15-Minute Steamed Fish, Chinese Style

By Amy Dong
Updated Oct. 11, 2024

This easy recipe for This Chinese Style Steamed Fish is spectacularly delicious and healthy. It comes together in just 15 minutes and you don’t even need a steamer. Here’s our technique for steaming fish fillets in the microwave!

Swai fish fillets with sauce in baking dish for Chinese steamed fish — Chinese Steamed Fish is not only healthy, but teeming with flavor!

Steamed Fish Without a Steamer

The best Asian steamed fish involves fresh whole fish and big steamers. In my old hometown L.A. markets, that means doing some high-jumping plyometrics among a chaos of grandmas in order to get the fishmonger’s attention, followed by brazenly pointing to the live red snapper you want. Thankfully, you don’t have to do any of that. This is my super easy Monday night version of Asian steamed fish that’s so easy and tasty, you’ll never need anything else.

Why This Recipe Works

Super Easy: This 15-Minute Ginger Soy Asian Steamed Fish is based on the whole-fish recipes I grew up on, but way more manageable for weeknights.
No Bones: There are no fish heads, tails, nor bones to mess with.
Very Little Oil: It’s so delicious, it doesn’t even need the classic hot oil drizzle at the end, which saves a load of calories.
No Special Equipment: You do not need a steamer. Repeat: no steamer needed.
Unbelievably Fast: Do you have a microwave and 6 minutes? Then you’re all set.

Key Ingredients

Chinese steamed fish ingredients with labels — Grab these pantry basics, for the most succulent flavors

White Fish Fillets– should be 1-inch thickness throughout.
Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce or Tamari sauce, which is naturally lower in sodium.
Asian Sesame Oil – be sure to get the Asian toasted sesame oil, which is darker in color and highly aromatic.
Rice Cooking Wine – we love the Shaoxing style.
Fresh Ginger – thinly sliced into matchstick slivers
Granulated Sugar – a bit of sweet is important to offset the savory.
Garlic Powder – you can opt for minced fresh garlic instead.
White Pepper – white pepper has a brighter, sharper, and earthy flavor compared to black pepper.
Cilantro – fresh leaves, for fragrant garnish
Green Onions – aromatic garnish

Substitutions and Variations

The Fish: Any variety of good quality fish fillets can be used. We really like basa or swai, catfish, bass, tilapia, haddock, flounder, sole, or red snapper. Just be sure they’re about 1-inch thickness throughout.
Whole Fish: You can definitely use whole fish instead of fillets as well. Try whole branzino, tilapia, or snapper. You’ll need to double the cook time if using whole fish.
The Soy Sauce: For a gluten-free soy sauce, use Tamari sauce. Tamari is not only naturally gluten-free, but has delicious depth of flavor.
The Wine: Use any variety of rice cooking wine found at your local Asian grocery store. We are partial to Shaoxing style cooking wine.

Easy Step-By-Step Instructions

swai fish fillets in a dish for chinese steamed fish recipe

Dry fish fillets thoroughly with paper towels. Place fish in a single layer in a 9×13 glass dish or other large microwavable dish.
In a bowl, whisk together all remaining ingredients (except for cilantro and green onions) until well combined.

Pour sauce evenly over the fish, ensuring that both sides of fillets are coated with sauce. Sprinkle evenly with cilantro and green onions on top of fillets.
Tightly cover dish with cling wrap. Microwave on high for 4-6 minutes, depending on thickness of fish. If needed, add another 1-2 minutes. Fish should be firm and flaky at the center.

Pro Tips for Success

Always use clean paper towels to pat dry fish fillets completely, removing as much excess moisture as possible, prior to seasoning.
Be sure to use a mild-flavored, flaky white fish, such as basa/swai, haddock, sole, flounder, or tilapia, bass, or red snapper.
If using a thinner fish fillet, as tilapia often is, lessen the cook time.
For thicker fillets, microwave for 6 minutes on high. For thinner fillets, cook about 4 minutes.
Actual cook time will vary depending on the thickness of fish fillets. Start off with less cook time, and add more minutes as needed.
Double-wrap the dish with cling wrap, in order to form a strong and tight seal, allowing fish to steam in the microwave.

What to Serve with Chinese Steamed Fish

Chinese Sticky Rice (Meal Prep Friendly) – this one is so easy and flavorful, a dinner in itself.
Perfect Instant Pot Brown Rice – super quick and perfectly healthy brown rice is the ideal side dish.
Chicken Chow Mein: How to Stir Fry Noodles – omit the chicken for a vegetable chow mein.
Best Easy Roasted Vegetables Recipe – super easy and nutritious side for all meals.
Chinese Chicken Salad – crispy, crunchy, flavorful salad everyone will love.
Asian Pasta Salad with Sesame Ginger Dressing – change up your pasta salad profile with this tasty option.
How to Cook Tofu – tofu is one of our favorite side dishes to serve with any Asian style dinner.

commonly Asked Questions

What type of fish is commonly used in Chinese steamed fish?

In Chinese cuisine, whole fish with firm and tender flesh are commonly used for steaming. Some popular choices include whole tilapia, sea bass, red snapper, and grouper. However, we use fish fillets for easy weeknight dinners.

What are some common seasonings and sauces used for Chinese steamed fish?

Common seasonings and sauces used for Chinese steamed fish include soy sauce, ginger, garlic, green onions, cilantro, sesame oil, Shaoxing wine (Chinese rice wine), and white pepper. These ingredients collectively provide a fragrant, aromatic flavor profile that eaters love.

How long should I steam the fish?

he steaming time depends on the size and thickness of the fish. As a general guideline, for a medium-sized whole fish, steaming for about 8 to 10 minutes should be sufficient. The flesh should be opaque and you should be able to flake it with a fork easily when cooked. It takes only half the time to microwave-steam fish fillets.

Can I add vegetables or other ingredients to the steamed fish?

Yes, you can add vegetables such as bok choy, Napa cabbage, or mushrooms to the dish for added flavor and nutrition. Place the vegetables around the fish during steaming so they can absorb the flavors from the fish and seasonings.

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