Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended.
This baked mackerel stuffed with garlic and lemon and served with a crunchy salad and flatbreads is the perfect recipe to impress this festive season.
I’ve got the best festive dinner party recipe for you! It’s so impressive and even looks Christmassy.
Click here to pin this baked mackerel recipe!
9 days until Christmas!!
I am so excited. I’ve always been Christmas obsessed. When I was a kid I would cry at the end of Christmas day because I couldn’t bear the thought of it being over for another year.
I just love everything about it. Spending time with family, the music, the presents, the games and of course the food!
As much as I love Christmas day food I’m also obsessed with all the pre-Christmas food. The party food like these chipotle cheese twists or stuffed dough balls or the dinner party food like this baked mackerel.
There is something so impressive about serving up a whole fish at a dinner party. It just looks so amazing especially when it’s stuffed with lemon slices and garlic and scattered with an incredible herb oil.
As much as I love the whole roasted mackerel I think the addition of the salad and flatbreads really takes this dish to another level.
It’s so fresh I just love it. The salad is based on a classic Turkish spoon salad which is one we make a lot because it goes with so many different things.
It even looks pretty festive with all that red and green so perfect for a Christmas spread!
Baked Mackerel with Salad & Flatbreads Ingredients:
- Garlic, Salt & Lemon: Stuff the mackerel with these ingredients and you’re pretty much guaranteed incredible flavour
- Parsley, Olive Oil & Chilli: These are chopped and mixed together then drizzled over the fish before baking
- Red Onion, Tomatoes, Cucumber, Red Pepper, Mint, Lemon, Pomegranate Molasses & Walnuts: Go into making the most amazing crunchy and fresh salad to go on the side of your baked mackerel
- Flatbreads: You can use store bought or make your own, we use this flatbread recipe and it always turns out great
Baked Mackerel with Salad & Flatbreads Instructions:
- Bake the fish: Stuff the cavity of the fish with garlic cloves, salt and lemon slices. Mix together the parsley, olive oil and chilli and drizzle over the fish. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
- Make the salad: Chop everything and place in a bowl with all the other ingredients apart from the walnuts.
- Serve: Place a flatbread, whole mackerel and a scoop of salad onto a plate and serve with yoghurt.
Equipment you need to make this recipe…
Baked Mackerel with Flatbread & Salad Variations:
- Use different herbs: I went to town with parsley in this recipe because I really wanted that herby flavour but if you prefer then you could use coriander or another leafy herb
- Try a different fish: I absolutely adore mackerel but it does have quite a strong flavour and I know not everyone loves it so if you prefer you could totally go for a different fish
- Use mackerel fillets instead: If you’re not a fan of using the whole fish then try using fillets instead. Just spread the lemon and garlic around the fillets and drizzle with the herb oil
Is baked mackerel good for you?
This baked mackerel recipe is so healthy! The mackerel is full of protein and omega-3 plus plenty of other vitamins and minerals and is even better served with this crunchy and fresh salad.
What to serve with baked mackerel?
I served this mackerel with a gorgeous chopped salad and flatbreads to go down the Mediterranean route but you could try it with some new potatoes or a green salad if you prefer.
Want more? Try these other fish recipes!
- Jalapeno Popper Fish Cakes
- Salmon Tacos with Quick Pickled Red Onion
- Salmon Yoghurt Curry
- One Pot Fish Stew with White Beans
- Fish Taco Salad Bowls
- Sheet Pan Fish Tacos with Peppers
WONDERING WHAT TO DO WITH THE LEFTOVER INGREDIENTS YOU’VE GOT FROM MAKING THIS BAKED MACKEREL WITH SALAD & FLATBREAD?
If you’re anything like me then you’re always looking for ways to save money and avoid food waste so I want to make sure you’ve get plenty of ideas on how to use up any ingredients that are leftover from my recipes!
Skillet Vegetable Pie with Garlic Butter
Add leftover parsley to the garlic butter drizzled over this pie
Roasted Butternut Squash with Goat’s Cheese
Add a big squeeze of lemon to this simple pasta dish
Baked Mackerel with Salad & Flatbreads
Ingredients
- 2 Whole Mackerel gutted
- 4 cloves Garlic peeled
- 1 tsp Coarse Salt
- 1 Lemon sliced into rounds
- 5 g Parsley finely chopped
- 50 ml Olive Oil
- 1 Red Chilli finely chopped
For the Salad
- 1/2 Red Onion finely chopped
- 75 g Cherry Tomatoes quartered
- 1/4 Cucumber chopped
- 1/2 Red Pepper finely chopped
- 1 handful Parsley chopped
- Small bunch Mint Leaves chopped
- 1/2 Lemon juice
- 1 tbsp Pomegranate Molasses
- 1/2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 20 g Walnuts chopped
- Salt and Pepper
Instructions
- Heat the oven for 200°C/400°F. Place the mackerel on a baking sheet. Stuff the cavity of each mackerel with the lemon slices, garlic and a sprinkling of salt. Mix together the olive oil, parsley and chilli and drizzle over the fish. Place in the oven for 20 minutes.
- Mix together all the ingredients for the salad in a large bowl apart from the walnuts, season to taste. Leave to sit while you wait for the mackerel to cook. Serve with a whole baked mackerel and flatbread topped with the walnuts.
Notes
Like the look of this recipe? Make sure you pin it for later!
6 Comments
Emma
16/12/2018 at 9:12 PMMackerel is my absolute favourite fish. This looks delicious!
Andrea Metlika
16/12/2018 at 9:20 PMThis looks absolutely gorgeous!
krissy
16/12/2018 at 10:15 PMMackerel is so good! This is an amazingly healthy yet full of flavor meal! The presentation is beautiful and every one enjoyed it!
MARISA
16/12/2018 at 10:29 PMI’m so impressed with how gorgeous you make this mackerel look! I don’t eat it often enough but it’s so good for us!
Tracy
17/12/2018 at 3:16 AMWow you’re so right, there is something impressive about serving a whole fish for dinner. I’ve always been so intimidated by it, but you’re giving me some courage!
Kam
28/12/2018 at 6:12 AMMmmmm, I love mackerel 🙂