PURPOSE: To prevent the variation of the composition of a plating bath and to hold plating of the desired composition with certainty by bringing a steel sheet, previously plated with P, etc., into contact with a molten zinc alloy bath containing specific amounts of Fe.

CONSTITUTION: A steel sheet previously plated with one kind among P, Cr, Fe-P, and Fe-B by about 0.2-10g/m2 is brought into contact with a molten zinc alloy bath, in which 1-15% Fe is incorporated into molten zinc bath, to undergo hot-dip zinc - iron alloy coating. By this method, the elution of the steel sheet into the alloy plating bath can be prevented with certainty and the variation of bath composition can be practically prevented and, as a result, plating of the desired composition can be attained with certainty, and further, by applying cooling to the steel sheet from ≥600°C down to ≤450°C at 14-150°C/s cooling rate, the plated sheet excellent in adhesive strength of plating can be produced.