Air Fryer Mackerel with Lemon
Budget-friendly mackerel is baked with lemon, garlic, and pepper. This oily fish cooks quickly and makes a hearty portion with little prep.
- Time
- 25 min
- Serving
- 504 kcal
- Ingredients
- ≈ $2.90
- Protein
- 42 g
Ingredients
- 1 Mackerelpack 600 g ≈ $7.00 230 g
- 2 Lemon≈ $4.70 per kg 35 g
- 3 Garlic≈ $10.00 per kg 5 g
- 4 Sunflower oil 5 ml
- 5 Salt 2 g
- 6 Ground black pepper 1 g
Grey rows are pantry staples: salt, oil, spices. They are not counted in the serving price.
Method
Clean, rinse, and pat the mackerel1 dry. If the fish is large, cut it into halves.
Rub the fish with salt, pepper, grated garlic3, and oil.
Place thin lemon2 slices in the belly or on the cut sides.
Place the mackerel1 in the air fryer basket, skin side up.
Cook at 200 °C for 14–16 minutes. The fish is ready when the skin is browned and the flesh flakes easily from the bone.
Before serving, remove the baked lemon2 or squeeze its juice over the fish.
Tips
- Why it works
- Place the fish skin side up. The fat drains through the flesh, and at 200 °C the skin browns faster and sticks less to the basket.
- Substitutions
- Replace the sunflower oil with 5 g of olive oil or butter. You can swap the lemon for 1–2 tsp of vinegar, but add it only just before serving.
- Common mistakes
- A common mistake is overcooking the mackerel. You'll notice dry edges, a strong fishy smell and flesh that crumbles instead of coming apart in flakes.
- Storing and reheating
- Keep in a closed container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat for 5–7 minutes in the air fryer at 160 °C or eat it cold.
- Serve with
- Serve for dinner with boiled potatoes and cucumber, a simple neutral side to balance the fatty fish.
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