King Mackerel Recipe: Broiled Steaks with Teriyaki Sauce

This king mackerel recipe features fish marinated in an easy homemade teriyaki sauce, broiled until tender, and finished with a teriyaki glaze.

Sometimes I stumble across a really exciting piece of fish.

That happened to me recently when I found King Mackerel steaks at Jungle Jim's in Cincinnati. If finding them was exciting, eating them was even more exciting!

I created a simple king mackerel recipe that included marinating, broiling, and glazing for a tasty teriyaki meal.

What Does King Mackerel Taste Like?

King mackerel is an oily, meaty fish with a rich flavor. If you love tuna or salmon steaks, king mackerel is definitely worth a try!

Personally it's one of my favorite fish, though I definitely would not describe the flavor as mild.

What Is a Fish "steak"?

The most common way to purchase fish is in a fillet, which is cut lengthwise down the fish, so that most of the preparation work is done for us. You may also find sides of fish (larger multi-serving portion of the fish meat) and whole fish.

Fish steaks are cut cross-wise across the fish instead of lengthwise, and include the backbone. That means we have to do a little preparation before cooking the fish.

How to Prepare King Mackerel Steak Medallions

To prepare the king mackerel steaks, I prefer to roll them into a medallion. This is totally optional, but makes for a nice presentation. I'll give a brief overview of how to do this below, but if you want some extra help, check out this longer tutorial on preparing salmon steak medallions using the same process.

Before you roll the steaks, start by using a boning knife to cut out the bones from the center of the steak. Cut along the sides of the bone back to the skin, but be careful not to cut the skin. Remove the bone.

Next, on each end, cut the fish skin away from the meat. How much you need to cut will depend on the size of the steaks, but a few inches is generally enough.

Roll the meat together and wrap the fish skin around it, forming a medallion. To hold the medallion in place, wrap it in twine.

preparing the Fish

After you've formed the steaks into medallions, marinate the fish in a homemade teriyaki sauce. (The ingredients are found in the recipe card below.)

I accidentally went a little heavy on the wasabi when I photographed the steaks below.

How to Broil King Mackerel Steaks

Remove the king mackerel steaks from the marinade and add them to an oiled skillet. I love using this Lodge carbon steel skillet.

Don't discard the marinade! You'll simmer it while the fish cook and use it as a finishing sauce.

Broil the steaks for about 6-8 minutes per inch thickness, or until they reach an internal temperature of 125-degrees Fahrenheit. I use a digital thermometer to check on the fish periodically, since it's difficult to check doneness by look when the steaks are wrapped as medallions.

Remove the steaks from the skillet and brush with a little of the reserved sauce that you've been simmering in the meantime.

These broiled king mackerel steaks pair perfectly with oven-roasted broccoli and some garlic cauliflower mash. If you want to add a cocktail with dinner, a limoncello spritz or a monte carlo cocktail would work perfectly.