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    Cook With Dana » Recipes » Recipes

    Published: Jan 27, 2022 · Modified: Aug 22, 2023 by Dana · This post may contain affiliate links · 4 Comments

    Easy Chinese Steamed Fish with Ginger and Spring Onion

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    You need to try this Easy Chinese Steamed Fish for your next meal! The aromatic flavor comes from the ginger, spring onion, and light soy sauce. I re-created an easier version for those that are in a rush or can’t eat a whole fish by themselves. Make this 15 minute meal for a healthy and delicious meal!

    chinese steamed fish with ginger and spring onion

    During Chinese New Year, we would have a large feast with chicken, fish, vegetables, and seafood. Each dish had a meaning for good luck in the new year. One of my favorites was this Chinese steamed fish with ginger and green onion. The fish is so flaky and flavorful, not to mention healthy too! This healthy and homey dish is usually made using a whole fish. However in this recipe, I am using fish fillet so it’s no fuss and it still tastes just like the Chinese steamed fish served at wedding banquets and big Chinese dinners. If you love fish, check out these delicious recipes: air fryer salmon with teriyaki sauce and honey glazed sea bass.

    ginger and green onion steamed fish chinese

    Ingredients You Need for Steamed Fish:

    • de-boned white fish such as alaskan cod, sea bass or tilapia – makes this recipe extra easy if you don’t need to de-scale the fish!
    • garlic cloves (optional)
    • green onions
    • ginger
    • neutral oil – any oil that has a high smoke point such as avocado, grapeseed, or corn oil works for this!
    • seafood soy sauce – There’s this brand called Haday Tasty Seafood Brand soy sauce that goes perfectly with Chinese steamed fish. The soy sauce is slightly sweet and brings out the flavor of the fish. It’s expensive on Amazon, but can easily be found in most Chinese groceries (like 99 ranch). If you don’t have seafood soy sauce, you can use any light soy sauce.

    HOW TO MAKE:

    WASH FISH

    Use your favorite white fish for this dish. I highly recommend sea bass for authenticity (& deliciousness) but I am using Alaskan cod. Wash the fish gently and pat dry with a paper towel.

    PREPARE AROMATICS

    Mince garlic cloves and add on top of the fish. Slice green onions and ginger finely. Set aside. (Optional – you can steam the fish with sliced ginger and garlic together)

    STEAM FISH

    Add some water to the pan and place on high heat. Prepare your steaming rack. When the water is boiling, add your plate of fish. Steam for 4 minutes. The time varies due to the thickness of the fish. If its a thinner cut, go for roughly 3 minutes. If its thicker like mine, 5 minutes is good! Anything more than 7 minutes will make your fish overcooked and dry. Note: if you are using a whole fish or larger fish than 1 pound, please adjust cooking time.

    PREPARE HOT OIL

    While the fish is steaming, heat oil in pan or pot until you see a little bit of smoke (should take 2-4 minutes).

    At the same time the oil is heating, pour out the water where the fish was steaming. Or place the fish on a new plate without the juices. Add green onions and ginger on top.

    PRO TIP: Heat the oil to smoking point and you will see a little smoke coming from the pot. We want to ensure that the oil is hot enough to fry the green onions!

    Then, pour the hot oil from on the green onions and ginger. You will see them wilt.

    ADD SOY SAUCE

    Finally, add seafood soy sauce (or any light soy sauce you have at home) around the edges of the fish. Pouring the soy sauce on top will make the fish turn dark in color. Hope you enjoy!

    FAQ

    What fish is good for steaming?

    A thicker and fattier fish, such as sea bass would make this recipe really delicious! If you want a leaner white fish, you can try cod, tilapia, or rockfish.

    How do you store leftovers?

    Unfortunately this fish doesn’t store well in the fridge. The fish becomes fishier and when you reheat it, the fish becomes dry. I recommend to eat the fish right when it’s hot and make the right amount of servings. If you do want to store any leftovers, keep the fish in an air-tight container (so your fridge doesn’t smell!).

