Pla neung manao is a classic Thai steamed fish dish you can make in 30 minutes! Bright, spicy, and surprisingly easy.
There are days when I want maximum flavour with minimum fuss, and this is exactly that kind of dish. Pla neung manao or Thai steamed fish is one of those Thai recipes that looks deceptively simple, but once you taste it… you get it.
Pla neung manao is one of my FAVOURITE steamed fish dishes ever, and this is coming from someone who would normally never go for fish dishes. It’s ridiculously easy to make, yet the flavours are easily restaurant‑level.
Light, super refreshing, and perfect when you don’t feel like frying anything or dealing with oil splatter. Best of all, this takes less than 30 minutes to make! Served with hot jasmine rice that soaks up all that sauce… SO GOOD!
I also have a tiny confession: I’ve never cooked a whole fish before! It’s always been fillets for me… they’re just way easier! But my mom gifted me with a whole fresh fish from the market today, so I guess today’s the day we cook a whole fish 😀
by the way…
This steamed fish is such a favourite weeknight dish of mine that this recipe (with fish fillets instead of a whole fish) is included in my debut cookbook:
Jump to Recipe
What Is Pla Neung Manao?
Pla neung manao (ปลานึ่งมะนาว) is a classic Thai steamed fish dish. Pla means fish, neung means steamed, and manao is lime.
The fish is gently steamed until just cooked, then topped with a bold, punchy sauce made with fresh lime juice, garlic, chilies, and fish sauce.
It’s clean, bright, spicy, sour, and incredibly appetising… proof that steamed food never has to be boring!
Why You’ll Love This Dish
Key Ingredients for Thai Steamed Fish
Fish
You want a mild, white, flaky fish that steams well and stays tender.
Good options:
- Sea bass / barramundi (my top choice here)
- Snapper
- Tilapia
- Grouper
Whole fish is traditional and looks impressive, but fillets work too if you prefer something easier. If using whole fish, ask your fishmonger to scale and gut it for you.
For Steaming
- Lemongrass, lightly bruised and cut into chunks
- Ginger slices
- Cilantro roots or stems – these belong to the cilantro we’ll be using in the nam pla and garnish! This adds so much herby, earthy flavour to the sauce… so don’t be stingy with it!
- Chicken or seafood stock, enough to partially submerge the fish. If you do not have stock, you can use water.
Lime Chili Sauce (Nam Pla Manao)
- Chicken or seafood stock – the same that you’ll be using to steam the fish.
- Fish sauce
- Palm sugar – regular sugar will work too.
- Garlic, finely chopped
- Bird’s eye chilies, finely chopped
- Fresh lime juice – Use juice from 1 lime, or about 1-2 tbsp. I love mine extra sour, so I max the amount of juice I extract from the lime!
- Cilantro leaves, chopped
Key Steps to Making It
1. Prep the Fish
- Pat the fish dry.
- Make 2–3 shallow slashes on each side so it cooks evenly.
2. Set Up for Steaming
- Pour in about 2-3 tbsp water in a heat-proof plate or shallow steaming dish. Arrange ginger, lemongrass, and cilantro roots evenly in the dish, reserving a few pieces to place on top of the fish.
- Place the fish on top.
3. Steam the Fish
- Bring water to a rolling boil in a steamer or wok fitted with a rack. If using a steamer, make sure it is hot and steaming already.
- Carefully place the plate inside, cover, and steam:
– Whole fish: 15–20 minutes
– Fish fillets: about 10 minutes
- The fish is done when it’s opaque and flakes easily.
4. Make the Sauce
- While the fish is steaming, prepare the sauce, or nam plan.
- In a small saucepan, combine ½ cup chicken or seafood stock, fish sauce, sugar, garlic, and chilies.
- Place over medium heat and stir just until the sugar dissolves. No need to boil — once the sugar has dissolved, remove from heat.
- Stir in lime juice and cilantro leaves.
- Taste and adjust — it should be boldly sour and spicy!
5. Assemble
- Carefully remove the fish from the steamer.
