Grilled Mackerel or Saba Shioyaki (鯖の塩焼き) is a popular seafood dish served as an entree or part of a bento combination in Japanese restaurants in the U.S. What you may not know is how fast and easy it is to make it at home. This is the reason I love making this for my family dinner—it feels special, but is so very simple.
What Is Saba Shioyaki?
Saba (鯖) is mackerel and shioyaki (塩焼き) means salt (shio) and grilling (yaki). As you can guess, the only seasoning we need for this dish is salt, which brings out the rich flavors of the mackerel. I’ll show you a few tips you can use to make the dish extra delicious!
Ingredients You’ll Need for Saba Shioyaki
mackerel (saba) fillets sake kosher salt – I use Diamond Crystal brand daikon radish – grated; for serving wedge lemon (cut in half) soy sauce
2 Tips for Better Grilled Mackerel (Saba Shioyaki)
1. Use of Sake (Japanese Rice Wine)
If you’re familiar with Japanese cooking, you’d notice that the majority of recipes call for sake (Japanese rice wine). There are many benefits of using sake in Japanese cuisine, and this recipe is no exception. We use sake in this grilled mackerel to:
add umami tenderize the fish make the texture more “plump” – fukkura (ふっくら) in Japanese remove any fishy odor
If you are not sure what type of sake to buy, read my sake pantry post to learn more.
2. Use of Salt
In this recipe, we use salt to:
extract water from the fish remove any unpleasant odor season the fish
Once you sprinkle the mackerel with salt, let it rest for precisely 20 minutes. If doesn’t rest long enough, the fish won’t soak up enough salty flavor and the smell may still linger. If you rest it for too long, the flesh will get too tight and lose its texture.
How to Make Saba Shioyaki
What to Serve with Grilled Mackerel
Thanks to its light yet flavorful texture, saba shioyaki pairs well with many dishes. Here are my suggestions: Rice
steamed rice Takikomi gohan (mixed rice) Sansai gohan (mountain vegetable rice)
Soup
Homemade miso soup Vegan miso soup Tonjiru (pork and vegetable miso soup) Clear clam soup
2-3 Side Dishes
Kinpira gobo (stir-fried burdock root and carrot) Chikuzenni (Nishime) (simmered chicken and vegetables) Spinach gomaae (spinach with sesame sauce) Simmered kabocha squash Pickled cabbage
More Mackerel Recipes on Just One Cookbook
Spanish Mackerel with Yuzu Grilled Mackerel with Shio Koji Saba Misoni (Mackerel Simmered in Miso)
Wish to learn more about Japanese cooking? Sign up for our free newsletter to receive cooking tips & recipe updates! And stay in touch with me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram. Editor’s Note: The post was originally published in April 2013. The images and content have been updated in February 2019.
