How to Eat Canned Sardines

Co-authored by Jalpa Sheth and Sophia Bell

Last Updated: April 22, 2024

Canned sardines are a nutrient-dense food full of vitamins, minerals, and omega-3 fatty acids. These silver fish are also inexpensive and easy to prepare. Canned sardines come packed in water, oil, lemon juice, or tomato sauce, which makes it easy to use them in a multitude of dishes. Keep it simple and eat them plain, on toast, or in a salad. Or, make a quintessential dish like fisherman’s eggs or fried sardines.

Ingredients

Fisherman’s Eggs

Canned sardines
1 small shallot
2 cloves of garlic
3 sprigs of parsley
4 eggs
Salt and pepper

Fried Sardines

Canned sardines
½ cup (60 g) of flour
1 cup (120g) of breadcrumbs
Salt and pepper
2 eggs
1 tablespoon (15 ml) of water
¹⁄₂ cup (120 ml) plus 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of oil
½ cup (60 g) of capers, drained and rinsed
½ cup (60 g) of fresh parsley leaves

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Keeping it Simple

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1
Eat sardines straight out of the can. You don’t need a complicated recipe to enjoy sardines! Simply grab a fork and eat them straight out of the can for a healthy, protein-packed snack. You could add a drizzle of lemon juice, hot sauce, or balsamic vinaigrette on top if you want.^{[1]
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- Canned sardines are great items to bring on backpacking trips or stash in emergency kits.
- Opt for sardines canned in water instead of oil if you have any heart conditions.
Sardines add another layer of flavor to any salad! Mix them into your usual recipe or try chopping sardines, oranges, olives, and hardboiled eggs and tossing them with your favorite lettuce blend. Add a simple dressing and enjoy!^{[2]
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Serve them on toast. The salty flavor and rich texture of sardines is the perfect complement to crispy, crunchy bread. Just toast up a slice from your favorite loaf, butter it, and spread a few sardines over top. Alternatively, spread mayonnaise on toast, top it with sardines, and sprinkle the whole thing with a little bit of fennel.^{[3]
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- Rather than making a tuna sandwich, just use sardines on your sandwich instead.
Choose your favorite crackers and top them with sardines. Add a little hot sauce on top if you like a spicy snack! You could also spread mayonnaise or mustard on the cracker before adding sardines, if you’d like.^{[4]
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Put a small amount of olive oil in a saute pan. Add sardines and chopped garlic and cook at medium-high heat until the garlic begins to brown. Toss the sardines and garlic with your favorite pasta. Try adding them to fettuccine noodles and alfredo sauce or mix them with linguine, capers, and lemon.^{[5]
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Sardines are a great addition to any pizza! Add them to a classic pepperoni and sausage pizza for added flavor and dimension. Or, spread sweated onions across a disk of dough, scatter chopped sardines over top, drizzle with olive oil, and top with salt, pepper, and crème fraîche. Bake for 10-15 minutes at 450 °F (232 °C).^{[6]
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Bart van Olphen, Seafood Chef

Canned sardines provide an affordable, sustainable source of protein, healthy fats, and other nutrients. Rinse sardines before use to remove excess salt or oil. Try them mashed in pasta sauces, on salads, or blended into dips and spreads. Sardines pair well with acidic and creamy ingredients that cut through their rich flavor.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Making Fisherman’s Eggs

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Set your oven to 500 °F (260 °C) and allow an oven-safe serving dish to warm for 5 minutes in the oven while it preheats.^{[7]
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Use a cutting board and sharp knife to finely chop 1 small shallot, 2 cloves of garlic, and 3 sprigs of parsley. Add these ingredients, plus the canned sardines, to the warm dish. Sprinkle black pepper over the top.^{[8]
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Put the dish in the oven and allow it to cook for 6 minutes. Using a potholder, carefully remove it from the oven. Crack 4 eggs in a bowl and pour them gently into the dish. Season the eggs with salt and pepper.^{[9]
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Carefully return the dish to the oven and let it bake for 7 more minutes. The egg whites should be cooked, but still jiggly. Remove the dish with a potholder and allow it to for 5 minutes to continue cooking. Serve fisherman’s eggs with toast and hot sauce.^{[10]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Making Fried Sardines

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Rinse the sardines and pat them dry. Place ½ cup (60 g) of flour in a bowl and season it with salt and pepper. In another bowl, beat 2 eggs with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of water. Put 1 cup (120g) of breadcrumbs in another bowl.^{[11]
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Put 2 or 3 sardines in the flour and toss them until they’re lightly coated. Shake off the excess flour then dunk the sardines in the egg mixture. Transfer them to the bowl of breadcrumbs and coat them evenly. Repeat until all the sardines are breaded.^{[12]
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3
Fry the sardines in oil for 6-7 minutes. Heat ¹⁄₂ cup (120 ml) of oil in a frying pan or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Work in batches, adding one layer of sardines to the pan at a time. Cook until they are golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. Flip them over and fry them until they’re cooked through, about 3 minutes.^{[13]
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- Repeat until all the sardines are cooked.
- For the remaining batches, add more oil to the pan if needed.
Transfer the cooked sardines carefully to a plate lined with paper towels. While they’re hot, season them with salt.^{[14]
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Heat 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of oil in the same pan you used before. Add ½ cup (60 g) of capers, drained and rinsed, and ½ cup (60 g) of fresh parsley leaves to the oil. Fry for 1 minute, then remove the capers and parsley and put them on top of the sardines. Enjoy!^{[15]
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Expert Q&A

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Question

How many times a week should you eat sardines?

Jalpa Sheth
Registered Dietitian and Nutritionist
Jalpa Sheth is a Registered Dietitian and Nutritionist and the Founder of Jalpa Sheth Nutrition & Wellness. With over seven years of experience, she specializes in weight management, medical nutrition therapy, sports nutrition, vegetarian and vegan nutrition, and wellness nutrition. She holds a Master’s degree in Health & Nutrition from Brooklyn College, CUNY, and a Certificate of Training in Adult Weight Management from the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics, CDR.

Jalpa Sheth

Registered Dietitian and Nutritionist

Expert Answer

Try to eat sardines 2-3 times a week! Eating any kind of seafood 2-3 times per week can be helpful.

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