Pan Fried Spanish Mackerel Marinated in a Sriracha Soy Lime Sauce

I fell in love with the flavor of mackerel when traveling in Japan. This Sriracha lime marinade adds a light freshness and helps balance the otherwise strong flavors of mackerel.

When I was on my Japan trip this past summer I stayed for a few days with Jiho, a Zen Buddhist monk in Oita.  Oita is is a coastal town and I soon became spoiled with fresh seafood from the nearby market and fresh limes from Jiho’s garden.

Jiho’s favorite dish was taking a simple mixture of soy sauce, lime, green onion and garlic and then use it as a dipping sauce for mackerel sashimi.  The citrus of the lime really helped cut the strong fishiness flavor of the mackerel – it was absolutely divine and easy to make!

Since coming home I’ve missed this dish – sashimi grade mackerel is tough to come by here in D.C. so I’ve taken to using the sauce as a marinade for grilled mackerel.  I simply marinade the fish in the lime sauce for a few minutes, pan fry, and enjoy.  The principals still hold true- simple to make and the citrus from the lime really adds a fresh flavor to the fish!

5.0 from 1 reviews

Pan Fried Spanish Mackerel Marinated in a Sriracha Soy Lime Sauce

 

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Prep time

8 mins

Cook time

5 mins

Total time

13 mins

 

The light and spicy citrus flavor of the Sriracha lime marinade is a perfect compliment to the heaviness of mackerel.

Author: zenlikeben

Recipe type: Main

Cuisine: Japanese

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 2 6oz mackerel filets, skins still on

Marinade

• ¼ Cup of Soy Sauce
• 1 lime, squeezed
• 1 green onion, diced
• 1 clove of garlic, smashed
• 1 tbs of olive oil
• 1 tsp of Sriracha Sauce

Instructions

1. Combine the ingredients for the marinade into a bowl and add the mackerel filets, refrigerate for at least 5 minutes
2. Meanwhile heat a frying pan over medium heat with 1 tbs of olive oil
3. Place the marinaded mackerel skin side down and cook for 4 minutes
4. Brush some additional marinade on the fish, flip and cook skin side up for an additional 1 minute
5. Serve with your favorite side and enjoy!

Notes

While this dish calls for mackerel, you can substitute herring which is another strong-flavor oily fish.

I do not recommend marinating for too long. The flavor of the marinade can quickly overpower the fish.

I typically make this dish with white rice or sautéed spinach but any vegetable side could potentially compliment.

3.2.2925