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CANNED MACKEREL RECIPE(Sri Lankan)

Mackerel stir fry is a quick and delicious dish that’s perfect for busy weeknight dinners.

Canned mackerel fish is a great pantry staple and it is the only canned product I tend to use often.

The easy canned fish recipe is great for quick dinners or a few lunch sandwiches done in a rush.
less oil makes the dish a better and healthier version for you to try.

This canned mackerel or tinned fish recipe can help you with your clean-eating diet as well.

Mackeral stir fry is also known as “salmon theldala” in Sinhalese.

It’s on my once-a-week grocery list and if you’ve tried making my Sri Lankan canned fish curry you’ll know why.

canned mackerek cooked and broken into pieces with red chillies and lime slices.

serving ideas for canned mackerel stir fry.

For this fish stir-fry recipe, we are using regular tinned jack mackerel

  • The fish stir-fry is great with regular white rice, bread, Sri Lankan coconut roti(pol roti) or parathas.
  • Here are a few side dishes that you can pair with this tin fish stir fry.
  • You can have it with a few slices of buttered bread or better yet, breakfast toasties. 
  • Slices of cucumber or avocado, a thin spread of cheese or hummus then some of this fish stir fry into a roti or tortilla and you can make the most delicious wraps. 
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • If you have a few tortillas, fill them up with this Sri Lankan mackerel stir fry for a quick meal.
  • You can make sandwiches or stuff a hot dog bun with the fish stir fry.
pieces of mackerel with red chillies slices of lime.

Cooking the mackerel stir fry for my family.

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.

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 of fish stir-fry.

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.

So make sure to add a tinned fish to your grocery list because, in this recipe, I’m showing you how to turn it into a drool-worthy, spicy yet simple meal you can make any time of the day.

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canned mackerel cooked with onions , red chillies onions and slices of lime in it.

Getting rid of the “fishy smell” from the canned mackerel.

The usual method would be to squeeze a bit of lime into the stir-fry.

For this dish, I used a different ingredient and that was half a teaspoon of garam masala, it makes a world of a difference with both taste and fragrance.

If you don’t have garam masala in hand you can also try adding a piece of cinnamon(small) with two or three slightly bruised cardamom.

This works as well, especially when you have gravy.

More fish recipes.

RECIPE DIFFICULTY-EASY

canned mackerel fish stir-fry(Sri Lankan).

The ingredients mentioned below use standard measuring cups and spoons.

Ingredients to make mackerel recipe

3 tablespoons of 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 tablespoon of lime juice

1 teaspoon of  pepper powder

1/2 teaspoon of chilli powder(add more to increase the spiciness)

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

Method

Open the canned fish, drain and set aside.

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.

cooked tomatoes, onions, curry leaves cooked in a pan.

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

cooked tomatoes, onions, curry powder, cinnamon, red chillies,  pepper and salt in a pan.

Increase heat to medium.

Add the drained fish and incorporate the fish into all the other ingredients.

As the fish comes in large chunks, break them into smaller pieces so that all the spices mix into the fish. 3-5 minutes.

canned mackerel added to the tomatoes, red chillies, onion cooked in the pan with a wooden spoon.

Add the garam masala to the skillet of fish stir fry and continue combining all the ingredients.

canned mackerel stir fry cooked in a pan with red chillies and a wooden spoon in the pan.

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 fire.

Serve warm for best results.

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mackerel fish stir fry

canned mackerel fish stir-fry(Sri Lankan).

Yield: 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

CANNED MACKEREL FISH STIR-FRY.
TINNED FISH CAN HELP YOU WITH YOUR CLEAN EATING DIET AS WELL.
THE RECIPE IS GREAT FOR QUICK DINNERS OR A FEW LUNCH SANDWICHES DONE IN A RUSH.
LESS OIL MAKES THE DISH A BETTER AND HEALTHIER VERSION FOR YOU TO TRY.

Ingredients

  • Ingredients mentioned below use standard measuring cups and spoons.
  • 3 tablespoons of 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 tablespoon of lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon of pepper powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon of chilli powder(add more to increase the spiciness)
  • 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

  1. Open the canned fish, drain and set aside.
  2. Place a flat-bottomed skillet over low fire and pour in the oil.
  3. 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.
  4. Add cinnamon, chilli powder, pepper, lime juice and salt to the pan and continue cooking over low heat.
  5. Increase heat to medium and add the drained fish and incorporate the fish into all the other ingredients.
  6. As the fish comes in large chunks, break them into smaller pieces so that all the spices mix into the fish. 3-5 minutes.
  7. Add the garam masala to the skillet of fish stir fry and continue combining all the ingredients.
  8. Taste to make sure all the spices are balanced and there is enough seasoning.
  9. If you need to add more spice, add chilli or pepper powder and salt if necessary.
  10. Continue to cook for a minute or two then remove from fire.
  11. 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.

Did you make this recipe?

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Each recipe on this blog has been written with great care and love to the best of my ability with you in mind.
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Laura

Thursday 7th of September 2023

I would love to make this recipe! Unfortunately I run out of onions… is it okay without? Or would you recommend waiting till I buy some onions ;)

jehan

Friday 8th of September 2023

Hi Laura, cook without the onions if you don't have any. I've done it during lockdown when I had limited ingredients. regards J

Abbie Tan

Sunday 21st of June 2020

To get rid of fish-y smell. Use ginger, about a half an inch. Peel ginger using a peeler, slice in thin strips. Cook with shallots or onions and garlic in hot oil. Saute until shallots or onions are translucent. Then throw in the canned\tinned fish.

jehan

Monday 22nd of June 2020

Hi Abbie Tan, Great idea! will add the information as a reader suggestion to all my canned fish recipes. Thank you again, regards. J

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