• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Girl Heart Food®
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Handheld Meals

    Sardines on Toast

    Published: March 25, 2020 Updated: March 25, 2020 / By: Dawn | Girl Heart Food 10 Comments

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    Jump to Recipe
    Two portions of sardines on toast with chili pepper, lemon zest and green onion.

    Sardines on toast makes for an easy and tasty snack or light lunch! There’s garlicky bread, flavourful sardines, fresh chili pepper, onion, and lemon for one tasty bite! Plus, this canned sardine recipe comes together in minutes! What’s not to love?

    Two portions of sardines on toast with chili pepper, lemon zest and green onion.

    Hi friends!

    I love stuff on toast.

    I mean, what’s not to love?

    Your favourite bread with delicious toppings, usually all made relatively quickly.

    Aside from cashew butter on toast and mushrooms on toast, sardines on toast are pretty much a regular snack or light lunch for hubby and me.

    And, bonus, because we both usually enjoy together, there’s no shame in the breath game, LOL.

    What’s Needed for Sardines on Toast?

    • Your favourite bread
    • Olive oil
    • Tinned sardines in oil
    • Garlic
    • Fresh chili pepper
    • Lemon juice & zest
    • Green onion
    Ingredients for a canned sardine toast recipe alongside a knife, grater and tea towel.

    Why Eat Sardines?

    I know sardines may not be at the top of mind when considering what to eat, but they really are a great pantry staple to have on hand.

    • Sardines are nutritious.
    • Sardines are budget friendly!
    • They’re a great snack for on the go.
    • You can enjoy them right out of the can. No need to cook or prepare.
    • They’re quite versatile. You can make all sorts of recipes with sardines. Besides enjoying them as they are, sardines can be used in recipes like sardines on toast (like in this recipe), in pasta, in sandwiches & wraps, with crackers, on salads, and more!
    Tinned sardines in oil with olives.

    What Do Sardines Taste Like?

    Sardines are small fish that are a little salty and have a slightly milder taste than, say, anchovies.

    I’m not gonna lie here, though. If you are packing sardines for lunch to take with you to work, just know that they do have a slightly pungent smell and not all your co-workers may be fans.

    What’s the Best Way to Eat Canned Sardines?

    Tinned sardines are often found packed in water or oil and can have other flavours added to spice them up. Both are delicious, but I often use sardines packed in oil (specifically extra virgin olive oil).

    It’s simply a matter of personal preference which ones you get.

    I enjoy brisling sardines and usually purchase a variety that has black olives and seasoning.

    Sardines are small fish, but the size you can get in a tin can vary. I typically prefer the smaller sardines over the larger ones.

    Bottom line: There are lots of varieties and brands of sardines out there. Use what you enjoy best!

    Can You Eat Sardines Out of the Tin? Are They Cooked?

    Absolutely! Canned sardines are fully cooked and ready to enjoy straight out of the tin (as I often do).

    Because of that, they are a wonderful portable lunch or snack for busy days when you just want to grab something on the fly.

    So, if you aren’t having sardines on toast, enjoy them as they are.

    Hubby loves them with a little squeeze of white vinegar. Good stuff right there!

    Can I Eat the Whole Tinned Sardine?

    Canned sardines often come with skin, small bones, and tail attached, but it’s all completely edible. The bones are small and much softer than what you would find in other varieties of fish so there’s no need to take them out.

    Note: You can also find boneless and skinless canned sardines and you can certainly use them in this recipe if you like.

    Canned sardines on a blue plate topped with olives.

    How To Make Sardines on Toast

    Full details are in the recipe card below, but here are the basics:

    1. Start by brushing a couple of slices of your favourite bread with olive oil and toasting.
    2. Rub a clove of garlic over each slice to give it a little garlic hum. You may not use all of the clove of garlic here.
    3. Place sardines on top of each slice of bread.
    4. Divide the chili pepper, green onion, and lemon zest over top. Then drizzle with a little lemon juice and some of the oil from the tin (if desired).

    Tip: The sardines are left whole, but you can mash them a little if you like.

    Collage of steps to make sardines on toast.

    Tips for Making This Recipe

    • It’s recommended that you enjoy this sardines on toast recipe as soon as it’s made. That’s when the bread is nice and crunchy!
    • Instead of olive oil, you can brush the bread with some of the oil that the sardines are in to get extra sardine flavour!
    • Use whatever bread you enjoy best!
    • Always zest your lemon before juicing. It’s so much easier that way.
    • The sardines that were used in this recipe had olives in the tin. If your variety doesn’t, you could add some or omit. It’ll still taste delicious!
    • Feel like warming the sardines? Go for it. Simply place them in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat until it’s how you like it.
    • This recipe can easily be doubled.

    Recipe Variations

    • You can use red chili flakes instead of fresh chili if you prefer.
    • Thinly sliced red onion is a great substitute for green onion.
    • Sardines with Dijon mustard is also a delicious combination if you want to mix things up!
    • Like avocado? Try mashing some and spreading on your toast before topping with everything else.

    What To Serve With Sardines

    If you’re looking to make things more substantial, enjoy these sardines on toast with:

    • Tomato soup
    • Simple green salad
    • Nibbly bits (like extra olives, some spicy pepperoncini peppers (love those), or even a handful or two of your favourite potato chips)
    Two slices of toast with sardines, chili pepper, lemon zest and green onion on top.

