Grilled Sardines with Lemon and Garlic

These grilled sardines with lemon, garlic and olive oil are light, healthy and bursting with bold Spanish flavours. A fresh, zesty rub of olive oil, parsley, lemon and garlic brings out their natural taste. Few dishes showcase the taste of a Spanish summer better than the smoky aroma of grilled sardines.

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Grilled sardines are enjoyed all across Spain and are commonly known as sardinas a la plancha or espetos de sardinas. Traditionally, they’re cooked whole over an open flame, either placed in a grill rack or, especially in the south, skewered on sticks and roasted over hot coals. These skewered sardines, called espetos, are a classic sight on the beaches of southern Spain where chiringuitos or casual beach bars grill them right next to the sand.

The great thing about this grilled sardines dish is that you can make them on a charcoal barbecue, a gas grill, or even in a grill pan at home. So there’s no need to fire up the BBQ if you’re just in the mood for a quick and tasty plate of charred sardines. This easy grilled sardines recipe brings the Spanish holiday feeling straight to your plate, and it’s so quick and simple to make.

Grilled sardines ingredients

You’ll only need a handful of very fresh ingredients to make these Spanish sardines:

• Sardines: Choose fresh sardines with firm, shiny silver skin and clear, bright eyes. The fresher the sardines, the better the flavour and texture when grilled.
• Olive oil: Use a good quality extra virgin olive oil for a rich and fruity base of the marinade.
• Garlic: Fresh garlic adds great depth of flavour.
• Lemon: We only use the lemon zest for the marinade rub and some freshly squeezed lemon for after the grilling.
• Parsley: Fresh parsley adds a subtle and fresh aroma to enhance the taste of grilled fish. I use flat leaved parsley, but curly parsley will work just as well.
• Salt: Use kosher salt or coarse sea salt.

How to clean sardines

You can always ask your fishmonger to clean your fresh sardines, but honestly, it’s very easy to do it yourself at home. Here’s how:

• Remove the scales: Rinse the sardines under cold running water and gently rub off the scales using your fingers. As the scales of a sardine is small and soft you only need to remove any loose scales. Avoid rubbing too hard so you don’t damage the delicate skin.
• Remove the guts: Use a sharp knife or kitchen scissors to make a small incision along the belly, from the tail toward the head. Gently push out the guts with your thumb and discard them.
• Head and tail: Traditionally, sardines are cooked whole with head and tail. But if you prefer, you can trim them off. It’s a matter of personal taste and presentation.
• Rinse the sardines: Give the sardines a final rinse under gently running water to clean out the remaining bits.
• Pat dry: Gently pat them dry with paper towel.

You don’t need to remove the spine before cooking sardines as the spine holds the fish together during cooking. After grilling, the meat lifts easily off the bone so it’s easy to remove after grilling.

Outdoor Grill vs. Indoor Cooking

This Spanish sardines recipe is great for cooking outside on either a charcoal or gas grill. But you can also make it indoors using a grill pan or griddle on the stove. This is perfect when you don’t feel like setting up the barbecue outside or lighting the coals. All you need to make perfect sardines on the grill is high heat and fresh fish for that real grilled flavor.

Best tips to cook sardines

Most people will stay far from preparing fish on the grill, but did you know that grilling sardines is not difficult at all? Here are my no-fail tips for making the best Spanish sardines on the grill:

• Leave the skin: The skin of the sardines are quite delicate and over handling can tear the skin. So try to leave the skin intact as it helps to keep the flesh moist and flavorful during grilling. Just rinse off the loose scales.
• Brush with olive oil: The oil or an oil based marinade prevents the fish from sticking to the grill. I use extra virgin olive oil in this recipe, mixed with lemon zest, minced garlic and fresh parsley for extra flavor.
• Coarse salt: Sprinkle coarse salt over the fish before grilling as it helps to crisp the skin.
• Preheat the grill: The grill pan, griddle or coals (flames gone and coals white) should be very hot when adding the sardines. The helps to sear the skin and prevent the fish from sticking to the grill and falling apart.
• Use a grill basket: When cooking over an open flame or coals, use a grill or fish basket. This helps to flip the fish or to take them off the grill quickly if the flames are flaring up.
• Don’t overcook: Sardines are small and lean and they cook quick. When overcooked they will dry out and loose their flavor. Therefore, grill over high heat for just 2-3 minutes per side, depending on the size of the fish.

Serving suggestions

As grilled sardines taste best hot off the grill, when they are still juicy and have a crispy skin, it’s best to serve immediately after cooking. Add a squeeze of lemon juice or serve with lemon wedges for everyone to add the amount they like.

Sardines from the grill can be served either as tapas, alongside other small dishes like grilled Padrón peppers, Spanish tortilla or boquerones fritos.

When serving as a main dish, a simple tomato salad, mixed greens or chickpea salad complement the rich sardines. Serve with a slice of pan con tomate or tomato bread which combines wonderful with grilled fish.

Did you make this recipe?  I’d love to hear how it turned out! Leave a comment with rating below and share a picture with the hashtag #discoverspaintoday and tag me on Instagram or Facebook