Instant Pot Spanish-Style Sardines
Fresh sardines pressure-cook in olive oil with garlic, carrots, and pickles until the bones go tender enough to eat whole. What normally takes hours on the stove is done in about 40 minutes in the Instant Pot, ready for rice or crusty bread.
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 524kcal
Equipment
- 1 Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1½ pound Sardines (cleaned and gutted)
- ½ cup green olives
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed
- ½ cup carrots (sliced round or flower-shaped)
- 3 pieces bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon peppercorns
- 4 pieces bird's eye chilis
- ½ cup sliced pickled cucumber
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon tablesppon white vinegar
- ½ cup water
Instructions
- Add the cleaned sardines (heads and guts removed) to the Instant Pot.1½ pound Sardines (cleaned and gutted)
- Top the sardines with garlic cloves, olives, carrot slices, bay leaves, pickles, salt , peppercorns and optional chili peppers.½ cup green olives, 4 cloves garlic, smashed, ½ cup carrots (sliced round or flower-shaped), 3 pieces bay leaves, 1 tablespoon peppercorns, ½ cup sliced pickled cucumber, 1 teaspoon salt, 4 pieces bird's eye chilis
- Pour in the olive oil, vinegar, and water.1 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon tablesppon white vinegar, ½ cup water
- Close the Instant Pot lid and set the valve to the sealing position. Select the “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” mode and set the timer for 40 minutes on high pressure.
- Once the cooking cycle is complete, allow the pressure to release naturally for about 10 minutes, then carefully turn the valve to the venting position to release any remaining pressure.
- Open the lid and gently transfer the sardines to a serving dish. Let them cool slightly before serving.
Notes
- Fresh sardines work best here, but frozen (thawed) is fine too. Just pat them dry before adding to the pot.
- The bones should be soft enough to eat once cooked. If they're still firm, add 5-10 more minutes and check again.
- No Instant Pot? Use the stovetop method above, it just takes longer.
- Don't skip the natural pressure release. Letting it release too fast can cause the fish to fall apart.
- Store in the fridge for up to a week, or freeze for up to 3 months. This isn't a shelf-stable canning recipe, so skip room-temperature storage.
- Bangus (milkfish) is a solid substitute if you want the more traditional Filipino version of this dish.
Nutrition
Calories: 524kcal | Carbohydrates: 78g | Protein: 17.4g | Fat: 24.3g | Saturated Fat: 4.1g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 6704mg | Potassium: 1084mg | Fiber: 20.4g | Sugar: 4.7g | Calcium: 730mg | Iron: 29mg
