These tinned mackerel patties without potato are delicious and pan fried in their own drained off oil. They're also so easy to make for a quick lunch or dinner for busy families or those on a Keto or low carb diet.
I'll also show you how to make them with fresh mackerel and a quick white cheddar ranch dressing.
Last month, I felt I hit the jackpot with my keto diet when I stumbled across a vast amount of unusually cheap tinned mackerel in sunflower oil. I've since made these Sardine fish cakes I'm sure you'll love too!
And one of them is this mackerel burger recipe or mackerel cakes. Or, you could call them mackerel fish cakes without potato.
I love how they are not only delicious, but it's a bloomin' quick mackerel patties recipe, too, without the need to cook and mash potatoes in advance. But, the added bonus is, fishcakes without potato are perfect on the Fast 800 or 5:2 diet!
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✔️ Why You'll Love this Recipe
- Budget-friendly recipe
- A quick and healthy lunch
- No need to cook raw mackerel first
- Conveniently made with dry cupboard ingredients
- Great source of protein, Omega 3 fatty acids and vitamin D
- The perfect base to customize with your favorite flavors
🛒 Ingredient Notes
Please see the printable recipe card with exact ingredient quantities, daily values, and preparation instructions at the bottom of this post.
Tins of mackerel fillets - preferably sustainable mackerel in oil which is drained into a hot skillet to fry with, otherwise you can fry in a small amount of vegetable oil, olive, etc
Sauces - mayonnaise and dijon mustard, or you can swap for use tartar sauce, creamy BBQ sauce, or tomato sauce
Onion - very finely diced for texture and flavour
Keto flours - coconut flour and ground almonds
Egg - use medium, not large eggs, otherwise, you may need to add more flour to bind the ingredients while cooking
Fresh herbs - we use finely chopped fresh basil finely, or you could use coriander, dill, etc
Spices - smoked paprika, sea salt, and black pepper
Optional White Cheddar Ranch Dressing
- Full fat Greek Yogurt
- Mature cheddar (or parmesan cheese)
- Sea salt
- Black pepper
- Dijon mustard
- Olive oil
- Gluten Free Tamari Soy Sauce
- Apple cider vinegar (or balsamic vinegar)
📋 Instructions
First, pour the oil from the tinned fish straight into a large frying pan, ready for shallow frying.
If using mackerel in spring water, drain over a sink and add of your choice to the pan.
In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the mackerel recipe ingredients, (except the white cheddar ranch dressing!)
Now roll the mackerel meat into 8 golf ball size balls.
Then flatten each one in the palm of your hands to ½ inch thick.
Carefully place them in the pan and pan-fry each side for about 2-3 minutes over medium high heat.
They should be golden brown and can hold their shape.
Tip: I like to keep as many essential fatty acids in as possible, but if you prefer a less oily look, then place on paper towels while frying in batches
Making the White Cheddar Ranch Dressing
Note that my recipe uses 8oz canned mackerel overall (the equivalent of two small tins). With that in mind, you may prefer using one can's oil in the keto cheese sauce recipe.
- Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl
- Drizzle on the mackerel fish cakes
Tip: when storing it in the fridge, it will thicken, so you will need to mix it again with a spoon to loosen up. You could also add a dash of lime juice for zest.
👩🍳 Substitutions
Depending on your dietary requirement, you can find some simple swaps heer if needed.
- Egg - swap for a flax egg by mixing 1 tablespoon of flaxseed meal with 2.5 tablespoon of water and letting it rest for 5 minutes before stirring in
- Mackerel - swap for other oily fish like canned salmon, herrings, sardines, or tuna. Or, for a low calorie diet, try mackerel in tomato sauce instead of oil and use cooking oil spray to pan fry.
- Coconut flour and ground almonds - if you are not following a keto diet, you can use the following:
- ⅓ cup (40g) of wholemeal bread crumbs
- 4 tablespoons of plain flour (35g)
- 6 tablespoon oat flour (Around 35g) - high in fibre than plain flour
- 5 tablespoons of instant mashed potatoes
⚖️ Variations
Here are a few different ways you can customize the taste of this main dish:
- Spicy - stir in a dash of hot sauce, or chilli flakes for medium heat. Alternatively, you could stir in some Siracha
- Thai mackerel fishcakes - swap smoked paprika for chilli powder and mix in lemongrass paste, ginger, coriander, and garlic. Then drizzle on lime or lemon juice once they're cooked
- Kid-friendly - encourage children to eat this most heart-healthy fish by involving them in the cooking process when mixing. Then serve the final patties with cheese, in fun cookie-cutter shaped sandwiches
See this prawn fritters version on my website!
🔪 Equipment
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- Mixing bowl or large bowl
- Measuring spoons
- Measuring cups
- Chopping knife
- Chopping board
- Cheese grater
- Frying pan or hot skillet
- Spatula
- Paper towels
❄️ Storage
Storing - we prefer eating mackerel patties fresh, but they can be stored in an airtight container refrigerated for up to 2 days.
Freezing - cool to room temperature and store in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
Reheating - If you want to eat the next day, defrost in the fridge if required and pan-fry again until piping hot.
💡Pro Tip
- If you can't find mackerel in oil, then add your own oil in the pan
- Other mackerels in sauces will work too and can add a different flavour element to the mix, but don't add the mayonnaise as the mixture might be too wet.
- Getting slightly off track, I tend to give the skin of my fish mackerel recipe to my dog because he loves it so much. Nothing goes to waste, but here's some safety tips I found!
