By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 14, 2026
Serves 2
252 cal · 25 min
Steamed Whole Snapper with Soy, Ginger and Spring Onions
Recipe GLPR8f065266b2a73d
A delicate Southeast Asian-inspired dish featuring a whole steamed snapper seasoned with light soy sauce, fresh ginger, and topped with fresh spring onions. The fish is cooked gently to preserve its tender, flaky texture and mild flavor. Simple, elegant, and ready in under 30 minutes.
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Ingredients
1 whole snapper (1 pound), gutted and scaled
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
2 tablespoons grapeseed or sunflower oil
Fresh white pepper to taste
1 bunch spring onions, thinly sliced
Directions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and set up a steamer basket or bamboo steamer. Ensure the water level sits just below the steaming surface.
Pat the gutted and scaled snapper dry with paper towels and place on a heat-safe plate that fits inside your steamer basket.
Season the fish inside and out with white pepper to taste.
Carefully place the plate with the snapper into the steamer basket over the boiling water. Cover and steam for 12–15 minutes, until the fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork when tested at the thickest part of the body. The fish is cooked through when it reaches an internal temperature of 145°F.
While the fish steams, warm the grapeseed or sunflower oil in a small saucepan over low heat. Do not let it smoke.
Carefully transfer the steamed snapper to a serving plate, keeping the flesh intact.
Drizzle the light soy sauce evenly over the hot fish, then pour the warm oil in a thin stream across the top. The oil will sizzle slightly when it meets the hot fish and soy.
Scatter the thinly sliced spring onions over the fish immediately while it is still hot, allowing their flavors to gently infuse.
Serve immediately and enjoy the delicate, flaky fish with its aromatic toppings.
Comments
Snapper is consistently available at Publix and Harris Teeter seafood counters in Charlotte and costs around $10-14 per pound, making this roughly $8-11 per serving depending on fish size—reasonable for a whole fish dinner. The ingredient list is genuinely minimal and entirely stocked at any major Charlotte chain; soy sauce, oil, white pepper, and spring onions are staples. The stated 25 minutes is honest for a home cook steaming a whole fish, though fileting takes an extra 3-4 minutes if that step is needed. This is a same-night dish that doesn't reheat well, but it's unfussy, requires minimal active attention once the steamer is going, and the simplicity means it works beautifully as a weeknight protein for two.
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