SPANISH SARDINES (HOMEMADE SLOW COOKED FANTASTIC TASTE)

Name: SPANISH SARDINES HOMEMADE SLOW COOKED
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 360 min
Total time: 380 min
Ingredients: 3 kilos sardines (Mackerel -when head and tail are removed, around 2 .5 kilos); 2 sticks carrots; 4.6 oz bottle garlic stuff green olives; 10- 15 pieces dry bay leaves; 1 cup Hamburger Dill Sliced Pickles (you can add more because it is so good with more); 1 clove garlic separated; 1 tablespoons whole black peppercorn; 1 tablespoon black peppercorn crushed; 1 tablespoon salt; 2 tablespoons fish sauce; 2 cups olive oil; Water (add to the level of the arranged fish)

Created On: 2022-01-10 | Updated: 2022-01-10 | 44 Comments

Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

You can make your very own Spanish Sardines with very simple steps. My homemade Spanish-style sardines recipe is positively delicious and easy to follow so you don’t have to worry about any complicated instructions.

What IS SPANISH STYLE SARDINES?

Spanish Sardines is a traditional slow cook dish where sardines are pan-fried with onions, tomatoes, and garlic using vegetable oil or sunflower oil. The taste is like paella but with fish. You can serve it as an appetizer or as a main dish that everyone will enjoy. Traditionally, Spanish sardines are eaten with salads. You can actually find sardine in most Spanish salad recipes. It can also be consumed in various topping combinations like avocados and tacos. However, the most common way of eating it in the Philippines is with steamed rice.

Spanish Style Sardines is a type of sardines is which the fish is slow cooked or pressured cooked to achieve a desired fish softness and it is cooked with oil and water with olive oil, bay leaves, pickles to give it a taste. The fish is too tender that you can eat the bone right of the bat.

Is Homemade Spanish Sardines healthy?

There are many benefits to eating Spanish sardines, and for this reason, it is a very healthy meal. First of all, sardines contain high levels of omega 3 fatty acids as well as protein. The protein in the fish will help give you energy throughout the day.

The high levels of omega 3 fatty acids will help improve your heart’s health and keep you feeling good. Omega 3 fatty acids have been shown to reduce the risk of arthritis, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s disease. These fatty acids will also make your skin look younger and healthier.

Spanish sardines are also high in vitamin C and very low in mercury which means they won’t cause any harm to your brain and nervous system. They’re also known to lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of macular degeneration which causes blindness in old age.

So if you are trying to improve your health or lose weight, it is a great idea to include more sardines in your diet.

How do I cook my homemade Spanish sardines?

The first thing I do is to arrange the fish in a slow cooker, just drizzle some olive oil over your sardines and add enough water to cover. You can then cook it on high for 1 hour or low heat for 2 hours.

When you finished cooking the sardines, you can take them out from the pot and serve them with rice or vegetables.

I often use a slow cooker when I cook my homemade Spanish-style sardines because it brings out a delicious and tender dish. But if you don’t have a slow cooker, you can also use a pressure cooker as an alternative. To make Spanish-style sardines in a pressure cooker set to low heat and slowly release excess steam until the pot has reached at least 150 degrees. Then turn off the stove and cover with a tight-fitting lid and let it sit for 15 minutes.

Then again if you neither have a slow cooker nor a pressure cooker, it’s still possible to attain your perfect homemade Spanish sardines. All you need to do is simply use a big pan and cook the fish with enough water and oil so that it completely covers the fish. Then just let it simmer slowly over low heat for 20-25 minutes.

Should I use Olive Oil or Vegetable Oil?

Although you can use either oil, Olive Oil is most common in this dish and I also prefer it for my homemade Spanish sardines. It has several health benefits which make it the most popular choice for most sardines recipes.

Extra virgin olive oil is rich in antioxidants that help protect the body from free radicals and reduce inflammation. It also contains high levels of vitamin E which help protect your skin and reduce wrinkles. Saturated fat represents about 50% of the fat in olive oil which makes it a great choice for people who are trying to lose weight.