    TIPS FOR THE BEST RESULTS

    • Pour out water from steaming the fish. This water comes from the juice of the fish and can taste fishy!
    • Use lots of green onion for extra flavor
    • Using the right soy sauce will change the flavor of your dish. I recommend to use this seafood soy sauce to bring out sweetness and umami of this fish.
    • Add some minced garlic to take out the fishy taste.
    • Serve immediately to ensure the fish doesn’t get fishy or cold.
    chinese steamed fish with green onions and ginger
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    5 from 1 vote

    Steamed Fish with Ginger and Spring Onions

    Make this easy Chinese steamed fish in 20 minutes! The white fish is garnished with green onions and ginger. Hot oil makes the dish super fragrant!
    Prep Time15 minutes mins
    Cook Time5 minutes mins
    Total Time20 minutes mins
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Chinese
    Servings: 2 people
    Calories: 323kcal
    Author: Dana

    Equipment

    • 1 steaming rack

    Ingredients

    • 1 pound alaskan cod (de-boned) any type of white fish
    • 1-2 garlic cloves optional
    • 2-3 green onions sliced thinly
    • ½ tablespoon ginger sliced thinly
    • 2 to 3 tablespoon avocado oil any neutral oil
    • 1-2 tablespoon seafood soy sauce or light soy sauce

    Instructions

    • Wash the fish gently and pat dry with a paper towel.
    • Mince garlic cloves and add on top of the fish. You may add sliced ginger to the fish if you like (optional).
    • Slice green onions and ginger finely. Set aside.
    • Add some water to the pan and place on high heat. Prepare your steaming rack. When the water is boiling, add your plate of fish. Steam for 4 minutes. The time varies due to the thickness of the fish. If its a thinner cut, go for roughly 3 minutes. If its thicker like mine, 5 minutes is good! Anything more than 7 minutes will make your fish overcooked and dry. Note: if you are using a whole fish or larger fish than 1 pound, please adjust cooking time.
    • While its steaming, heat oil in pan or pot until you see a little bit of smoke (should take 2-4 minutes).
    • Once the fish is ready, pour out the water or place the fish on a new plate. Add green onions and ginger on top. Then, pour the hot oil on the green onions and ginger. You will see them wilt.
    • Finally, add seafood soy sauce (or any light soy sauce you have at home) around the edges of the fish. Pouring the soy sauce on top will make the fish turn dark in color. Hope you enjoy!

    Video

    @cookwithdana

    steamed fish is one of my favorite dishes during lunar new year 🧧#chinesefood #lunarnewyear #easyrecipe #healthymeals

    ♬ Clouds – Luke Faulkner

    Notes

    **Recommend Haday Tasty Seafood Brand soy sauce

    EXPERT TIPS

    • pour out water from steaming the fish
    • use lots of green onion for extra flavor
    • make sure the hot oil is smoking when heating it up. If it’s not hot enough, it won’t fry the green onions.
    • seafood soy sauce brings sweetness and umami to this dish!
    • add some minced garlic to take out the fishy taste!
    • serve immediately to ensure the fish doesn’t get fishy or cold

    Nutrition

    Calories: 323kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 628mg | Potassium: 1002mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 0.5g | Vitamin A: 210IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 1mg
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    Did you make this?Please give it a 5-star rating, or leave a comment to share your experience! Tag @cookwithdanaa on Instagram to show me your beautiful creations! 😊

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Nancy says

      December 14, 2023 at 2:57 pm

      5 stars
      Love this dish! My parents makes this and I’m so glad to be able to find it here. Not many are familiar with this dish that reminds me of my childhood because as a kid I complained about this dish but now that I’m older I’m so much more appreciative of the meals my parents cooked for us when we were younger.

      Reply
    2. Diana Walker says

      December 14, 2023 at 3:18 am

      5 stars
      One of my top regulars to make for meal prep I crave often thanks to you ❤️

      Reply
    3. Caroline T. says

      August 16, 2023 at 3:47 am

      5 stars
      Thank you for sharing this recipe! I followed it loosely and so happy it turned out amazing. I crave this type of food sometimes so thank you for making it so easy ◡̈

      Reply
      • Cook With Dana says

        August 22, 2023 at 4:08 pm

        Thank you so much Caroline for trying this out!!

        Reply

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