Are Sardines Cooked Before They're Canned?

Tinned fish is having a moment. The longtime pantry staple has gone viral on social media from upscale canned seafood clocking in around $14 to $20 per can to classic, humble tinned sardines — the latter of which we're exploring today. (For the uninitiated, we have a detailed beginner's guide on how to eat sardines.)

Sardines (not to be confused with anchovies) are small, oily fish with flaky texture and meaty flavor. Happily, for convenience's sake, tinned sardines are cooked before canning. They're typically steamed, fried, or smoked, and the can will indicate which cooking method was used. If the packaging bears no indication of the cooking method, then you should pass 'em up for a higher-quality option (Wild Planet is our favorite tinned-sardine brand). You can eat those bad boys straight out of the can. 

Canned sardines come already cooked to extend their shelf life as a hardy pantry ingredient home cooks can keep on hand for future recipes. Cooked sardines properly canned last longer and pose less risk of spoilage than raw fish. They can also help foodies meet the FDA-recommended eight to 12 ounces of seafood per week. But, beyond their health benefits, we're all about tinned sardines for their culinary prowess. They're a delicious snack on their own, but tinned sardines are also a wicked versatile ingredient in myriad recipes from pasta to dips to Niçoise salad. 

Luckily for seafood-loving foodies, sardines don't dissolve when heated in oil. Even though they're already pre-cooked in the can, you can pan-fry, grill, bake, or broil them for the best fit in your umami-forward recipes. Sardines can be fried tempura style, or transformed into the classic Filipino dish ginisang sardinas sauteed in a lush tomato sauce. For grilling, you could wrap each sardine individually in a grape leaf and grill it with olive oil or lemon.  Or, marinate them to lean savory, salty, even spicy. If you do plan on cooking these pre-cooked beauties, be sure to drain the canning oil, rinse them under cold water, and pat the sardines dry with a paper towel before handling them for the best flavor and no excess oiliness. 

Tinned sardines are also delicious as-is on crackers or skewered with a small fork. They even work well on a charcuterie board alongside crostini, pickled veggies, chili crisp, pesto, and stuffed olives. In general, the best canned sardines are packed in extra virgin olive oil, so be sure to check the label as you select your can in the grocery store. Spain and Portugal are known regions for sourcing high-quality tinned sardines (where they're called conservas), and the region of harvesting should be listed on the can's packaging; keep a look out for sardines from these countries for the best flavor and texture.