Baked fish can be so bland. So dial up the delicious factor by slathering with an Asian BBQ Sauce, then roast until caramelised! Savoury, sweet, with a hint of spice and a whole lot of yum. We’re making Baked Barramundi here, but almost any firm white fish will work for this recipe.
Asian Glazed Baked Barramundi
The reason pan-fried fish is so much tastier than just sticking it in the oven is because you get good browning. Colour = flavour with anything, whether it’s vegetables or meats. Fish fillets simply cook too quickly in the oven to get any colour on them.
So how do you make baked fish tastier and more interesting? You could:
Bake it with a sauce – like in this Baked Fish with Lemon Cream Sauce (long time reader favourite!);
Bake it with a crunchy crumb – like this Parmesan-Crumbed Fish, or these Fish Fingers; or
Serve it with an assertive sauce, such as:
Romesco Sauce (Spanish red capsicum sauce)
A tangy and creamy sauce like Creamy Dill Sauce
Any of these Seafood Sauces; OR
You can slather it with what we’re calling an Asian BBQ Sauce, which caramelises beautifully in the 20 minutes it takes to bake fish perfectly in the oven! Just think your favourite BBQ sauce like we use on pork ribs – but with Asian flavours. Savoury, sweet, a hum of spice and tons of flavour!
What you need for the Asian BBQ Sauce Glaze
Here’s what you need for the Asian BBQ Sauce Glaze:
Chinese Five Spice – A store-bought mix of spices used extensively in Chinese cooking made with (wait for it…) FIVE different spices. I know, you fell off your chair in shock. 😂 Commonly found nowadays in grocery stores;
Sichuan pepper – For a hint of the Sichuan pepper signature cool-and-numbing heat. It’s really not a big deal if you leave it out however. Just add a dash of pepper instead;
Sambal oelek – A chunky chilli paste for a hint of chilli heat. Don’t have it? Just use sriracha or other similar Asian chilli paste;
Chinese black vinegar OR rice vinegar – Black vinegar has a distinctive flavour, rich and dark, a bit like Asian-y balsamic. So it does add a touch more flavour into the glaze while also deepening the colour of the glaze. But it really is not a big deal if you use rice vinegar instead;
Soy sauce – Either all-purpose or light soy sauce. Don’t use dark soy sauce, it will be far too intense. More on different types of soy sauces here;
Honey – The main sweet element. Substitute with maple syrup or brown sugar;
Mirin – A Japanese cooking wine used to add depth of flavour, and a little sweetness. Substitute with Chinese cooking wine, Japanese cooking sake, or if you can’t have alcohol, chicken stock (see recipe notes);
Garlic and ginger – Fresh, please!
Sesame oil – Toasted, ie. the bronze-coloured sesame oil, because it has more sesame flavour. Untoasted sesame oil is yellow, and is harder to find in Australia; and
Cornflour/cornstarch – Used to thicken the glaze.
Fish for Asian Glazed Baked Fish
I used barramundi in this recipe. The meaty and juicy flesh makes it ideal for the bold flavour of the glaze, and the fillets are thick enough to make them suitable for cooking in the oven.
See below for a list of other suitable fish .Any thick-ish, firm, white fish fillets will work a treat here!
Skin on or off? Either is fine, it really won’t affect the bake time. But the skin won’t be crispy. If this is a turn-off for you, just eat the flesh and leave the skin.
Other fish suitable to use
This recipe is suitable for most fish fillets around 2.5cm/1″ thick. We need it that thick so it doesn’t cook through too quickly before the glaze has a chance to caramelise (~18 minutes).
Fillets this thick will generally come off a larger fish. Here are some suggestions:
Jewfish (mulloway)
Snapper (if a large fish)
Hoki
Tilapia – the thick part (reduce oven cook time to 12 minutes)
Cod (any)
Grouper
Monkfish
Halibut
Pollock (aka coley)
Ling
Emperor
Striped bass (not all bass is suitable), hake, gummy shark
Salmon or ocean trout also work but there might be too much flavour going on as the glaze is quite intense!
Remember, the shape of fish means that you get thick cuts from the main body as well as thin cuts from towards the tail. Opt for the thicker cuts!
Fish to avoid
I recommend avoiding:
Fish that dry out easily when cooked – Like swordfish, tuna, bonito, kingfish, marlin, mackerel. Unless you’re extremely careful they can become dry inside so are very prone to overcooking in the oven. I feel these fish are (mostly) better in raw/rare form such as Ceviche, Poke Bowls, Tartare;
Delicate fish, thin-filleted, long narrow or small fish – Like flounder, sole, plaice, whiting, bream, dory, basa, hoki, flathead, deep sea perch (Orange Roughy). These fillets are too thin or too long and narrow to cook in the oven using this glaze because they cook too quickly; and
Oily, “fishy” fish – Like mullet and sardines.
