When can babies eat mackerel?

From around 6 months, once your baby is ready for solids, served in a safe shape and texture for their age.

Mackerel

A rich, oily fish with a bold flavor. Pick the right kind and check for bones.

Checked against official guidance on October 18, 2026 · How we review

Quick answer

Babies can eat mackerel from around 6 months, once they show signs of being ready for solids. Prepare it as shown below.

From 6 monthsLow choking risk as servedAllergen: Fish

How to serve mackerel by age

6 months+

Soft flakes or fish cakes

Bake or poach Atlantic mackerel until it is opaque and flakes easily (145°F / 63°C), remove every bone and the skin, and offer large soft flakes, or mix with mashed potato and shape into finger-sized fish cakes.

Size: Large soft flakes, or fish cakes shaped like a finger, about 6–8 cm long and 2 cm wide (2½–3 × ¾ in).
Check before serving: Run your fingers through every flake to feel for bones. Mackerel has many fine bones, so go slowly. Cooked mackerel is opaque all the way through and flakes easily with a fork.

US and UK advice differ here. The AAP suggests mashed food or soft pieces no larger than ½ inch; the NHS suggests soft finger-sized pieces your baby can hold in their fist. Both agree the food must squash easily.

Always have your child sit upright in a high chair or at the table, and stay with them the whole time they eat. Keep to the size and texture for their stage. Every baby develops on their own timeline.

How to prepare mackerel

1
Choose Atlantic or Pacific chub mackerel, fresh, frozen or canned in water. Never king mackerel, and skip smoked mackerel.
2
Bake a fillet at 200°C (390°F) for about 10 to 15 minutes, or poach it, until it's opaque and reaches 145°F (63°C) in the thickest part. Don't add salt.
3
Let it cool, then remove the skin and pull the flesh apart with your fingers, feeling every flake for bones.
4
Offer large flakes, or mix with mashed potato and shape into finger-sized cakes.
5
First time? Pick a day your baby is well and at home, so you can stay nearby for several hours afterward. Fish can cause a delayed reaction: see when to call the doctor.

How much to offer

For the first taste, offer a small amount: a few flakes or one small fish cake. For ages 1 to 3, the FDA suggests a fish serving of about 1 oz (28 g), twice a week, from its 'Best choices' list, which includes Atlantic mackerel. The UK's weekly limit for oily fish is in the guidance note below. Your baby decides how much to eat.

Common mistakes

Buying king mackerel

King mackerel is on the FDA's 'Choices to avoid' list because it has the highest mercury levels. Atlantic and Pacific chub mackerel are 'Best choices'. Spanish mackerel is a 'Good choice', with more mercury than the best choices. Check the label for the type.

Serving smoked mackerel

Cured fish like smoked mackerel is salty, and babies shouldn't have salty foods. The FDA also says young children should avoid refrigerated smoked seafood, including mackerel, unless it's cooked in a dish. Use fresh, frozen or canned mackerel instead.

Missing bones

Mackerel has lots of small, fine bones. Feel every flake with your fingers, even in fillets sold as boneless, and remove any bones from canned mackerel too.

Undercooking it

Cook it to 145°F (63°C), until it's opaque and flakes easily. Never offer raw or marinated raw fish, such as sushi or ceviche.

Where US and UK guidance differ on mackerel

United States(AAP and CDC)Your setting

Atlantic mackerel and Pacific chub mackerel are on the FDA's 'Best choices' list, and Atlantic mackerel is among the fish it names as even lower in mercury. Spanish mackerel is a 'Good choice'. King mackerel is a 'Choice to avoid' because of its high mercury. For ages 1–3, a serving is about 1 oz, twice a week.

United Kingdom(NHS)Your setting

The NHS counts mackerel as oily fish: up to 2 portions a week for girls and 4 for boys, because oily fish can contain low levels of pollutants that build up in the body. The NHS fish list for children names shark, swordfish and marlin to avoid; it doesn't single out king mackerel, but following the FDA list is the safer choice.

We cover US and UK guidance in detail. Elsewhere, check your national health service's advice too.

Questions parents ask

Can mackerel be a choking hazard for babies?

Cooked, flaked mackerel is a low choking risk, but bones are a hazard. Mackerel has many fine bones, so check every flake with your fingers before serving. Always cook mackerel fully, and never offer raw or undercooked fish.

Can babies be allergic to mackerel?

Fish is a common allergen. Introduce it on its own first, in a small amount, and watch for signs of a reaction. If your baby reacts to mackerel, talk to your pediatrician before offering other fish. Mackerel can also cause a reaction that looks like an allergy but isn't one: scombroid poisoning, from fish that wasn't kept cold after it was caught. It usually starts within minutes to an hour, with a flushed face, itching, headache or tummy cramps, and cooking or freezing doesn't prevent it. Call your emergency number for breathing trouble, swelling of the face, lips or tongue, or a floppy baby. For milder signs, call your pediatrician right away and mention the fish.

Is mackerel healthy for babies?

Rich in omega-3 fats: FoodData Central lists about 0.7 g of DHA and 0.5 g of EPA per 100 g of cooked Atlantic mackerel, along with vitamin B12 and selenium. The NHS notes that oily fish are a good source of vitamin D. It is not a major source of iron.

Is mackerel safe for babies?

Atlantic and Pacific chub mackerel are, from around 6 months, cooked until opaque and flaky with every bone removed. Both are on the FDA's low-mercury 'Best choices' list. King mackerel is not: the FDA lists it as a choice to avoid, because it has the highest mercury levels.

Can babies eat canned mackerel?

Yes, if it's a low-mercury type. Check the label for the species, pick mackerel in water with no added salt if you can, and drain it. Remove the skin and any bones before serving.

Can babies eat smoked mackerel?

It's best not to. Smoked mackerel is salty, and the FDA advises young children to avoid refrigerated smoked seafood unless it's cooked in a dish. Fresh, frozen or canned mackerel is a better choice.

How often can babies eat mackerel?

The FDA's twice-a-week fish advice is for children aged 1 to 3, with a serving of about 1 oz. In the UK, mackerel counts as oily fish: up to 2 portions a week for girls and 4 for boys. See the guidance note below.

If your baby refuses mackerel

Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it alongside foods they already like.
Mackerel has a strong taste. Mix flakes into foods your baby already likes, such as mashed potato, rice or pasta.
Try fish cakes: they're easier to hold than loose flakes.
Eat some yourself at the same meal. Babies copy what they see.

Never force or pressure your baby to eat. Some days they'll eat more, some days less, and that's normal.

Buying and storing mackerel

Buy mackerel from a cold counter or the freezer and get it into the fridge quickly. Cook it within 2 days, or freeze it, and thaw frozen mackerel in the fridge overnight. Fish that wasn't kept cold can look and taste normal but still cause scombroid poisoning, and cooking won't fix it.
Cooked mackerel keeps for 3 to 4 days in a covered container in the fridge. Rice dishes are the exception: cool them within 1 hour, keep them in the fridge for no more than 1 day, and reheat them only once.
Fish cakes can be frozen for 3 to 4 months. Reheat only once, to 165°F (74°C), until steaming hot, then let them cool before serving.
Throw away any food left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours (1 hour if it's hotter than 90°F / 32°C).

When to talk to your doctor

Contact your pediatrician, GP or health visitor if:

Your baby vomits a few hours after eating fish. This can be FPIES, a delayed type of food allergy that fish can trigger. If they vomited once or twice and seem alert and like themselves, call your pediatrician or GP. If they vomit again and again, or are pale, floppy, very sleepy or hard to wake, call your emergency number.
You notice mild signs of an allergic reaction after eating, such as a few hives or a little vomiting. See signs of a reaction.
You're worried about how much your baby eats, their growth, or they refuse most solid food for weeks.

Call 911999your local emergency number (such as 112 in Europe or 000 in Australia) now if your baby has trouble breathing, wheezing, can't cough or cry, has lips, mouth, tongue or throat that suddenly swell, or becomes pale, bluish, floppy or unresponsive. Also call if hives come with repeated vomiting.

Offered mackerel?

Add it to your first 100 foods.

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