Brazilian Sardine Pate: Tasty & Easy Spread for Any Occasion

Have some canned fish in your pantry and don’t know what to do with it? Well, you can try this delicious sardine pate directly from my mom’s recipe book!

Our Brazilian recipe for sardine pate

When it comes to Brazilian food, sardine isn’t an ingredient that comes up often. Still, these little fish make not only tasty dishes but also quick ones too.

In Brazil, we serve this sardine spread with loaf bread in birthday parties or just a family reunion.

From my experience, even those who are not big fans of fish love this sardine pate because the herbs and seasoning used blends pretty well with the sardines.

Whenever I have canned sardines lying around the pantry, I make a delicious sardine pie, pasta, cake, eggs, or rice because two cans sardine can quickly transform any dish.

Beyond that, they’re natural sources of marine omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D and make up for delicious dishes and snacks.^[1]

For disclosure: I haven’t tried this pate mixture with fresh sardines yet.

Ways to serve your sardine pate:

• Sardine pate tastes deliciously on pitta toasts.
• You can use it as a spread on a sandwich with tomato paste, lettuce, soft cheese, and cucumber – that’s my favorite.
• In Brazil, we cut a little slice of loaf bread in diagonal so that we have two triangles. Then, we spread a generous portion of this sardine pate and serve in parties, gatherings, or picnics.
• It’s a delicious dinner party starter.
• You can also serve it as a dip for an appetizer with raw vegetable crudites. Still, for dipping, I prefer this sardine dip recipe made with cream cheese.

For a low-fat sardine pate recipe, buy sardine packed in water instead of the oily fish and replace the mayo with Greek yogurt. Then you will have your keto sardine pate. Yes, it is that easy!

Tips for your sardine spread

In this recipe, I simply mash the sardines with a fork, and it turns out a quite fine, soft mixture.

Still, if you prefer a smoother consistency, combine all ingredients mentioned below in a food processor or hand mixer, as you prefer.

How long can you keep this sardine pate?

For up to 3 days in the fridge or a month in the freezer. Be sure to keep it in an air-tight container.

How to make a tasty sardine pate

Remove the sardines from the cans. Using a small, sharp knife, carefully open each one down the belly and back, folding them open to expose the backbone. Remove and discard the bones. Cutaway and discard any tails.

If you prefer, you can use the whole sardines, too. It’s up to you.

Transfer the sardines to a medium bowl and mash them with a fork until it is a smooth paste.

Add the chopped onion, olives, minced chives and coriander, and mix well.

Next, add the lime juice, mayo, and olive oil and mix it well until smooth. For reference, three tablespoons of fresh lime juice are about a lime.

Now, add salt and pepper to taste, give it a final stir, and transfer the sardine pate mixture to a serving dish.

Refrigerate for about an hour and serve it cold–it tastes divine! Don’t forget to use reusable plastic food wrap to cover the serving dish.

Serve your sardine spread on a toast or in a sandwich.

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