Skip to main content
Epicurious

Pan-Fried Sardines With Salsa Verde

Fried sardines in salsa verde on a white plate.
Photo by Chelsie Craig

  • Active Time

    8 minutes

  • Total Time

    8 minutes

There are very few meals that wouldn’t benefit from an emerald burst of garlicky salsa verde. Roasted branzino? The egg sandwich that you made while hungover? This acidic, salty green sauce can always step in and save the day if you have a few handfuls of green herbs and a blender. This take—made with parsley, cilantro, capers, and lemon juice—is a particularly cooling complement to oily tinned sardines, especially when they’ve been lightly panfried so they’re warmed through and their skin is slightly crackly.

This recipe was excerpted from 'Tin to Table' by Anna Hezel. Buy the full book on Amazon.

All products featured on Epicurious are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

What you’ll need

Ingredients

Serves 2

1 large handful fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 medium handful fresh cilantro leaves
2 Tbsp. capers
1 garlic clove
Juice of 1 lemon
¼ cup plus 1 Tbsp. olive oil
Kosher salt
1 (3- to 4-oz.) can of sardines in olive oil (such as Matiz, Fishwife, Bela, or Nuri), undrained

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a blender (or in a jar with an immersion blender), combine the parsley, cilantro, capers, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil. Pulse for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, until the sauce has the consistency of pesto. You can taste for seasoning at this point, but I usually hold back with the salt because the capers, and the sardines you will be eating with the sauce, pack a salty punch. Pour the salsa verde into a shallow bowl or a rimmed plate.

    Step 2

    Heat a small skillet over medium heat and pour the oil from the sardines into it. When the oil is hot, about 1 minute, gently place each sardine into the skillet. (I do this by hand in order to keep them intact.) Cook for about 2 minutes on each side, flipping the sardines over gently, until slightly browned. With a spatula or slotted spoon, carefully transfer the sardines to the prepared bed of salsa verde. Eat while warm.

Tin To Table-COVER.jpg
Reprinted from Tin to Table by Anna Hezel, with permission by Chronicle Books, 2023. Photographs © Chelsie Craig. Illustrations © Alex Citrin. Buy the full book from Amazon or Chronicle Books.
Sign In or Subscribe
to leave a Rating or Review

How would you rate Pan-Fried Sardines With Salsa Verde?

Leave a Review

TagsCookbooksSardineFishSeafoodParsleyHerbs & SpicesCilantroStarterSnackLunchDinnerGluten FreeDairy Free

See Related Recipes and Cooking Tips

Read More
Spiced Lamb and Shaved Carrots
Tagine-inspired flavors, saucy lamb, and crunchy raw carrot salad—what’s not to love?
Seared Scallops With Remoulade
Topped with a tangy sauce of grainy mustard, capers, and a hint of sriracha, these seared scallops make an easy but elegant dinner. 
Gorgeous Green Shrimp
This kicky, herby sauce comes together entirely in the blender. You’ll want to sop up every last drop with grilled bread.
Chermoula Pork Chops With Labneh and Charred Shallots
Pork is a great, fatty (if you’re doing it right) canvas for just about any flavors, but especially this herbaceous, garlicky chermoula.
Elote-Style Corn Soup
Frozen fire-roasted corn is a shortcut to smoky flavor and depth in a quick soup inspired by the flavors of the popular Mexican street snack.
Butteriest Black Pepper Fish
Barely cracked peppercorns toasted in generous amounts of brown butter make one of the easiest, tastiest finishers for simply seared fish.
Easy Green Cocktail Sauce
For this green cocktail sauce recipe, salsa verde gets amped up with fresh cilantro, lime juice, green hot sauce, and horseradish to embolden its color and add a bright, herby flavor. 
Kuri Squash With Salsa Verde and Boquerones
Nothing says “classy side dish” like anchovies draped over wedges of roasted squash and drizzled with a bright, herbaceous topping.