Gluten Free Chinese Steamed Whole Fish
Steamed whole fish is one of the most elegant dishes in Chinese home cooking, and this version delivers that restaurant-quality experience with surprisingly little effort. The flesh stays incredibly moist and tender inside the wok, infused with ginger and scallion from the very first minute of cooking. The key move here is the hot oil finish — superheated neutral oil poured over fresh ginger and scallion strips right at the table, creating an instant sizzle that blooms the aromatics and sends an irresistible fragrance through the room. The sauce is built from tamari rather than conventional soy sauce, which is what makes this dish work so cleanly for anyone avoiding gluten. Tamari delivers the same deep, savory punch without the wheat, and combined with just a touch of sugar and water, it coats the fish in a glossy, balanced glaze. There are no hidden flour-based thickeners or ambiguous condiments to worry about — just straightforward, naturally gluten-free ingredients doing exactly what they should. Serves 4, making it a beautiful centerpiece for a weeknight dinner or a casual gathering where you want to genuinely impress.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the fish
- 1 whole fish (about 1.5–2 lb), such as sea bass, snapper, or tilapia, cleaned and scaled
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
- 2 scallions, trimmed and cut into 2-inch lengths, then thinly sliced lengthwise into strips
For the sauce
- 3 tbsp tamari
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tsp sugar
For the hot oil finish
- 3 tbsp neutral oil, such as canola or vegetable oil
For serving
- 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
- 2 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced lengthwise into strips
- 1 small red chili, thinly sliced (optional)
- fresh cilantro sprigs, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Pat the fish dry inside and out with paper towels. Score the flesh on both sides with 3 diagonal cuts down to the bone, spacing them about 1.5 inches apart. Rub the fish all over, including inside the cavity, with the kosher salt and sesame oil. Stuff the cavity with half of the ginger matchsticks and half of the scallion strips (the 'For the fish' portions).
- 2
Fill a large wok or wide pot with 1.5–2 inches of water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Set a steaming rack or heatproof plate stand inside the wok. Place the fish on a heatproof oval plate large enough to hold it flat, and set the plate on the rack. The plate should sit above the water level.
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