Savory Garlic Steamed Fish with Glass Noodles

If you’re searching for a dish that tastes like a five-star restaurant meal but comes together in under an hour with minimal effort, you’ve just found your new weeknight champion. This recipe for steamed fish with garlic and glass noodles is an absolute showstopper, delivering a beautifully delicate and deeply savory flavor that will have everyone asking for seconds. The magic lies in the cooking method: steaming. It gently cooks the fish to tender, flaky perfection while allowing the bed of glass noodles below to soak up every drop of the aromatic garlic and soy sauce. It’s a healthy, light, and incredibly satisfying meal that proves sophisticated flavors don’t have to be complicated. Get ready to impress yourself and anyone you’re cooking for!

Your Shopping List

Here’s everything you’ll need to create this gorgeous dish, which serves about two people. I’ve included some easy-to-find alternatives for ingredients that might not be in your local supermarket.

• Fish Fillets: About 1 lb (450g) of firm, white fish fillets. Cod, halibut, tilapia, or flounder are all excellent choices. The original recipe uses frozen pre-portioned fillets, so feel free to use fresh or frozen—just be sure to thaw frozen fish completely first.
• Glass Noodles: About 2 oz (50g) of dried glass noodles. These are also known as mung bean vermicelli or cellophane noodles and can be found in the international aisle of most large grocery stores or at any Asian market. In a pinch, you could use very thin rice vermicelli.
• Garlic Sauce: 3-4 tablespoons. You can use a store-bought garlic chili sauce or, even better, make your own simple version! Just finely mince 6-8 cloves of garlic and mix them with a tablespoon of neutral oil and a pinch of salt. That’s it!
• Light Soy Sauce: 1 tablespoon. This is your standard soy sauce, used for its salty, savory flavor.
• Dark Soy Sauce: 1 teaspoon. This is thicker and less salty than light soy sauce. Its main purpose is to add a beautiful, rich mahogany color and a hint of molasses-like sweetness. If you don’t have it, you can skip it or add a tiny bit of molasses or brown sugar to your light soy sauce.
• Peanut Oil: 1 tablespoon. Peanut oil adds a lovely nutty fragrance. However, any neutral oil like canola, vegetable, or grapeseed oil will work perfectly.
• Green Onions (Scallions): 2 stalks, finely chopped for garnish.

Let’s Get Cooking Step by Step

This process is wonderfully straightforward. The key is to have your ingredients prepped and ready to go before you start steaming.

1. First, prepare your glass noodles. Place the dried noodles in a bowl and cover them with warm water to soak until they are soft and pliable, which should take about 10-15 minutes. Once softened, drain them well.
2. While the noodles are soaking, prepare your fish. Gently rinse the fillets under cool water and pat them completely dry with a paper towel. This helps them steam perfectly rather than getting watery.
3. In the bowl with the drained noodles, add the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and about half of your garlic sauce.
4. Toss everything together until the noodles are evenly coated in the sauce. This is a key step that ensures the noodles are packed with flavor, not just the fish. Transfer the seasoned noodles to a shallow, heatproof plate or bowl that will fit inside your steamer, spreading them into an even layer.
5. Arrange the fish fillets in a single layer on top of the bed of noodles.
6. Spoon the remaining garlic sauce evenly over the top of the fish fillets.
7. Prepare your steamer. If you don’t have a dedicated steamer, you can easily create one by placing a steaming rack or even a few balls of aluminum foil in the bottom of a large pot or wok with a tight-fitting lid. Add about an inch of water to the pot, making sure the water level is below the rack. Bring the water to a rolling boil over high heat before placing your dish inside.
8. Carefully place the plate of fish and noodles into the steamer, cover with the lid, and steam on high heat for 8-12 minutes. The exact time will depend on the thickness of your fish fillets. The dish is done when the fish is opaque all the way through and flakes easily with a fork. Turn off the heat, sprinkle the chopped green onions over the top, and carefully remove the dish from the steamer. For an extra touch of flavor, you can heat the tablespoon of peanut oil in a small pan until shimmering and pour it over the green onions—the sizzle is spectacular!

The moment you lift the lid, you’ll be greeted by a cloud of aromatic, garlicky steam that smells absolutely divine. The fish, cooked to buttery perfection, will melt in your mouth. But the real surprise might just be the glass noodles underneath. Having absorbed the savory sauce and the juices from the fish, they are incredibly flavorful and slurp-worthy. It’s a truly harmonious dish where every single component shines. This recipe isn’t just about making food; it’s about creating an experience—a restaurant-quality one—right in your own kitchen with surprising ease. I encourage you to give it a try and see for yourself how simple and delicious a high-end meal can be. Let me know how it goes in the comments below, I’d love to hear about your culinary adventure!