Delicious Steamed Mackerel Recipe

We love Spanish recipes that were developed as a mix of different cuisines from all around the world, turning into an explosion of flavors.

Among the Spanish mackerel recipes, the mackerel sushi recipe isn’t the only one that fits in this category, so today we shine the spotlight on the steamed mackerel recipe.

In this article, you will learn how to cook Spanish mackerel step by step, with some helpful tips for storing, serving, and ingredient replacements that you can make.

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

• Smoked mackerel recipe

• Peppered mackerel recipe

• Mackerel steaks recipe

Background of the Dish

In Asia they firmly believed that steaming was the best way to cook mackerel, so once the trading between that region and Southern Spain increased, new recipes for steamed seafood were born.

The steamed mackerel recipe has a lot of ingredients that belong to Asian cuisines, such as soy and oyster sauce, and they blend perfectly with the Spanish ones like mackerel and garlic.

This steamed mackerel recipe first became popular in restaurants, but it reached new levels of fame and now everyone can make it at home.

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Things You’ll Need for Steamed Mackerel Recipe

To make this fish mackerel recipe you need mackerel filets or steaks, soy sauce, ginger, garlic cloves, and brown sugar as the main ingredients.

You will also need a steamer for the cooking process of this mackerel recipe, or replace the cooking method with baking or grilling.

Ingredients

• 5 mackerel filets or steaks
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 ginger
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon water
• Green onions and sesame seeds for garnish (optional)

How to Make Steamed Mackerel Recipe – Step by Step Guide

1. For the first step in this steamed mackerel recipe, you have to peel and mince the garlic cloves. Grate the ginger until you get about 1/2 tablespoon.

2. Now, rinse each Spanish mackerel filet or steak under cold water and pat them dry with paper towels. Score the skin of the filets with a sharp knife to help the flavors penetrate.

3. After that, grab a bowl and mix soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, minced garlic, grated ginger, rice vinegar, and brown sugar.

4. Then, place the Spanish mackerel fish in a shallow dish or a Ziploc bag. Pour the marinade over the filets, making sure they are well-coated. Allow the mackerel to marinate for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

5. In the meantime, fill the bottom of your steamer with water and bring it to a boil. Place the marinated mackerel filets in the steamer basket.

6. Next, steam the mackerel for about 12 minutes or until the fish is cooked through. The flesh should be opaque and easily flaked with a fork.

7. Now grab a small bowl and mix cornstarch with water to create a slurry. In a small saucepan, heat the remaining marinade over medium heat.

8. Once it starts simmering, add the cornstarch slurry and stir until the sauce thickens. This will be the sauce component for this Spanish mackerel recipe.

9. Finally, place the steamed mackerel filets on a serving platter. Pour the thickened sauce over the mackerel. Optionally you can garnish the dish with chopped green onions and sesame seeds.

Substitution of Ingredients

There are a lot of changes that you can make to the ingredients from this steamed mackerel fish recipe, switching and adapting the flavor profile to your liking.

If you don’t have a steamer, then you can prepare this mackerel oven-baked, although the texture will be different.

If you want it to have a similar flavor to the spicy mackerel recipe you can use olive oil as the main base for the marinade (instead of soy sauce), and add paprika, chili flakes, or crushed jalapeño peppers.

Besides that, you can prepare this steamed mackerel recipe with mackerel filets or steaks: we don’t recommend using whole mackerel as it probably won’t fit in a steamer.

Give a go to other similar recipes like the pickled mackerel recipe, the easy cured mackerel recipe, or the easy-to-make mackerel sushi recipe

Tips on Serving Steamed Mackerel Recipe

Once you finish making this steamed mackerel recipe you will have a fantastic seafood dish that can be served for lunch or dinner, as an appetizer, or as a main dish.

If you want to serve it as a main dish, we recommend adding side dishes like a mixed green salad, roasted or steamed vegetables, or a fantastic tortilla de patatas.

If you want to serve the best mackerel recipe as tapas then chop the fish into bite-sized cubes and place it on top of your favorite bread.

Some Spanish mackerel dishes that you can serve as appetizers or main dishes are the mackerel cake recipe and the mackerel burger recipe.

If you have small kids, we also have a great recipe that you can prepare for them and that is the baby Spanish mackerel recipe.

How to Store Steamed Mackerel Recipe

Once you finish making the steamed mackerel recipe you have to let it come to room temperature if you are planning on storing it.

Then, place the fish in a covered container (with a lid or plastic wrap) and store it in the fridge for up to 2 days or the freezer for 45 days.

To thaw, place the steamed mackerel in the fridge overnight or for 12 hours, then reheat it in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes.

Other Spanish mackerel recipes that you can make and store are the Spanish baked mackerel recipe and the mackerel patty recipe.

Recipe Card: Steamed Mackerel Recipe

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