Easy Chinese Steamed Fish

Classic Chinese-style steamed whole fish recipe made with whole seabass and loaded with ginger, spring onions/scallions, chilli, and delicious savoury sauce. One of the best ways to cook the whole fish is the steaming method, and in this recipe I am showing how to make it perfectly with simple cooking tips. 

Jump to:

• Chinese Steamed Fish for Celebrations
• What Type of Fish to Use 
• Ingredients we'll need
• Prepare the Fish
• How to Steam the Whole Fish
• Top Tips
• More Fantastic Chinese Recipes
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• 💬 Reviews

Create a complete Chinese family banquet dinner by pairing this steamed fish with Pak Choi with Garlic Sauce, Crispy Salt and Pepper Prawns, Duck Chow Mein, Soy Sauce Chicken and Hot and Sour Soup.

Chinese Steamed Fish for Celebrations

Whole steamed fish is a traditional famous dish on the Chinese Lunar New Year and celebrations dinner menu. It's also widely known as ' Chinese New Year Fish '. Having a whole fish at the family dinner means wealth and prosperity for the coming whole year. The whole fish has to have a head and tail, and it symbolizes good fortune. 

Even though cooking whole fish sounds scary if you haven’t tried it, it’s super simple and delicious. A steamed fish with ginger and scallion is my late Chinese grandad’s favourite dish to have at a family gathering dinner. In this recipe, I’m sharing how we love to cook at home by using the whole seabass with delicious savoury sauce. Impress your dinner guests with your restaurant-quality Chinese steamed fish! 

What Type of Fish to Use 

Choosing the right fish is important when making whole steamed fish. Popular options are seabass, sea bream, red snapper, flounder, pomfret, tilapia, carp, grouper, catfish, etc. 

When buying a whole fish, look for the ones with firm flesh, bright clear eyes and vibrant red gills. If you press on the flesh the flesh should spring back. And the smell should be fresh sea smell, not an unpleasant fishy odour. Make sure to check all these facts if you are buying a whole fish for the first time. 

Ingredients we'll need

This recipe is made with minimum ingredients and you’ll find it more easier than you’ve imagined. All you need are a whole fish, a large plate, a large steamer or pot, fresh herbs, and cupboard-friendly seasoning sauces. 

The following is a quick guide. Please scroll down and find the detailed measurements on the recipe card.

Fish and Aromatics

• Whole fish
• Spring onions (scallions)
• Ginger
• Chilli
• Cooking oil

For the Sauce

• Regular soy sauce ( light soy )
• Dark soy sauce
• Sugar
• Sesame oil
• White pepper powder

Prepare the Fish

You can request the fishmonger to remove scales, gills, and gut and clean them. That’s the easiest way to clean the fish and less mess in your kitchen. That’s one of the reasons you should buy fresh whole fish from the fishmonger instead of frozen whole fish. 

Before steaming, scrape off any blood left inside the cavity. Rinse the whole fish with plenty of water, including the cavity. Pat dry the fish with a paper towel. Use a sharp knife to make 2-3 shallow slits on each side of the fish. 

Cut spring onions and ginger into 3-inch pieces and slices and lay them on the heatproof plate to prevent the fish from sticking to the pan. Then, place the fish over them. Stuff the cavity of the fish with the ginger and spring onions. Place ginger slices over the fish.

How to Steam the Whole Fish

Use a large deep wok or pot that the whole fish can fit in. Place a steaming rack in the wok and fill it up with water. Place the fish plate over the rack. Close the lid and steam on high for 10 minutes. ( Larger fish need to steam longer. Increase 2-3 minutes if you are using larger fish. )

Meanwhile, the fish is steaming; prepare the sauce by combining sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Julienne ginger, spring onion, and chilli. Set them aside

Once the fish is cooked, discard the ginger, springs and steamed water from the fish plate. Place julienned ginger, chillies, and spring onions on top of the fish. 

In a small pot, heat 2-3 tablespoons of neutral flavour oil until smoking hot. Pour the hot oil over the fish. Next, pour the prepared sauce over the fish. Serve immediately with plain rice or garlic fried rice. 

Top Tips

• You can customize the sauce flavour by adding extra umami sauces and fresh herbs like oyster sauce, vegetarian stir-fried sauce, chicken stock/broth, minced garlic, coriander, etc. 
• For a kick of heat, drizzle some crispy chilli oil or hot fresh chilli slices like bird-eye chillies. 
• Do not overcook the fish. If you steam the fish for so long, the flesh will lose its texture and become mushy. 

Can I use a steamer? 

Yes, if you have a big steamer that is large enough to hold the whole fish. You also cut the fish into half and place it on the plate and steamer, then assemble it back into whole before serving. 

Can I use fish fillets?

Whole fish is ideal for Chinese banquets and celebrations. However, this is a very versatile recipe; you can use any of your favourite fish fillets. You might want to adjust the steaming time depending on the size of the fish fillets. 

Is Shao Xing wine necessary for steaming whole fish?

No, Shao Xing wine is not essential for this recipe. As loads of ginger and scallions are used in steaming fish, once you’ve steamed the fish, the fish's odour will be eliminated. But make sure to discard the cloudy steamed fish water.  

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