ABSTRACT This study assessed the effect of drying on smoked horse mackerel fillets during storage at room temperature. Smoked horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus) fillets were prepared by smoking brined horse mackerel fillets in a traditional improved kiln for 4 hours at 60 – 70oC. The fillets were later oven-dried at 65-70oC for 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 hours, spread on perforated trays and stored at room temperature of 24.5 – 34oC and relative humidity range of 59 – 87% for a period of 30 days. The samples were tested after every 10 days for physico-chemical, microbial and sensory qualities as well as for amino acid composition. The results obtained showed that smoking reduced the moisture content from 73.61 to 20.93% which led to concentration of other proximate components. There was a significant difference (p