Spicy grilled fish enveloped in a rich, aromatic chili and Sichuan pepper sauce.
A late-1990s Chongqing dish from the Wanzhou district on the upper Yangtze — fishermen at the river docks had access to fresh river fish and a tradition of grilling it over charcoal; restaurant operators added the iron-tray chili-oil step in the mid-90s, and the format spread from Chongqing across China by the early 2000s.
Late-1990s Wanzhou district on the upper Yangtze. Two cooking events on one fish — charcoal grill first to set the protein, then a hot-oil bath at the table. The vegetables underneath aren't garnish, they're a heat buffer.
A whole fish — grass carp or catfish — split flat, grilled over charcoal until the skin is blistered, then dropped into a wide iron tray of bubbling chili oil with celery, onion, lotus root, soy sprouts, mushroom underneath. The tray sits on a tabletop burner and keeps cooking. Eat with rice; the vegetables soak up oil and become the sleeper hit. Numbing peppercorn comes through after the chili.
Two cooking events on one fish. Grill first — direct charcoal, skin-down — to set the protein and pick up smoke. Then the chili oil step is essentially a hot oil bath that keeps cooking the fish at the table; the bottom vegetables are not garnish, they're a heat buffer that keeps the fish from sticking and burning on the tray. Without that vegetable layer the dish scorches in five minutes flat.
Variations
Wanzhou original uses grass carp; chains like Jiangbiancheng run catfish; Hubei variants drop the iron tray and finish in a clay pot; modern Beijing chains add doubanjiang to the oil for extra savory.
On the Palate
Where Chongqing Grilled Fish sits in the Chinese flavor cloud
Ingredients
How it's made
5 steps · 1 hour 30 min
- 139 min
Clean and butterfly the fish, then marinate with ginger, garlic, and soy sauce.
- 25 min
Grill the fish over high heat until skin is crispy and flesh is tender.
Watch outGrill skin-side down over the charcoal until the skin is set, crisp and lightly charred — this locks the protein and picks up the smoke before the oil bath ever touches it.
- 33 min
Prepare a sauce with doubanjiang, Sichuan pepper, and chili peppers, cooking until aromatic.
Watch outCook the doubanjiang and Sichuan pepper low until the oil runs deep red and smells fragrant — rush the heat and the bean paste scorches into bitterness.
- 43 min
Pour the sauce over the grilled fish, adding bean sprouts and tofu to the dish.
Watch outLay the bean sprouts and tofu under the fish before the sauce goes on — that layer buffers the heat so the fish doesn't stick and scorch on the tray.
- 539 min
Simmer briefly to allow flavors to meld before serving.
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