Grilled Mackerel or Saba Shioyaki (鯖の塩焼き) is one of the popular seafood dishes served as an entree or part of a bento combination in Japanese restaurants in the U.S. You may already know this, but what you may not know is how fast and easy it is to make this grilled fish at home. This is the reason I love making this for my family dinner — it feels special, but is so very simple.
What Does Saba Shioyaki Mean?
Saba (鯖) is mackerel and Shioyaki (塩焼き) means salt (shio) and grilling (yaki). As you can guess, the only seasoning we need for this dish is salt, which brings out the rich flavors of mackerel. Anyone can just season with salt and cook, and call it a recipe; however, I’ll show you a few tips you can use to make the dish extra delicious!
2 Tips to Make Delicious Grilled Mackerel (Saba Shioyaki)
1. The Use of Sake
If you’re familiar with Japanese cooking, you’d notice that the majority of recipes call for sake (Japanese rice wine). There are many benefits of using sake in Japanese cuisine, and this recipe is no exception.
We use sake in this grilled mackerel to:
- Add umami
- Tenderize the fish
- Make the texture more “plump” (“Fukkura” ふっくら in Japanese)
- Remove any fishy odor
2. The Use of Salt
Salt is used not only to season the fish, but it also extracts water from the fish and eliminates any unpleasant smell. Once you sprinkle the mackerel with salt, let it rest for 20 minutes. Do not let it sit anytime shorter or longer. If it is rested too short a time, the fish does not soak up enough salty flavor and the smell may still linger. On the other hand, if you rest it for too long, the smell may be gone but the flesh will get too tight and lose its texture.
What to Serve with Grilled Mackerel
Thanks to its light yet flavorful texture, saba shioyaki pairs well with many dishes. Here are my suggestions:
Rice
- Steamed rice
- Takikomi gohan (mixed rice)
- Sansai gohan (mountain vegetable rice)
Soup
- Homemade miso soup
- Vegan miso soup
- Tonjiru (pork and vegetable miso soup)
- Clear clam soup
2-3 Sides
- Kinpira gobo (stir-fried burdock root and carrot)
- Chikuzenni (Nishime) (simmered chicken and vegetables)
- Spinach gomaae (spinach with sesame sauce)
- Simmered kabocha squash
- Pickled cabbage
More Mackerel Recipes on Just One Cookbook
- Spanish Mackerel with Yuzu
- Grilled Mackerel with Shio Koji
- Saba Misoni (Mackerel Simmered in Miso)
INGREDIENTS
2 Tbsp sake
½ tsp kosher salt (Diamond Crystal; use half for table salt)
For Serving
1 inch daikon radish (2.6 oz, 75 g for 2 servings; grated)1 tsp soy sauce
1 wedge lemon (cut in half)
INSTRUCTIONS
2.Coat the fish with the sake.
3.Pat dry with paper towels (discard the sake) and transfer the fish to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
4.Sprinkle both sides of the fish with the salt.
5.Let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. During this time, preheat the oven to 425ºF (218ºC) with a rack placed in the middle. For a convection oven, reduce the cooking temperature by 25ºF (15ºC).
6.After 20 minutes, pat dry the excess moisture released from the fish.
7.Place the fish skin side down on the parchment paper and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the flesh is golden brown.
To Serve
1.Grate the daikon radish (I love this grater) and squeeze out most of the liquid.
2.Serve the grilled mackerel on individual plates with the grated daikon and a lemon wedge on the side. Pour a few drops of soy sauce on the grated daikon and use as a refreshing condiment on the fish. Enjoy!
