Canned mackerel is an expert-level tinned fish. It’s undeniably fishy. It’s oily. It’s often a little bit chewy. It’s for the folks who have had their fill of canned smoked trout and canned tuna and absolutely do not care about stinking up their home. Personally, I love it. But the best canned mackerel was harder to find than I thought.
I tasted 12 different cans of tinned mackerel for this ranking—including both everyday store brands and a few more expensive cans. And only three make the final ranking. Much of the smoked mackerel I tried was seriously tough. Some tasted like chemicals. Others tasted of salt and nothing else. But these three were tender, savory, and just fishy enough without being too fishy. Without further ado, here’s the best canned mackerel to buy. Seriously, only buy these.
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- Private Selection Wild Caught Mackerel Fillets in Extra Virgin Olive Oil
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Watch out for your shirt sleeve/desk/lap/cat when you open this Kroger brand mackerel in a can. It is brimming with olive oil. But the olive oil is good. We love the olive oil. The oil is fruity in that way that good olive can be. The fish itself is definitely on the saltier end of the canned mackerel spectrum, but not overly so. And the texture is perfectly flaky—not too chewy. Personally, this is the mackerel in a can I’m using for a Nicoise salad—and I’m using some of that good, good oil in the dressing.
Credit: Merc / Kroger
- Wild Planet Wild Smoked Mackerel
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This is definitely the best smoked mackerel we tasted. It tastes like it was hot smoked right on the beach. As the Mask would say, it’s smmmmmokin’. There’s a super strong smoky flavor that cannot and will not be ignored. That makes it the best canned mackerel for dips. Flake this baby up and stir it together with some cream cheese for an instant smoked fish dip. Or mix it with some creme fraiche or thick sour cream and a little dill to make smoked mackerel pâté.
Credit: Merc / Thrive Market
- Wild Planet Skinless Boneless Wild Mackerel in Extra Virgin Olive Oil
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Per the brand, this tinned mackerel is “selectively caught by fisheries targeting free-swimming schools of mackerel.” So that’s nice! But really, I’m ranking this as our number one best canned mackerel because it’s perfectly seasoned, packed in great-tasting oil, not too chewy (but firm enough), and it even tastes a touch smoky—like it kissed a grill. All the Sporked tasters who are into mackerel really dug this mackerel in a can. It’d be great on a mackerel melt (like a tuna melt but with mackerel). Plus, it’s actually pretty darn affordable. Yes, you can get really good tinned mackerel for just over $3. Don’t let the internet tell you otherwise.
Credit: Merc / Amazon
Best Oil
Best Smoked
Best of the Best
Other canned mackerel we tried: Fishwife Mackerel with Pepper, Patagonia Smoked Mackerel in Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Patagonia Spanish Paprika Mackerel, Kroger Mackerel, Patagonia Lemon Caper Mackerel, Season Brand Mackerel in Olive Oil, King Oscar Mackerel in Olive Oil, Safe Catch Skinless & Boneless Wild Mackerel in Olive Oil, Cole’s Wild Mackerel in Olive Oil
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!