Canned Mackerel Salad Recipe (Easy Keto Meal)

This is my favourite quick and easy canned mackerel salad that's keto, low carb and requires no cooking. More importantly, it tastes delicious with a vinaigrette dressing using the same oil straight from the tin!

Ever since moving from a low-fat diet last year, I've really been enjoying quick mackerel recipes that take minutes to make. In fact, my meals have mostly been keto salads, every day, along with a good source of protein, no matter the weather - best enjoyed outside on a hot summer day.

But, before you click away thinking salads are boring, I'm going to convince you, they're really not. And it's all down to the delicious oily dressings that I make. They give me great satiety, where I don't feel deprived of the lack of carbs.

And I don't just have one particular salad dressing. It varies most days, with either peanut butter, mustard, yogurt, or some form of cream. But the ratios are still the same, with oil, acidity, and a pinch of sweet different kinds of vinegar. I love playing with dressing ingredients.

Jump to:

• 🛒 Ingredient Notes
• 📋 Instructions
• 👩‍🍳 Substitutions
• ⚖️ Variations
• 🔪 Equipment
• ❄️ Storage
• 💡Pro Tips
• 🍽️ Serving Suggestions
• ❓ FAQ
• ➕ More Canned Mackerel Recipes
• 🍽️Pairing
• 📖 Recipe
• Pin How to Make Mackerel Fish Salad
• 💬 Comments

🛒 Ingredient Notes

Please see the printable recipe card with exact ingredient quantities and preparation instructions at the bottom of this post.

• Tinned mackerel in olive oil - or in extra virgin olive oil from Tesco or King Oscar's Mackerel for essential fatty acids, or sunflower oil at a push. If in brine or spring water, drain and add olive oil
  
• Lettuce - any leafy lettuce is fine, or chopped iceberg, gem lettuce, etc. Alternatively, you could make lettuce wraps if chopping up the salad better
  
• Cucumber - diced for a fresh taste, or try chopped green beans, steamed over medium heat
  
• Small red onion - halved and finely sliced for sweetness
  
• Cherry tomatoes - halved or quartered
  
• Avocado - halved and sliced for a creamy taste and extra mg of omega-3s per serving
  
• Olives - black or green, depending on your taste, and left whole or sliced
  
• Fresh coriander to garnish - for an extra boost in flavour

Mackerel Salad Dressing

• Oil - from the canned mackerel fillets, or a drizzle of olive oil
• Balsamic vinegar - for sweet acidity, or use lemon juice
• Apple cider vinegar - for more sweet acidity for the right balance
• Light soy sauce - or a little bit of sea salt and a splash of cold water
• Houmous - or horseradish for a creamy taste, or a splash of cream
• Black pepper - for a warming taste

📋 Instructions

For my mackerel salad dressing, I use the same oil in the tin. But once you get the ratio of a bit of oil, sweetness and acidity, you can really adapt it with an extra pinch of this and that.

Tip: mix the oil and humous together first to prevent lumps! However, if you are in a rush, just place everything in a large bowl and give it a good toss.

Serving hot: if you want to enjoy a warm mackerel salad, you might want to add the salad dressing and mackerel to a pan and heat over low heat or toss into freshly cooked pasta.

👩‍🍳 Substitutions

There is a variety of different flavoured mackerel available these days in supermarkets. And, from many different brands, which will change the final flavour.

You could make a smoked mackerel salad with a smokey variety, or peppered mackerel salad using mackerel in hot chilli sauce. And even buy mackerel and tuna in tomato sauce, mustard sauce, lime and chilli and so on.

Note, this mackerel tuna salad recipe is not sponsored by Princes, and this recipe will also work with a supermarket's own brand!

⚖️ Variations

In this recipe, I mix my dressing with a dash of houmous, but there are many other substitutes I love to make, so let's discover them!

• Mustard salad dressing using ½ teaspoon of mustard sauce with a dash of double cream. But, more often than not, I omit the latter.
• Tahini salad dressing, using 1 teaspoon of tahini paste instead and a pinch of natural sweetener, dark soy sauce and mustard sauce.
• Avocado lime dressing by stirring in a tablespoon of mashed avocado and the juice of a lime.
• Quick peanut satay, using a tablespoon of peanut butter (now minus the honey), which honestly, is the salad dressing I make the most!
• Or, you could swap for 1 teaspoon of horseradish and a good dash of pepper for a hot mackerel salad recipe

🔪 Equipment

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• Chopping knife
• Chopping board
• Measuring spoons
• measuring cups

❄️ Storage

Storing - we prefer eating mackerel salad fresh, but it can be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 2 days.

Freezing - we do not recommend freezing mackerel salad as it could turn limp. However, you can freeze the mackerel separately for up to 3 months.

💡Pro Tips

• When doing salad prep, leave the avocado last to prevent it from turning brown, or you can mash it into the dressing
  
• If your lettuce looks a bit limp, submerge the leaves in icy water and drain to help make it crisp again
  
• Wear onion goggles or in a well-ventilated area to avoid onion tears
  
• For the easiest salad, serve a good store-bought mixed salad

🍽️ Serving Suggestions

Whole grains: you can bulk up this fish salad with a serving of quinoa, cooked barley, brown rice, etc for extra fibre, vitamins and minerals

Steamed vegetables: this salad is also tasty with freshly cooked garden peas, chopped green beans, steamed asparagus, broccoli, new potatoes etc

Pasta: make it a mackerel pasta salad by tossing with cooked whole wheat pasta, couscous, orzo rice, etc

Legumes: mix in some canned red kidney beans for fibre, drained chickpeas, cooked green or red lentils, etc

Tortillas: serve in tortilla wraps, flatbread, or add tortilla chips for some crunch

Nuts and seeds: top with mixed sunflower and pumpkin seeds, etc, or nuts like peanuts, toasted pinenuts, or walnuts for extra crunch and vitamins

Bread: serve in some crusty bread for a canned mackerel salad sandwich with mayonnaise

❓ FAQ

➕ More Canned Mackerel Recipes

Here are some more quick dishes with mackerel that I love to make, (especially my low carb mackerel patties):

🍽️Pairing

Here are a few side dishes you might like to serve with a grilled mackerel salad:

📖 Recipe

Pin How to Make Mackerel Fish Salad