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
Sauces: Serve them with ketchup or mayo for dipping, making them the perfect finger food for the kids in your life
Salad: Place on top of some salad or veggies for extra heart health
Bread: Make them as mackerel burgers in seeded bread buns, or in tacos or tortillas
Wholegrains: serve with brown rice and vegetables, such as this tasty Mexican rice, or a serving of lentils, quinoa, pulses and beans etc
Pasta: although not low carb, cooked pasta (or courgetti/zoodles) tossed in lemon juice and zest with lots of olive oil, parsley and seasoning tastes amazing alongside mackerel fishcakes!
❓ FAQ
Because this recipe uses coconut flour and ground almonds with egg to hold their shape, they can be gluten free fish cakes, providing you ensure your mayonnaise, and mustard ARE Gluten Free.
Also, if you are making my Keto cheese sauce recipe too, make sure you are using Gluten Free Tamari soy sauce. However, if you are not Gluten intolerant, then light soy sauce also works.
Mackerel is recommended on a Keto or The Fast 800 diet as it's a very oily fish that's nutritious and good for satiety. That's also why I opt for a mackerel tin with oil, too.
However, if you can only make this recipe for mackerel patties using mackerel with spring water or brine, simply add 2 tablespoons of olive oil or rapeseed oil to your frying pan. Then, follow the recipe as normal.
If you can't find cooked mackerel, then you can always make fresh mackerel patties. But, with meat and fish losing approximately 25% of their weight when cooking raw, you'll need to increase the amount.
I recommend using around 225g of fresh skinless and boneless mackerel. If you don't have scales, then use 2-3 mackerel fillets.
You'll need a little bit more oil than my recipe if pan frying raw mackerel. Add a tablespoon of oil in a frying pan, (plus more to fry in batches).
Heat up the pan and place each fillet skin side down. Press down the fillets while it starts to curl to ensure all areas are cooking throughout.
Cook for about 2 minutes on each side until crispy and golden, then remove and discard the skin, flake up in a bowl and continue with the rest of the recipe.
I tend to just place all of my fish in a lined baking dish, then bake at 180c fan / 200c conventional / Gas Mark 6 / 400F for 25 minutes. Then remove the skin.
Mackerel is a very nutritious fish that is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, iron and vitamins B and D, with anti-inflammatory effects to help relieve arthritis and ones linked to heart disease.
The American Heart Association recommends eating 2x 3 ounces of cooked servings of oily fatty fish twice a week. Furthermore, choosing Atlantic chub mackerel is a good species to eat as it is lower in mercury. You can find a guide on buying fish guide here.
➕ More Tinned Mackerel Recipes
Looking for more canned mackerel recipes? Try these:
🍽️Pairing
These are some of our favorite dishes to serve with mackerel fishcakes:
📖 Recipe
Canned Mackerel Fish Cakes Without Potato
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 oz canned mackerel fillets in oil (Approx 2 small 125g tins). See note 1 if using mackerel in brine, spring water or fresh mackerel
- 2 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1 small onion finely diced
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoon coconut flour See note 2 for alternatives
- 1 tablespoon ground almonds See note 2 for alternatives
- 2 tablespoon fresh basil finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
White Cheddar Ranch Dressing
- ¼ cup Full fat Greek Yogurt (60g) *See Note 3
- ⅓ cup Mature cheddar (40g) finely grated *See Note 4
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Gluten Free Tamari Soy Sauce See Note 5
- 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar Or balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Pour the oil from the tinned fish straight into a large frying pan, ready for shallow frying. See Note 1 if cooking with mackerel in brine, water or fresh mackerel.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the mackerel recipe ingredients, (except the white cheddar ranch dressing!)
- Heat up the oil in the frying pan, and roll the mackerel patty recipe into 8 golf ball size balls.
- Then flatten in the palm of your hands to ½ an inch thickness and carefully place in the pan and pan-fry each side for about 3 minutes until they're golden and can hold their shape.
- I recommend frying 4 patties at a time for ease.
White Cheddar Ranch Dressing (Optional)
- Mix everything in a small bowl.
- Then serve on the side or drizzle on the patties.
Disclaimer
*This is an unofficial page and has no affiliation or endorsement from Slimming World. Slimming World's website can be found at https://www.slimmingworld.co.uk/. Any syn values are personal estimates and not verified by Slimming World.
Video
Notes
Note 1
If you can only make this recipe for mackerel patties using mackerel in with spring water or brine, simply add 2 tablespoons of olive oil or rapeseed oil in your frying pan to fry patties. You may need to add a little more oil when frying your last 4. White cheddar ranch dressing hack: Note, as this recipe uses 2 tins of mackerel in oil, you might want to drain one of the can's oils into this mixture instead of the frying pan.How to Pan Fry Fresh Mackerel
You'll need a little bit more oil than my recipe if pan frying raw mackerel.- Add a tablespoon of oil in a frying pan, (which you'll need again later)
- Heat up the pan and place each fillet skin side down
- Press down the fillets while it starts to curl to ensure all areas are cooking throughout
- Cook for about 2 minutes on each side until crispy and golden.
- Remove and discard the skin, then flake up in a bowl and continue with the rest of the recipe
Note 2
If not following a Keto diet, coconut flour and ground almonds may be a bit alien to you. If this is the case, try substituting with- ⅓ cup (40g) of wholemeal bread crumbs
- 4 tablespoon of plain flour (35g)
Geoff
Great. Real quick and easy and will be a regular brunch or dinner. Just a wee bit crumbly with the coconut flour and ground almonds so I’m going to use standard flour next time to check the difference.
Catherine
Sorry, I just read that I can use a flax egg.
Catherine
Can a flax egg be substituted for the egg as I have an egg allergy.?Love to make this recipe. Thank you for your reply.
Anonymous
The canned mackerel patties were delicious without the sauce. I made it with the brine + olive oil and it was out of this world, this will become an often quick delicious meal.
Helene
These are lovely fish cake
I especially liked the ranch dressing
So easy to make
Thank you Vickie 😋😋