Learn how to make some Jamaican inspired mackerel and rice MY WAY. A simple yet testy budget friendly recipe served with brown rice and pear (avocado) on the side.

cooked up mackerel with avocado and rice

Here is another classic Jamaican style dish and as the intro states this is a low budget recipe but rest assured budget doesn't mean we compromise the taste.

Growing up in a Jamaican household, canned/tinned fish was highly embraced. We would eat a combination of fresh fish along with the canned stuff too.

As you can already imagine the canned fish was siginificantly cheaper than buying fresh fish.

There was always at least 3 cans of fish in the pantry, it was something to fall back on especially when finances weren't too great.

Despite the negative connotations that are associated with canned fish I could happily eat it in a heart beat.

In these economic times, with the cost of living on the rise worldwide due to inflation. As a blogger it is very important for me to touch base with my loyal readers who enjoy good cooked food on a tight budget.

This is where my mackerel and rice recipe comes into play, a family favourite on a budget.

This is MY METHOD, MY WAY, of making makerel and rice, I understand not everyone makes theirs this way, hence my I must emphasize that this is MY WAY!!

As per tradition I didn't use Grace canned mackeral that is already prepared in tomato sauce simply because if you scan through the ingredients list, you will see a bunch of unnecessary fillers.

Instead I made the sauce from scratch using tomato sauce (passata) with water, of course the sauce is seasoned to taste.

For the mackerel I used mackerel that was canned but skinless and boneless only because I prepared the recipe for different age groups, some who don't care for the skin while others hate the bones.

The steps

steps 1-4 seasoning the mackerel and sauteing the vegetables

Place the flaked mackerel in a medium sized bowl and season with the all purpose seasoning and then set aside.
On medium heat, in a medium sized skillet/pan, proceed to saute the onion, ginger and garlic until soft and transculent.
Add the mixed bell peppers and stir for 2-3 minutes.
Pour in the tomato sauce, all purpose seasoning, parsley, paprika, thyme, pimento berries.

steps 5-8 simmering the tomato sauce with vegetables

If you are adding a whole scotch bonnet then add it now.
Add ½ cups of warm water and bring the pan to a rolling boil.
Cover the pan with a lid and allow to simmer for up to 10 minutes, allowing the flavours to meld and deepen, stirring from time to time.
Fold in the mackerel and allow to heat through for 5 minutes so it absorbs the flavour of the sauce.
Do a taste test and add additional black pepper and pink salt if needed.
If you are using my homemade dried Scotch Bonnet Pepper Powder then add this now.

Notes and tips

You will need to use tomato sauce .i.e passata to make this recipe but chopped canned tomato works too.
It is very important that you allow the seasoning to meld while the tomato sauce is simmering, don't rush this or the result will be more tart (sharp/tangy).
This is the recipe for the All Purpose Seasoning which I am using.
Don't forget you can use my Scotch Bonnet Pepper Powder instead.
You can use fresh mackerel instead, although you will need to cook and de-bone it, if required.
To save yourself some more money use frozen bell peppers not fresh ones.
I recommend using mackerel that is already flaked or in small chunks however, if you cannot get hold of any, the chunky kind will work too.
I used flaked mackerel that was canned, you can use canned mackerel that is in brine, be sure to rinse off the brine before following the recipe steps.

Serving suggestions

Fish recipes to try

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Mackerel and Rice

The steps

Notes and tips

Serving suggestions

Fish recipes to try