Sardinhas Assadas in the Air FryerGrilled Sardines
The smell of Lisbon in June, without a charcoal grill: whole salted sardines crisped in the air fryer, served on bread with roasted pepper salad.
By Mesa de Portugal Kitchen · Updated
In June, during the Santos Populares festivals, the whole of Lisbon smells of grilling sardines. They're cooked whole over charcoal, sprinkled with coarse salt, and eaten on a slice of bread that soaks up the juices.
The air fryer can't give you the charcoal smoke, but it does crisp the skin beautifully and keeps the smell out of your curtains.
Sardinhas Assadas in the Air FryerGrilled Sardines
The smell of Lisbon in June, without a charcoal grill: whole salted sardines crisped in the air fryer, served on bread with roasted pepper salad.
Ingredients
- 12 fresh whole sardines (about 1 kg), not gutted
- 2 tbsp coarse sea salt
- Olive oil for spraying
- 4 thick slices of broa (corn bread) or country bread
- For the salad: 2 red peppers, 1 small onion, olive oil, vinegar, salt
Method
- Rinse the sardines and rub off the loose scales with your fingers. In Portugal they're grilled whole, guts and all. Gut them if you prefer.
- Scatter the coarse salt over the sardines and leave them for 20–30 minutes.
- For the salad, air fry the whole peppers at 200 °C for 15 minutes, turning once, until blistered. Put them in a covered bowl for 10 minutes, then peel, deseed and slice them. Toss with thinly sliced onion, olive oil, a splash of vinegar and salt.
- Brush off the excess salt, spray the sardines lightly with olive oil and lay them in the basket in a single layer.
- Air fry at 200 °C for 8–10 minutes, turning once, until the skin is crisp and blistered.
- Serve each sardine on a slice of bread with the pepper salad and boiled potatoes on the side.
Notes
Tap ingredients and steps to tick them off. Scaling changes the quantities at the start of each line; check the rest by eye.
How to eat them like a Lisboeta
Put a sardine on your bread, pull the fillet off one side with a fork, flip it and lift out the spine. The bread underneath, soaked in sardine juices, is the best bite.
Sardinhas Assadas
sar-DEE-nyash a-SAH-dash
- a sardinhaa sar-DEE-nyasardine
- o pãooo POWNGbread
- o pimentooo pee-MEN-toobell pepper
- o saloo SAHLsalt
What you’ll need
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Ninja Foodi 8 Qt DualZone Air Fryer
Two drawers that finish together: bacalhau in one, batatas a murro in the other. Ideal for Portuguese meals, which are usually a main plus a side.
Tip: Use the sync-finish button so both drawers are ready at the same moment.
Algarve sea salt
Sea salt from the Algarve salt pans, for coarse-salt roasting batatas a murro and for finishing grilled fish.
Tip: A little goes a long way. Use it for finishing, not boiling water.
Bordallo Pinheiro ceramic sardine
Every June, Bordallo Pinheiro asks artists to paint its ceramic sardine for the Lisbon festivals. A small piece of Portugal for a shelf or wall, and a great gift.
Tip: Each design is by a different artist. This one is "10 Springs" by Gonçalo Viana.
Vista Alegre Mar dinner plates, set of 4
Porcelain from Vista Alegre, Portugal's historic porcelain maker since 1824. The Mar (sea) design suits a fish supper.
Tip: A special-occasion set that lasts a lifetime.
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