This Chinese-style steamed cod fish is a celebration of delicate flavors and beautiful simplicity. Tender, flaky cod fillets are gently steamed and finished with a fragrant ginger-scallion oil that sizzles as it hits the fish—turning an easy weeknight dinner into something truly special. With just 6 ingredients and no need for a steamer, this dish is fresh, healthy, and ready in under 30 minutes.
Why You’ll Love This Dish
- Minimal Ingredients, Maximum Flavor: Just cod, ginger, scallions, oil, chili, and coconut aminos or soy sauce.
- No Steamer Needed: Use parchment paper to steam fish in the oven or air fryer.
- Perfect for Meal Prep: Make pouches ahead of time and freeze—cook straight from frozen.
- Healthy and Dietary Friendly: Naturally gluten-free, Whole30, low-carb, and Paleo-friendly.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Cod fillets: Use boneless, skinless white fish fillets like cod, halibut, or sea bass.
- Fresh ginger: Thinly julienned for bold flavor and aroma.
- Scallions: Thinly sliced and added both before and after cooking.
- Fresh chili (optional): Adds a pop of color and heat.
- Neutral oil: Avocado oil or light olive oil works well for drizzling and sizzling.
- Coconut aminos or light soy sauce: Adds a salty, umami-rich layer to the dish.
How to Steam Fish Without a Steamer
1. Wrap En Papillote (in parchment):
- Pat your fish fillet dry with paper towels.
- Fold a large piece of parchment paper in half.
- Place the fish near the crease, then top with ginger, scallions, and optional chili.
- Fold the paper over the fish and pleat the edges tightly to form a sealed half-moon packet.
- Twist the final tip to fully secure the envelope.
2. Steam in Oven or Air Fryer:
- Oven: Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 12–15 minutes depending on thickness.
- Air Fryer: Cook at 375°F (190°C) for 10–12 minutes.
The fish will steam gently in its own juices and emerge moist and flaky.
The Sizzling Finish (Don’t Skip This!)
This is where the magic happens.
- Heat a couple of tablespoons of neutral oil until shimmering hot.
- Carefully open the parchment packet and drizzle the hot oil directly over the fish, ginger, and scallions.
- You’ll hear the sizzle as the aromatics release their flavor and fragrance—this quick flash-cooking step elevates the dish to restaurant quality.
Drizzle with coconut aminos or soy sauce just before serving.
Meal Prep Tips
- Assemble parchment pouches and freeze flat in zip-top bags.
- To cook from frozen, add 4–5 extra minutes to your oven or air fryer time.
- You can prep multiple packets at once—great for easy weeknight dinners or quick lunches.
Serving Suggestions
Pair this steamed cod with:
- Garlicky Chinese Broccoli
- Sautéed Cabbage or Swiss Chard
- Steamed Jasmine Rice or Cauliflower Rice
Final Thoughts
This Chinese Steamed Cod with Ginger Scallion Sauce is proof that simple ingredients, when treated with care, can yield extraordinary results. It’s light but deeply flavorful, with silky fish, bright aromatics, and that sizzling hot oil to tie it all together. Whether you’re new to Chinese cooking or just looking for a fresh and easy fish recipe, this dish is a keeper.
Chinese Steamed Cod Fish
This Chinese-style steamed cod is one of those simple, restaurant-quality dishes you can absolutely make at home.
Ingredients
- 1 lb cod fish fillets, boneless and skinless, about 1-inch thick
- ½ tsp coarse sea salt
- 2 tbsp coconut aminos or 1 tbsp gluten-free tamari
- 3 scallion bulbs, chopped
- 0.8 oz Fresno or serrano red chilies, seeds removed and finely chopped
- 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tbsp finely chopped ginger
- 4 tbsp avocado oil
Instructions
- Start by cutting the cod into two equal pieces, each about half a pound. Pat the fillets dry with a paper towel.
- Fold a piece of parchment paper in half and place one cod fillet near the center fold. Repeat with the second fillet and another piece of parchment.
- Season each piece of fish with ¼ tsp sea salt, 1 tbsp coconut aminos, and 1 tsp toasted sesame oil.
- To create a parchment pouch: fold the paper over the fish, then begin pleating from one end, making small overlapping folds to seal the edges. The finished packet should resemble a half-moon shape. Twist the end to secure it tightly.
- If using an air fryer: place one fish pouch in the basket. Gently press down on the paper so it doesn’t get scorched. Cook at 300°F for 15 minutes, or until the fish is tender and flakes easily with a skewer. For thinner fillets, reduce the cook time by about 5 minutes.
- While the fish cooks, prepare the aromatics. Finely chop the ginger, scallions, and red chilies. Divide the mixture into two equal portions.
- When the fish is about 5 minutes from done, warm the avocado oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes. Cover the pot partially to let air circulate.
- Once the fish is finished cooking, let the packets sit for about 3 minutes. Then, carefully cut them open with scissors—watch out for steam. Sprinkle the chopped ginger, scallions, and chilies over the fish, and add a pinch of salt.
- Pour half the hot oil over each fillet and aromatic topping. Serve immediately while everything is sizzling and fragrant.
Notes
- This method works beautifully with other white fish like halibut, bass, or tilapia. If your fillets are thinner than 1 inch, reduce the cooking time by about 5 minutes so they don’t overcook.
- For meal prep, you can assemble the fish with seasonings in the parchment pouch ahead of time. Chop your aromatics and store them in a freezer-safe bag along with the pouch. To cook from frozen, just pop the pouch straight into the air fryer at 320F for about 25 minutes or bake in the oven at 425F for 25 minutes. Once the fish is cooked, heat the avocado oil and pour it over the hot fish with the frozen aromatics right on top. Just be cautious of any splatter. Serve hot for best results.
Nutrition Information
Yield
2Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 575Total Fat 35gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 28gCholesterol 213mgSodium 1616mgCarbohydrates 9gFiber 2gSugar 5gProtein 56g
Easy Shrimp Recipes.com, occasionally offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site. This information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although allchickenrecipes.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
