These Crispy Fried Canned Sardines are dredged in a cornmeal-based batter and then deep-fried. I love to serve them with a side of tartar sauce for dipping. You can also air-fry them but make sure to spray them with lots of oil, or else they taste a bit starchy.
Can't get enough of fried food? Try my Dry Fried Ribs next!
๐งโ๐ณ About This Recipe
Canned Sardines are one of my favorite things in the world. I grew up eating a lot of it, and this recipe is one of my favorite ways to cook it. They have a crispy texture, and I think they taste a little less fishy when they're deep-fried.
One thing to keep in mind is that canned sardines are very delicate and break easily. Try to be gentle when handling them. If you have big fingers, it might be better to use a fork to lift them between the egg wash, dredge, and oil.
๐ง Ingredients
- Canned Sardines: For this recipe, we'll need two cans. Packed in water or oil are both fine.
- Egg Wash: It's just one beaten egg in a shallow bowl. You can add a pinch of salt if you like.
- Flour Dredge: I use a combination of all-purpose flour, cornstarch, cornmeal, salt, and black pepper. The cornmeal adds an amazing crunch, and I suggest you use a coarse or medium-grind cornmeal as the texture will be even better. If you like a bit of spice, you can add ยผ teaspoon of cayenne pepper.
- Oil for frying: In my recipe, I'm deep-frying them, but if you want to use less oil, you can shallow-fry or air-fry them.
๐ช Instructions
STEP 1: In a shallow dish, whisk cornstarch, cornmeal, all-purpose flour, salt, and black pepper.
STEP 2: In another shallow dish, beat one egg.
STEP 3: Heat about 1 inch of oil to 350โ. Gently dredge each sardine in the egg wash and then coat it with the breading mixture.
STEP 4: Gently lower each fish into the oil and cook until golden brown and crispy, about 2 minutes per side. Try not to overcrowd the oil, otherwise the temperature will drop too much. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to dry.
Serve immediately with lemon slices and tartar sauce. If you like your sardines extra crispy, you can double-fry them as well. To do that, allow the fried sardines to cool for at least 15 minutes, and then reheat the oil to 400โ. Deep-fry for 1-2 minutes then serve immediately.
๐ญ Air-fryer Option
If you don't want to deep-fry the sardines, you can air-fry them, but make sure you brush or spray them with lots of oil. If you don't use enough, they come out a bit starchy-tasting.
To air-fry, start by preheating your air-fryer to 400โ. Place the breaded sardines in the basket with some space in between. Spray them generously with oil and air-fry for 3-4 minutes. Flip them over, spray with more oil, and fry for another 3 minutes.
๐ Recipe
Crispy Fried Canned Sardines
Ingredients
- 2 cans sardines in water or oil
- โ cup cornmeal (or semolina flour)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ยฝ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ยฝ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
For Serving
Instructions
- In a shallow dish, combine the cornmeal, cornstarch, flour, salt, and black pepper. In another shallow dish, beat the egg until smooth.
- Heat about 1 inch of oil to 350โ. Gently dredge each sardine in the egg wash and then coat it with the cornmeal mixture. Gentle lower into the hot oil and fry for 2-3 minutes on both sides until golden brown and crispy. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to dry. Serve immediately with lemon slices and tartar sauce.
- Optional: For an extra crispy texture, you can double-fry the sardines. After the first fry, allow the sardines to cool for at least 15 minutes at room temperature or up to 24 hours in the fridge. Then reheat your oil to 400โ and deep-fry for 1-2 minutes until crispy.
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