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5.0 from 84 votes

Asian Glazed Baked Barramundi (or other fish)

Recipe video above. Banish boring baked fish with this sweet n' savoury, gently spiced Asian-style barbecue glaze. A quick finish under the broiler / grill caramelises the glaze for maximum flavour! For the most juicy and perfectly cooked fish, take the fish out when the internal temperature is 55C/135F. Serve with plain or flavoured rice, and some wholesome veggies to complete.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Servings: 4
Calories: 305 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Asian

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

    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan). Line a tray with parchment/baking paper. Place shelf in middle of oven.
  2. Cornflour slurry: Mix water and cornflour in a small bowl.
  3. 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.
  4. Brush glaze on Fish: Place fish fillets on tray. Dab/brush paste on on the top and sides.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.

Notes

  • Fish fillets suitable for this recipe - any firm white fish fillets that are ~2.5cm/1" thick:
  • Avoid: lean fish (swordfish, tuna, kingfish), small thin fish fillets (bream, dory), long narrow fish (cod), oily fish (mackerel, sardines). See in post for more extensive list.
  • Soy sauce –  Do not use dark soy sauce (too strong) or sweet soy sauce (too sweet). More on different soy sauces here.
  • Chinese black vinegar, like balsamic vinegar, is dark and has more flavour than regular vinegars. You can sub with plain rice vinegar. As a last resort, you can also sub with cider vinegar.
  • Mirin is type of sweet Japanese cooking wine, widely available these days in the Asian section of everyday supermarkets. Substitute with (best option first): Chinese cooking wine, Japanese cooking sake, 3 tbsp low sodium chicken stock (glaze will take longer to thicken).
  • Sriracha or other chilli paste will be a perfectly good substitute to add a bit of warmth into the glaze. If you're concerned about spiciness, just leave it out.
  • Chinese Five Spice – A premix of 5 spices, frequently used in Chinese cooking. Widely available these days in everyday grocery stores.
  • Sichuan Pepper – Gives a unique numbing spiciness to dishes. Substitute with white pepper. You can also leave out if you're concerned about spiciness.
  • Green onion garnish – This is how I prepared the curly green onion pictured in the photos: Finely slice the green part on an angle to form long strips. Place in a bowl of water and refrigerate for 15 to 30 minutes. The longer it stays, the curlier it becomes. If you leave it overnight, you will end up with tight ringlets!!
  • Storage – Fish doesn't keep or reheat well. While it can be done, it will inevitably become soggy and potentially overcook on reheat. Best to eat fresh.
  • 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

Calories 305cal (15%) Carbohydrates 23g (8%) Protein 39g (78%) Fat 6g (9%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Cholesterol 67mg (22%) Sodium 1406mg (59%) Potassium 822mg (23%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 19g (38%) Vitamin A 192IU (4%) Vitamin C 3mg (3%) Calcium 68mg (7%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 305

% Daily Value*

Calories 305cal 15%
Carbohydrates 23g 8%
Protein 39g 78%
Fat 6g 9%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Cholesterol 67mg 22%
Sodium 1406mg 59%
Potassium 822mg 17%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 19g 38%
Vitamin A 192IU 4%
Vitamin C 3mg 3%
Calcium 68mg 7%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.