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.
How to make Steamed Fish Fillets?
Directions
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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.
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?
- Japanese Style Seared Salmon
- Japanese Seared Hamachi Yellowtail
- Soy Ginger Glazed Salmon
- Japanese Miso Salmon
- Japanese Miso Black Cod Gindara
Steamed Fish Fillets
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
- 2 Stalk Green Onion
- 1/2 Inch Ginger
- 1 Red Pepper optional
- 2 Stems Cilantro optional
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
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