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Steamed Fish Fillets

Steamed Fish Fillets offer a delightful take on traditional Chinese-style steamed fish, replacing whole fish with boneless fillets for easy consumption. These tender fillets are bathed in a savory, umami-packed sauce and topped with fresh ginger and green onions. Steaming the fish ensures it stays juicy and tender, making it a perfect way to prepare this dish.

It’s a healthy, protein-rich option, perfect for a quick and satisfying lunch or dinner. Plus, it’s ready in under 8 minutes from start to finish, making it a convenient choice for busy days.

Steamed fish fillets topped with green onions and sliced ginger with sauce being poured on top.

How to make Steamed Fish Fillets?

Directions

  1. Pat dry fish fillets and lightly salt them. Place the seasoned fillets on a heat-safe plate and set the plate on a steaming rack.
  2. In a stovetop pot, combine dashi, vegetable oil, Japanese sake, soy sauce, sweetener, sliced ginger, sliced garlic, and green onions. Bring the sauce to a gentle boil.
  3. Lower the steaming rack with the plate of fish into the pot, cover, and steam for 4-6 minutes until the fish easily flakes with a fork.
  4. Transfer the steamed fish to a serving plate, pour the remaining broth generously over it, and garnish with green onions, ginger, and red peppers.

Pro Tip

If you lack a steaming rack, a heat-safe bowl can be used to elevate the plate above the broth.

Recipe Notes

After steaming, it’s crucial to transfer the fish to a fresh serving plate to prevent the liquid from the fish from diluting the sauce.

Fresh rock cod fillets on a cutting board being prepared to be used in a steamed fish recipe.

What ingredients do I need to make steamed fish dish?

Ingredients

  • Fish Fillets – tender white fish fillets such as rockcod, red snanpper, grouper, or seabass.
  • Salt – sea salt preferred.
  • Dashi fish broth made from steeping kombu and bonito flakes with boiling water. Can also use Hondashi mixed in water for instant dashi.
  • Neutral Oil no taste or flavor with high cooking temperature. Some choices are sunflower oil, peanut oil, sallower oil, vegetable oil, and canola oil. 
  • Japanese Sake – typically will come in a large bottle labeled junmai sake. Can also substitute with dry sherry wine or Chinese cooking wine, found at local grocery stores or Asian markets. 
  • Soy Sauce – low-sodium Soy Sauce preferred. Can also use tamari for gluten-free.
  • Sweetener – use your preferred sweetener.
  • Ginger – fresh and sliced.
  • Garlic – fresh and sliced.
  • Green Onion – finely chopped green onion scallions.
  • Red Pepper – optional, whole red pepper for garnish.
  • Cilantro – optional, used for garnish.

What Fish Fillets to Use For Steaming

  • Rock Cod
  • Grouper
  • Red snapper
  • Seabass

For the best results, choose white-fleshed fish with a firm texture and neutral taste.

What is Dashi

Dashi is a seafood broth made by extracting flavors from kombu seaweed and fish flakes, commonly used in various Japanese recipes.

A bowl of Japanese fish broth aka dashi to be used in making steamed fish.

How to store leftovers?

Place it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can expect it to maintain its freshness for 3-5 days. When you’re ready to enjoy it again, simply reheat it in the microwave.

Looking for other fish recipes?

Steamed fish fillets topped with green onions and sliced ginger being picked up with a pair of chopsticks.

 

Steamed fish fillets served on a plate with sliced green onions and ginger on top.

Steamed Fish Fillets

Discover the delicious world of steamed fish fillet with this Chinese-inspired recipe, featuring tender, savory flavors. Perfect for a healthy meal!
4.39 from 13 votes
Course: dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: Chinese
Keyword: Chinese fish fillet recipe, Chinese steamed cod, steamed fish fillet
Prep Time: 4 minutes
Cook Time: 4 minutes
Total Time: 8 minutes
Servings: 2
Print Recipe
Calories: 236kcal

Ingredients

Fish

  • 1/2 lbs Fish Fillet can sub with other white meat fish fillets
  • 1/8 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 Cup Dashi
  • 1 tbsp Cooking Oil neutral, no flavor or taste
  • 1 tbsp Japanese Sake can substitute with dry sherry wine or Chinese cooking wine
  • 2 tbsp Soy Sauce
  • 2 tsp Sweetener your preferred sweetener
  • 1 Inch Ginger
  • 4 Cloves Garlic
  • 3 Stalk Green Onion

Topping

Instructions

  • Gather all the ingredients.
  • Prepare Dashi.
  • Slice ginger, garlic cloves, and green onions as shown below.
  • Cut match stick green onions, ginger and chop red pepper as shown below. These will be used as the toppings so set them aside.
  • Pat fish fillets dry with a paper towel, lightly salt both sides and transfer fillets to a heat safe plate.
  • In a stove top pot, add Dashi, vegetable oil, Japanese sake, Soy Sauce, sweetener, sliced ginger, sliced garlic, green onions and mix well. Bring liquid to a soft boil over medium heat.
  • Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low, place plate on top of steaming rack (or directly on top of water if you don't have a steaming rack), completely cover and steam for 4-6 minutes or until the fish easily flakes off with a fork.
  • Once fish is cooked, transfer to a serving plate, top with green onions, ginger, red pepper and spoon remaining broth on top of fillets.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 236kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 374mg | Potassium: 1133mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 601IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 89mg | Iron: 2mg
*Values Based Per Serving
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