Mackerel in Tomato Sauce
Quick, simple, and healthy! A delicious everyday meal! Mackerel in tomato sauce is super easy to make and always turns out great. The fish is not pre-fried but simmered raw in the sauce, which saves time and lowers the calorie count.
Updated : 04 June, 2025
Easy
About 45 min.
Ingredients
1
Mackerel
1
Onions
1
Carrot
1.5 tablespoon
Tomato paste
2 tablespoon
Vegetable oil
250 milliliters
Water
4
Allspice
1
Laurel leaf
to taste
Ground black pepper
to taste
Salt
Table
Table of volume measurements:
- teaspoon - 5 ml
- dessert spoon - 10 ml
- tablespoon - 20 ml
- glass - 200 ml
Preparation
Step 1
Use fresh or frozen mackerel. If frozen, defrost it in the refrigerator by moving it from the freezer to the fridge's lower shelf. Besides salt and pepper, you can add any spices you like. I used allspice and bay leaf.
Step 2
Wash the mackerel, pat dry with paper towels, cut off the head and tail. Use a sharp knife to open the belly and remove the guts. Be sure to remove the black membrane inside, as it can taste bitter. Rinse the fish again inside and out, pat dry thoroughly, and cut into 0.6–0.8 inch (1.5–2 cm) thick pieces.
Step 3
Peel the onion and dice it into small cubes.
Step 4
Grate the peeled carrot using a coarse grater.
Step 5
Heat a pan over medium heat, pour in vegetable oil. Add the chopped vegetables and sauté them, stirring, for 5–7 minutes until soft.
Step 6
Add tomato paste to the vegetables in the pan. Pour in some water and stir well. Add salt, ground black pepper, and any spices to taste – I used allspice. I also added a pinch of sugar to balance the flavor. Cover the pan, reduce the heat, and let the sauce simmer for another 5 minutes.
Step 7
Place the mackerel pieces into the sauce. I also added bay leaf. Cover the pan again and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes. You can also cook this in a suitable pot instead of a pan – sauté vegetables in the pan, then simmer the fish in the pot with sauce.
Step 8
After 20 minutes, gently flip the fish pieces to the other side, turn off the heat, cover the pan, and let it sit for another 10 minutes.
Step 9
Serve the mackerel with onion, carrot, and tomato sauce. This dish tastes great both hot and cold. Enjoy!