Sardines are a great source of Omega-3 fatty acids and other beneficial nutrients. They're also one of the cleanest, safest fish to eat. Try these easy sardine recipes.
Sardines, also known as small pilchards or herring, are popular in Europe and are gaining popularity in the U.S. Learn more about this small, salt-water fish that’s healthy and eco-friendly.
Grilling sardines is the best method for preparing them. These fish also lend themselves to roasting, stuffing and baking.
Grilled Sardines Recipe:
Serves 2 as main dish or 4 as appetizers
Ingredients:
- 10 to 15 fresh whole sardines
- 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
- 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
- 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh marjoram
- 2 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
- Scale and clean sardines. Don’t remove heads, as this will help keep the fish intact when grilling.
- Preheat grill to high.
- Place parsley, basil, marjoram, red pepper flakes and lemon juice in a food processor. Pulse a few times to combine.
- Add olive oil to processed herbs and lemon juice, pulse once or twice to combine.
- Put herb/lemon juice/oil mixture in a small bowl and set aside.
- Season sardines with salt and pepper on both sides.
- When grill is heated (minimum 10 minutes), oil it lightly to prevent fish from sticking.
- Place sardines on grill grates or in a fish basket and grill until skin is crispy, about 3 to 5 minutes per side. Don’t overgrill the fish or it will dry out.
- Drizzle sardines with herb/lemon juice/oil mixture and serve.
Griddle-Roasted Sardines Recipe:
4 appetizer servings
Ingredients:
- 1 pound fresh whole sardines
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ to ½ cup quality olive oil, plus extra to coat fish and pan
- ¼ cup lemon juice plus more if needed
- ½ large bulb fennel, cored and outer layers discarded
Directions:
- Scale and clean sardines, leaving heads on.
- Heat large cast-iron skillet or grill pan over high heat.
- Season sardines with salt and pepper to taste.
- Coat sardines with oil and place in hot skillet or pan.
- Sear sardines for 2 to 3 minutes, allowing the skin to crisp slightly and turning sardines over carefully only once to keep intact.
- Cook for 1 to 2 minutes on the second side, adding oil if needed.
- When sardines are done, transfer them to a serving plate and sprinkle with lemon juice.
- Shred fennel with a mandoline to make 1-1/3 cups.
- In another skillet, heat to high and add ¼ to ½ cup olive oil.
- Add fennel, cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add a little lemon juice.
- Cook for 6 to 8 minutes until juice has evaporated and fennel has picked up some golden color, adding more olive oil if needed.
- Season fennel with salt and pepper.
- Add lemon juice if needed, so fennel is a tart contrast to sardines’ oil.
- Top each sardine with 1 to 2 Tbsp. cooked fennel, then sprinkle with salt.
Stuffed Baked Sardines Recipe:
Serves 4 as a main dish
Ingredients:
- 2-1/2 cups Italian (flat-leaf) parsley, finely chopped
- 1/3 cup garlic, minced
- 3 to 4 Tbsp. bread crumbs
- 3 cups firm plum tomatoes, finely chopped
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 pounds fresh sardines, cleaned
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice
- 4 to 5 Tbsp. olive oil
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Lightly oil a shallow baking dish that will hold sardines in a single layer.
- Combine 2 cups of parsley, garlic, bread crumbs and 1 cup tomatoes in a medium mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Sprinkle sardines with lemon juice and a little salt inside and out.
- Spread a spoonful of the parsley mixture evenly inside each sardine.
- Place fish side by side in prepared baking dish, laying fish on their sides.
- Drizzle fish with oil and top with remaining tomatoes and parsley.
- Bake fish for 45 minutes or more until sardines are tender and tomatoes have softened.
- Serve fish with pan juices.
Copyright Susan Lynne Hamilton. Contact the author to obtain permission for republication.
Susan Lynne Hamilton - Award-winning writer Susan Lynne Hamilton is the Topic Editor of Suite 101's Northwest U.S. travel section, showcasing its rich ...
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