How Sardines and Anchovies Are Different—and When to Use Each

Anchovies and sardines are both small fish that swim in the same oceans and are most often found next to each other in the canned fish section of the grocery store. Both of these oily fish are delicious, healthy, and convenient, but they're very different in terms of flavor, nutrition, and processing. Before using sardines and anchovies interchangeably in recipes, it's important to know what sets them apart. We consulted experts to find out.

What Are Sardines?

Sardines are a type of oily fish and are typically larger than anchovies, with slightly thicker bones and a flaky texture. They are rich in flavor with a salty taste that resembles tuna, says Shannon Daily, marketing director of sustainable canned seafood purveyor Wild Planet Foods. The small fish is typically beheaded, gently cooked, and packed into tins with oil. Sardines are high in protein, vitamin D, and omega-3 fatty acids.

How to Buy Sardines

When canned, sardines' texture and flavor are preserved, say Joshua Scherz, the founder of BELA Sustainable Seafood. What's inside the can matters, though. His company, BELA, was the first to pack sardines in extra virgin olive oil, and now you can find many high-quality brands packed that way. While you can also find sardines packed in water, the oil is a better preservative; water-packed products are much less popular and break down faster.

Pay attention to where your sardines are packed, too. BELA offers regular canned sardines and in sauces from Portugal, a country with a long seafaring and canning history. Not only is the fishery sustainable, but Portugal has an upper hand on human rights issues regarding fishing and production, says Scherz. Wild Planet Foods' sardines are harvested from the North Pacific Ocean and from well-managed fisheries in Japan that are also sustainable.

How to Serve Sardines

Canned sardines have increased in popularity in recent years. And while they typically haven't been a mainstay on restaurant menus, they are now—especially on trendy "sea-curterie" boards. As for other ways to serve them at home? "Sardines are terrific with pasta, especially with fresh fennel, pine nuts, bread crumbs, and white wine," says chef and author Mark Bittman, editor-in-chief of The Bittman Project and the host of Food with Mark Bittman.

Or use the fish as a sandwich or salad topping—and don't forget to put the oil to use, too. "In order to minimize food waste, don't drain the oil—use it along with lemon juice to make a tasty dressing," says Toby Amidor, MS, RD, CDN, FAND, nutrition expert and the author of Create Your Plate Diabetes Meal Prep Cookbook. "Just pour the oil over the salad and squeeze a lemon half."

What Are Anchovies?

Like sardines, anchovies are small, oily fish native to the Mediterranean. Compared to sardines, anchovies are smaller and thinner. Though there are many different species of anchovies, most of the anchovies you find in the grocery store have been processed in the same way. "They're usually cured in salt for several months, and then rinsed, filleted, and packed in oil (but never cooked)," says Anna Hezel, writer, editor, and author of the tinned fish cookbook, Tin to Table. "This salt curing process gives them that intense salinity and umami flavor, and that texture that dissolves in hot oil."

How to Buy Anchovies

If you're buying canned anchovies in oil, make sure they're packaged in olive oil as it's an essential part of the flavor. Also look for anchovies that are on the larger side. "Small pieces, or thin, meager fillets are signs of inferior quality," says Bittman.

While packaged anchovies are typically brown fillets—a color they get from the brining process—this isn't always the case. Wild Planet Foods offers wild white anchovies, which are silver with creamy-white flesh. Known as "boquerones" in Spain, these marinated fillets, sustainably harvested from the Atlantic Ocean, are packed fresh to retain their natural white color, and are delicately textured as a result. They have a clean, mild flavor and are only lightly salted.

How to Serve Anchovies

While Caesar salads and pizzas come to mind first, anchovies can also be cooked in oil until they melt to develop a toasty umami flavor in sauces. But you can also serve these oily fish simply. "Good anchovies can be served plain, on a plate, with just a drizzle of olive oil or even a little butter, and bread or toast," says Bittman. "That's classic and it doesn't get any better."

They're also the secret to a perfect vinaigrette. Make a tangy dressing with olive oil, lemon juice or vinegar, garlic, and a couple of anchovies, says Bittman.

Anchovies vs. Sardines

Although they're both small oily fish, the key difference between anchovies and sardines is how they're processed, which gives them distinctively different flavors. Sardines are typically gently cooked and canned, whereas anchovies are salted and cured before they are canned or jarred—or, in Asian countries, dried. Both fish can be grilled or fried when fresh.

Can You Use Anchovies and Sardines Interchangeably?

Anchovies and sardines generally aren't interchangeable. "Since most grocery store canned sardines are cooked and packed in oil (as opposed to the anchovies, which have been cured in salt for a long time), I wouldn't recommend using these products interchangeably," says Hezel. "Swapping one for the other could lead to a sandwich that's way too salty, or a bagna càuda that's missing its signature backbone of umami warmth."

Despite this, you can serve sardines and anchovies in a similar fashion: "Canned or jarred sardines and anchovies taste great over a salad or in a warm bowl with whole grains and greens, like sautéed kale or spinach," says Amidor.