Baked Herring with Mustard and Honey

About This Recipe

Herring has been central to Swedish coastal food culture for centuries, historically preserved through salting and pickling for the long winter months, but this dish uses fresh herring fillets baked simply rather than cured, showing a different side of the fish's versatility. A glaze of grainy mustard, honey and a touch of chili gives the herring a sweet-hot crust that balances its naturally oily, rich flesh, a modern departure from the vinegar-forward pickled herring most people associate with Sweden. Herring cooks very quickly given its small size and high fat content, so the technique here is about restraint: a hot oven and a short bake time keep the fish moist rather than drying it out, while the sugar in the honey glaze caramelizes just enough in those few minutes to form a light crust without burning. Fresh dill scattered at the end keeps the dish tied to Sweden's broader herb pairing with fish. It's a dish that shows herring doesn't have to mean pickled jars at a smörgåsbord — prepared fresh and hot, it becomes a genuinely quick, satisfying weeknight dinner rooted in the same fish that's defined Swedish coastal cooking for generations.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 8fresh herring fillets
• 3 tbspgrainy mustard
• 2 tbsphoney
• 1 tbspolive oil
• 0.25 tspchili flakes
• 1 tspfine sea salt
• 0.25 tspblack pepper
• 1lemon(juiced)
• 2 tbspfresh dill(chopped)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the glaze

   Whisk mustard, honey, olive oil, chili flakes, salt and pepper together until smooth.

2. 2

   Coat the fillets

   Lay herring fillets skin-side down on a lined baking tray. Brush the mustard-honey glaze generously over the top.

3. 3

   Bake

   Bake at 200°C (400°F) for 10-12 minutes until just cooked through and the glaze has caramelized slightly at the edges.

   Herring is small and cooks fast — check at 10 minutes to avoid drying it out.

4. 4

   Finish and serve

   Squeeze lemon juice over the top, scatter with dill, and serve immediately with boiled potatoes.

Variations

• •

  Use mackerel instead of herring if it's more available; both are oily fish that respond well to a sweet-hot glaze.

• •

  Add a splash of soy sauce to the glaze for a deeper, umami-forward version.

• •

  Serve cold the next day over a green salad, since the glaze holds up well chilled.

Storage

Best eaten fresh. Refrigerate leftovers up to 2 days and serve cold over salad rather than reheating, which can make the delicate fish rubbery.

Frequently Asked Questions