Easy Peppered Mackerel Recipe from Spain

Mackerel season is back again, and that can only mean one thing: is time to delve into the world of easy Spanish mackerel recipes.

If you want a simple recipe that is filled with flavor, then you have to try and make the peppered mackerel recipe.

Read this article and learn how to prepare Spanish recipes with mackerel with some extra tips on how to store and serve this fantastic Andalusian dish.

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

• Salted Mackerel Recipe

• Mackerel Pasta Recipe

• Mackerel patty recipe

Background of the Dish

Mackerel filet recipes always reach a new peak at the end of summer and the beginning of fall, as that is the highest point of the mackerel fishing season.

As Southern Spain gets filled with fresh fish everywhere, different recipes with peppered mackerel arise, yet the peppered mackerel recipe takes the spotlight.

Most peppered smoked mackerel recipes are prepared in the oven or a frying pan, but with this one, you’ll need to fire up your grill, and in return, you will have decadent spicy mackerel with a crispy exterior.

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Things You’ll Need for Peppered Mackerel Recipe

To make the peppered mackerel recipe you will need mackerel filets, a mix of spices, and jalapeño and bell peppers for the main ingredients.

If you don’t have a grill then there are other recipes for Spanish mackerel that you can prepare, like the Spanish mackerel fillet or the roasted mackerel recipe.

Ingredients

• 5 mackerel filets
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• Lemon wedges and fresh parsley for garnish(optional)

How to Make Peppered Mackerel Recipe – Step by Step Guide

1. To start with this peppered mackerel recipe, rinse the fish filets under cold water and pat them dry with paper towels. 

2. After that, make a few cuts and slashes on the skin side of the filets so that the pepper marinade penetrates and prevents the fish from curling during cooking.

3. Now using a small bowl, combine the olive oil, freshly ground black pepper, salt, lemon juice, minced garlic, dried oregano, paprika, and red pepper flakes. Mix well to form a paste to marinate the Spanish style mackerel in.

4. Then, place the mackerel filets in a shallow dish or a resealable plastic bag. Pour the marinade over the fish, ensuring they are evenly coated. Seal the dish or bag and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld.

5. For the next step in this smoked peppered mackerel recipe, preheat the grill to medium-high heat, and lightly grease the grates to prevent the Spanish mackerel fish from sticking. 

6. For the cooking step on this mackerel fillet recipe, grill the fish for about 3-4 minutes on each side, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork and has nice grill marks.

7. Once your peppered mackerel is cooked, remove it from the grill. Garnish with lemon wedges and fresh parsley if desired. Serve the grilled Spanish mackerel hot.

Substitution of Ingredients

If you want to follow this peppered mackerel recipe but you don’t have all of the ingredients there is no need to worry, there are a lot of changes that you can make.

For example, you can prepare this peppered mackerel recipe with other types of fish, such as cod, hake, or salmon.

You can add as many herbs and spices to this fresh mackerel recipe as you like: such as thyme, dill, cilantro, chili flakes, etc.

You can do like in some smoked peppered mackerel recipes add 1/2 tablespoon or a splash of liquid smoke (for food) to add an extra smokey flavor.

There are other ways of cooking Spanish mackerel in case you don’t want to grill this peppered fish: you can turn it into a pan-fried Mackerel Recipe or a Spanish baked mackerel recipe, just adjust the cooking times.

Try other flavourful mackerel recipes that you’ll absolutely love and those are the smoked mackerel pate recipe or the smoked mackerel pasta recipe.

Other interesting recipes that use mackerel are the soused mackerel recipe or the keto mackerel recipe.

Tips on Serving Peppered Mackerel Recipe

As well as most of the peppered mackerel recipes, once you finish making this peppered mackerel recipe you will have a mesmerizing main dish ready to be served.

To complete a filling meal, you can serve this fresh Spanish mackerel with a Spanish mixed green salad, french fries, or Spanish mashed potatoes.

You can also turn the dish from this grilled mackerel recipe into an appetizer or tapa, just serve a smaller portion of the fish (like bite-sized pieces) with toasted bread or crackers.

Besides that, you could use this fish as a topping or main ingredient for other cold smoked mackerel recipes, such as the Spanish mackerel sushi, the mackerel salad recipe, and the mackerel pate recipe.

Make our Spanish mackerel sashimi for your next dinner party and your guests will be blown away but only you will know how easy it is to make

How to Store Peppered Mackerel Recipe

What we love the most about smoked mackerel filet recipes is that you can store them in the fridge or freezer and they will retain their fresh flavor.

Once you finish making the peppered mackerel recipe just let the fish come to room temperature, and then place it in a covered container (with a lid or plastic wrap).

Then, you can store it for up to 3 days in the fridge or up to 45 days in the freezer (let it thaw overnight or for 12 hours in the fridge).

Different from the smoked mackerel baked, for this grilled peppered mackerel recipe we recommend reheating it in a frying pan so it gets its crispiness back.

Other Spanish mackerel recipes that you can prepare if you are planning on storing them in the fridge or freezer are the smoked mackerel recipe and the Spanish fried fish.

Recipe Card: Peppered Mackerel Recipe

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