The grilled mackerel infused with immensely flavorful allspice & paprika is a delight to all seafood lovers and I won’t be surprised if it becomes a staple at your household just like ours!
It has been seriously too long that I had shared any seafood recipe with you all. Yeah, shrimps & prawns have always made their way here; but I believe shrimps and prawns themselves are an entire genre of food in themselves instead of being a part of seafood.
So, the point is that despite being an integral part of our life, fish has appeared in my blog very rarely! Let’s break that jinx today with this flavorful spicy grilled mackerel which is a killer recipe in itself thanks to the beautiful spices like allspice and paprika!
Now you will ask me why am I lacking in fish recipes in my own blog! I am not sure if the reason can be counted as valid; but still let me try and explain. Being a Bengali – the fish-eating troupe of Indian population – fish is always included in our daily meals.
Yes, it’s true, we eat fish every day! When you consume something every day, it becomes so common in your thought that you barely consider it worthy to be shared in a blog. That’s exactly what happens between me and a fish recipe!
So, the immediate next question would be what made me share this recipe of grilled mackerel? What’s so special about it! You will see it for yourself. This recipe of spicy grilled mackerel with allspice and paprika is one of its kind.
The marinade of this dish is simply outrageous and you won’t be able to get over the smokiness it creates once grilled with the meaty mackerel.
Allspice is the dominant spice of this dish along with paprika. The amalgamation of all the spices is right to the point and nothing else could have made this spicy grilled mackerel any better. I made the grilled mackerel in my oven using the broil mode and turned the fish once halfway through the cooking.
This can also be done in a microwave using convection mode or in an outside barbecue. Whichever method you chose, be assured that this grill mackerel recipe is going to be an instant favorite among your friends and family! All thanks to the allspice and paprika!
I hope, with this recipe of grilled fish, I bring some diversity into our blog. I am aware that our blog is dominated by chicken recipes and that’s not only because we love chicken (which we do, a lot!), but also there are endless possibilities with chicken and we love the variety it brings to our table.
So, this recipe of grilled mackerel with allspice and paprika brings in a breath of fresh air in terms of ingredients which indeed was very much needed!
If you don’t like mackerel, no worries. Just take note of the marinade and use it with your choice of seafood/meat; they will turn out equally incredible. Do not replace the allspice with any other spice whatsoever.
It may turn out to be good but it won’t be the same thing. Try to get your hands on whole allspice and grind it at home using a pestle-mortar or get a pack of ground allspice powder; either of the two will work smoothly.
Once you pull your grilled mackerel out of the oven, your home will fill with mind-blowing aromas of superbly flavorful spices and you will not stop thanking me for sharing such soul-satisfying recipe! You are welcome!
- Whole mackerel – 2, cleaned
- Garlic cloves – 6 to 8, minced
- Ground cinnamon – 1 tsp
- Ground allspice – 1tsp
- Dried oregano – 1 tbsp
- Paprika – 2 tsp
- Olive oil – 4 tbsp
- Fresh parsley – ¼ cup, chopped
- Zest and juice of 1 large lemon
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Clean the mackerel and make 3 to 4 cuts using the tip of a knife on both sides of the fish. Sprinkle some salt and pepper on both sides. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine all other ingredients and give a good mix to make a uniform mixture.
- Rub this marinade on both sides of the fish keeping a thick layer. Cover with a cling film and let the fish marinade for at least 2 hours.
- Once you are ready to grill, preheat your oven to 200 C / 400 F.
- Arrange the marinated fish on a roasting dish and place the dish on the top rack closest to the heating element. Using the broil mode, grill the fish for 20 minutes first, then take them out, flip them over and baste with some oil.
- Again, grill the other side using the same broil mode for another 20 minutes or until the fish is cooked and the top of the fish is charred.
- Sprinkle some fresh coriander leaves and serve the spicy grilled mackerel with few lemon wedges on the side.
This is an winner! It is an absolutely stunner! I was a little sceptical but tried it anyways. Added a little vinegar (1 tsp), used 2 limes instead of a lemon and used cilantro instead of parsley as a family member is allergic to parsley.
Thank you!
I was wondering whether you’ re tried mackerel with punjabi garam masala.
Thank you so much for your kind comment!! I’m so glad that you loved this recipe!!