Photography: Alicia Taylor. Styling: Michele Cranston. Photochef: Kathy Knudsen.
It’s a food trend we didn’t see coming, but one we love – canned sardines! These little flavour-packed fish are so versatile, with canned sardines adding delicious flavour to so many dishes, from breakfasts to snacks to main meals.
Not sure what to cook with sardines? There is plenty of inspiration to be found below. For something simple, start with our easy tinned sardines dip or our Mediterranean sardine pizza, both great options for entertaining. For a delicious dinner, try the 20-minute sardine and fennel pasta, or our easy one-pan Mediterranean sardines with butter beans.
With recipes for plain canned sardines in oil, as well as flavoured sardines in tomato sauce, you are sure to find a sardine dish to love.
All about sardines
Caught wild year-round, with peak supply in winter, sardines are a plentiful seafood. They grow to around 18cm long, weigh about 100g, have small, soft bones and oily, strong-flavoured flesh that’s very high in omega-3 oils. Whole sardines cook quickly and are suited to barbecuing, pan-frying and baking. The cooked flesh falls apart easily and the skin is edible.
Health benefits of seafood
Science tells us we should eat seafood regularly, especially those rich in omega-3. The fatty acids present in oily fish like sardines are so good for brain health, among other benefits.
Looking for more seafood recipes, or meals to make with tinned tuna?
Cooking with fresh sardines
Want dishes with fresh sardines instead of canned? Try our baked sardines with fig and pine nut stuffing, or these beautiful barbecued vine-leaf-wrapped sardines.
Tinned sardine recipes
Easy one-pan Mediterranean beans with canned sardines
Tinned sardines & tomatoes on crispy tortillas
20-minute sardine & fennel pasta
Smoked sardines on toast with ricotta & tomato
Tinned sardines, edamame & radish salad
Easy tinned sardines dip
