Grilled Portuguese sardines
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7 Ingredients
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25 min total
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Serves Serves 4
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Easy
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Portuguese
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Seafood
Recipe byThe ZestyPlate Kitchen
Portuguese sardines marinated in garlic, paprika, lemon and rosemary, then charred on the barbecue until smoky and caramelised. A taste of the coast.
Fresh sardines marinated in garlic, paprika and lemon, then grilled hard until smoky and caramelised. These are a fixture of Portuguese street festivals, and they make sense the moment you taste one. Bold, simple, and best eaten with your fingers and plenty of bread to follow.
Jump to recipe
Prep 15 min
Cook 10 min
Total 25 min
Easy
Scale:
- 8 Sardines
- 2 tbs Olive Oil
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 1 tbs Paprika
- 1/2 Lemon
- 4 sprigs Rosemary
- 1 Red Chilli
Preparation
- Put all the ingredients except the sardines into a bowl and mix with some seasoning. Pour into a baking dish, add the sardines, and toss really well. Cover and chill for a few hours.
- Heat a barbecue or griddle pan until hot, then cook the sardines for 4 to 5 minutes on each side until really caramelised and charred. Put onto a plate, drizzle with oil, sprinkle with a little more paprika, and squeeze over the lemon.
Tips from the ZestyPlate Kitchen
- Marinate the sardines for a few hours so the garlic, paprika and lemon really get in.
- Get the barbecue or griddle ferociously hot for proper char and caramelisation.
- Resist turning the fish too early; let a crust form first so the skin doesn't tear.
- Finish with a squeeze of lemon and a fresh dusting of paprika just before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Gutting and scaling gives the cleanest result, though very fresh sardines are sometimes grilled whole. Ask your fishmonger to do the prep.
A hot griddle pan or the oven grill both work. The barbecue gives the most authentic smoke, but you'll still eat well indoors.
Make sure the grill is hot and lightly oiled, and don't turn the fish until a crust has formed and they release on their own.
Crusty bread, boiled potatoes, a simple salad and lots of lemon. Tradition keeps it plain so the fish stays the star.
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