Tinapa recipe (Homemade Filipino smoked fish)
Though tinapa is very much accessible in the country, it's also possible for you to cook it at home. The tinapa recipe mainly involves washing the fish and putting it in brine for an extended amount of time (usually 5 to 6 hours).
Servings 8 people
Calories 240kcal
Cost $8
Ingredients
- 16 whole galunggong (scad) or tamban (sardinella) about 5 pounds total weight)
- 1 quart salt
- 3 quarts water
- 2 pounds hickory wood chunks (for smoking) Soak wood chunks in water for at least 30 minutes before using them.
Instructions
For the brine:
- In a large bowl or small bucket, add warm water and dissolve the salt.
- Clean the fish and add the brine onto the fish. (I just use our kitchen sink for this (make sure your sink is clean and rinsed thoroughly)
- Let it brine for 1 hour while stirring the brine every 10 minutes.
- The rule of thumb: brine the fish for ½ an hour for every ½ inch (thickness) of fish.
- After an hour, remove the fish from the brine, rinse it well, and set aside.
For the smoker:
- Depending on your smoker, the best way to do this is to keep the fish away from the heat source as much as possible.
- Place your fish on the rack and add your wood chunks to the heat source.
- Cover the smoker and let it smoke for 1 ½ hour.
- You'll need to add wood chunks every 20 minutes to keep the smoke going.
- Enjoy your freshly made tinapa! Serve with fresh tomatoes and onions and don’t forget the garlic-flavored vinegar dipping sauce.
Nutrition
Calories: 240kcal
