05/29/2026
You haven’t had smoked King Mackerel? Have you had Filet Mignon? Well It’s absolutely nothing like it.
Kingfish. Slimies. Mercury Missile. Whatever ya call em.
Known for their blistering runs on light line, aerial jumps upon eating a bait referred to as “skying” and willingness to travel Nearshore. It’s hard to frown when that reel starts singing.
While equally known for an oily filet they’re packed with nutrients. Much more than most other white meat species. This contributes to a heavier tasting fish.
1-2 Days after catching:
-Blacken and Fry (a nice sauce doesn’t hurt!)
Lil bit o butter, a hot skillet and some seasoning. Simple. Easy. Crowd pleaser.
Beer batter or a dry corn starch/flour combo is hard to beat.
-Pink Sauce:
Https://cookthestory.com/mari-rose-sauce/
-My favorite Blacken seasoning:
Paul Prudhomme’s Redfish Magic
https://www.magicseasoningblends.com/shop/seasonings/blackened-redfish-magic/
3-5 days after catching:
Fire up the smoker, 250* for 2.5 hours is easy enough. Brine or don’t. Your call. Either way it’s the only way to preserve your catch. Boasting a 50/50 edible meat to waste ratio you’ve likely got a bag of fish to use up.
-Smoked Kingfish (delicious but involved recipe)
https://www.floridasportfishing.com/recipes/smoked-kingfish-recipe/article_621372e5-824d-4fdc-974b-0bb2504fb216.html
-Fish Dip
https://2cookinmamas.com/savor-the-flavor-of-the-florida-keys/
It’s likely you’ll want to preserve your catch for a little bit of time. For most people it stops here. A batch of fish dip is it. But it doesn’t have to end there!
Not as known but King Mackerel freezes great after it’s been smoked! Of course it’s best to vacuum seal to maximize freezer time. I will pack and freeze about 8-12oz at a time.
5+ Days:
Once frozen it’s best to break out for batches of fish dip or fish cake sammiches.
-Basic Crab Cake
https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/maryland-crab-cakes-with-quick-tartar-sauce.html
Fish cake sammich? That sounds gross. Nah dude it’s killer! Super simple. Take whatever crab cake recipe you like and replace the crab for smoked King Mackerel. I promise. It’s great. Hopefully this helps ya not waste your next Mackerel fish. 🎣🤙🙌
