By Jehan Yusoof  |  Updated October 1, 2026  |  ★ 4.3 (3 reviews) | 10 comments

This canned mackerel recipe is a Sri Lankan stir-fry we call salmon thel dala.
All you need is a can of mackerel, onions, tomatoes, curry leaves, chilli, and my own twist: a pinch of garam masala.
Mackerel stir-fry is a quick and delicious dish that’s perfect for busy weeknight dinners.
Canned mackerel is a great pantry staple, and it is the only canned product I use often.

★★★★★
If you try this, I’d love to know how it turned out. Just tap the stars in the recipe card; it helps other cooks find this recipe.

Why this canned fish recipe works

Food doesn’t need to be extravagant; sometimes all you need is just that one basic ingredient, a handful of spices, a splash of colour, and a squeeze of lime to take it to the next level and that’s exactly what I did with this recipe for fish stir-fry.
This seafood stir-fry needs no cleaning.
All you need to do is drain the brine in which the canned mackerel comes in and cook as per the recipe instructions below.
I used less oil, didn’t cook it for too long, and it turned out to be good in the healthiest possible way.
I also like the idea of just making a simple breakfast of bread and butter with a skillet of canned fish stir-fry that takes less than twenty minutes to make.

Ingredients fork canned mackerel stir-fry

You’ll find exact quantities in the recipe card below

• Canned mackerel: I use regular tinned Jack mackerel in brine.
• Cooking ingredients: coconut oil, curry leaves (substitute with a bay leaf), sliced onions, tomatoes, whole fresh chillies (green or red chillies).
• Spices: cinnamon, red chilli powder, black pepper powder, garam masala.
• Lime juice and salt for seasoning

Tips for cooking canned fish

• Using a non-stick pan allows you to use less oil. Add extra tablespoons of oil as you need.
• Drain the fish brine directly into the sink drain. This will prevent your sink from smelling of fish; pouring hot water after draining will help as well.
• Fish bones: keep the bones or remove them if you need. Since they are soft, personally I would leave them in, but since my kids don’t like it, I remove the soft bones.
• The skin: the skin usually holds the fishy smell; just rub the skin, and it comes off easily. Again, this is your choice.
• Want the stir-fry less spicy?
  • Reduce the number of green or red chillies and red chilli powder.
• Try not to break the canned fish into really small pieces; having larger chunks in the mackerel stir-fry makes this fish really good.
• No garam masala?
  • Add 2 to 3 lightly bruised cardamom pods with the cinnamon.

What you will need in the kitchen

• A can opener
• Chopping board and knife
• Large or medium-sized skillet
• A wooden spoon and measuring spoons

How to cook canned mackerel

Photo tutorial

Prep work

Open the canned fish, drain and set aside. Refer to tips about keeping the soft bones and skin.
Slice or chop the onions, green chillies and tomatoes.

Cook the onions, tomatoes and spices

Place a flat-bottomed skillet over a low fire and pour in the oil.
Add curry leaves(substitute with a bay leaf), sliced onions, chillies, and tomato to the pan and cook for 3 minutes or until onions turn translucent.

Add cinnamon, red chilli powder, black pepper, lime juice and salt to the pan and continue cooking over low heat.

Add the mackerel

Increase heat to medium.
Add the drained fish and incorporate the pieces into all the other ingredients.
As the fish comes in large chunks, break them into smaller pieces (try not to break the fish chunks in to really small pieces).
Having larger chunks in the mackerel stir-fry makes this fish really good.

Cook and serve

Add the garam masala to the skillet of fish stir-fry and continue combining all the ingredients.
Taste to make sure all the spices are balanced, and there is enough seasoning.
If you need to add more spice, add chilli or pepper powder and salt if necessary.
Continue to cook for a minute or two, then remove from the fire.
Serve warm for best results.

What to serve with canned mackerel stir-fry

• The fish stir-fry is great with regular white rice, bread, Sri Lankan coconut roti(pol roti) or parathas.

