Sardines on toast is one of my favorite ways to get protein in, whether for lunch or as an appetizer for a dinner party! This sardine toast with garlic confit is elevated by the creamy, herby, garlic confit - slow roasted with rosemary, sage, and thyme until the cloves turn buttery and spreadable and burst out at the slightest squeeze. It's savory, flavorful, and deeply satisfying and the oil is something you'll want to drizzle on everything to zhuzh it up a bit!
If you're a huge tinned fish lover like me, you'll have to check out my mango tuna ceviche and my bbq tinned tuna sandwich!
What is sardine toast?
Sardine toast is crispy bread topped with canned sardines, aromatics, oils or other seasonings. It has been a staple across Europe, especially in Portugal and along the Mediterranean, for the longest of times. Sardines (and tinned fish in general) have finally gotten the love the deserve in the U.S., largely thanks to the tinned fish trend that has been taking over social media. #tinnedfishdinner is a big contributor to the trendy tinned fish hype and you can actually go here to see the Tinned Fish Dinner I hosted last summer)!
This sardine toast leans into the crostini format but is delicious on big or small pieces of bread! This toast is far from boring - it's smothered in garlic confit, topped with blistered cherry tomatoes, sliced red onion, perfectly portioned sardines and drizzled with the garlic oil and garnished with fried rosemary bits for the most visual appeal. It's stunning to look at, even for the tinned fish hater.
Why you'll love this sardine toast with garlic confit
- Simple to make, yet so flavorful!
- Higher in protein and omega-3s than your ordinary toast
- Perfect for one or to feed a crowd
- Budget friendly!
Jump to:
Ingredients
Garlic confit
- Olive oil: Use a high quality olive oil! I love Kosterina, Graza, Brightland, La Tourangelle to name a few.
- Whole head of garlic: Cook it whole in the oil to infuse it.
- Rosemary: Adds that piney fragrance to the oil.
- Sage: Earthy and slightly floral to round out the herb blend.
- Thyme: A classic pairing with sardines and garlic!
Toast
- Baguette: Cut into ½ inch thick slices.
- Tinned sardines: Look for high quality sardines packed in olive oil rather than water or vegetable oil. King Oscar and Wild Planet are a couple of my favorites.
- Cherry tomatoes: They get blistered in the garlic herb oil until bursting and jammy.
- Red onion: Adds a sharp and crunchy contrast to the soft tomatoes and rich sardines.
- Garlic herb oil: From the garlic confit. The more the merrier!
- Rosemary: Fried in the garlic oil until crispy and makes a beautiful garnish.
- Flaky sea salt: The finishing touch that makes every ingredient pop! Maldon sea salt flakes are my go to but any fleur de sel will do.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make Sardine Toast with Garlic Confit
- Step 1: In a small oven-safe dish, add the thyme, rosemary, sage, and whole head of peeled garlic. Pour in the olive oil, making sure the herbs are submerged. Cover and bake at 250°F for 45–60 minutes, until the garlic cloves are completely soft and tender when pierced with a knife. Let cool slightly before handling. Reserve all of the herb-infused oil — this is your garlic herb oil and you'll use it throughout the rest of the recipe.
- Step 2: Heat a pan over medium heat and add 3 tablespoons of the garlic herb oil. Add the rosemary needles and fry for 1–2 minutes until crispy and fragrant. Remove them onto a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.
- Step 3: In the same pan with the remaining oil, add the cherry tomatoes. Cook on low heat, basting them with the garlic oil and turning occasionally, until the skins blister and the tomatoes start to collapse and soften — about 8–10 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- Step 4: Arrange sliced baguette in a single layer on a baking sheet. Squeeze the softened garlic cloves out of the head and spread them across each bread slice, using a knife or the back of a spoon to smear evenly — be generous here. Drizzle each slice with a little garlic herb oil. Bake at 400°F for about 5 minutes, or until the edges are golden and crisp.
- Step 5: To assemble, place a blistered tomato on each crostini and gently press down to flatten it slightly, letting the juices soak into the bread. Add a few slices of red onion on top. Carefully place a piece of sardine on top of the onion and tomato. Finish with a few crispy fried rosemary needles, a drizzle of garlic herb oil, and a pinch of flaky sea salt. Serve immediately.
Top tip
Don't rush the garlic confit - low and slow is the move. Use the garlic herb oil generously - it's infused with the flavor of the herbs and garlic! Baste the tomatoes while blistering - Blistering the tomatoes while basting them in the garlic herb oil gives you jammy and flavorful concentrated tomatoes.
Substitutions for Sardine toast
Bread alternatives
- Sourdough - A chewier, more substantial base with more surface area and tang.
- Ciabatta - Airy, light, and crustier!
Fish swaps
- Smoked salmon - A more approachable swap.
- Canned mackerel - Less fishy than sardines with a robust and buttery flavor.
Storing Sardine Toast
Assembled toasts are best eaten immediately. They soften quickly once the tomatoes and garlic confit are on top and don't particularly store or reheat well.
However, all the components can be made ahead of time.
- Store garlic confit and herb oil in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Store blistered tomatoes in an airtight container for up to 3 days. To reheat, gently warm in a pan before assembling.
- Store opened canned sardines in an airtight container and eat within 1-2 days.
- Toast fresh bread and fry rosemary when serving.
FAQ
Sardines packed in extra virgin olive oil are mild, rich, and savory with a slight fish flavor. When paired with garlic confit, blistered tomatoes, red onion and a garlic herb oil, the fishy flavor becomes even more mild, as the other flavors balance it out.
Yes! Garlic confit can be made ahead of time. The garlic confit improves over a day or two as the flavors meld more. Double the batch and make it at the beginning of the week and add it to your sandwiches, pastas, and really anything you eat throughout the week.
Look for sardines packed in extra virgin olive oil as opposed to water or vegetable or canola oil. The flavor and texture are noticeably better. Quality brands like King Oscar, Matiz, Wild Planet or any wild-caught fish are great options.
Other recipes to try:
- Easy high protein sardine shakshuka
- Vietnamese caramelized shrimp
- Thai style shrimp cocktail
- Crispy air fryer coconut shrimp
Sardine Toast with Garlic Confit
Ingredients
Garlic Confit
- ½ cup olive oil
- 2 sprigs of rosemary
- 3-4 sage leaves
- 1 small bunch of thyme
- 1 garlic head
Toast
- 1 baguette or loaf of bread sliced
- 1 tin of Sardines in Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 10 oz cherry tomatoes
- ⅛ red onion thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoon garlic herb oil from garlic confit
- 2-3 sprigs of rosemary needles removed
- flaky sea salt
Instructions
- In an oven safe dish, add your thyme, rosemary, sage, garlic, and olive oil. Cover and bake at 250F for 45-60 minutes or until garlic is soft and tender.
- In a pan, add 3 tablespoon of the garlic herb oil from the garlic confit. Add rosemary leaves and fry until crispy. Remove onto a paper towel lined plate.
- In the same pan, add your tomatoes. Sauté and baste them with the garlic oil on low until the tomatoes blister and soften. Remove and set aside.
- On a baking sheet, add your sliced baguette. Add your confit garlic to each slice, spreading evenly. Drizzle with a little bit of the garlic herb oil and bake at 400F for 5 minutes or until toasted.
- Open your tin of sardines and carefully cut each sardine in half lengthwise and crosswise.
- To assemble, add the blistered tomatoes on each slice, gently flattening them. Add the thinly sliced red onions on top. Carefully place each sardine slice on top of the onions and tomatoes. Top with fried rosemary, a drizzle of garlic herb oil, and flaky sea salt.
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