Ultimate Spanish Mackerel Cutlets Recipe

Nothing stands out more in Spanish recipes than the different Andalusian seafood tapas dishes.

Some Spanish mackerel recipes fit in this category, but the Spanish mackerel cutlets completely own it.

Read this article and learn how to cook Spanish mackerel cutlets, the perfect dish for when you have friends or family over and you want to impress everyone with a decadent and mesmerizing meal.

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

• Peppered mackerel recipe

• Salted mackerel recipe

• Grilled mackerel recipe

Background of the Dish

The Spanish mackerel cutlets are like distant cousins to the famous Andalusian croquettes, the main difference being the use of semolina.

The best way to cook Spanish mackerel cutlets is to fry them so that they get a crispy crust on the outside and a soft inside.

Nowadays you can find Spanish mackerel cutlets at almost any restaurant or bar in Southern Spain where they are served as tapas, or you can prepare our recipe and enjoy it at home.

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Things You’ll Need for Spanish Mackerel Cutlets

The main ingredients for the Spanish mackerel cutlets are mackerel filets, onion, garlic, green chili, semolina, breadcrumbs, egg, and a mix of herbs and spices.

This recipe is meant to be made with filets, but you can make it with Spanish mackerel steak or canned mackerel.

Ingredients

• 4 Mackerel Filets
• 1 onion
• 1 green chili
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 shallots 
• 1 tomato
• 1/2 cup (120ml) water
• Salt and pepper (to taste)
• 1 slice of bread

For the coating

• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup (95gr) semolina
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup (120gr) breadcrumbs 
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• A pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup (120ml) oil (for frying)

How to Make Spanish Mackerel Cutlets – Step by Step Guide

1. For the first step on this fresh mackerel recipe, peel and chop the onion, shallot, and garlic. Chop the green chili and the tomato. 

2. Then clean the Spanish mackerel and pat them dry with a paper towel. Season them with turmeric, chili powder, salt and pepper. Cook them in a pan with just 1/2 cup of water for 10 minutes. 

3. Now during the last 5 minutes of cooking, add the onion, garlic, shallots, and tomatoes. Once everything is tender and cooked through, remove from the heat.

4. To continue with this fish mackerel recipe let the Spanish mackerel cool and then flake it. Set aside.

5. Meanwhile, put the cooked vegetables in a food processor and blend until you get a paste. Any kitchen appliance similar to a blender can help you with this step.

6. After that, mix the vegetable paste with the flaked fish, flour, paprika, salt and breadcrumbs. Mix until combined and then take it to the fridge for a couple of minutes. 

7. Next, beat the egg and place it on a deep dish. Put the semolina in another dish. Start heating a pan with oil over medium heat.

8. Then, form the Spanish mackerel cutlets (a similar shape to croquettes but flat) and pass them through the egg mix, then the semolina. You can repeat this for a thicker crust.

9. Now you have to cook the Spanish mackerel in the frying pan until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Place them on a plate with kitchen towels to drain the excess oil.

10. Once you finish cooking Spanish mackerel cutlets you can serve them warm.

Substitution of Ingredients

There are multiple recipes for Spanish mackerel cutlets, which means that there are hundreds of ingredients variations that you can follow.

The easiest thing to do is to add more herbs and spices to these Spanish mackerel cutlets, such as dill, coriander, bay leaves, or ginger, and five spices for an Asian flavor.

If you don’t have Spanish mackerel filets you can turn it into a mackerel steak recipe or make it with canned mackerel.

Besides that, this cutlet recipe works with any type of fish, so if you don’t have mackerel use what you have on hand and adjust the cooking time.

For a healthier alternative, you can make baked Spanish mackerel cutlets or fried mackerel fish recipe (with less oil).

The fried mackerel recipe is quite similar to this recipe and it’s worth a try as well.

Tips on Serving Spanish Mackerel Cutlets

For an exquisite presentation of Spanish mackerel cutlets, sear them to perfection and drizzle with a zesty citrus vinaigrette to elevate the flavors.

Serve atop a bed of sautéed spinach and quinoa for a well-balanced, restaurant-quality dish that’s as visually pleasing as it is delicious.

Something that we love about recipes for Spanish mackerel is that some of them can work both as a main dish and as appetizers.

The Spanish mackerel cutlets are no exception, as a main dish if you serve it with a side like a Spanish mixed green salad or patatas a lo pobre.

Besides that, you can serve these Spanish mackerel cutlets as tapas with dipping sauce like Spanish garlic sauce, regular mayonnaise, Spanish romesco sauce, BBQ sauce, Spanish mojo sauce, etc.

You can even make a mackerel burger recipe with these cutlets and just add your favorite toppings and put them in a burger bum.

If you want to make a full tapas table, then you can check other of our best Spanish mackerel recipes, like the mackerel salad recipe and the smoked mackerel pate recipe.

How to Store Spanish Mackerel Cutlets

The Spanish mackerel cutlets are super easy to store, there are just a few tips that you should follow.

First, once you finish cooking Spanish mackerel, let it cool to room temperature and then place it in a covered container (with a lid or plastic wrap).

After that, you can store the fish in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 20 days (put a label on the lid with the date so you don’t forget about it).

Keep in mind that the oil makes the reheated fish a bit greasy, so you would have to carefully remove the excess oil again after reheating the Spanish mackerel.

For other Spanish recipes that you can store for a longer amount of time feel free to check our roasted mackerel recipe and our mackerel steaks recipe. 

Recipe Card: Spanish Mackerel Cutlets

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