    Hope you love this easy canned fish recipe as much as we do!

    And if you are a sardine fan, stay tuned! There’s another canned sardine recipe coming your way shortly.

    If you make this sardines on toast recipe, be sure to leave a comment below!

    Sardines on toast with chili pepper, lemon zest and green onion next to a stalk of green onion.

    Sardines on Toast

    Dawn | Girl Heart Food
    Sardines on toast makes for an easy and tasty snack or light lunch! There's garlicky bread, flavourful sardines, fresh chili pepper, onion and lemon for one tasty bite! Plus, this canned sardine recipe comes together in minutes! What's not to love?
    5 from 5 votes
    Print Recipe Save RecipeSaved!
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 10 mins
    Total Time 15 mins
    Course Lunch, Snack
    Servings 2 toasts
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients
     

    • 2 slices bread, use your favourite variety
    • ½ tablespoon olive oil, approximately
    • 1 small clove of garlic, peeled
    • 1 (4-ounce) can brisling sardines in olive oil, approximately a 106 gram can
    • 1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh chili pepper, or to taste
    • 2 teaspoons thinly sliced green onion
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
    • 2 teaspoons lemon zest

    Instructions

    • Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
    • Brush bread with olive oil, place onto a sheet pan and bake in the oven for about 10 minutes or until toasted.
    • Scrub toasted bread with garlic clove.
    • Remove the sardines from the oil (don't discard all the oil just yet). Top bread with sardines, chili pepper and green onion.
      Note: If you want to warm your sardines, you can do that by warming in a pan first. Also, if you want to mash your sardines before putting on toast, you can do that!
    • Drizzle with a little lemon juice, some oil from your canned sardines and sprinkle with lemon zest. Serve and enjoy!

    A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.

    Keyword canned fish recipe, easy lunch idea, sardine recipe

    Tried this recipe?

    If you do make this recipe, thank you!! It would mean so much if you could leave a comment below. Love to know how you enjoyed it, and it helps other readers too!

    « Bean and Bacon Soup (With Veggies)
    Classic Tuna Casserole Recipe »
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    © Girl Heart Food Inc. All photographs and content are COPYRIGHT PROTECTED.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Valentina

      March 31, 2020 at 12:49 am

      5 stars
      Dawn, this reminds me of a Spanish tapa, and I just love it. A few bites of huge flavor! And it’s SO pretty and healthy, too. 🙂 ~Valentina

      Reply
      • Dawn - Girl Heart Food

        April 02, 2020 at 11:43 am

        Yay! Thanks Valentina!!

        Reply
    2. Alexandra @ It's Not Complicated Recipes

      March 30, 2020 at 12:35 am

      5 stars
      This is the best looking toast – what a fantastic way of serving sardines!

      Reply
      • Dawn - Girl Heart Food

        April 02, 2020 at 11:41 am

        Thanks so much, Alexandra! You’re so kind 🙂

        Reply
    3. Katherine | Love In My Oven

      March 27, 2020 at 1:07 am

      5 stars
      I bet a lot of people are looking for recipes like this, Dawn! Pantry staples and quick and easy. I love how colorful you made the toast!! I hope you’re keeping well during these times my friend! XO

      Reply
      • Dawn - Girl Heart Food

        March 29, 2020 at 7:18 pm

        Thanks Katherine! Hope you are too 🙂 XO

        Reply
    4. Kelsie | the itsy-bitsy kitchen

      March 26, 2020 at 12:10 pm

      5 stars
      It’s impossible to go wrong when you make a meal out of toast! This is such a great way to use up those pantry ingredients you don’t necessarily know what to do with. . .which is pretty much every meal for me right now, haha! Happy Friday eve, Dawn!

      Reply
      • Dawn - Girl Heart Food

        March 29, 2020 at 7:18 pm

        I agree! Thank you, Kelsie! Hope you’re having a lovely weekend!

        Reply
    5. David @ Spiced

      March 25, 2020 at 8:58 am

      5 stars
      I had no idea there were so many types of sardines out there! To be fair, though, I’ve never really stopped and looked at sardines. You make them look delicious on toast, Dawn! Such a simple and healthy lunch…and ready in no time at all!

      Reply
      • Dawn - Girl Heart Food

        March 29, 2020 at 7:17 pm

        Thank you, David! Such a great lunch option for busy days 🙂

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Profile picture of Dawn from Girl Heart Food.

    Hi, I'm Dawn! Welcome to Girl Heart Food, a food blog that's all about easy comfort food recipes (especially cheesy recipes) that'll satisfy your taste buds and make your belly happy. Have a look around and find something that'll inspire you to get into the kitchen and whip up something delicious to enjoy today!

    More about Girl Heart Food →

    Currently Trending

    • Stack of six cheesy ground beef quesadillas.
      Cheesy Ground Beef Quesadillas
    • Old-fashioned cabbage rolls with tomato sauce and dill garnish in a serving dish.
      Old-Fashioned Cabbage Rolls (Inspired by Nan)
    • Cheesy baked broccoli and cauliflower in a dish.
      Broccoli Cauliflower Bake (Vegetable au Gratin)
    • Ground turkey rice bowl.
      Ground Turkey Rice Bowls
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    Footer

    ^ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use

    Newsletter

    • Sign up for emails & updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    Copyright © 2023 Girl Heart Food Inc.

    Girl Heart Food® is a Registered Trademark.

    Use of this site constitutes acceptance of its Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.