Barbecued mackerel with ginger, chilli & lime drizzle

Barbecued mackerel with ginger, chilli & lime drizzle

Make mackerel part of your weekly menu with this Asian inspired dish that's perfect for barbecues

Difficulty and servings

Easy

Serves 4

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 15 mins

Cook time

Cook 8 mins

Ready in 23 minutes

Method

  1. Light the barbecue and allow the flames to die down until the ashes have gone white with heat. Make the drizzle by whisking 2 tbsp olive oil and all the other ingredients together in a small bowl, adjusting the ratio of honey and lime to make a sharp sweetness. Season to taste.
  2. Score each side of the mackerel about 6 times, not quite through to the bone. Brush the fish with the remaining oil and season lightly. Barbecue the mackerel for 5-6 mins on each side until the fish is charred and the eyes have turned white. Spoon the drizzle over the fish and allow to stand for 2-3 mins before serving.
Try

Freezing mackerel

Oil-rich fish should be refrigerated quickly after buying, and is best eaten on the same day. You can freeze mackerel, but it's better frozen commercially as the techniques used prevent any change to the texture of the fish. Use frozen mackerel within three months and always defrost in the fridge.

Cooking mackerel

Simple, quick methods of cooking are best for mackerel. Roasting, grilling or barbecuing all work well as the oils self-baste during cooking (pan-frying can cause the skin to stick to the pan). Fruit works well with the oiliness of mackerel and it is traditionally served with a sharp sauce, such as gooseberry or rhubarb. It is also excellent cooked with oriental flavours, particularly ginger, lime, coriander and spices.

Buying mackerel

Very fresh whole mackerel may still be in a state of rigor mortis and will be rigid and stiff. Once it's out of rigor mortis the fish should still be firm, with no 'give' when you press the flesh. The eyes will look glassy and the gills should be a very deep red. Fillets should look firm with no discolouration. As the fish ages the flesh will soften, the eyes will become cloudy and the gills will tinge brown.

Per serving

406 kcalories, protein 29g, carbohydrate 3g, fat 31 g, saturated fat 6g, fibre 0g, sugar 2g, salt 0.49 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, July 2007.

Try 3 issues of Good Food magazine for £3 - subscribe now!

Latest comments and suggestions

  • Binder photo dan

    25 February 2008

    dan commented on this recipe

    yum yum

    Flag as inappropriate

    Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

  • Binder photo Anzie

    18 July 2008

    Anzie commented on this recipe

    Hit the spot perfectly

    Flag as inappropriate

    Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

  • Binder photo Anzie

    18 July 2008

    Anzie rated this recipe

    5 stars

    Flag as inappropriate

    Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

  • Binder photo elizabeth

    25 July 2008

    elizabeth rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    This is an excellent sauce for mackerel and for sardines both of which I only cook outside because of the smell. It will be going on my list of favourites for next summer.

    Flag as inappropriate

    Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

  • Binder photo C Shaw

    10 May 2009

    C Shaw rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    Did these under the grill as the weather wasn't good enough to BBQ and they were delicious.

    Flag as inappropriate

    Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

  • Binder photo lotusblossom81

    10 November 2010

    lotusblossom81 rated this recipe

    5 stars

    Flag as inappropriate

    Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

  • Binder photo Cherry

    17 November 2010

    Cherry rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    They are so good.. I didn't expect my husband would like this very much as he isn't a fish person. Will defo cook this more often.

    Flag as inappropriate

    Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

  • Binder photo Sophie foodie

    14 February 2011

    Sophie foodie rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Tasty, mackerel is such a lovely fish. This dish was grilled on valentines eve as we have to follow a low cholesterol diet at mo and mackerel is tops on the list because of it's omegas. These ingredients sexed up the mackerel nicely! I used less oil and lemon juice as I had no lime, but also added some coriander - very tasty! Thanks

    Flag as inappropriate

    Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

  • Binder photo Moonie Gray

    30 May 2011

    Moonie Gray rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Fab, fab, fab. Served with some lettuce from the garden and drizzled with the sauce too...lovely!

    Flag as inappropriate

    Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

  • Binder photo Derek

    01 June 2011

    Derek commented on this recipe

    Wow this is a lovely meal with a good tang

    Flag as inappropriate

    Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

  • Binder photo Sotongirl61

    04 July 2011

    Sotongirl61 rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    This drizzle is great, giving the mackerel a zing. Will definitely be doing again

    Flag as inappropriate

    Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

  • Binder photo Hamishg

    10 July 2011

    Hamishg rated this recipe

    5 stars

    Flag as inappropriate

    Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

  • Binder photo Samantha

    27 July 2011

    Samantha rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Absolutely delicious!

    Flag as inappropriate

    Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

  • Binder photo rheia

    18 May 2012

    rheia rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    A regular on my weekday dinner menu. Delicious & healthy!

    Flag as inappropriate

    Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

  • Binder photo Nikki-knacky-noodles

    07 October 2012

    Nikki-knacky-noodles commented on this recipe

    Took advantage of the gorgeous weather and BBQ'd this using sardines instead. I'm a lazy cook & this was easy & very tasty. Will definitely do this again.

    Flag as inappropriate

    Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

  • Binder photo yougotkegged

    10 January 2013

    yougotkegged commented on this recipe

    Ran out of sesame oil but this was still absolutely lovely - great, easy recipe that we did on the grill instead of the BBQ.

    Flag as inappropriate

    Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

  • Binder photo Raven

    02 May 2013

    Raven rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    really lovely all the family enjoyed, roasted in oven rather than BBQ due to weather, but will be barbecuing it when summer arrives.

    Flag as inappropriate

    Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

Leave a comment or suggestion

You must sign in or register to leave a comment.

Sign in / Register

Difficulty and servings

Easy

Serves 4

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 15 mins

Cook time

Cook 8 mins

Ready in 23 minutes

In season May to September

Ingredients

FOR THE DRIZZLE

  • 1 large red chilli , deseeded and finely chopped
  • 1 small garlic clove , finely chopped
  • small knob fresh root ginger , finely chopped
  • 2 tsp honey
  • finely grated zest and juice of 2 lime
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp Thai fish sauce
Print this recipe
Add to your binder

Per serving

406 kcalories, protein 29g, carbohydrate 3g, fat 31 g, saturated fat 6g, fibre 0g, sugar 2g, salt 0.49 g

Advertisement

Your binder

Here are three other great reasons why to sign up:

  • You get an online binder, where you can store all your favourite recipes and create menus.
  • You can add your own recipes to this site for others to try; plus, rate and make comments on recipes, and share your views on our blog.

Follow Good Food

Advertisement

All about Good Food

Magazine

Good Food Magazine

Subscribe to Good Food magazine - enjoy 100+ triple-tested recipes delivered to your door, every month.

Order today, and receive your first 3 issues for just £3

On TV

Foodie TV

See your favourite chefs on Sky Channel 247, Virgin TV 260 and find their recipes at goodfoodchannel.co.uk.

Good Food Apps

Good Food Apps

For Good Food on the go, download our apps to your phone or portable device.
Find out more here

Buy ingredients

With just one click, the full list of recipe ingredients will be put into a basket at your choice of provider. Choose from:

mySupermarket Compare prices and choose a retailer you wish to buy them from.

Ocado Let Ocado deliver all you need for this recipe, right to your door

Tesco Buy all the ingredients from our recipes through your Tesco online shop.

new

Asda Shop with Asda? You can now buy ingredients for our recipes via your Asda online shop.

In association with the above providers. Terms and conditions apply.

Close