How to Eat Sardines: 10 Easy Ways to Enjoy Tinned Sardines
Tinned sardines are ready to eat straight from the can, but a few simple ingredients can turn them into a quick lunch, snack or dinner. Their rich flavour works especially well with bread, potatoes, tomatoes, lemon, herbs and olive oil.
Browse our Portuguese sardine collection for classic, tomato, spicy, lemon and gourmet varieties.
Can you eat sardines straight from the tin?
Yes. Canned sardines are already cooked during the canning process and are ready to eat. Serve them at room temperature, chilled or gently warmed.
1. Sardines on toast
Place sardines on toasted sourdough or rye bread. Add lemon juice, black pepper and parsley. For extra flavour, rub the toast with a cut clove of garlic first.
2. Sardines with potatoes
Serve sardines with boiled or roasted potatoes, sliced onion, parsley and a little olive oil.
3. Sardines in a tomato salad
Combine ripe tomatoes, cucumber, red onion and olives. Add sardines on top and use a spoonful of the tin oil in the dressing.
4. Sardines with pasta
Warm garlic in olive oil, add sardines and toss with cooked pasta. Finish with parsley, lemon zest and chilli flakes.
5. Sardines with rice
Add sardines to warm rice with tomatoes, herbs and a squeeze of lemon.
6. Sardine sandwiches
Mash sardines lightly with lemon juice and a little mustard, then add lettuce, tomato or pickled onion.
7. Sardines as Portuguese-style petiscos
Serve several tins with bread, olives, cheese, pickles and olive oil in the middle of the table.
8. Sardines with eggs
Add sardines to scrambled eggs, an omelette or a simple boiled-egg salad.
9. Sardines with avocado
Put sardines on avocado toast with lemon and black pepper, or mix avocado, tomato and sardines in a bowl.
10. Eat them simply with lemon
Good sardines do not need much. Add lemon, black pepper and fresh herbs, and eat them with bread.
Should you eat the bones in sardines?
Yes, if you enjoy them. The small bones in canned sardines are softened during processing and are edible.
Can you use the olive oil from the tin?
Yes. Use good-quality olive oil from the tin on toast, in salad dressing, over potatoes or in pasta.
Read next: try our easy sardine recipes or learn whether sardines are good for you.
