How To Air Fry Canned Sardines For A Crispy Umami Snack

Canned sardines are meaty, oily, and delightfully mild right out of the can. However, what they're not is crispy. That's where the almighty air fryer comes into play. Beloved and wildly popular for instilling a crunchy "fried" crust without actually frying, air fryers work wonders on canned foods. Canned sardines are pre-cooked and preserved with oil, rendering them chewy, tender, and somewhat dense. But, a short stint in the air fryer will transform them into the crispiest umami-rich snack or appetizer in a fraction of the time of an oven.

Despite the recently viral TikTok recipes that air fry canned fish in their cans, air frying sardines in their cans will cause potentially harmful chemicals to leech from the can to the sardines. You can technically add sardines to the air fryer right out of the can, relying on the residual oil left on them to facilitate crisping up their skin. However, adding textured seasonings, aromatics, bread crumbs, or even wet batter will really help create a crust that'll really crisp up, while also adding depth of flavor. You can use a combination of these ingredients and techniques to prepare drained canned sardines before arranging them on a parchment or butcher paper lined air fryer basket.

For the best results, make sure not to crowd the air fryer pan, assembling the sardines in a single layer across the basket to ensure even air-flow. Fry the sardines at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 to 15 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Canned sardines offer a powerful flavor duo of salty and umami that you can enhance with a wide range of seasonings. You can create a seasoned bread crumb mixture with smoky paprika, spicy cayenne, and freshly cracked pepper to upgrade the salty umami-rich taste of sardines with a trifecta of smoky, spicy, and savory. A blend of flour and cornstarch, old bay seasoning, and a beaten egg will make for an easy and ultra savory fry batter for water or brine-packed canned sardines. Add diced or grated fresh garlic, lemon zest, rosemary, and fresh cracked pepper to a bowl with drained oil-packed sardines for an aromatic upgrade that's gluten free. For a nutty, herbaceous complement to their umami notes, you can also add grated parmesan to breadcrumbs along with a packet of Italian seasonings.

If you can resist the temptation to eat fried canned sardines right out of the air-fryer basket, you can serve them as appetizers, fillings for sandwiches, or pizza and pasta toppings. They'd taste delicious with homemade tartar sauce, spicy cocktail sauce or comeback sauce. Add them to a po'boy sandwich with remoulade sauce, shredded lettuce, and tomatoes. Upgrade a simple spaghetti and marinara sauce with parmesan and Italian seasoning encrusted sardines. They'd also make an elegant and hearty addition to a main-course Caesar salad.