Steamed Whole Fish with Fragrant Garlic Soy Sauce

This Steamed Whole Fish with Fragrant Garlic Soy Sauce is my family’s favourite Chinese Style Steamed Fish recipe. You’ll love the sauce for this recipe — it’s incredibly fragrant with the crispy fried garlic and the savoury umami light soy sauce. And the best part? It’s so simple to make.

My Dad taught me this recipe and honestly, this has always been his go-to method whenever he makes steamed fish at home. Whether you’re steaming seabass, grouper, snapper, or pomfret, this method works perfectly with any white fish.

It’s a great dish for weeknight dinners, special occasions, or when you want something comforting without spending too much time in the kitchen. Once you try this version, you’ll understand why it’s such a staple in my home.

I love cooking dishes that are healthy, nourishing and effortless to make. Other steamed fish dishes you may want to try are Lemongrass Steamed Fish, Teochew Style Steam Pomfret with Beehoon and Steamed Fish with Preserved Radish.

Steamed Egg with Fish Slices Tutorial:

Clean the Fish Thoroughly Before Steaming

You need to rinse the fish thoroughly with clean water. Make sure to discard any internal organs and remove any red clots or traces of blood along the bone and belly area. Usually, the fish monger will do this for you but you may still find residues of blood or red clots stuck along the bone that need to be removed to get of any unwanted fishy smell.

I love using bamboo steamer baskets, which you can easily find on Amazon.

You can also use other types of steam equipment. However, they tend to produce more water condensation and cause the steam water to drip onto the food. The water condensation usually isn’t much, but to prevent it, you can wrap the lid with a cloth.

What other recipes you may like:

If you like this Steamed Whole Fish with Fragrant Garlic Soy Sauce, you may also love my Lemongrass Steamed Fish, Teochew Style Steam Pomfret with Beehoon or Steamed Egg with Fish Slices.

Ingredients 材料：

• 1 whole fish 900 grams +/- 1 条鱼 900 克 +/-
• Few slices of ginger, julienned 几片姜，切丝

Fragrant Garlic Sauce 香蒜酱:

• 3-4 tablespoon vegetable oil 3-4汤匙植物油
• 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced 3-4瓣蒜，切碎
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce 1汤匙生抽
• pinch of sugar 少许糖

Garnish 装饰：

• 1 stalk spring onion 1 根小葱
• 1 chili 1 个辣椒

Method:

Prepare the Fish

• Clean the fish thoroughly and remove any red clots along the belly and bone area.
• Make a few slits along the thickest parts of the fish so it cooks evenly.
• Place ginger slices inside the belly of the fish.

Steam the Fish

• Bring the water in your wok to a boil.
• Steam the fish on high heat for about 10 minutes.
• Adjust the steaming time based on the thickness of the fish, plate material, and stove heat.

Make the Fragrant Garlic Oil

• Heat some oil in a small pan.
• Add chopped garlic and fry over medium heat until lightly golden.
• Immediately transfer the garlic and oil into a bowl to stop it from burning.
• Add light soy sauce and a pinch of sugar. Mix well.

Finish the Dish

• Once the fish is done steaming, drain excess liquid if needed (you can discard the liquid if it taste fishy).
• Pour the fragrant garlic soy sauce over the hot fish.
• Garnish with spring onions and sliced red chili.
• Serve immediately.

Cooking tips:

Clean the fish well — removing red clots helps eliminate fishy smells and creates a cleaner, sweeter taste.

Make slits along the fish — this allows heat to reach the thicker areas and ensures the fish cooks evenly throughout.

Steaming time varies — a thin fish may take slightly less than 10 minutes, while a thicker fish may need a few minutes more. Adjust as needed.

Ginger in the belly adds aroma — it helps keep the fish fresh-tasting and lightly perfumes the meat during steaming.

Do not overcook the garlic — once it reaches a light golden colour, remove it from the heat immediately to prevent bitterness.

Pour the sauce while the fish is hot — this helps the flavours absorb better into the meat and keep the fish hot.

Add garnish last — spring onions and chili stay vibrant and give the dish a freshness and pop of colour and flavour.

You might enjoy these other recipes:

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Print Recipe for Steamed Egg with Fish Slices: