Sardines

We love Sardines! And this is a full guide on everything you need to know about Sardines! How to buy, how to cook sardines, canned sardines, a fabulous Sardine recipe and much much more with video! This is a seafood lovers dream so don’t miss it! 

We are BIG on seafood here! You’ll find so many different types of seafood recipes and endless ways to cook them on this website, and that’e because we genuinely LOVE seafood! From simple no cook Tuna Tartare, Sushi Burrito and Salmon Tartare to full guides like How To Cook Lobster Tail for the best Lobster Roll and How to Cook Scallops, Calamari, Chilean Sea Bass, Green Mussels, Scokeye salmon, Mahi Mahi, Fish Fry, Tuna Steak  and more!

So today, we’re talking about one of the most underrated fish so let’s go!

What Are Sardines

Sardines are a small fish that stretch all around the world from oceans to seas. They belong to the Clupeidae family which includes other small oily fishes like anchovies (hence lots of people mistake both for each other) and herring.

The fish harvested in different parts of the world may taste different and that’s because of their habitat. However since most sardines end up being canned, you most likely will not notice those differences in taste or flavor. But if you’re buying and cooking fresh, that’s when you’ll notice those slight changes in flavor.

This small size type of fish eats mainly plankton and small crustaceans from the sea/ocean, and they are eaten by just about every seafood creature.

What Do Sardines Taste Like

So this would be the next thing to answer here, this fish has a salty taste compared to other fish. When you taste fresh sardines, they taste mostly like the salty ocean.

They have a really firm texture and a strong back bone structure so you can really taste the flesh of the fish. It’s not one of those melt in your mouth Chilean Sea Bass fillets or even a firm fleshy Mahi Mahi, it’s rather a smaller size fish where the flesh is close to the bones. 

Are Sardines Good For You

There are so many good things to know and amazing value to this wonderful type of fish! They are one of the safest as they’re low in mercury (safe during pregnancy too) and they’re loaded with other nutrients.

Sardines are one of the best sources of omega-3 which are great for heart health, immunity and inflammation. Calcium is so high in sardines that it’s comparable to dairy, but calcium sourced from this fish is much better and great for those who are lactose free! 

Vitamin D has to be one our favorite things about this wonder fish as it’s one of those vitamins so rare to acquire through diet. The value and importance of Vitamin D is immense that we can’t go through it here, but briefly, immune system support, mental health support, mineral absorption support, heart health and much much more!

Other nutrients include Vitamin B12, some minerals such as Iron, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Zinc and finally, protein. Protein sourced form Sardines is abundant and it comes in a healthy from like that from plants compared to protein sourced from meat.

Where to Buy Sardines

The best place to find fresh sardines would be at a local fish shop. Always look for the firm texture, the shiny silver black skin and a firm belly. The belly shouldn’t be bruised–a term called “belly burn” where the fish belly is torn and some of the gut pieces start coming out.

Frozen sardines are also a good option if you can’t find fresh. You’ll find that ta the freezer section, so just make sure they look firm and you may want to read where the sardines was sourced from too.

Canned sardines on the other hand are available in all grocery stores in the same aisle of canned tunas and other canned products. You’ll even find. variety–but I’m sharing my absolute favorite one below! 

How To Cook Sardines

There are several ways to cook sardines when fresh. Today’s recipe is detailed below which is oven baked sardines. However sardines are great on the grill as well if your weather permits.

Grilled sardines are a Mediterranean favorite, wrapped in fig leaves (or plain old foil if you can’t find that) and grilled over a hot charcoal grill with a simple lemon, garlic and olive oil seasoning.

Fried Sardines are another favorite from the Mediterranean. Unlike the classic Fish Fry, the sardines are just tossed in seasoned flour and then fried right away.

Oven Baked sardines which is what we’re making today is when you make a flavorful mix of lemon, green chillies, garlic, cumin and herbs to coat and stuff the gut of your sardines.

In many instances, you’ll find the fish cooked butterflied and if you’re experienced with fish (if not you can ask your fish monger to do that), you can de-bone the fish and that way its much easier to eat.

Ingredients for Sardine Recipe

• Garlic minced
• Lemon juice/zest or both
• Fresh cilantro/parsley minced
• Quality Olive Oil (I use Mina Moroccan Olive Oil)
• Salt and Pepper
• Cumin (optional, but this is a family recipe and how we made it)
• chilli flakes, fresh chilies (for spice and it’s optional of course)

Baked Sardine Recipe

You’ll start by making sure the sardines are cleaned, dried and gutted. 

Now you’ll mix all the ingredients above in a small bowl.

You’re going to use a spoon and stuff the cavity of each fish with the flavorful mixture and repeat with the rest. 

They will look like this above. Now arrange all the sardines in a baking sheet and spread with any leftover mixture. Add lemon slices and a drizzle of quality olive oil. 

The sardines are ready to go in the oven to bake and cook. Keep an eye on them and depending on the size, the fish may need between 12-18 minutes on a 400 degree oven.

Sardine are ready and out of then when they shrink slightly and don’t look as shiny.

You can eat them as they are with a side of bread, salad or you can make them an appetizer or side to another seafood dish. Many enjoy sardines as an appetizer, something like Calamari. 

We love a drizzle of Chermoula sauce on top and a side of tomatoes stuffed with chermoula too! SO GOOD!!!

Canned Sardines

The most accessible and common form of sardines is definitely those canned or jarred sardines. While they don’t require any cooking, you’ll find that they are used in many recipes.

You can buy canned sardines in water, olive oil, tomato, herbs, smoked.. etc. I have found that those Mina canned sardines which are wild caught and sustainable are my absolute favorite! And honestly it’t not just the taste of sardines that’s impeccable, but also the quality olive oil in which they’re packed in. I mean after all, it is OUR absolute favorite olive oil! You can read so much about it in my grandma’s Olive Oil Cake post.

Simple ways to use canned sardines include spreading them on toast, topping them over your pizza, adding them to your favorite salad, tossing them with pasta and more! I’ll be sure to share so many recipes including canned sardines now that I’ve found Mina sardines!! 

Sardines Vs. Anchovy

The most common question is how to differentiate between those two. While they come from the same family, they have quite different flavors specially during the process of preserving or canning.

Anchovies have a stronger pungent and salty flavor because of the salt treatment it goes through before preserving. While sardines have a milder salt, and are usually infused with olive oil, herbs or smoked –depending on how they’re canned.

when it comes to the “fishy taste” well anchovies definitely have a stronger taste. Anchovies also are smaller in size with a darker toned flesh compared to sardines.

How to Store Sardines 

Sardines are one of those fish that have a really high omega 3 content, and hence one of the healthiest fish loaded with Vitamin D as well. But when it comes to consuming fresh, that means the sooner the better. Usually it’s best to eat them on the same day, and if frozen, it’s best to eat as soon as it defrosts.

Canned fish obviously are extremely safe from that perspective so whenever you find some Mina sardines, just check the expiry date and don’t worry about anything else. Once you open the can however, it’s best to consume it the same day as well–which believe me is so EASY because they’re that GOOD!!!

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