Name: Grilled Mackerel with Tandoori Spices
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 14 min
Total time: 1 h 24 min
Yield: 3
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 1 large Atlantic Mackerel; 2 1/2 tsp chili powder; 1 1/2 tsp coriander powder; 3/4 tsp cumin powder; 1/2 tsp turmeric powder; 1 1/2 tsp ginger-garlic paste; 1 tsp Kasoori Methi (dried fenugreek leaves); salt as per taste; 2 tbsp oil for marinade; 2 to 3 tbsp lemon juice; oil as needed for coating the grill basket

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Grilled Tandoori Mackerel combines succulent mackerel with a tantalizing blend of Tandoori spices for a spicy, and mouth-watering experience. Serve it with rice and daal, and you have a complete meal. Make sure to check out my other seafood recipes.

Tandoori Mackerel on a Platter with Lemon and Onion Slices — .

About this Recipe

One fine day I had leftover tandoori mix/marinade and some mackerel in my freezer. On a whim, I decided to marinate the fish with the mix and grill it. I cut the mackerel in the center and flattened it out. That allowed the mackerel to absorb all of the goodness of the tandoori masala.

It turned out awesome! Both my husband and kids were asking for more. So that is how this recipe was born.

So if you have never had mackerel before and want to know how to cook mackerel, then this recipe is perfect for you.

Other Seafood Recipes you may Like

Which Mackerel is Best for this Recipe

The best mackerel for this recipe is the Atlantic Mackerel (shown below). It has reddish meat skin side and white meat inside. It has a strong taste and fish aroma that I enjoy.

Atlantic Mackerel is an affordable fish. At the store you can usually find for $2.99/lb to 3.99/lb. You can find it in stores like the Asian Food Market, HMart, and Ranch 99. Most of these stores will clean and prep the mackerel for you. However, if you don’t want to deal with the cleaning the fish, then you can check out Costco. They have mackerel fillets in their frozen aisle.

Mackerel is a very versatile fish. You can grill it, bake it, cook it in curry, and fry it.

Whole Atlantic Mackerel on a White Plate

How to clean and prep Mackerel for this recipe

I personally like to buy whole Atlantic Mackerel and clean it myself.

First, trim off all the fins and the tail.
Next, cut off the head of the mackerel (save it to make fish stock).
Now cut along the belly part of the fish and remove all the guts. Rinse it thoroughly under running water and get rid of all the blood etc.
Lay the mackerel on the board and cut in the center along the bone to flatten the mackerel into a butterfly shape (check the video or see pic below)

Ingredients for Tandoori Mix (Marinade)

Spices: Includes chili powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder.

Ginger-garlic paste: You can either make your own ginger-garlic paste (1:1) ratio or for convenience buy a bottled one from Indian store

Kasoori Methi: This is a unique ingredient that is used in many of the North Indian recipes. Kasoori Methi is dried fenugreek leaves. You can find these in most Indian stores and Amazon. It has a unique, pungent, slightly bitter flavor that adds an amazing taste and aroma to the tandoori mix.

Salt and oil: is used as required. Salt is always as per individual’s taste. As for oil, you can use canola, vegetable or olive oil for neutral taste. If you are a Mangalorean like me, I am sure you will love a bit of coconut oil.

Lemon Juice: gives it the much need citric and tangy taste. I prefer to use freshly squeezed lemon juice. You can substitute it with bottled lemon juice.

Step by Step Picture to Make/Grill Tandoori Mackerel

In a bowl, combine chili powder, cumin and coriander powder, turmeric powder, ginger-garlic paste, lemon juice, salt and oil. Mix them well to make a thick paste
Next apply this tandoori marinade to the fish on both sides.
Allow this to marinate for 1 hour.

Mackerel with Tandoori Masala (Marinade)

I like to use a grill basket to grill mackerel. It is convenient and easy to flip over.

Oil both pieces of the grill basket on both sides. You can use oil and brush to do this or use a cooking spray and spray on the grill basket,
Next place the marinated mackerel diagonally on the basket and close it tight.
Drizzle some oil on both sides of the mackerel.

Instructions for Grilling the Mackerel

Preheat the grill on high heat.
Place the mackerel on the grill rack and close the lid. Reduce heat to medium.
Cook for 7 minutes each side flipping halfway through until it is done.
Remove from grill and set it aside to rest for 5 mins.

Remove from grill basket and it is ready to be served with some sliced onions and lemons.

How to serve Tandoori Mackerel

You can serve this grilled tandoori mackerel as is with some lemon and onion slices as a starter or appetizer. I personally like to serve it as a side with simple rice and daal. Sometimes I also serve it on the side with some greens and mashed potatoes.

Some of the items I recommend for this recipe