Chinese Sizzling Oil Steamed Fish (VIDEO)

Buying and Selecting the Best Fish for Chinese Sizzling Oil Steamed Fish

To make an authentic Chinese steamed fish at home just like the restaurants, you’ll want a white fleshed flaky fish such as branzino, sea bass, red snapper, grouper, or flounder. To ensure the fish is fresh, check the eyes to make sure that they are clear like in the photo below.

If the eyes are cloudy and you cannot see the pupils clearly, it is a sign that the fish is not fresh, so I would not recommend buying it. I recommend buying the fish the day you are cooking it so that it is as fresh as possible.

Tips for Steaming at Home!

Don’t be intimidated by steaming at home! You don’t need a fancy set up at home. If you have a bamboo steamer (like what I use to make Siu Mai), that would be great for this dish. But if you don’t and you are new to steaming, here are my tips:

• Use a pan that is large enough to fit the plate you will be steaming your fish on. I like to use oval plates (like the one in my video) because it’s the perfect shape for the fish.
• I used a metal steamer rack to place the plate on top (so you avoid the water touching the plate). If you don’t have one, you can use a heatsafe bowl to hold the plate or even an empty can of tuna. It just needs to be tall enough to avoid the water getting into the plate.
• Add enough water but make sure it’s not too much – like I mentioned, we want to avoid getting any water on the plate. It should just be touching the bottom of the plate.
• Bring the water to a boil before you place the plate with the fish on the steamer rack. The boiling will create steam, which is what will cook the fish!
• The fish should be steamed in 8-10 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when the flesh is opaque white. Typically, steaming a whole fish takes a couple minutes longer. We intentionally want to undercook it slightly, since the warmed sauce and sizzling oil will cook the fish further.

Ingredients

Refer to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients and measurements!

• whole fish – you can use a variety of whole white fish for this recipe; I recommend going with a sea bass, branzino, or snapper. The fish needs to be gutted and descaled – it’s best to ask your fishmonger to do this for you. Try to look for fish with clear eyes (a sign of fresh fish!) and buy your fish the day you are going to cook it so it’s as fresh as possible. This will make a difference in the taste.
• neutral oil – my go-to neutral oil is avocado oil but you can also use canola, vegetable, or grapeseed oil. Do not use olive oil or sesame oil.
• Shaoxing wine – if you don’t have this, you can substitute with sherry, mirin, rice vinegar, or even chicken stock. However, I recommend having a bottle of Shaoxing wine in your pantry if you like to cook Chinese food at home. It’s inexpensive and a little goes a long way.

Recipe Instructions

1. Prepare and Steam the Fish

Take your whole fish and pat it dry with a paper towel. Make 2″ long parallel cuts along both sides of the fish. This will help the fish cook evenly and also allow more sauce to get inside. Place the scallion whites and ginger inside the cavity of the fish.

Place the fish in your wok steamer setup and cover. Steam the fish over medium high heat for 8-10 minutes or until the flesh is fully cooked and tender, and a thermometer registers at least 145F.

You’ll notice some of the liquid has pooled at the bottom of the plate after steaming. Make sure to pour out any liquid from the fish once steamed. Any liquid remaining inside the fish will dilute your sauce and make it less flavorful, so be thorough!

Place the fish on a bowl or plate that will fit it completely and catch any overflow of sauce and oil.

2. Make the Sauce

In a small saucepan, add soy sauce, oil, Shaoxing wine, hot water, white pepper, and sugar. Heat over medium low until the sugar dissolves.

Once the sugar has dissolved and the sauce is combined, pour it slowly directly over the fish. I like to make sure it gets inside the cavity and slits so all of the fish is flavorful.

3. Pour the Sizzling Oil

Add the scallion greens on top of the steamed fish.

Heat the neutral oil in a small saucepan to 375F. Gently pour the hot oil on top of the aromatics on the fish. You are working with hot oil, so safety is key here!

Garnish with fresh cilantro and enjoy alongside some classic Chinese staples, like Bok Chok with Garlic Sauce, Gai Lan, Egg Fried Rice, and Soy Sauce Pan Fried Noodles! If this is a special occasion, don’t forget my Yeh-Yeh’s Crispy Roast Pork Belly!

Storage, Reheating, and Make Ahead Tips

Store any leftover Chinese Steamed Fish in an airtight container. The sauce is my favorite part, so I recommend spooning it over the fish in the same container. This can keep in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.

The easiest way to reheat this would be in the microwave until warmed through.

I don’t recommend making this ahead of time – it tastes best fresh. I also do not recommend buying the fish ahead of time – if possible, buy the fish on the day you intend to cook it.

If you tried this Chinese Steamed Sizzling Oil Fish Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!