Baked Mackerel with Potatoes: Easy Spanish Fish Dinner (58 characters) 2026

Baked mackerel with potatoes is a wonderfully simple Spanish fish dinner that proves how little you need for a memorable meal. The potatoes roast first in olive oil until tender and golden, then the mackerel fillets go on top for a final ten minutes in the oven.

A quick dressing of olive oil and finely chopped garlic ties everything together, bringing a gentle, savory aroma to the fish without overpowering it. With just five ingredients and 45 minutes from start to finish, this is the kind of everyday dish that feels effortless yet satisfying.

Ask your fishmonger to clean and fillet the mackerel for you, which makes the preparation much faster and easier. Leave the skin on, though, since removing it raw is fiddly, and it helps keep the flesh moist as it bakes.

Ingredients for Baked Mackerel with Potatoes

For 2 servings:

• 350 g potatoes
• 25 g olive oil
• Salt
• 400 g mackerel fillets
• 1 garlic clove

How to Make Baked Mackerel with Potatoes Step by Step

1. Slice the Potatoes

The first thing to do is peel 350 g of potatoes and cut them into half-centimeter slices. Keep the slices fairly even so they roast at the same rate and turn tender all the way through.

2. Arrange and Roast the Potatoes

In a baking dish, spread 5 g of extra virgin olive oil over the bottom and arrange the potato slices in it. Sprinkle salt over the top and drizzle with another 5 g of extra virgin olive oil. With the oven preheated to 190 °C (375 °F) with top and bottom heat, place the dish in the middle of the oven and bake for 25 minutes.

3. Salt the Mackerel Fillets

Add salt to the 400 g of mackerel fillets, but only on the flesh side. This seasons the fish without making the skin overly salty as it bakes.

4. Make the Garlic Dressing

Prepare a simple dressing to flavor the mackerel before it goes into the oven. In a bowl, mix 15 g of olive oil with 1 garlic clove chopped very finely.

5. Top the Potatoes with Mackerel

After the 25 minutes, take the dish out of the oven and place the mackerel fillets on top of the potatoes with the skin facing down. Spoon the oil and garlic dressing over the top, then return the dish to the oven for 10 more minutes so the mackerel cooks and the potatoes finish roasting.

6. Bake and Serve

After these 10 minutes, your baked mackerel with potatoes is ready to serve. The fish is done when the flesh has turned an intense white color.

Tips for the Best Baked Mackerel with Potatoes

Watch the Baking Time

The most important thing with this dish is controlling the baking time so the mackerel stays perfectly cooked. If you leave it in too long, the fish will dry out. For fillets like these, 10 minutes in the oven is enough.

Whole Mackerel Need Longer

If you bake whole mackerel instead of fillets, they will need a few more minutes, around 15 to 18, depending a little on the size of the fish. You will know the mackerel is ready when the flesh has an intense white color.

Let the Fishmonger Do the Work

Ask the fishmonger to clean the mackerel of its innards and remove the fillets for you, which makes preparing this dish much faster and more convenient. Removing the skin raw is a bit more complicated, so leave the skin on.

30 Recipes I Keep Coming Back to in My Own Kitchen

Like a lot of home cooks, I like having a go-to lineup that covers cozy classics, well-known dishes from around the globe, and desserts that make everyone at the table happy.

Some nights I want something luxurious, and that's when I reach for this La Viña Molten Cheesecake recipe, this refined Original French Crème Brûlée recipe, or a truly indulgent Chocolate Mousse Cake recipe. And whenever a fruity, comforting sweet sounds right, this timeless French Tarte Tatin recipe is the one I make.

Mornings and lighter meals call for these airy Oatmeal and Banana Pancakes recipe, a filling Stuffed Sweet Potato recipe, or these bright Eggs Stuffed with Avocado and Salmon recipe. And for a gluten-free staple to keep in the pantry, this straightforward Gluten-Free Rice Flour recipe is one I rely on.

For small plates and Mediterranean cooking, I bounce between this punchy Basque Tuna with Tomato recipe, crispy Patatas Bravas Air Fryer recipe, velvety Tirokafteri Greek Dip Sauce recipe, and a cool Burrata Salad with Tomato and Pesto recipe. This crisp Italian Vitello Tonnato recipe also comes out when I want the meal to feel a bit more special.

Hearty midday meals and snug evening dinners? I'm always pointing people toward this warming Meatballs in Spanish Sauce recipe, traditional Meatballs in Almond Sauce recipe, deeply savory Italian Bolognese Sauce recipe, and silky Chicken Croquettes in Thermomix recipe. When I need something more substantial, out comes this oven-baked Greek Pastitsio Pie recipe, homey Potatoes and Squid Stew recipe, or the deeply soothing French Boeuf Bourguignon recipe.

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And when drinks plus a whole menu are needed for guests, I'll set dinner alongside this cooling Original Cuban Mojito recipe, this punchy Long Island Iced Tea recipe, or a pitcher of this fruity Bleeding Spanish Sangria recipe. To fill out the spread, I like putting this zippy French Remoulade Sauce recipe on the side, or closing things out with this eye-catching Mediterranean Black Rice with Squid recipe.

Even More Recipes the Whole Family Will Enjoy

After years of cooking, testing, and tweaking in my own kitchen, I've come to believe the greatest dishes are built on straightforward methods, dependable technique, and serious flavor.

Every recipe gathered here is one I genuinely come back to time and time again—whether it's a fast solo meal or a spread I'm putting together for loved ones.

On the sweet side, the rich, velvety Orange Chocolate Mousse Recipe is a go-to when I want something that feels fancy yet comes together easily. Another dessert I adore is the caramelized Trdelnik Slavic Pastry Recipe, modeled on the well-known Central European chimney cake. If baking is your thing, knowing how to make syrup for better dessert texture helps a lot, and my Inverted Sugar Recipe walks through exactly how I do it at home.

When something light and uncomplicated is what I'm after, I'll go with the timeless Italian Caprese Salad Recipe or a spot-on Simple Poached Egg Recipe. For cozier, heartier fare, I'm quick to suggest the filling Meatball Sandwich Recipe, the luscious Russian Stroganoff Beef Recipe, and the speedy weeknight winner One Pot Pasta Recipe.

I'm also a big fan of sharing dishes with roots around the world, like the genuine Sorropotún de Bonito Fish Stew Recipe, crispy Chilean Pumpkin Sopaipillas Recipe, and the traditional Spanish Cochifrito Segovian Fried Pig Recipe.

Air fryer cooking is another category I turn to often, since it's quick and still delivers terrific texture. The ones I make most are Air Fryer Pork Ribs Recipe, Air Fryer Chicken Thighs Recipe, Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes Recipe, Air Fryer Baked Potatoes Recipe, Air Fryer Peppers Recipe, Air Fryer Mixed Sandwich Recipe, Air Fryer Toasted Bread Recipe, and Air Fryer Hard-Boiled Eggs Recipe.

And for anyone steering clear of wheat, my cozy Gluten-Free Lasagna Recipe shows that a classic baked pasta can still be rich, cheesy, and deeply satisfying without any gluten.

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