How to make Asian Glazed Baked Barramundi
I wish more recipes of mine only had FOUR process step photos! 😂
Simmer Glaze – Place all the glaze ingredients in a saucepan and simmer;
Thicken to paste – Simmer for a few minute until it becomes very thick. It needs to be borderline paste-like so it sticks on the fish. If it’s just syrupy, the sauce will just slide off the fish;
Brush/dab glaze on to the fish – the top and the sides; and
Bake then broil/grill – Bake for 15 minutes at 180°C/350°F, then switch to the grill/broiler for 3 minutes to get a gorgeous caramelisation on the surface. Really, don’t skip this step! You get great extra flavour. 🙂
The target internal temperature of white fish cooked in the oven is 55°C/131°F. More on this below.
Target internal temperature of baked fish
For white fish fillets, I target an internal temperature of 55°C/131°F (to take fish out of oven, aka “pull temperature”) which is medium doneness. For fish, this means it is just-cooked, ie. very juicy, moist flesh that is not rare or raw at all. The residual heat as it rests will increase the internal temperature a few degrees, to give a final reading of around 58°C/136°F.
The FDA recommends an internal temperature of 63°C/145˚F, which is medium-well done. This is safe for all types of white fish because it is thoroughly cooked. However you will find that for leaner fish such as cod, it is not as juicy as it could be at this temperature.
If you ask chefs, you’ll find that many will target an internal temperature of 50°C/122°F (pull temperature). This is just medium, which means the fish is at its absolute optimum juiciness. For home cooks however, this can be a tricky act to ensure the fish isn’t underdone.
So in my view, it’s safest to target 55°C/131°F. Even if you overshoot it a bit, the fish will still be far from overcooked. This is also a good target internal temperature for roasted fish according to notable Australian seafood cookery experts such as Josh Niland, chef/owner of the critically-acclaimed Saint Peter fish restaurant and Fish Butchery in Sydney. He is author of award-winning book The Whole Fish Cookbook (page 209 for roasting temperatures).
What to serve with Asian Glazed Baked Barramundi
The Asian Glazed Baked Barramundi is shown in this post with a side of Coconut Rice and cucumbers tossed with Asian Sesame Dressing.
The glaze and juices from the fish are flavourful enough to serve it with plain steamed rice. Choose from white, jasmine, basmati or brown rice. Or for a low-carb option, cauliflower rice (really, it’s not just healthy but delicious!).
For flavoured rice options, try one of these:
As for vegetables and salads to serve on the side, here are some suggestions:
It’s dawned on me writing this that I’m a little short on Asian side salads. Time to start building up my stash. 🤔 Keep an eye out for more in the coming weeks! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Asian Glazed Baked Barramundi (or other fish)
Ingredients
- 4 x 180g / 6oz barramundi fillets , skinless, boneless; or other ~2.5cm / 1" thick firm white fish fillets (Note 1)
Glaze:
- 4 tsp cornflour / cornstarch
- 2 tbsp water
- 5 tbsp soy sauce , all-purpose or light soy sauce (Note 2)
- 4 tbsp honey (else maple syrup or 5 tbsp brown sugar)
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp Chinese black vinegar or rice vinegar (Note 3)
- 1 tbsp mirin (Note 4)
- 1 tsp sambal oelek , or other Asian chilli paste / sauce (Note 5)
- 1/2 tsp Chinese Five Spice (Note 6)
- 1 clove garlic , finely minced
- 1 tsp ginger , finely grated
- 1/4 tsp Sichuan pepper , or white pepper (Note 7)
Garnishes
- Sesame seeds
- Green onions (Note 8)
- Large red chilli, finely sliced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan). Line a tray with parchment/baking paper. Place shelf in middle of oven.
- Cornflour slurry: Mix water and cornflour in a small bowl.
- Make glaze: Place remaining glaze ingredients in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Simmer for 2 minutes. Add cornflour slurry then stir well. Cook it for a further 2 minutes until it thickens into a thick paste – thick enough so it stays on the fish when brushed on. See photo in post or video. If it is just a thick syrup, it will slide off the fish.
- Brush glaze on Fish: Place fish fillets on tray. Dab/brush paste on on the top and sides.
- Bake then broil/grill: Bake fish for 15 minutes. Then flick to broiler/grill on high, and cook for 3 minutes to caramelise the surface. Target an internal temperature of 55°C/131°F for medium, which is just cooked but not raw at all. Fish temperature will continue to rise to 58°C/136.5°F during resting.
- Garnish: Remove from oven, transfer to serving plates and rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with green onion, chillies and sesame seeds, as desired. Pictured in post with a side of Coconut Rice and cucumber with Asian Sesame Dressing.
