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Authentic Mackerel Cake Recipe from Spain

Something that makes mackerel fish cakes recipes so great is that you can enjoy them all year round, but it might be hard to find Spanish recipes that are both easy and tasty.

Look no further, here we will show you the best mackerel cake recipe, and we can assure you that you will fall head over heels with it.

Read this article to learn how to prepare mackerel, some tips for storing and serving, and find more alternatives to Spanish mackerel recipes that you can make.

a pin with fish cakes on a wooden board made with the mackerel cake recipe.

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Background of the Dish

Mackerel cake recipe on wooden board served with lemon

They are often confused with mackerel patties recipes, but the mackerel cakes are a genre of their own.

The mackerel cake recipe is similar to other fish cake recipes, but here the mackerel filets get all of the spotlight.

Just one bite of this dish will be enough to make you travel to the coast of Andalusia, as you’ll feel the seafood’s garlicky flavor and the olive oil touch.

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an pin with fish cakes on a plate made with the mackerel cake recipe.

Things You’ll Need for Mackerel Cake Recipe

To prepare this pan-fried mackerel recipe you need mackerel filets, onion, mashed potatoes, breadcrumbs, eggs, and oil as the main ingredients.

As well as other smoked mackerel filet recipes, you need different seasonings like paprika, salt, pepper, and any other of your choice.

man cutting mackerel for the mackerel cake recipe on a cutting board.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds Spanish mackerel filet
  • 1/2 cup (85g) breadcrumbs (plus extra for coating)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 cups (300gr) mashed potatoes 
  • 1/2 stick (50gr) butter
  • 1 onion
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1/4 cup (15gr) fresh parsley
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Olive oil, for frying

How to Make Mackerel Cake Recipe – Step by Step Guide

Mackerel cake recipe being fried in a blue pan.
  1. To start making this mackerel cake recipe, cook the filets by baking or poaching them until they are cooked through and flake easily. Remove any skin and bones, then flake the fish into small pieces. Set aside.
  1. Then, boil and mash about 4 medium potatoes to make the mashed potatoes. Add 1/2 stick of butter to add creaminess and flavor. You could use instant mashed potatoes for this mackerel fish cake recipe too.
  1. For the next step in this mackerel cakes recipe, mince the garlic, peel and chop the onion, and chop the parsley.
  1. Now, grab a large mixing bowl and combine the flaked Spanish mackerel fish, mashed potatoes, chopped onion, minced garlic, chopped parsley, smoked paprika, ground cumin, salt, and pepper. 
  1. After that, using a deep plate, beat the eggs. Pour the bread crumbs into a different plate.
  1. Take a portion of the mixture and shape it into a patty. Dip each fish cake into beaten eggs and then coat with breadcrumbs, pressing the breadcrumbs onto the fish cake to ensure they stick.
  1. Next, place the coated fish cakes on a baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to firm them up. This will make the cooking process of the mackerel cake recipe much easier.
  1. Now, with a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Carefully place the mackerel patties into the hot oil and fry for about 3-4 minutes on each side, or until they are golden brown and crispy on the outside.
  1. After frying the Spanish style mackerel cakes, place them on a plate lined with paper towels to drain any excess oil.
  1. For the final step, just serve the mackerel cakes hot. To take this mackerel cake recipe to the next level, serve them with a dipping sauce like aioli or tomato sauce.

Substitution of Ingredients

mackerel cake recipe in a pan on a table cloth

Similar to the classic recipe for mackerel patties, there are a lot of changes that you can make to this recipe, but we recommend sticking to the original ingredients as much as you can.

Some substitutions that you can make are replacing the vegetables: for example, you can prepare this mackerel cake recipe with spring onion, red onion, bell peppers, etc.

You can prepare this easy mackerel patties recipe with gluten-free breadcrumbs, rolled oats, or crushed sugar-free cereal.

It can also be made into a keto mackerel recipe, by using almond flour and parmesan cheese.

You can prepare this Spanish mackerel fillet recipe with other white-meat fishes, like hake or cod.

For a healthier alternative, remove the oil and cook the mackerel cakes as you would do with the baked Spanish mackerel or the grilled Spanish mackerel recipe.

