Pan-Cooked Mackerel with Beetroot Salsa & Bean Mash

Name: Pan-Cooked Mackerel with Beetroot Salsa & Bean Mash
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 7 min
Total time: 7 min
Yield: 2
Ingredients: 2 large mackerel fillets; 1 teaspoon olive oil; 1 clove garlic, minced; 1 can cannellini beans, drained (about 400g); 2 tablespoons liquid from the bean can; 200g roasted beetroot, diced; ½ small red onion, finely diced; 1 Zest of 1 lime; 1 Juice of 1 lime; 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped, plus extra for serving; Salt and pepper to taste; 65g fresh rocket

Recipe GLPRa85ae3a27bcdc3

Main Course

7 min

703 cal

Servings: 2

Stovetop

SNAP eligible

Crispy pan-seared mackerel fillets served over creamy bean mash, topped with a vibrant beetroot and lime salsa. Fresh rocket salad on the side makes this a quick, nutritious main course ready in under 10 minutes.

Save recipes you love

Create a free Grocery List Plus account to save recipes, rate them, and add every ingredient to your grocery list in one tap.

Create free account Sign in

Ingredients

2 large mackerel fillets

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 can cannellini beans, drained (about 400g)

2 tablespoons liquid from the bean can

200g roasted beetroot, diced

½ small red onion, finely diced

1 Zest of 1 lime

1 Juice of 1 lime

1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped, plus extra for serving

Salt and pepper to taste

65g fresh rocket

Directions

In a bowl, combine the diced beetroot and red onion. Add the lime zest and a generous squeeze of lime juice. Stir in the fresh dill and season with salt and pepper. Set the salsa aside.
Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook gently for about 1 minute until softened and fragrant.
Add the drained cannellini beans to the pan along with 2 tablespoons of the liquid from the bean can. Season with salt and pepper. Using the back of a spoon, gently mash the beans to create a chunky texture. Keep warm on low heat.
Feel along the mackerel fillets with your fingers to check for any small bones; if found, carefully pull them out with tweezers or your fingers.
Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Wipe the pan with a small amount of oil. Place the mackerel fillets skin-side down and cook for 3-4 minutes until the skin is crispy and golden.
Flip the fillets over and cook for 2-3 minutes more until the fish is opaque and cooked through at the thickest part, reaching an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C).
Spoon the warm bean mash onto serving plates. Top each with a mackerel fillet and half of the beetroot salsa. Scatter with extra chopped dill. Serve the fresh rocket on the side and place the remaining salsa in a bowl for guests to add as desired.

Comments

Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff4.5

Mackerel is readily available and cheap at Charlotte grocers like Harris Teeter and Food Lion, and cannellini beans come canned everywhere; beetroot, lime, and rocket are all standard. The stated seven minutes is honest for cooking but glosses the five-minute prep (dicing beetroot, onion, beans, and herbs), so budget twelve minutes total. The real cost driver is mackerel itself, which at roughly four dollars per fillet for two servings keeps this under five dollars per plate. It reheats poorly—the fish dries out and the salsa oxidizes—so this is a same-night dish best eaten fresh. The bean mash and bright salsa suit weeknight cooking for two, though the fussy knife work and raw-ingredient assembly make it less forgiving for a rushed evening.