Recipe Notes:
- Jewfish (mulloway)
- Snapper (if a large fish)
- Tilapia – the thick part (reduce oven cook time to 12 minutes)
- Cod (any)
- Grouper
- Monkfish
- Halibut
- Pollock (aka Coley)
- Ling
- Emperor (grouper)
- Stripe bass (not all bass is suitable), hake, gummy shark
- Salmon or ocean trout also work but there might be too much flavour going on as the glaze is quite intense!
Nutrition Information:
More baked fish recipes
Life of Dozer
It’s a bird…. it’s a plane….no…it’s a drone!
Endless entertainment and free exercise for Dozer whenever there’s a drone about. I’ll share the video if I get a copy!
Love his youthful energy (Dozer). You still got it sweet boy🥰
He sure does Macy!! N x
When I come back, may I be your dog? lol
I think everyone wants to come back as Dozer David!! N x
Had no idea what barrimondi fish was, but then read your notes. Thank you. Lovely dish.
Hi Isabel, Barramundi is sooo good – but this recipe works with other white fish too 🙂 N x
I’m fairly new to barramundi also. I was looking for a healthier alternative to tilapia. Barramundi is SO much better in every way! I love it…
Got two comments: 1) flavour is actually spelled “flavor” – no “u” as that is British English. 2) Do a lot of people use the metric measurements? I don’t and have to take them out. Are they more accurate?
Hi David, that would all depend on where you’re located, here we spell it FLAVOUR. Metric measurements are the most accurate and are a standard no matter where you’re located – lots of people use the metric measurements. N x
I’m pretty sure it’s also flavoUr in Nagi’s residence of Australia
I got the email with this recipe this morning and just finished licking every last bit of the glaze off of my fork. I used talapia and it was delicious! Thank you Nagi for another great recipe!
That sounds perfect Jill, I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed it!! N x
Not a fish eater, so I won’t comment on the recipe. However definitely a Dozer fan and that is a great action shot!
Oh well that’s ok – not everyone is! I’m so glad you still come for the Dozer shots though 😉 N x
Hope Dozer feeling better 🐾🙏🐾
Thanks for all fish recipes. Im trying to eat more fish. Asian glaze sounds tasty.
It’s so tasty Lesley – I hope you try it, I’d love to know what you think! N x
This is fabulous. I love the glaze. I was so excited to finally have barramundi when we visited Australia. It’s so good!
It’s one of my favourites – it’s so delicious Mimi! N x
I only just found you but I can’t wait to start making your recipes! They all look amazing! I’ve saved so many of them – including this one!
I’m so glad you’ve found me Jennifer!! I hope you try the recipes and love them! N x
Why doesn’t this jump right into my mouth from the video. Drooling majorly🤤🤤😁terrific recipe!
Oh how good would that be Raana, press a button and it’s delivered to you fresh! That would be the dream! N x
Made the buffalo chicken dip it was a huge success, samosas next then definately the sticky salmon. Thank you so much for all your inspiration,and truly awesome recipes. Big hugs to dozer, have a black lab so totally understand the problem
Oh I love hearing this Jackie, thanks so much for taking the time to comment and let me know! 🥰
honestly I’m a fan and look for your recipes first and enjoy each one iv’e cooked . Yummy thanks so much , flavour some and delicious , Im pescatarian so many to choose from.thank you
Thanks so much Deanna!! N x
Hi Nagi,
I went to the Indian shop and got the special ingredients for samosas today. Can’t wait to make them! Thanks so much for the recipe.
Wahoo!!! Enjoy Jen!! N x
Now I know what I’ll do with the Barra in the freezer – sounds absolutely delicious. Was the gorgeous pic of Dozer before or after he ate all the fertilizer? I’m surprised he didn’t just roll in it – puppers love that smell (we silly humans don’t appreciate it enough) 😉
Perfect Lisa! Love to know what you think once you try it! And this picture of Dozer was after he had his stomach pumped – he’s back to normal! N x
OMG – I am feeling ancient ! Of course the wonderful video of Dozer (oh well, and all the others 🙂 !) at the doggy beach on IG this morning was shot with a drone . . . that is why all the pooches kept on looking up ! Oh Nagi – you just have to get the video . . . I mean Dozer is such a swimming star in it !!! AND I cannot wait to get some snapper or grouper or ling and copy your recipe – lady, that is a beauty ! And all ingredients bar the fish are kitchen staples . . . and coconut rice and Asian dressed cucumbers will make this a perfect meal . . . can’t wait !
How amazing is the footage Eha!!!?! 🐶❤️ N x
Thanks for this recipe. Fish dishes are always welcome. BTW do you have a recipe for monkfish AKA poor man’s lobster? Would appreciate knowing how to cook it with lobster in mind. If that’s possible.
Cooking in solidarity with you,
Edie C.
Hi Edie – yes I’m trying to do some more fish dishes lately and would love to put monkfish on my list! N x