Whole Grilled Mackerel with less than 5 ingredients; Garlic , ginger and basil Quick and Easy and SUPER Flavorful.
Today am sharing with you my super duper recipe for making grill Mackerel. And I am going to give you some three good reasons why you should start eating this firm fleshed fish. Plus is made with less than 5 ingredients – Of course not counting salt and pepper.
- They are affordable even the wild ones. They are go for about $2.99 and are always on sale. I snagged these for $1.50, which was a steal. They usually go for $1.99 for whole fish
- These thick white here pack an awesome nutritional punch (omega-3 fatty acid, It’s a good source of vitamin D, protein and some B vitamins). And don’t be put off by the oily skin or flesh that is where you find all the good stuff- omegas- 3. I eat it with gusto.
- The single most important factor in favor of consuming more sardines: they are a pleasure to eat. Simple, easy to prepare and downright delicious.
Yes, this humble fish is overlooked but these are some darn good reasons for you to give it a good look or maybe to go out fishing for it in your neighborhood markets.
The best place to get them fresh or frozen is any Asian market. 9/10 times they do sell it. That’s where I get mine.
An easy way to grill fish is to use a grill basket. It really helps with flipping the fish. Also you can easily take it off the grill if the flames are flaring up. It’s a must for me when grilling fish – makes my life easier. And it really doesn’t need to be fancy or pricy at all. Yes, mine is ghetto fabulous but it does the Job.
You see that Red Pepper Sauce it is MUST. Check it out here . You are going to DIG it
Since mackerel is really flavorful you don’t need much to spice it all. That’s why this is made with only a few ingredients; Garlic, Ginger and basil. It’s a really fabulous combination of flavors and just pairs well with fish. The rest of the ingredients are optional.
This marinate pairs well with most fish.
Enjoy!!!
Grilling Mackerel Tips and Notes
- Light the barbecue and allow the flames to die down until the ashes have gone white with heat.
- Charcoal fire is medium-hot when you can hold your hand 5 inches above rack for 3 to 4 seconds
- Since Mackerel is an oily fish you do not have to baste with oil like you would red snapper. But feel free to if needed
- Make sure you have the fish monger gut the fish for you.
- The slits are used to create an opening from the outside of the fish to get seasoning and basting juices into the meat.
- Using the salt and pepper, season the inside and outer exterior of the fish. It’s important that the salt and pepper are the first seasonings that you add to fish. This helps the meat to perfectly absorb the salt and pepper before the other other seasonings are added.
- If possible use Asian basil instead of sweet basil. They are more flavorful than the sweet ones. The Asian basil is darker with slightly purple discoloration.
- You may use a mortar and pestle to smash the basil, garlic and ginger.
Whole Grilled Mackerel
Ingredients
- 2-3 Whole Mackerel about 11/2 - 2 Pounds each
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 3-4 fresh lemons
- 2 Tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 -1 1/2 Tablespoons minced ginger
- 1-2 teaspoons minced basil
- 2 teaspoons or more Chicken Bouillon Powder or Maggie such as knorr (optional)
Instructions
- Run water over fish inside and out. Then use paper towels to dry it up.
- Make three –four diagonal cuts in each side of the fish, all the way right through the bone. Season fish with salt, pepper, and squeeze some lemon over it. Set aside
- In a small bowl mix all the spices thoroughly until all the spices come together.You may add vegetable oil or water- as desired.
- Thoroughly marinade fish with garlic mixture gently flip them back and forth until coated inside and out. You may let it marinade in the fridge for up to 24hours, if time permits. If not let it marinate for at least 30 minutes and baste and you go.
- When you are ready to grill, wipe down the grill basket with oil towel to prevent fish from sticking on the grill. Discard any marinate that has been used to marinate fish and Lay fish gently on a fish basket.
Charcoal Method
- If using a charcoal grill, open vents on bottom of grill, add charcoal about ¼ full. Light the barbecue and allow the flames to cool down until the ashes are white with heat.
