A Fast Steamed Fish Recipe with Ginger (15 minutes!)

a hand holds a small bowl of soy sauce, drizzling it over the top of a plate containing steamed white fish, chilli, scallions and ginger

A Fast Steamed Fish Recipe with Ginger (15 minutes!)

A quick, healthy and flavor-packed fish dinner that can be made in a stovetop steamer or a steam oven. Don't skip the sizzling oil at the end, it takes the whole dish to another level!

Prep Time5

Cook Time10

Total Time15

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Asian, Chinese

Keyword: fast steamed fish, steamed fish, steamed fish recipe

Servings:

Calories: 178kcal

Ingredients

4 5oz white fish fillets skinless, 5/8" (1.5cm) thick, or one 1lb 5oz (600g) fillet, of the same thickness as the smaller fillets 150g
1 Tbsp Chinese cooking wine or dry sherry
1/2 tsp fine salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
4 scallions green onions, finely julienned
2 inch piece fresh ginger peeled, finely julienned
1 red chilli deseeded, finely sliced
4 Tbsp peanut oil or other neutral flavored/vegetable oil
2 Tbsp light soy sauce
1 Tbsp sesame oil

Instructions

Set up steamer or preheat steam oven

For stovetop steaming, fill the base of a steamer pot or saucepan with an inch of water and set on a cooktop to come to the boil. For steam oven, preheat using steam setting, 195°F/90°C (100% humidity). Warm serving plates so they're ready when the fish is cooked.

Season fish

If you're steaming in a steam oven, place the fish on a lightweight stainless steel tray in a single layer. For a steamer basket, place the fish onto a heatproof plate which fits inside a bamboo or basket steamer. Mix the Chinese cooking wine, salt and pepper in a small bowl and drizzle the top of the fish with the mixture.
4 5oz white fish fillets, 1 Tbsp Chinese cooking wine, 1/2 tsp fine salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper

Steam fish

Steam the fish until it's opaque and just shy of being flaky. This should take no more than 8-10 minutes unless the fish is very thick. If you want to cook to temperature, the internal temperature should be 130-135°F/54-57°C in the thickest part of the fish filets.

Add aromatics and sizzling oil

When it's cooked, remove the fish from the steam oven or steamer and transfer to warmed plates for serving. Scatter with the scallions, ginger and chili.
4 scallions, 2 inch piece fresh ginger, 1 red chilli
Heat peanut oil in a small pan over medium heat until it's very hot but not smoking. While the oil heats, drizzle the fish and aromatics with the soy sauce and sesame oil. When the peanut oil is hot, pour it over the fish and aromatics. It will sizzle and make the ginger, chilli and scallions smell amazing. I like to do this at the table for dramatic effect.
4 Tbsp peanut oil, 2 Tbsp light soy sauce, 1 Tbsp sesame oil
Serve immediately with steamed rice and, if you like, steamed Asian greens.

Notes

Fish varieties: Look for mild, white fish fillets like tilapia, cod, sea bass, hake or snapper.
Fish fillet size: Size is less important than the thickness of the fillets. Choose fish that's about 5/8" (1.5cm) thick so it steams fast and evenly. For individual servings you can use smaller, 5oz (140g) pieces, or cook one larger (but still thin) fillet that weighs 1lb 5oz (600g), cutting and serving it at the table.
Fish Freshness: Steaming is a delicate cooking method and if your fish is a little old, you can't disguise that as easily as if you grilled or baked it. If you don't have access to same-day-caught fresh fish, choose boat-frozen fillets over older, unfrozen ones. Thaw frozen fillets in the fridge, then pat dry with paper towels before cooking.
Want to use a whole fish? You can! You'll need to increase the cooking time but otherwise the ingredients and method translate well. Take a look at my recipe for Whole Vietnamese Steamed Fish for some pointers on cooking and serving up a whole fish.
Checking fish for doneness: When it's perfectly steamed, the fish should be opaque and just barely flaky; if you prod it with a fork it'll come apart but there's a tiny bit of resistance. Fish continues cooking when you remove it from the heat so we're aiming for just a tiny bit underdone. If you can't flake the fish at all with a fork, it needs more cooking so you don't end up with raw fish that's got a chewy texture. If you don't trust your eyes or the fork/flake test, use a thermometer to check the internal temperature. This is a little harder with thin fillets, but the center of the fish should read 130-135°F/54-57°C. Note this is lower than most governmental food guidelines! If you're immunocompromised or pregnant, or cooking fish that's less than perfectly fresh, it's safer to go to 145°F/63°C to make sure any harmful bacteria are killed.

Nutrition