- Discard the aromatics (or leave a few pieces for decoration). If the stock smells fishy, remove it as well (common if fish is not freshly bought or frozen, doesn’t mean it’s a bad fish!).
- Pour the nam pla sauce over the fish. If there’s extra sauce, or it doesn’t fit neatly on the plate, serve it on the side.
6. Finish & Serve
- Garnish with extra chilies and cilantro.
- Serve immediately with hot jasmine rice and enjoy!
How to Serve
This dish is best served immediately while hot:
- With steamed jasmine rice (non‑negotiable!): make sure there’s rice to soak up all that sauce.
- As part of a family-style meal alongside simple stir‑fried vegetables.
Tips & Tricks
Storing & Reheating
- This dish is best eaten fresh.
- If needed, store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 day
- Reheat gently by steaming until just warmed through
- Avoid microwaving, as it can overcook the fish and dull the flavours
More Recipes Like This
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- Silky Steamed Eggs
- Chicken ABC Soup (Instant Pot & Stovetop Versions)
Thai Steamed Fish (Pla Neung Manao)
3
servings10
minutes20
minutesPla neung manao is a classic Thai steamed fish dish you can make in 30 minutes. Bright, spicy, and surprisingly easy.
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Ingredients
- Fish & Steaming
1 whole (about 450-550g) fish, cleaned and scaled (sea bass, snapper or grouper, or fish fillets)
1 -2 stalks lemongrass, lightly bruised and cut into chunks
5 slices (about 2-3 inches) ginger
1 bunch cilantro; roots and stems for steaming, leaves for sauce & garnish (see Note 1)
2 tbsp chicken or seafood stock, enough to partially submerge the fish
- Lime Chilli Sauce (Nam Pla Manao)
½ cup chicken or seafood stock
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp palm sugar
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2–5 stalks bird’s eye chilies, finely chopped (adjust to spice tolerance)
1–2 tbsp lime juice (juice from 1 lime), adjust to preference
Cilantro leaves, chopped
- To Finish
Extra sliced chilies
Extra cilantro leaves
Steamed jasmine rice, for serving
Directions
- Prep the Fish
- Pat the fish dry thoroughly.
- Make 2–3 shallow slashes on each side so it cooks evenly.
- Set Up for Steaming
- Pour about 2–3 tbsp of stock in a heat-proof plate or shallow steaming dish.
- Arrange ginger, lemongrass, and cilantro roots evenly in the dish, reserving a few pieces to place on top of the fish.
- Place the fish on the plate. Arrange the reserved aromatics over the fish.
- Steam the Fish
- Bring water to a rolling boil in a steamer or wok fitted with a rack. If using a steamer, make sure it is hot and steaming already.
- Carefully place the plate inside, cover, and steam:
– Whole fish: 15–20 minutes
– Fish fillets: about 10 minutes
The fish is done when it’s opaque and flakes easily. - Make the Nam Pla Manao Sauce
- While the fish is steaming, make the sauce. In a small saucepan, combine the remaining chicken or seafood stock, fish sauce, sugar, garlic, and chilies.
- Place over medium heat and stir just until the sugar dissolves.
- Remove from heat; no need to boil, we are simply heating to dissolve the sugar.
- Stir in lime juice and cilantro leaves. Reserve some cilantro leaves for garnish. Taste and adjust — it should be boldly sour and spicy!
- Assemble
- Carefully remove the fish from the steamer.
- Discard aromatics (or leave a few pieces of garlic and lemongrass for decoration). If the stock smells fishy, discard it as well.
- Pour the nam pla manao sauce over the fish. Serve extra sauce on the side if needed.
- Finish & Serve
- Garnish with extra chilies and cilantro over the fish.
- Serve immediately with hot jasmine rice and enjoy!
Notes
- Note 1: 1 bunch refers to about 3 to 4 stalks of cilantro. We use cilantro roots and stems for steaming, and the leaves for the sauce and garnish. I prefer mine very herby, so I’m generous with my cilantro – at least 4 stalks for me!
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