• Side dishes that you can pair with this fish stir-fry.
  • Sri Lankan dhal curry
  • Sri Lankan potato curry
  • Sri Lankan coconut sambol
  • Sweet potato curry(Sri Lankan bathala curry)
  • Sri Lankan spicy dry potato curry

7 more ways to use this canned fish stir-fry

• Serve with slices of buttered bread or over breakfast toasties. 
• The fish stir-fry is easy enough to make for a quick dinner and is a perfect skillet meal for those of you who love seafood or follow the pescetarian diet.
• In wraps: slices of cucumber or avocado, a thin spread of cheese or hummus, then some of this fish stir-fry into a roti or tortilla.
• Serving with rice: pumpkin curry, especially a kalupol pumpkin curry, will go well with this mackerel recipe.
• Make tuna melts: with this fish stir-fry, spicy and cheesy, perfect as a snack.
• Leftovers: can be added to your omelettes or made into fish cutlets.
• Make sandwiches or stuff a hot dog bun with the fish stir-fry.

More canned fish recipes

• Sri Lankan devilled fish
• Canned tuna fish stir-fry
• Jack mackerel pepper curry
• Sri Lankan Fish curry with coconut milk (thalapath)
• Fish cutlets(Sri Lankan)
• Fish rolls(Chinese rolls)

Watch more Sri Lankan recipes on my YouTube channel

Continue to Content

Canned mackerel recipe (Sri Lankan tinned mackerel stir-fry)

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

A quick Sri Lankan stir-fry (salmon thel dala) made with a tin of mackerel, onion, tomato, curry leaves and garam masala, ready in 30 minutes.

4.3 Stars (10 Reviews)

Print

Ingredients

• Ingredients mentioned below use standard measuring cups and spoons.
• 3 tablespoons of coconut oil
• A handful of curry leaves (substitute with a bay leaf)
• 1 large onion sliced fine
• 2 green or red chillies
• 1 large tomato sliced
• 1" piece of cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon of red chilli powder (add more to increase the spiciness)
• 1 teaspoon of black pepper powder
• 1 tablespoon of lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon of garam masala powder (add more if necessary)
• 1 large tin of jack mackerel/ tuna or salmon opened and drained of water

Instructions

Prepare

1. Open the canned fish, drain and set aside.
2. Cut and chop the onions, chillies and tomatoes.

Cook the onions and spices

1. Place a flat-bottomed skillet over a low fire and pour in the oil.
2. Add curry leaves(5 to 8 leaves; substitute with a bay leaf), sliced onions (1 large), green or red chillies (2), and the sliced tomatoes (1 large) to the pan and cook for 3 minutes or until onions turn translucent.
3. Add cinnamon (1-inch piece), chilli powder (1/2 teaspoon), black pepper ( 1 teaspoon), lime juice ( 1 tablespoon) and salt to the pan and continue cooking over low heat.
4. Increase the heat to medium and add the drained fish, and incorporate the fish into all the other ingredients.
5. As the fish comes in large chunks, break them into smaller pieces so that all the spices mix into the fish. 3-5 minutes.
6. Add the garam masala ( 1/2 teaspoon) to the skillet of fish stir- fry and continue combining all the ingredients.
7. Taste to make sure all the spices are balanced, and there is enough seasoning.
8. If you need to add more spice, add chilli or pepper powder and salt if necessary.
9. Continue to cook for a minute or two, then remove from the fire.
10. Serve warm for best results.
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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 362Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 72mgSodium: 112mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 2gSugar: 3gProtein: 32g

Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietitian for special diet advice.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
JEHAN
Recipe creator. Food Blogger. Video creator
I’ve been cooking and sharing Sri Lankan recipes, along with other dishes I love making at home on Island Smile since 2015. I’ve tested every recipe on this site more than once in my own kitchen before it goes on the blog.
I grew up eating this food, and I still cook it the way my family taught me, just written down clearly enough for you to follow.
If a recipe doesn’t work the way I say it will, tell me in the comments; I read every one, and I’ll help you fix it.