Ikan sabuko

Name: Ikan sabuko
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 52 min
Ingredients: 800 g mackerel, Spanish mackerel steaks, 2 cm thick; 2 tbsp tamarind paste; 2 tbsp lime juice; 3 cloves garlic, crushed; 2 fresh red chilli, finely chopped; 1 tsp salt; 1 tbsp neutral vegetable oil; 10 g basil, leaves, to finish (optional); 1 lime, wedges (optional)

Non-vegetarian

Spanish mackerel steaks marinated in tamarind, lime, garlic and chilli, then grilled until smoky — a favourite of Timor-Leste's coast.

Ikan sabuko is a Timorese grilled dish from Timor-Leste, ready in about 52 minutes and made with mackerel and tamarind paste. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

Start cooking

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Prep: 10 min
Cook: 12 min
Rest: 30 min
Total: 52 min
Serves: 4
Level: Easy
Calories: 469

Ingredients

4 servings

800 g Mackerel (opens in a new tab), Spanish mackerel steaks, 2 cm thickSwap: Tuna; Sea bassContains fish
2 tbsp (35 g) Tamarind paste (opens in a new tab)
2 tbsp (30 g) Lime juice (opens in a new tab)
3 cloves (12 g) Garlic (opens in a new tab), crushed
2 (12 g) Fresh red chilli (opens in a new tab), finely chopped
1 tsp (6 g) Salt (opens in a new tab)
1 tbsp (14 g) Neutral vegetable oil (opens in a new tab)
10 g Basil (opens in a new tab), leaves, to finish (optional)
1 (67 g) Lime (opens in a new tab), wedges (optional)

Equipment

Grill / barbecue (opens in a new tab)

Method

1
Step 1
Mix the tamarind, lime juice (opens in a new tab), garlic (opens in a new tab), chilli, salt and oil. Coat the fish and marinate for 30 minutes in the fridge.
- 5 min
How it looks · Photo: Ip Photographer on Pexels
2
Step 2
Grill over hot coals or under a hot grill, about 5–6 minutes per side, basting with leftover marinade, until charred and cooked through.
- 12 min
- high heat
- Grill / barbecue (opens in a new tab)
Food safety: Cook fish until it is opaque and flakes easily (63 °C).
How it looks · Photo: Malte Luk on Pexels
3
Step 3
Scatter with basil (opens in a new tab) and serve with lime (opens in a new tab) wedges.
- 1 min
How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels

About this dish

Origin: Timor-Leste · Commonly attributedMore food from Timor-Leste
Dish: Lunch · Dinner · Grills & kebabs · Main courses
Cooking method: Grilled, Marinated / cured
Taste: sour, smoky, spicy (chilli heat), savoury
Diet: Pescatarian · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Keto-style · Low-carb · High-protein
All labels
Pescatarian · Non-vegetarian · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Keto-style · Low-carb · High-protein · Calorie-conscious
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for: Everyday
Cook more with: Mackerel · Tamarind paste · Lime juice · Garlic · Fresh red chilli
Techniques: Grilling · Broiling · Charcoal grilling · Marinating · Curing

Allergens

Contains: Fishfrom mackerel

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

469 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 227 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

Protein 33%
Carbohydrate 6%
Fat 61%

Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
Nutrient	Per serving	Per 100 g*
Energy	469 kcal	206 kcal
Protein	37.7 g	16.6 g
Carbohydrate	7.4 g	3.3 g
Net carbohydrate	6.9 g	3 g
Sugars	3.8 g	1.7 g
Added sugars	0 g	0 g
Fibre	0.6 g	0.3 g
Fat	31.3 g	13.8 g
Saturated fat	6.8 g	3 g
Trans fat	—	—
Cholesterol	140 mg	62 mg
Sodium	766 mg	337 mg
Salt equivalent	1.9 g	0.8 g

Vitamins & minerals per serving

Potassium: 714 mg
Calcium: 38 mg
Iron: 3.6 mg
Magnesium: 162 mg
Vitamin A (RAE): 102 µg
Vitamin C: 9 mg
Vitamin D: 32.2 µg
Vitamin B12: 17.4 µg
Folate (DFE): 5 µg

How these numbers were made

Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
*Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
Optional ingredients are not included: basil, lime.
Tamarind paste: Raw tamarind pulp (FDC 167763). Commercial concentrates vary in water content.
“—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

Oil the grill bars well so the fish doesn't stick.

Common mistakes

Marinating for hours — the acid starts to 'cook' the fish and makes it mushy.

Serve with

Serve with rice, batar daan and budu tomato relish.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers up to 1 day.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added 27 Oct 2026 · Updated 8 Nov 2026

Sauces, chutneys & dips for this dish

Budu (Timorese tomato relish)Relishes

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

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What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Mackerel, Spanish mackerel steaks, 2 cm thick800 g
Lime juice2 tbsp · 31 g
Fresh red chilli, finely chopped2 piece · 12 g

Used in step 1

Reviews & corrections

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