An effortless and flavorful way to prepare mackerel is to poach it in extra-virgin olive oil and aromatics. It makes cooking fish at home easy — no fuss, no muss. My favorite part is that there’s no mixing involved in the pan.
The inspiration for this dish comes from Spanish Sardines or Spanish-style Sardines, the ones sold in tin cans or glass jars. It’s a pantry staple we constantly have at home. They are tasty, shelf-stable, and an excellent source of protein as well as omega-3 fatty acids. Making a homemade version does not require a lot of work and won't make the kitchen smell fishy.
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Why you’ll love this recipe
- These tender fillets of mackerel are delicious, healthy, and effortlessly prepared.
- It won't make your kitchen smell like you've just cooked fish.
- The dish is also gluten-free, it that matters to you.
What you’ll need
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Mackerel: It is also labeled as Atlantic, Norwegian, Boston, or North Atlantic Mackerel. You can easily spot them in the supermarket by their distinctive wavy lines that run on their backs. Buy fillets of mackerel, or you can fillet them yourself at home.
- Sweet pickles or gherkins: These are cucumbers pickled in sweet brine. Gherkins are a smaller variety of cucumbers with bumpier skin.
- Olives: I used green olives (like Manzanilla olives), but you can use any kind and preferably pitted.
- Extra-virgin olive oil: Aside from its health benefits, I specifically used extra-virgin olive oil for its flavor. The oil's rich flavor penetrates the fish and makes it delicious as the oil becomes the sauce in the dish. You can also use regular olive oil if that's what you have available.
- Vinegar: To get the fishy taste out of mackerel, use white distilled vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or cane vinegar.
- Bird's eye chilies: If not available, you can use ¼ teaspoon (or more) of red pepper flakes instead.
How to make this recipe
Prepare the Ingredients: (1)Cut each mackerel fillet into three pieces.
(2)Peel and slice the carrots diagonally into ½-inch thick pieces.
(3)Cut the sweet pickles or gherkins in half if they’re too big for one bite. (4)Do the same for the shallots.
(5)Smash the garlic and remove the peel. (6)Get the olives, bay leaves, and chilies ready.
(7)Peel a small knob of ginger, then grate or mince.
(8)Make the sauce by combining ¼ cup of water, vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, fish sauce, paprika, salt, sugar, and ginger in a cup or bowl.
Cook: (9)In a sauté pan, arrange the fish preferably in a single layer. (10)Add the carrots, sweet pickles, olives, shallots, garlic, bay leaves, and chilies. There won’t be any mixing involved, so make sure you lay them out evenly.
(11)Pour the prepared sauce. (12)Add ground pepper to taste. Set to medium heat, cover, and let it simmer for about 30 minutes until the carrots are tender.
Taste the sauce and adjust — you may need to add more sugar, salt, or ground pepper. If it's too watery, cook for a few more minutes uncovered to let some of the water evaporate.
Serve: If you are like me (and a million other Filipinos), I will enjoy this over a bowl of hot steaming rice. You can also serve it with pasta, potatoes, or use in sandwiches. As an option, you can add a squeeze of lemon.
Frequently asked questions and tips
Mackerel is delicious and inexpensive but is often overlooked and underrated as a fish. It is packed with healthy omega-3 fatty acids and has low levels of mercury. Its fishiness puts some people off, but correct handling and cooking with the right ingredients can make you forget that. I like Mackerel for this recipe because its meaty texture easily absorbs the flavors. Its firm flesh doesn't get mushy after cooking but instead gets flaky and moist.
If you're buying the whole Mackerel, a good indicator will be the eyes — they have to be bright, clear, and not sunken. The gills should be red, and the skin is shiny and springs back when touched. Most importantly, the fish shouldn't smell fishy at all. If you are buying fillets, the flesh should not be too soft or falling apart. For frozen Mackerel, pick a well-sealed package with no freezer burn, frost, or ice crystals.
A similarly delicious alternative would be Spanish Mackerel. Sardines and milkfish (or bangus) are excellent substitutes, but you have to be careful as they have substantially more pin bones. Some recipes would require cooking in a pressure cooker until the bones and heads become soft and safe to consume. Using fillets of fish will cut down cooking time significantly. Other types of oily fish as alternatives would be salmon or tuna fillets.
In a pinch, you can. Since vegetable oil is neutral-tasting, the dish won't be as flavorful.
The key takeaway
This recipe is hard to mess up; just remember to use good quality fresh or frozen fish.
Watch how I make it here
More seafood recipes you may like
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📖 Recipe
Mackerel in Olive Oil
Equipment
- A sauté pan
Ingredients
- 4 mackerel fillets from 2 whole fish (about 1¼ pounds or 567 grams) (see note)
- 2 cups sliced carrots (255 grams) bite-size pieces
- 1 cup sweet pickles or gherkins (113 grams) bite-size pieces (see note)
- 1 cup shallots or red onion (100 grams) bite-size pieces
- 6 cloves garlic smashed
- ½ cup pitted green olives (85 grams) whole or cut in half (see note)
- 4 bay leaves dried or fresh
- 4 Bird's eye chili pepper (see note)
- ¼ cup water (58 grams)
- ½ cup vinegar (128 grams) (see note)
- ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil (171 grams) (see note)
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt or more
- 1 tablespoon sugar or more
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- Ground black pepper or whole black peppercorn to taste
Instructions
Prepare the Ingredients:
- Cut each mackerel fillet into three pieces.
- Peel and slice the carrots diagonally into ½-inch thick pieces.
- Cut the pickles, olives, and shallots in half if they're too big for one bite.
- Smash the garlic and remove the peel.
- Peel a small knob of ginger, then grate or mince.
- Make the sauce by combining ¼ cup of water, vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil, fish sauce, paprika, salt, sugar, and ginger in a cup or bowl.
Cook:
- In a sauté pan, arrange the fish on the bottom.
- Add the carrot slices, sweet pickles, olives, shallots, garlic, bay leaves, and chilies. There won't be any mixing involved, so make sure you lay them out evenly.
- Pour the prepared sauce and add pepper to taste.
- Set to medium heat, cover, and let it simmer for about 30 minutes until the carrots are tender.
- Taste the sauce and adjust — you may need to add more sugar, salt, or ground pepper. If it's too watery, cook for a few more minutes uncovered to let some of the water evaporate.
Serve:
- If you are like me (and a million other Filipinos), I will enjoy this over a bowl of hot steaming rice.
- You can also serve it with pasta, potatoes, or use in sandwiches. As an option, you can add a squeeze of lemon.
Video
Notes
- Mackerel: It is also labeled as Atlantic, Norwegian, Boston, or North Atlantic Mackerel. You can easily spot them in the supermarket by their distinctive wavy lines that run on their backs. Buy fillets of Mackerel, or you can fillet them yourself at home.
- Sweet pickles or gherkins: These are cucumbers pickled in sweet brine. Gherkins are a smaller variety of cucumbers with bumpier skin.
- Olives: I used green olives (like Manzanilla olives), but you can use any kind and preferably pitted.
- Extra-virgin olive oil: Aside from its health benefits, I specifically used extra-virgin olive oil for its flavor. The oil's rich flavor penetrates the fish and makes it delicious as the oil becomes the sauce in the dish. You can also use regular olive oil if that's what you have available.
- Vinegar: To get the fishy taste out of Mackerel, use white distilled vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or cane vinegar.
- Bird's eye chilies: If not available, you can use ¼ teaspoon (or more) of red pepper flakes instead.
jomelyn
Ive never thought of this recipe for mackerel, great idea.
Nora
The original idea was for sardines, but I like mackerel because they're meatier and also inexpensive. =)
Dennis
Your making it very simple make, I’ll try to do this my self, thanks Nora
Tin
Perfect for healthy meals at home! Love this!
Chato
Super yummy
Apol
Flavorful
Ana
This recipe is amazing. Easy to make and it is so healthy! Will definitely try with other fish
Maileen
Love this recipe. It works with other kinds of fish too.
Thank you
Lian Reyes
I often see mackerel in the fish market here but I never buy them cos I never knew what to do with them except to grill. This was easy to prepare. I think mackerel tastes better than sardines and the flesh is not as delicate.
Nora
Hi Lian! I know exactly what you mean! And yes I agree, mackerel is meatier and has a better texture. Thanks for your comment.
Jaymie
Excellent recipe. So easy, healthy and delicious! Love this!
Thank you Nora💕
Nora
Hello Jaymie! Thank you and glad you liked it!
Bim
This recipe is healthy and easy to make. I’ll try this using brancino. Thank you Nora!