12 easy sardine recipes

How to serve sardines

Sardines can be served both hot and cold, making them a versatile ingredient in the kitchen. They work well in a wide range of dishes, such as on toast, in salads, or as part of pasta recipes. Hot preparations include grilling, roasting, or frying, where sardines can be served straight from the pan or barbecue, often with Mediterranean accompaniments like tomatoes, olives, or fresh herbs. Cold, they are delicious in salads or simply on bread, and tinned sardines are particularly convenient for these uses. Sardines also complement flavours such as lemon, parsley, capers, and smoked paprika, and feature in dishes like sardine spaghetti, fishcakes, or as a topping for guacamole on toast.

Sardine recipes

Grilled sardines with tomato salad

This vibrant side salad from co-owners of seafood restaurant Prawn on the Lawn features salty sardines on a bed of sweet heirloom tomatoes, crushed almonds and sherry vinegar.

Sardinillas con guacamole en tostada (Guacamole on toast with silver sardines)

Top toasted baguette slices with smooth guacamole, silver sardines and plenty of olive oil for a true taste of the Basque Country.

Grilled Portuguese sardines

Check out these sweet and peppery crispy sardines, ready in 20 minutes. These are great on a griddle but will also work on the BBQ. Serve with a big green salad and lots of crusty bread.

Sardine spaghetti

Tinned sardines are a great source of protein, omega-3 fatty acids and essential oils. Let them shine in this quick and easy Sardinian spaghetti dish.

10-minute sardines on toast

This quick recipe for sardine toasts is a great one to pull out when friends are over for drinks, or could be made into a quick dinner by bulking it out with a salad. If you've been wondering what to do with that tin of sardines, this is it.

Sardines with chermoula

Sardines are an ideal vehicle for the flavours of this fresh, punchy chermoula, which is a marinade used a lot in Moroccan cooking.

Sardine katsu sandwich

This twist on the Japanese katsu sandwich uses breaded sardines in place of pork. The fried fish are delicious between slices of tonkatsu sauce-slathered bread with kewpie-dressed cabbage.

Healthy sardines on toast

Sweet shallots, plump raisins and sharp capers go perfectly with sardines in this nourishing Sicilian-style dish – pile the lot on toasted bread for a speedy, fuss-free meal for two.

Sardine, roasted pepper and ciabatta salad

This easy, Italian-style salad is a great way to put a tin of sardines to good use. The fish are paired with sweet roasted peppers and fennel to create a simple low-calorie meal.

Roasted sardines

A quick and easy way to enjoy fresh sardines. A light healthy fish dish that is ideal for entertaining, especially in summer when they’re plentiful.

Sweet and sour sardines

Preparing food in saor – the technique of marinating fried food in vinegar and other ingredients – was a favourite Venetian way of conserving food for long trips.

Celeriac and sardine toasts

This recipe is quick, easy and under 300 calories. Perfect for lunch or a midweek meal. The zingy topping of celeriac, apple, celery and lemon juice really cuts through the deliciously oily fish.