Eggless Cilantro-Lime Mackerel with Fennel & New Potatoes Sheet Pan Dinner
Sheet pan dinners are a weeknight lifesaver, and this one delivers bold, restaurant-worthy flavor with almost no fuss. Skin-on mackerel fillets get a vibrant marinade of fresh cilantro, lime juice and zest, garlic, cumin, and turmeric — a combination that cuts right through the richness of the fish and makes every bite feel bright and alive. The new potatoes and fennel wedges go into the oven first, getting golden and caramelized at the edges before the fish even joins the party, so everything finishes at exactly the right moment. Because the entire dish is built around whole fish, fresh produce, and pantry spices, there are no hidden binders or emulsifiers to worry about — it's naturally free of eggs at every step without any substitutions required. Mackerel is an underrated hero here: it's affordable, sustainably abundant, and its bold flavor stands up beautifully to that punchy cilantro-lime marinade in a way that a milder white fish simply wouldn't. Finish with a squeeze of lime and a scatter of feathery fennel fronds, and you've got a dish that looks like you spent far more time on it than you actually did.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the sheet pan
- 1 ½ lb new potatoes, halved
- 1 large fennel bulb, cored and cut into ¾-inch wedges, fronds reserved
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- ¾ tsp fine sea salt, divided
- ½ tsp black pepper, divided
For the marinade
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh lime juice (from about 2 limes)
- 1 tsp lime zest
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
For the fish
- 4 mackerel fillets (about 5–6 oz each), skin-on, pin bones removed
For serving
- lime wedges, for serving
- reserved fennel fronds, roughly chopped, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 425°F (220°C). Line an 18×13-inch rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper or foil.
- 2
Toss the halved new potatoes and fennel wedges on the prepared sheet pan with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of the black pepper until evenly coated. Spread in a single layer, cut sides down. Roast for 20 minutes, until the potatoes are just beginning to turn golden at the edges and the fennel is softened.
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