- Grill Mackerel for about 7 or more minutes per side. Flipping as needed. Towards the last five minutes you may baste with unused remaining marinade or use your best judgment.
Gas Grill
- If using a gas grill, preheat burners on high, covered, 10 minutes, then reduce heat to moderate.
- Then place fish basket on grill rack. Grill for about 7 or more minutes per side depending on the thickness of fish. Check for doneness by making sure the meat closest to the bone is fully cooked – You may slash with a knife to check.
- When ready remove from grill and transfer to a platter serve with this hot sauce
Jam says
So good. Love it! Thank you so much for sharing
Immaculate Bites says
And thank you for giving this a try, Jam! I’m glad you loved it 🙂
Shea F. says
Does the Chicken bouillon go in the marinade?
Immaculate Bites says
Hi Shea, yes it does. It is optional but if you want to add chicken bouillon, you can add it to the marinade 🙂
Eddie says
Thank you just finished delicious! Cooked our on a banana leaf on a hot outside grill so it doesn’t stick.
imma africanbites says
That must’ve smelled so good on a banana leaf!
Yvonne says
Hello
Can I use an oven to bake this instead of grilling?
Thank you!
Helena says
Wow thanks for the tips!
imma africanbites says
You’re welcome! 🙂
Tanguero says
Sounds like a great recipe. I love Mackerel. I am going to try this out. One question!!
You never said in your recipe what to do with the 3-4 lemons!! Please clarify Thanks! I’ll rate this when I have tried it out!
imma africanbites says
Hi. Please see step # 2. I squeeze some of the lemons onto the fish and slice the rest and stuff it inside the fish and/or put them on top or beside the fish to incorporate that fresh lemony flavor as much as possible. Hope this helps. Enjoy!
Ara says
I made this yesterday for my family and some of our friends. We boiled some corn as a side. It was a hit! Thank you for the delicious recipe.
ImmaculateBites says
Awesome! Happy to hear it worked out well for you.
Sudz Sutherland says
Amazing!
We had this tonight. I barbecued it on a Big Green Egg, but I don’t have a grill basket. I just put some foil on the grill and made sure to olive oil it up. Beautiful recipe and this will become a new staple for our family. Even my kids and one of their friends liked it!
ImmaculateBites says
Fantastic! Thanks for the glowing review sudz! So glad to hear it worked out well for you and your family
Bethan says
Hi there from Wales! This looks delicious, I’m always looking for interesting things to do with fish:) a bit of s silly question maybe but the ‘In a small bowl mix all the spices thoroughly until all the spices come together.You may add vegetable oil or water- as desired.’ instruction, is that mixture of spices the ‘garlic mixture’ that you marinade the fish in? 🙂 looking for a nice Valentine’s Day meal! Thank you very much!
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Bethan!
Nothing silly here. Yes it is. You use that same mixture to marinade the fish.
Wishing you the best on Valentine’s Day!!!
Happy Cooking!!!!
Jackie says
We’ve cooked this many times as well as the salsa which we adore. Salsa is great on everything., especially shrimp and chicken tacos with cabbage. I would like to know the recipe for the rice in the picture if possible. Thank you for some immaculate eats.
ImmaculateBites says
Aww Thanks Jackie! The recipe in the picture is made with, corn , Zucchini, and spinach. You saute onions , garlic and paprika for about 2 mins. Followed by rice, corn, Zucchini. Add broth/ water . Bring to a boil, toward the end throw in some spinach. Might have to post it when I make it next time.
sue | theviewfromgreatisland says
I’ll take this over a burger any day — beautiful!!!
Aish Padihari says
WE love fish and I’m definitely going to try your recipe.
Lisa | Garlic + Zest says
Gorgeous photography – that fish looks insanely delicious! I eat seafood regularly, so I’m definitely putting this on my to do list!
Beth @ Binky's Culinary Carnival says
They look absolutely delicious! We love fish at our house but I have never made mackerel! I’ll certainly be giving it a try soon! Thanks for the inspiration!
Tania says
This mackerel looks absolutely mouthwatering!!! Love everything about this recipe, and I am saving it for later.