🐟 Sardinhas assadas (Portuguese grilled sardines)
Sardinhas assadas are whole sardines grilled over charcoal, generously salted with coarse sea salt and finished with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon. The skin chars and crisps while the oily flesh stays juicy. Traditionally they are eaten on a slice of bread that soaks up the juices, often with a simple salad on the side.
Diets
Allergens
Contains (in a typical recipe):
What it is made of
Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 fresh whole sardines (about 1 kg)
- 2 tbsp coarse sea salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 lemons, cut into wedges
- 4 slices of rustic bread
Method
- Rinse the sardines, leave them whole and toss them with the coarse salt; rest for 15 minutes.
- Heat a charcoal grill or griddle pan until very hot.
- Grill the sardines for 3–4 minutes per side until the skin is blistered and charred.
- Lay them on the bread, drizzle with olive oil and serve with lemon wedges.
How to make it lighter
- Skip the oil drizzle — the sardines are already rich; 1 tbsp oil ≈ 120 kcal.
- Have the sardines with salad and leave the bread underneath uneaten, or take a thinner slice.
- Five or six sardines make a satisfying, protein-rich serving.
History
Grilled sardines are a summer staple along the Portuguese coast and are closely tied to Lisbon's June festivals of Saint Anthony, when the smell of sardine grills fills the old neighbourhoods. Eating them on a slice of bread is a long-standing street habit.
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Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →