5 easy-peasy fresh sardine recipes

Air Fried Sardines

This is by far the easiest and quickest recipe for your fresh sardines. They’re juicy and bursting with flavour.

Start with thawing the fish. Make sure to clean them properly – inside and out. Remove the scales and the head (unless you’re weird like that – no judgements).

Add flour into a bowl along with your favourite spices. We recommend chili powder, turmeric, garlic powder and salt. You can also use a bit of paprika.

Roll the fish in the bowl one-by-one, then place them in the air fryer for about 20 minutes. Flip them over after 15 minutes of cooking.

For some extra crunch, you can add some chopped green onions.

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Classic Portuguese-Style Braaied Sardines

This is a classic with a South African twist! Start by cleaning and lightly scoring the sardines.

Marinade it with olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, paprika, salt, and pepper.

Pop it on a medium-hot grid and let them cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side. The skin crisps up beautifully while the inside stays juicy.

This recipe is best served with fresh Portuguese rolls, lemon wedges, and peri-peri sauce.

Stuffed Braaied Sardines

You obviously know to clean your sardines first. Then, stuff inside each gutted sardine: chopped parsley, garlic, lemon zest, breadcrumbs, and a dash of olive oil.

Use toothpicks to secure your creation. 

Grill over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes a side, until the stuffing’s golden and the fish is cooked through.

Finally, finish it off with a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkle of sea salt.

Mediterranean Garlic and Herb Crusted Roasted Sardines

For this, you’ll need fresh sardines, fresh garlic, French mustard, fresh lemon juice, Dry oregano, Paprika, dry onion flakes and fresh parsley. 

First, make the sauce by mixing all the ingredients in a large bowl (except the fresh parsley and the sardines). Mix them well.

Next, you add the sardines and toss them gently (don’t break the sardines) until it are fully coated. 

Prepare a pan or cooking dish with some olive oil, then place the sardines one next to the other in one layer. Drizzle any leftover dressing sauce over them. 

Roast them for 15 to 17 minutes - a bit more if they’re chunky boys.

Once they’re ready to your liking, sprinkle them with fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon - and voila! 

Greek Baked Sardines

This super simple dish is a great way of making the most of fresh sardines. 

Lay your cleaned sardines in a baking dish. Cover them with oil and lemon juice and rub the fish all over to coat.

Sprinkle the fish with oregano, salt and pepper and then turn the fish to coat it in the herbs and seasoning.

Bake in a 200C oven for 5 minutes, basting them once with the oil and lemon mixture. 

For more flavour, add some fresh oregano or dried oregano.

This is best served with bread - the fancier, the better.

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So, there you have it. Five easy sardine recipes to add some spice (and sea salt) to your next catch! 

Whether you choose to braai them, bake them, fry them or grill them; theres a recipe for every vibe and craving.