Chinese Steamed Fish is an iconic dish served at Cantonese banquets, consisting of a luscious full fish steamed to perfection with a flavorful ginger and scallion-infused sauce.

In addition to being a mainstay at every major celebration or gathering, is is also one of the most popular Chinese New Year dishes as well, thanks to the fact that the Chinese word for fish sounds a lot like a word that means surplus or excess… which signifies wealth, which is pretty much the only reason we eat anything for Chinese New Year.

And while steaming a whole fish might seem daunting, I have to say this recipe is shockingly simple. Like, to the point that when Papa G sent it over, I was convinced he hadn’t finished it. This is one of the easiest Chinese seafood recipes that you can make at home, and one that is sure to wow.

So, keep scrolling for our foolproof Chinese Steamed Fish recipe. It’s sure to have all your guests fishing for seconds.

Ingredients for Our Chinese Steamed Fish Recipe

• 1 full fish (cleaned and descaled, but with head and tail still in tact) – about 500g
• 20g sliced ginger
• 10g sliced green onion stalks
• 25g julienned ginger
• 25g julienned green onion (greens)
• 2 Tbsp Maggi sauce
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1 pinch white pepper
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2/3 stalks of cilantro for garnish

Tips for Nailing This Chinese Steamed Fish Recipe

Pick a good, fresh fish

This recipe is absurdly simple, which means picking quality ingredients is key to its success!

Papa G says it doesn’t matter so much which fish you choose for this recipe (Tilapia, cod, rockfish, or any mild fish will work), but what’s key is that it’s as fresh as possible.

To minimize work for yourself, try to get your fish at a shop where they are able to descale and clean it for you (leaving the head and tail in tact). This will help reduce your work load significantly at home.

Add plenty of fresh aromatics

We’ve provided rough measurements for the aromatics used in this recipe (green onion and ginger), but if you love these flavors, or if you have a larger fish, then feel free to add more. This is where the flavor comes from, after all.

Use your favorite soy sauce

In this recipe, Papa G uses Maggi, which is a favorite in our house, but if you have a preference for other sauces, then feel free to use those in place of Maggi. Again, since there are so few ingredients, you want to be choosey in what you include as they will determine the overall flavor of the dish.

How to Steam Fish at Home Without a Steamer

Papa G is fancy and has a steamer at home which he uses for pretty much everything. If you don’t have your own steamer, don’t worry! It’s very easy to DIY one.

Simply fill a pot or wok with a few inches of water, and then place a wire rack at the bottom, and use it to hold up a plate or dish, making sure that the water doesn’t actually touch the dish itself. Or, in a pinch, you could use balls of aluminum foil or an empty metal can to prop up your plate.

Step by Step Instructions for Our Chinese Steamed Fish Recipe

This tasty steamed fish couldn’t be easier to whip together for a satisfying addition to any dinner table. Here are the step by step instructions!

Place your pieces of sliced ginger and green onion on a large plate big enough to hold your whole fish.

Place your fish on top of the green onion/ginger, then lower it into a steamer for 8-10 minutes. You can also add a few slices of ginger on top of the fish too, if you wish! NOTE: Depending on the size of your fish, you may need to let it steam a bit longer.

While your fish is steaming, heat up your Maggi with the sugar and white pepper, and set aside. Have a quick taste, and adjust as needed. If the mixture is too salty, dilute it with a bit of water… or if you want a lot of residual sauce for rice, then add more Maggi/sugar.

When the fish is done steaming, move it to a new plate (or drain all the residual liquid left on the steaming plate), then set aside.

Cover the fish with your shredded ginger and onion.

In a small saucepan, heat up 2 tbsp of vegetable oil until you see tendrils of white smoke, and then pour over your ginger and green onion to activate their aroma. Alternatively, you can add the ginger and green onion directly into the heated oil before you pour it over top, although the former will yield more aesthetic results for presentation.

Finish the dish by pouring your Maggi sauce mix around the sides of the plate (not on the dish directly).

… then garnish with cilantro, and enjoy!

We Hope You Enjoy Our Chinese Steamed Fish Recipe!

Let us know in the comments if you have any questions, or be sure to let us know if you’ve tested the recipe out. We’re always looking to improve our recipes and make sure they taste great for everyone.