Grilled Sardines With Garlic Olive Oil and Lemon

Sardines are soft, rich, and salty so pairing them with fresh, zingy ingredients sets them off beautifully.  I slathered them in garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, chopped fresh coriander, paprika, sea salt, and pepper, then grilled until the skin crisped up. I served the crispy fish with all the garlicky, lemony juices simply on a bed of sliced tomatoes sprinkled with finely chopped shallots, fresh parsley, a squeeze of lemon juice, and a drizzle of EVOO.

Not a fan of sardines?  Neither is anyone in my family, so I don’t cook them too often but let me tell you, these stunningly simple butterflied sardines converted my hubby and all 3 kids to sardine lovers, and they went as far as to say next time I make them, I need to double the quantity!  We devoured the plate with crusty bread and a big green salad.

The entire process of making this dish takes about 20 minutes. It is ridiculously simple, so healthy, and something a little different, so do give it a try!

Grilled Sardines With Garlic Olive Oil and Lemon

Serves: 2 Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cooking Time: 20 Minutes 20 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

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Ingredients

• 4 Butterflied Sardines
• 4 Garlic cloves crushed
• Extra Virgin olive oil
• ½ tbsp Lemon zest
• 2 tbsp Lemon juice
• Small handful coriander
• ½ tsp Sweet smoked paprika
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 Tomatoes sliced
• 1 Shallot chopped fine
• 1 lemon halved (optional)
• Small handful fresh parsley chopped

Instructions

1. Turn on the grill in your oven.
2. Make a paste with about 100ml olive oil, crushed garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, coriander, paprika, salt, and pepper.
3. Place sardines skin side up on an oven tray and slathers them with the paste.
4. Grill in the oven until the skins crisp up and the fish is cooked through, about 5-8 minutes, set aside
5. If you are grilling the lemon halves, brush the cut side with olive oil and place under the grill cut side until charred. Alternatively, place on a grill pan or BBQ until charred.
6. Lay the sliced tomatoes on the serving board or plate
7. Scatter the finely chopped shallots and parsley on top, drizzle with EVOO and a squeeze of lemon 
8. Place the sardines on top of the sliced tomatoes with all the garlicky juices 
9. Garnish with charred lemon halves if using
10. Serve hot with crusty bread and a big green salad

Did You Make This Recipe?

Would love to hear your feedback! If you make this recipe, please tag me on Instagram @zarskitchen.