Description
Want to make tasty smoked sardines at home? This recipe blends old-world smoking techniques with modern kitchen convenience. Beginners and seasoned cooks will find it easy to follow.
You can create tender, flavorful sardines with a golden finish right on your stovetop. The recipe needs basic ingredients and kitchen equipment that’s already available in most homes.
Ingredients
Scale
- 20–30 fresh sardines
- 4 cups water
- 1/4 cup kosher salt
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 medium onion, grated
- 5 medium bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons cracked peppercorns
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 3 tablespoons wood chips (apple, hickory, or almond)
- Fennel seeds and juniper berries (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the Brine: Mix water, salt, honey, onion, bay leaves, peppercorns, and garlic in a pot. Bring the mixture to a boil and let it cool to room temperature.
- Clean the Sardines: Pick your preferred method:
- Method 1: Remove head and tail, slice open belly, clean and rinse
- Method 2: Keep head and tail intact, make diagonal slice, clean chest cavity
- Brine the Fish: Place cleaned sardines in the cooled brine mixture and refrigerate for 12 hours or overnight.
- Dry the Fish: Take sardines out of brine, give them a quick rinse, and pat dry. Let them air dry for 30-60 minutes until the surface feels tacky.
- Prepare Smoker: Add wood chips to your stovetop smoker’s bottom or prepared pan. Add fennel seeds and juniper berries if desired.
- Smoke the Sardines: Set fish on the rack, cover, and heat until smoke appears. Lower the heat and smoke for 30 minutes.
Notes
Stick to recommended brining time to avoid too much salt
Make sure sardines are really dry before smoking
Keep steady, low heat while smoking
Store your smoked sardines in olive oil
- Prep Time: 12 hours
- Active Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Seafood
- Method: Smoking
- Cuisine: Mediterranean