This vibrantly coloured, delicious 5 minute smoked mackerel and beetroot pate is perfect for a simple supper and is packed full of Scandinavian flavour. And it only takes a few short minutes to make, a total win of a dish!

See the middle of this page for step-by-step instructions plus handy photos to help guide you, or see bottom of the page for quick recipe if preferred. I’d recommend spending a few minutes reading the following first though, for very useful information and tips on making this dish

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Health Benefits

I really love a good ‘Scandi’ inspired fish pate! They’re just so quick to make and are packed full of delicious flavour and healthy goodness. For example my 5 Minute Dairy-Free Smoked Salmon Pate. Such pates can be made in just a few short minutes and popped on the table, ready to be spread on some gorgeously fresh bread or dunked into with some freshly cut veg.

This 5 minute smoked beetroot and mackerel pate is full of smoky sweet flavour and has a much lighter texture than some fish pates, making it moreish and easy to eat. Vitamin-packed beetroot combines with omega 3 and 6 rich mackerel to make it a surprisingly healthy dish. The bright purple colour of this smoked beetroot and mackerel pate is thoroughly appealing to kids and can happily tempt the appetite of even the fussiest amongst them.

Serving Ideas

There are many options for what you could serve this 5 minute smoked mackerel and beetroot pate with but I find that toasted sourdough bread is excellent. Crispbreads also work well and add a lovely, crunchy texture. A peppery side salad with rocket and spinach adds a nice sharp contrast and helps to provide an extra portion of veg.

If you’re cutting down on carbs and calories, or just looking to increase your veg intake, you could even slice up a range of different crudité’s to dunk into the smoked mackerel and beetroot pate, such as celery, cucumber and carrot (provided you have the time for this extra step!)

Dairy-Free Alternative

My son has a dairy allergy, so I like to make a dairy-free version of this 5 minute smoked mackerel and beetroot pate by substituting plant-based spread for the butter and coconut yoghurt for the dairy yoghurt. I find that these work just as well as using the dairy versions.

The pate also freezes well which comes in handy if you want to make a larger batch to ensure there’s plenty left over for another time.

Time Saving Tips

As with all of my recipes, speed is key! I’ve created this 5 minute smoked mackerel and beetroot pate recipe with this squarely in mind. I remove the need for spending precious time weighing out every single ingredient by using pre-weighed, pre-packaged amounts (in this case, a 300g pack of smoked mackerel) and by using tablespoon and teaspoon measurements so you can just dollop the ingredient straight from it’s container into the food processor without any faff.

You’ll also notice the addition of pre-minced ‘lazy garlic’. You’ve guessed it – this is to save precious time! Nobody hands out prizes for chopping your own garlic and the pre-chopped variety is so widely available these days, in jars and squeezy tubes and tastes great, so why not make life a bit easier? If you’re keen, you can chop your own up but bare in mind this may push making the dish beyond the magic 5 minute mark.

As a final note, if you’re going to chop your own garlic to use in your smoked mackerel and beetroot pate, please ensure it’s chopped reasonably finely and you blend it for long enough in your food processor so no sneaky garlicky chunks remain.

5 minute smoked mackerel and beetroot pate – step by step

Now lets have a peek at a hand step by step guide to making the perfect, super quick smoked mackerel and beetroot pate, with some handy photos to help you….

Makes a generous portion – enough to feed two adults and two kids

STEP BY STEP

1. Grab one 300g pack (10.5 oz) of smoked mackerel fillets. Peel the skins of each fillet – this is usually easily done by hand. Also have a quick check for any large bones and if you see any, remove them. Bones like this can usually be plucked out by hand, but you can use a pair of tweezers if preferred. You don’t have to get super-picky about removing every little bone though, as the smaller ones will just be blended up into the pate. So don’t spend too long on this job.
   
2. Pop these prepped mackerel fillets into a food processor or blender.
   
3. It’s time to add all the other ingredients to the food processor / blender. Pop in a 300g pack (10.5 oz) of cooked beetroot (note that this is approximately 3 medium beets), 6 heaped tablespoons of plain yoghurt, the juice from half a lemon, 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon horseradish sauce and finally, 1/2 teaspoon of minced garlic. Note, I fully advocate using pre-minced garlic (in a jar or tube) for this rather than spending precious time chopping it up yourself, as my recipes are all about the quick!
   
   Note, I have not included any extra salt in this recipe. This is because the smoked mackerel is already very salty in flavour so for me, adding in extra is unnecessary. However, if you prefer things extra savoury, you could pop in a pinch of salt.

3. Whizz all the ingredients up in the food processor / blender for 30-60 seconds until well blended. You could blend it for a shorter time if you’d prefer a courser pate or for a longer time if you prefer it very smooth. Either way is delicious!

4. Scoop the finished pate into a dish and serve! It’s really tasty with cracked black pepper and a light sprinkling of dried dill over the top, although these are optional. Then serve it with hunks of warm bread, fresh from the oven, mmm. Toasted sourdough is delicious or you could use crackers / crisp bread instead for some delicious crunch.