Looking for a quick and easy appetizer or lunch idea? Our simple sardine salad can be whipped up in only 15 minutes and tastes great with bread or crackers.
Looking for more dips to serve with crackers? Try our dill pickle dip or buffalo chicken dip!
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About
Sardine salad is basically a variant of tuna salad; it's just made with a different canned fish. The canned sardines are flaked up with a fork, then mixed with mayo for a creamy texture, chopped vegetables for crunch, and spices and condiments for flavor. This simple sardine salad is typically served in a sandwich for lunch or with crackers as an appetizer.
Why This Recipe Works
- It's easy to make. There's minimal prep required, and it takes only a few minutes to have this sardine salad ready to eat!
- It's customizable. Don't have some ingredients on hand, or want to try a different variation? Simply swap the add-ins for something else or omit them.
- It's healthy. Sardines are one of the healthiest fish you can eat, as they're packed with Omega 3s and other nutrients for good health.
Ingredients
Curious about what you need to make this delicious simple sardine salad? Grab a few ingredients, and you'll be ready to make it in a jiffy. Let's talk about the simple key ingredients.
- Sardines: Use water-packed or oil-packed sardines. If you're using oil-packed, make sure they're in olive oil.
- Onion: You can use any type of onion you like, whether it's white, yellow, or red. We usually use yellow since that's what's in our pantry.
- Mayo: We like to use Duke's mayo to add creaminess and a hint of lemon to the salad.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations
- Fish Substitution: Try other canned, wild-caught SMASH fishes: mackerel, anchovies, salmon, or herring.
- Mayo-Free: Swap the mayo for high-protein, unflavored Greek yogurt.
- Other Add-ins: avocado, hard-boiled eggs, cheese (cheddar, feta, or goat), sun-dried or fresh tomatoes.
How to Make
Gather the ingredients for our simple sardine salad. Add crunchy vegetables that you like, such as dill pickles, peperoncini, celery, and onion.
- Flake the canned sardines in a bowl until they are broken up.
- Add the chopped vegetables of your choice.
- Stir in the mayo, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, sriracha sauce, lemon juice, and black pepper. Taste and add more seasoning to the salad if desired.
- Serve up simple sardine salad on toast, in a sandwich, or with crackers. Enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
Overall, sardines are a healthier choice than tuna. They naturally contain less mercury than tuna, making them a good choice for pregnant women. They also contain a lot of healthy Omega 3 fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals.
Many simple ingredients that work with tuna will also work with sardines. We suggest adding onions, garlic, eggs, avocado, tomatoes, lemons, cilantro, and greens, such as kale, spinach, and arugula.
They contain a lot of great vitamins and minerals that your body needs. Sardines are high in omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B12, vitamin D, calcium, niacin, iron, potassium, zinc, and phosphorous.
No, canned sardines are fully cooked, similar to tuna, and are completely ready to eat straight from the can.
Serve
Looking for ways to serve this healthy sardine salad? It tastes fantastic in a sandwich, on toast or crackers, or in a lettuce wrap. Also try serving the salad spread on a bagel, tossed with pasta, or with a side of roasted chickpeas for a hearty meal.
If you're looking for other appetizer recipes, make sure to try our recipes for Bisquick sausage balls, British sausage rolls, Hawaiian meatballs, and hedgehog cheese ball. If you're looking for another healthy fish recipe, try these delicious salmon croquettes.
Store
- Make Ahead: Make this simple recipe up to three days ahead of time. Just keep it tightly covered in the refrigerator until needed.
- Leftovers: Don't keep it at room temperature for more than 2 hours, or it may spoil. It contains sardines and mayo, which are perishable ingredients. Store in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Expert Tips
- Flake the sardines well to ensure a smoother texture in the salad.
- Use a good quality mayo, such as Duke's. This will add more creaminess and flavor.
- Change up the vegetables based on personal taste or what's in your fridge.
- Make a spicy version by adding more peperoncinis or sriracha sauce.
- Serve the salad on toast, crackers, chips, or even pretzels.
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Recipe
Simple Sardine Salad
Ingredients
- ¼ cup dill pickles, chopped
- ¼ cup celery, chopped
- ½ cup yellow onion, chopped
- 7.5 ounces canned sardines in oil, drained
- ⅓ cup Duke's mayo
- ¾ teaspoon sriracha, add more to taste
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Equipment
Instructions
- Chop the pickles, celery, and onion into small pieces.
- Drain the sardines, place them in a medium bowl, and break them up with a fork.
- Stir in the mayo, sriracha, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and black pepper until well combined. Adjust the amount of sriracha to taste.
- Serve chilled with crackers as an appetizer or in a sandwich for lunch.
Video
Notes
- Finely flake the sardines with a fork for a smoother texture.
- Use a good quality mayo for the best creaminess and flavor.
- Change up the ingredients as you desire.
- Want it spicy? Add more pepperoncinis or sriracha sauce.
- Serve the salad on toast, crackers, chips, or even pretzels.
Nutrition
Serving sizes and nutritional information are only an estimate and may vary from your results.
Alex
The salad is full of flavors, and the peperoncinis add a nice kick. The onions are crunchy, and the fish isn't overly strong.
Emma Fajcz
I'm glad you enjoyed the salad, Alex!
Beth
For as long as I can remember, I have loved canned fish salads, and this is a great way to eat sardines! I like the pickles and peperoncinis with the sardines.
Emma
It's a quick and healthy snack or lunch idea. I'm glad that you like sardine salad!