Best Mackerel Patty Recipe from Spain

Andalusia is the home for some of the best Spanish mackerel recipes, and you won’t believe how easy they are to make.

We will dedicate this article to the mackerel patty recipe, one that you can enjoy on a regular weekday meal or for your next family gathering.

Here you will find all the tips and tricks that you need to nail this smoked mackerel recipe, with detailed information on how to prepare Spanish recipes like this one step by step.

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Pssst…!!?? You can’t get enough of Spanish fish recipes? Have a look at my other posts: 

• Bacalao gazpacho

• Ensalada de bacalao

• Spanish fish stew

Background of the Dish

Seafood patties have been prepared by coastal communities around the world for centuries, but most historians agree that the mackerel patty recipe was created in Andalusia.

The reason why it was created in that region is because you can find mackerel almost everywhere on the coast of southern Spain, so almost a full package of cold smoked mackerel recipes were developed here, like the baked mackerel in foil.

The mackerel patty recipe still stands out because it is a familiar dish and a beloved comfort food, with the extra bonus that it’s super simple to make.

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Things You’ll Need for Mackerel Patty Recipe

To prepare this mackerel patty recipe you will need mackerel filets, eggs, breadcrumbs, onion, red bell pepper, and mayonnaise as the main ingredients.

As with other simple mackerel patties recipes, you will save a lot of time if you ask your fishmonger to debone and remove the skin from the filets, so keep that in mind.

Ingredients

• 1.5 pounds of fresh mackerel filets
• 1/2 cup (60gr) breadcrumbs
• 1 onion
• 3 celery sticks
• 1 red bell pepper
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Cooking oil

How to Make Mackerel Patty Recipe – Step by Step Guide

1. The first step in this mackerel patty recipe is to debone and remove the skin from the mackerel filets, then finely chop them. You can skip this step if you ask your fishmonger to do this for you.

2. After that, peel and chop the onion and celery. Chop the bell pepper, discarding the seeds and stem. Peel and mince the garlic. Also, chop the fresh parsley.

3. Now grab a large bowl and combine the chopped fresh mackerel, breadcrumbs, chopped onion, celery, red bell pepper, minced garlic, parsley, oregano, paprika, black pepper, and salt. Mix well to combine all the ingredients.

4. Using a separate and smaller bowl, whisk together the eggs, mayonnaise, and lemon juice until well combined.

5. Then, pour the egg mixture over the Spanish mackerel fish mix in a large bowl. Stir everything until the mixture is evenly moistened and begins to come together. If it seems too dry, you can add a little more mayonnaise.

6. For the next step, divide the mixture into 8 equal portions and shape them into a patty, about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick.

7. To start with the cooking process of this mackerel patty recipe, heat a large skillet over medium heat and add enough cooking oil to coat the bottom of the skillet.

8. Then, carefully place the mackerel patties in the hot skillet and cook for about 3-4 minutes per side or until they are golden brown and cooked through. You may need to cook them in batches depending on the size of your skillet.

9. Once the patties are cooked, remove them from the skillet and place them on a paper towel-lined plate to drain any excess oil.

10. Your Spanish style mackerel patties are now ready. You can serve them hot with any dipping sauce and side dish, like salad or french fries.

Substitution of Ingredients

Something that we love about this mackerel patty recipe is that it doesn’t call for many ingredients, and you can find them available all year round, still, there are some changes that you can make.

If you don’t want to do the cleaning process for the fish, then you can ask your fishmonger to prepare the Spanish mackerel fillet for you.

This is a pretty healthy mackerel, but you can make this recipe healthier if you change the way of cooking Spanish mackerel: bake the patties for 20 minutes in the oven at medium heat (or 200°C) flipping halfway through.

You can remove the breadcrumbs from this mackerel cake recipe and use other alternatives like rolled oats, crushed cereal, or flour.

The jack mackerel recipe is a quick dish that’s just as delicious as this mackerel patty and you can try the recipe now.

And the keto mackerel recipe is just what you need if you follow a keto diet but still want a delicious dish with mackerel.

Tips on Serving Mackerel Patty Recipe

With this easy mackerel patties recipe you have the perfect main dish or appetizer, depending on how you serve them.

You can make a mackerel burger recipe by using these mackerel patties and just cut your favorite bread in half and place the patty in the middle with some condiments like ketchup, mustard, or BBQ sauce.

For mackerel fish cakes you can make them a bit thicker than the regular patties and serve them with a green salad as a side dish, plus an aioli for drizzling on top.

If you don’t want the mackerel salad combination, you can serve them as mackerel cakes with french fries.

If you make this easy mackerel patties into a smaller size then you can serve them as tapas with other Spanish dishes, like bacalao croquettes, Spanish fried fish, and the mackerel pate recipe.

Try other mackerel recipes like pan-fried mackerel recipe or grilled mackerel recipe.

How to Store Mackerel Patty Recipe

If you are planning on storing them, once you finish making the mackerel patty recipe you have to allow them to cool to room temperature after cooking. 

This will help you to prevent condensation inside the storage container, which can make the patties soggy.

Then, place your mackerel patties in a covered container (or individually wrapped with plastic wrap) and store them in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for 60 days.

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

Recipe Card: Mackerel Patty Recipe

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