Tips on Serving Mackerel Cake Recipe

3 patties on top of each other served with lemon and sauce using the mackerel cake recipe

Once you finish making the recipe for mackerel cakes, you have the perfect main dish ready to be served for lunch or dinner.

To add some moisture to this fresh Spanish mackerel dish, you can serve it with some sauces like aioli, tomato sauce, BBQ sauce, or your favorite ones.

You can also make a mackerel burger recipe and use the jack mackerel recipe together with burger buns and your favorite toppings.

To make this recipe for mackerel fish cakes more filling, you can serve them with fresh greens and mackerel salad recipe or french fries on the side.

If you make the mackerel cakes smaller, then you can serve them as tapas with other cold smoked mackerel recipes like the mackerel patty recipe or the Spanish mackerel sushi.

Try out other tasty mackerel recipes like the healthy mackerel recipe, baked mackerel in foil or the grilled mackerel recipe.

How to Store Mackerel Cake Recipe

How to Store Mackerel Cake Recipe. Ingredients such as nuts, apple, salad in a fridge.

The best part about this mackerel cake recipe is that after cooking Spanish mackerel, you just have to let it come to room temperature and you get to store it.

Once it cools, place the Spanish fried fish in a covered container (with a lid or plastic wrap) and store it for 4 days in the fridge or 40 days in the freezer.

You can track the time by putting a label on top of the lid or plastic wrap with the date on it so you know how long you have to eat it.

Other Spanish mackerel recipes that you can make if you are planning on storing them are the grilled Spanish mackerel and the smoked mackerel recipe.

Recipe Card: Mackerel Cake Recipe

Yield: 6

Easy Mackerel Cake Recipe

2 mackerel patties on a plate with salad made with the jack mackerel recipe

Something that makes mackerel fish cakes recipes so great is that you can enjoy them all year round, but it might be hard to find the perfect recipe.

Look no further, here we will show you the best mackerel cake recipe, and we can assure you that you will fall head over heels with it.

Read this article to learn how to prepare mackerel, some tips for storing and serving, and find more alternatives of different recipes for Spanish mackerel that you can make.

Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds Spanish mackerel filets
  • 1/2 cup (85g) breadcrumbs (plus extra for coating)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 cups (300gr) mashed potatoes
  • 1/2 stick (50gr) butter
  • 1 onion
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1/4 cup (15gr) fresh parsley
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Olive oil, for frying

Instructions

  1. Cook the Spanish mackerel filets by baking or poaching them until they are cooked through and flake easily. Remove any skin and bones, then flake the fish into small pieces. Set aside.
  2. Boil and mash about 4 medium potatoes to make the mashed potatoes. Add 1/2 stick of butter to add creaminess and flavor.
  3. Mince the garlic, peel and chop the onion, chop the parsley.
  4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flaked mackerel, mashed potatoes, chopped onion, minced garlic, chopped parsley, smoked paprika, ground cumin, salt, and pepper. 
  5. On a deep plate, beat the eggs. Pour the bread crumbs into a different plate.
  6. Take a portion of the mixture and shape it into a patty or fish cake. Dip each fish cake into beaten eggs and then coat with breadcrumbs, pressing the breadcrumbs onto the fish cake to ensure they adhere.
  7. Place the coated fish cakes on a baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to firm them up.
  8. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Carefully place the mackerel patties into the hot oil and fry for about 3-4 minutes on each side, or until they are golden brown and crispy.
  9. After frying the Spanish style mackerel cakes, place them on a plate lined with paper towels to drain any excess oil.
  10. Serve the mackerel cakes hot, optionally with a dipping sauce like aioli or tomato sauce.

Notes

You can make it a spicier mackerel fish cakes recipe, just add cayenne pepper, chili flakes, or chopped jalapeño peppers to the mix.

Fresh is always better, but you can make this mackerel filet recipe with instant mashed potatoes to save some time.

If you don't want to fry them, you can follow the cooking process of the grilled mackerel recipe or the Spanish baked mackerel recipe.

Nutrition Information

Yield

6

Serving Size

1

Amount Per Serving Calories 432Total Fat 30.3gSaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 100mgSodium 472mgCarbohydrates 28gFiber 1gSugar 1gProtein 14.9g

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