Oven Baked Mackerel Fillets Recipe

There is nothing like Spanish recipes that combine the freshness of fish with local ingredients giving us a unique and unmatched culinary experience.

The Spanish mackerel recipes are not only delicious, but they are cheaper compared to other seafood recipes, and some of them, like the oven baked mackerel fillets, are super simple to make.

In this article you can delve into the world of this recipe, learning more about its history and useful information on how to prepare it at home with expert tips.

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

• King mackerel recipe

• Spanish baked mackerel recipe

• Mackerel fillet recipe

Background of the Dish

The oven baked mackerel fillets are the simple version of the whole-baked mackerel recipe, in which you use the whole fish instead of just the fillets.

This change from the original recipe is what makes this recipe stand out: the fillets are easier to handle and fit into the foil packets, and they also cook faster than the whole fish.

Despite this switch, the baked mackerel fillets have all the flavor of the original recipe, combining the best ingredients from the region such as garlic, onion, olive oil, and paprika.

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Things You’ll Need for Oven Baked Mackerel Fillets

To prepare this dish you need mackerel fillets, onion, bell pepper, tomatoes, garlic cloves, and olive oil.

You will need foil to cook the oven baked mackerel fillets in packets, or you will have to add extra olive oil for greasing the tray.

Ingredients

• 6 fresh mackerel fillets
• 2 tomatoes
• 1 red onion
• 1 bell pepper
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional, for garnish)
• Aluminum foil

How to Make Oven Baked Mackerel Fillets – Step by Step Guide

1. For the first step in this baked Spanish mackerel filet recipe, you have to preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).

2. After that, peel and chop the onion, bell pepper, and tomatoes into thin slices (or julienne style). Peel and mince the garlic cloves. Finally, clean and slice the lemon.

3. Now you have to rinse the mackerel fillets under cold water and pat them dry with paper towels. Season both sides of the fillets with salt, black pepper, and smoked paprika.

4. For the next step in this mackerel fish recipe, cut six pieces of aluminum foil, each large enough to wrap a filet with some veggies. Place a mackerel filet on each piece of foil.

5. Then, evenly distribute the sliced tomatoes, red onion, bell pepper, minced garlic, and lemon slices among the foil packets.

6. Now, grab a small bowl and whisk the olive oil, white wine vinegar, dried oregano, and a pinch of salt. Drizzle the marinade over each mackerel filet and vegetables and seal the foil packets tightly, leaving some room for air circulation.

7. After that, place the foil packets on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes, or until the mackerel is cooked through and flakes easily.

8. To finish this mackerel oven recipe, carefully open the baked mackerel in foil packets and optionally garnish them with fresh parsley. Serve the oven baked mackerel fillets with the cooked vegetables on top.

Substitution of Ingredients

As long as you have mackerel, you can prepare and enjoy this oven baked mackerel fillets without any problem.

Instead of using fillets, you can take inspiration from other oven baked mackerel recipes, such as the jack mackerel recipe, and use whole mackerel, mackerel steaks, etc.

Besides that, if you don’t like cooking mackerel fillets in oven you can switch the cooking method for pan-frying, deep-frying, grilling, or making a roasted mackerel recipe.

For the vegetables of this baked mackerel recipe, you can customize the types and amounts that you use: like mixing the colors of the bell peppers, adding more onion, going for cherry tomatoes, etc.

Tips on Serving Oven Baked Mackerel Fillets

For a delightful experience, enhance the flavor of oven-baked mackerel fillets by marinating them in a zesty blend of olive oil, lemon juice, and fresh herbs before baking.

Serve the succulent fillets over a bed of quinoa or couscous, complementing their rich taste with a refreshing side salad for a well-balanced and satisfying meal.

Baked mackerel recipes make for some of the most amazing main dishes that you can find, and the best part is that you can enjoy them for lunch or dinner.

The oven baked mackerel fillets recipe is also a keto mackerel recipe, and to keep it that way you can serve it with a side of cauliflower rice, roasted eggplant, or a mixed green salad.

Besides that, you can shred some parmesan on top of your baked mackerel fillets, and place the cooked lemon slices around it for garnishing.

If you want to serve the oven baked mackerel fillets in foil as an appetizer then you should cut the filets into bite-sized pieces and place them on a platter with the rest of the vegetables.

How to Store Oven Baked Mackerel Fillets

If you are planning on storing this dish, once you finish preparing the oven baked mackerel fillets you have to let them cool to room temperature.

Then, place the oven baked mackerel fillets in a covered container (with a lid or plastic wrap) and store in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for 30 days.

After that, let the fillets thaw overnight or for 12 hours in the fridge, and you can reheat them in the oven or a frying pan (we don’t recommend reheating fish in the microwave because it’s hard to get rid of that smell).

Other baked mackerel filet recipes that you can prepare and store for a long amount of time are the healthy mackerel recipe and the whole mackerel recipe.

Recipe Card: Oven Baked Mackerel Fillets

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