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Saucy.
A little bit fiery.
Buffalo-style anything. Always.
I grew up 30 minutes North of the Buffalo, NY border which makes me, by default, a Buffalo wing aficionado. But going pescetarian meant saying goodbye to Buffalo wings, Buffalo chicken fingers, Buffalo chicken wraps, etc.
But I’m stubborn—and when I crave a meaty classic, I do my best to improvise and reinvent things.
These Buffalo-Style Mackerel Bombs are an example of that. And! They’re omnivore approved.
You might be wondering, “Why mackerel? Why canned fish? Why did you go there?”
If King Oscar has taught me anything, it’s this: canned fish aren’t bad words. In fact, so many good words can be associated with King Oscar’s Royal Fillets Mackerel line: Protein-rich. Omega-3. Sustainable. Eco-responsible. Wild-caught. High-quality. Delicious.
There’s a growing market of consumers demanding more variety in higher quality, more nutritious foods. King Oscar is setting a new standard in this market for canned mackerel. Their fillets are curated using extensive qualitative research which results in big flavor, a melt-in-your-mouth texture, and the kind of flexibility that allows recipes like this one.
Mackerel is also extremely healthy and good for the planet.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration states that every serving contains a healthy dose of protein, omega-3 fatty acids, selenium, and niacin along with vitamins B6 and B12. It’s no wonder the American Heart Association recommends eating at least two 3.5 oz servings of fish per week—especially fatty fish like salmon, albacore tuna, herring, sardines, and mackerel.
Actually! One of my favorite healthy lunches, this Mediterranean Mackerel Protein Wrap, features King Oscar’s mackerel.
King Oscar offers North Atlantic mackerel, which is a smaller forage species that sits low on the food chain unlike the larger predatory Spanish and King mackerel species. It’s fished from the pristine waters between Norway and the Faroe Islands using the purse-seine method—one that results in lower by-catches and has less of an environmental impact.
The first time I tested Buffalo sauce-slathered mackerel, I tossed it into a salad. It was glorious. But with March Madness in full effect, I thought it might be a good time for an appetizer that delivers the sauciness, cheesiness, meatiness, and carb-heavy goodness that sports entertaining needs.
I’ve made pizza bombs in this same fashion, so I trusted this to be a hit. And it was.
This hearty appetizer is a cinch to make and it only takes up 30 minutes of your time.
Find King Oscar near you with their store locator.
If you make this dish, snap a photo and tag me on the Insta @killing__thyme! I love seeing your creations.
Buffalo-Style Mackerel Bombs
Ingredients
- A sprinkle of all-purpose flour
- 16 oz tin of refrigerated biscuits, I used Pillsbury Grands!™ Southern Homestyle Buttermilk Biscuits, but you can use any brand that gives you 8 biscuits from the tin
- 2 4 oz cans of King Oscar Royal Fillets Mackerel in Olive Oil, drained well
- 1/4 cup Buffalo-style hot sauce, I used Frank's
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
- Kosher salt and cracked black pepper
- 2 TBSP olive oil
- Celery salt (optional)
- Chopped fresh parsley (optional)
For Dipping.
- Blue cheese dressing
- Extra Buffalo-style sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375ºF, or whichever temperature it suggests on the package of the biscuits you're using. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Drain both cans of mackerel well and dump into a large bowl. Break the fillets into chunks with a fork, almost resembling pulled chicken. Add the hot sauce along with a pinch of salt, and toss to coat. You can also use celery salt instead of kosher salt here.
- Create a lightly floured surface. Open the biscuit and, one biscuit at a time, roll each one out into a flattened circle. Smear the center of each biscuit with a little hot sauce leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edges of the biscuit.
- Place about 2 tsp worth of mackerel in the center of each biscuits, then topping with 1 TBSP of mozzarella cheese and a crack of black pepper. Pull the edges of each biscuit up and over the filling, pinching the dough together at the seams and creating somewhat of a sealed pouch. Place the biscuits onto the lined baking sheet, seam side down.
- Brush a bit of olive oil over each biscuit; sprinkle with a bit of celery salt. You could also use garlic salt, and/or add some dried herbs if you wish.
- Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown. (Refer to your biscuit's packaging for cooking instructions and take those into consideration.)
- When done, let them cool for five minutes, then sprinkle with fresh parsley (optional) and serve with blue cheese dressing and extra hot sauce for dipping.
Fish pies are very popular in russia so I am sure these bombs are totally up my alley! I love that you use canned fish in this recipe. It makes this appetizer really convenient and easy to make. It’s almost like one of those “oh-you-have-guests-coming-over-in-an-hour-and-nothing-in-the-fridge” type of recipes. I don’t think this brand of fish is available in Canada, at least I’ve never seen it unfortunately.
Can I have 5 (or 10) of these right now?! *insert heart eyes emoji* I still haven’t tried mackerel yet and you gave me the perfect reason to try it. Will definitely report when I try your recipe.
Oh man, you know how much I LOVE your buffalo recipes — I’m definitely adding this to my must make list! I’ve still never tried Mackerel but am always looking for a delicious, sustainable alternative to canned tuna. Such a creative, accessible recipe, Dana!
I’m so excited to try their plain mackerel- all I’ve had is the Mediterranean one (and it makes me drool)! I just had some Mediterranean mackerel last night! These buffalo bombs look fantastic- what a great idea!
These look wonderful! And so easy using prepared biscuit dough and buffalo sauce! I hate to admit it but I’ve never tried mackerels before! It’s not that I’m fish averse or anything – I love all seafood! I’m going to have to broaden my horizons and give these a try because they sound delicious!
I just saw these King Oscar mackerel fillets at my grocery store and I’ve been wanting to try them! I love how healthy they are. What a fun idea to prepare these fillets buffalo-style, with biscuits. I’ll definitely pick up a can the next time I’m at the store!
Dana, I LOVE this idea! Not only are you bang-on about good canned fish (the Spanish have shown for years that canned fish can be incredible and high quality, so it’s nice to see other markets catching on), but the way you’ve put this together is just so amazing. I can totally tell that I’d eat wayyyyy too many of these. And I’d be ok with that. So yeah… holy mackerel. :D
I really just want one of these right now! I love buffalo everything, and this looks like a delicious seafood bite. They are, for sure “the bombs” :-) Thanks for sharing, Dana!
I just clicked thru to their store locator–I m thrilled, a local market (Vons) has the mackerel…. I’ll be trying these for a girls night soon… (all non meat eaters) It will be nice to serve something totally different and out of the box!
I love buffalo anything too, so you have sold me right away! I love the little filled buns, my boys would love the size and gobble them right up! I cannot wait to try these out, you make them sound so easy!