It also contains phytosterols that can help reduce LDL cholesterol levels in the blood, reducing risks for heart disease and stroke.

On the other hand, vegetable oil has a mild flavor and a very high smoke point. Using this oil allows you to cook over higher heat without causing the oil to break down so it’s a great choice for recipes that require frying or searing at high temperatures.

However, the health benefits of vegetable oil are much lower than those of olive oil as it has a high saturated fat content.

Whichever oil you choose, they’re both great options as long as they’re not overheated during cooking but if you’re watching your weight or trying to improve your heart health, olive oil is the best choice for this recipe.

What type of fish can I use for my Homemade Spanish sardines?

There are several types of popular fish that you can use for this homemade recipe. You can try using fresh sardines which have a delicate taste, smelt fish that has a slightly stronger flavor, or even mackerel if you’re looking for something with a more distinct taste. You may also use milkfish if this is the one available in your local market.

In this recipe, I used mackerel fish. It is commonly sold in the supermarket and it has a specific taste that is complementary to the recipe.

Spanish Sardines vs Portuguese Sardines

Even though they’re both pan-fried sardines, there are some differences between the two. The famous Portuguese canned sardines can be based on different options of olive oil or tomato sauce and cooked with potatoes and carrots whereas Spanish sardines are usually cooked in a broth with more oil, olives, and garlic. Both sardines taste great depending on your preference, but if you’re looking for a spicier dish then Spanish sardines are the way to go.

Homemade Spanish Sardines Made Easy

Ingredients

3 kilos sardines Mackerel -when head and tail are removed, around 2 .5 kilos
2 sticks carrots
4.6 oz bottle garlic stuff green olives
10- 15 pieces dry bay leaves
1 cup Hamburger Dill Sliced Pickles you can add more because it is so good with more
1 clove garlic separated
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorn
1 tablespoon black peppercorn crushed
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 cups olive oil
Water add to the level of the arranged fish

Instructions

Line/Arrange fish in the bottom of the slow cooker
add the carrots, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorn on top. Add the water to the level of the fish and add salt, olive oil, and fish sauce.
Slow cook on high for six hours using a ceramic-based slow cooker. If using a metal base, 2-3 hours is good enough.

What is the best way to eat your Homemade Spanish Sardines?

You can enjoy your homemade Spanish Sardines when you eat them with steamed rice or with freshly baked bread and lemon juice. You can also preserve it by placing it in an air-tight container and storing it in the fridge. If you’re in search of a good gift, homemade Spanish sardines in a sterilized jar will be a delicious and unique treat.

What makes your Homemade Spanish sardines extra special?

What makes our latest recipes extra special is that you can actually control the flavor and how tasty you want it to be. If you want extra spicy sardines, you can always add chili or chili peppers. Just make sure you got enough water beside you. For homemade recipes like this, there’s no limit to how much salt, olives, garlic, carrots, or the vinegar you want to use as long as it suits your preferences.

Add more pickles.
Add more carrots.
Add more chili if you can handle it.
Eat the next day.

For garnishing, you can arrange fish on a single layer and cut flower shapes sweet gherkins or whole olives by the side. The food can taste so much better with better preparation.

In this article, we’ve shared a Spanish-style sardine recipe that you can easily make at home. We’ve also provided some tips on how to choose the best type of fish for your recipe and answered some common questions about cooking sardines. For more popular recipes, check out Skinny Pot and start cooking!

HOW DO YOU STORE IT

Let the sardines cool after cooking.
Transfer to a sterilized container and seal container.
Store in the fridge for 1 week.
Freeze it by putting sardines in a zip loc. Seal and freeze flat. Store for 6 months. When ready, thaw and heat in the microwave.

What I Love About this sardines:

It is healthy.
Gosh, the pickles’ and olives’ saltiness. I love it. It balances the pungent taste of the fish.
Boy this is spicy and you know how I love a real heat, just like this Bicol Express. You can actually adjust the heat on this by adding just a few amount of chili peppers

Follow me on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook

FOR MORE CHEAP AND BUDGET FRIENDLY MEALS: