simple, yet you’d be surprised at how flavorful the fish is.
Can I use fish filet instead of whole fish
Yes you can! My 1.1 lb (500 g) branzino only took 5 minutes to cook through. Larger and thicker fish require more time. Fish filets usually require a bit more time to cook too, because the flesh is thicker than that of the whole fish. My 7.5 oz / 200 g branzino filet took 8 minutes to cook through. Check the doneness of the fish after 5 minutes. You should be able to flake the meat easily. Stop steaming immediately when the fish is just cooked through. Although I always prefer to steam a whole fish, you can use fish filet and still get a great result. Instead of stuffing the fish with aromatics, you can simply place the aromatics on the top and bottom of the fish. And also remember that a fish filet might take longer to cook than a whole fish, since the flesh is a bit thicker. I used a branzino filet in this recipe. But other white fish, such as flounder, tilapia, snapper and cod work very well too.
How to serve steamed whole fish
Chinese steamed fish is usually served as one of the main dishes during a multi-course meal. But since it’s quite an easy dish to prepare, you can also serve it as a main dish with white rice for dinner. To select side dishes that go with steamed fish, I prefer lighter ones like cucumber salad, potato salad, stir fried pea shoots, and Chinese broccoli with oyster sauce. Or, you could go to my recipe index to browse for other choices for sides. Chinese steamed whole fish tastes the best when it’s fresh off the stove. But if you happen to have any leftovers (very unlikely though!), you can either gently steam it or serve it cold. The fish will be at least a little overcooked, no matter how much you reheat it, so I usually prefer to eat the leftovers cold or at room temperature.
More Chinese New Year Recipes
Pork and Chive Dumplings (猪肉韭菜水饺) Chinese Lion’s Head Pork Meatballs (狮子头) Buddha’s Delight (Jai, Chinese Vegetarian Stew) Chinese Scallion Pancakes (葱油饼) Chinese Hot Pot Guide (火锅)
