How to Eat Canned Sardines

Do you want to love to learn sardines?  Are you already a sardine lover, and are looking for new recipes?  Today’s post will help you learn how to eat canned sardines!

If you’re looking for a healthy, low-mercury fish to eat– sardines should be at the top of your list.

They’re on the Marine Steward Council’s list of sustainable “Fish to Eat.”  They’re high in omega-3s, calcium, minerals like iron, and protein.

They’re also incredibly affordable– especially if you buy canned sardines.

BUT.  They can also be intimidating.

They don't have to be, and these recipes can help you learn easy ways to add sardines to your diet.

And if you already love sardines, I’ve got recipe ideas for you too.

Recipes That Don't Taste "Fishy"

I get it.  You’ve emailed me.  You’ve told me in person or on Instagram.

You’re not sure if you like sardines.

You feel like you need to eat sardines, but you’re not sure you want to taste the sardines.

We can make that happen.

Sardines have a strong flavor, but often, you can use the other flavors in a recipe to compliment, mellow, (and even sometimes mask) the inherent fishy taste.

If you want even more canned fish tips, check out this guide to canned fish!

Tips for How to Eat Canned Sardines (Without the Bold Flavor Smacking You in the Face)

• Use high quality sardines.  I rarely buy the store-brand sardines.  Stick with higher-quality brands, and the fish will taste better.
• Drain the oil out of the can.  Sometimes a recipe will tell you to use the oil straight from the sardine can– and I regularly use the canned oil in my cooking.  However, keep in mind that the oil from the can will taste fishier than fresh oil.
• Use sardines in recipes that call for other strongly flavored seafoods (like crab).  Sardines make a delicious substitute for crab meat in crab cakes or crab-stuffed mushrooms.
• Pair sardines with complementary flavors.  I happen to love sardines cooked with tomato sauce or spicy red pepper flakes.

Canned Sardine Recipes Without a Strong Sardine Flavor

Do you want to try sardines, but want to start with some less “fishy-forward” recipes? 

Here are some ideas to get you started.  My recommendation is to start with my most popular canned sardine recipe– mini sardine fish cakes.

How to Eat Canned Sardines: For Sardine Lovers

Once you’ve tried sardines a few times, you might decide that you’re obsessed!  That you simply cannot eat enough sardines.

If you’re a die-hard sardine lover, you might already enjoy the traditional snack– canned sardines on saltine crackers.  You might even eat sardines straight from the can.

If you want to eat even more sardines, here are some delicious recipes that help the sardine shine through in all its fishy glory.  I recommend trying out my quick and easy sardine fish wraps as a packed lunch idea!