We Taste-Tested 17 Brands of Canned Sardines—Our Winner May Surprise You

I always keep a dozen kinds of tinned fish at home. This humble pantry staple is the ultimate shortcut for speedy, satisfying meals on busy days. All I have to do is crack open a can, assemble a few vegetables and grains, and I have a delicious meal.

But these days, walking into the canned goods aisle of a grocery store can feel quite overwhelming. There are many canned fish options to choose from: anchovies, tuna, salmon, and mackerel, all available packed in olive oil, along with many fun flavors, such as spicy piri-piri and tangy preserved lemon. Canned sardines are my favorite for their flakiness, rich but mild flavor, and substantial size. I love eating them on their own or with simple salted crackers or baguette slices. They’re also delicious with charred vegetables, on salads, and tucked into sandwiches.

To find the very best canned sardines, our editors sampled 17 different brands that you’re likely to find at your local grocery store or online. We stuck to sardines submerged in olive oil, although some brands had natural smoke as an ingredient. We opened each tin, placed the fillets into bowls, then sampled them in random order without knowing which brand was which. After snacking our way through many, many sardines, we tabulated the results and crowned an overall winner, as well as four worthy contenders that we’d be happy to eat anytime we want a quick, delicious, and protein-packed meal.

The Criteria

Great canned sardines should be tender, meaty, and succulent. They should be well-seasoned: Though a touch of salt is welcome, it should not taste like the ocean. Each sardine fillet should hold its shape and flake apart into nice, sizable chunks (not turn to mush). Because the quality of both the fish and the olive oil affects the overall flavor of the canned fish, the sardines and oil used should be of high quality. The oil should not taste rancid, bitter, or sour, and the sardines should be pleasantly fishy, but not excessively so.

Overall Winner

Patagonia Provisions Sardines in Olive Oil

These canned sardines were the overwhelming favorite. “Delicious, mildly smoky. No complaints,” wrote our editorial director, Daniel, who gave top marks across the board for flavor and texture. Our associate culinary editor, Laila, was equally enthusiastic about these and enjoyed the assertive, fishy flavors and the lingering smoky finish. She exclaimed: “LOVE THESE SO MUCH!” Both our associate visuals director, Amanda, and our senior editor, Genevieve, dubbed the flavor of these as “nice,” which is high praise in our taste test world. Meanwhile, our associate editorial director, Megan, who once ordered two cases of sardines by mistake but actually managed to eat (and enjoy) them all, said these would be her new go-to. However, our visuals editor, Jessie, thought they were a bit on the salty side.

Runners-Up

• Ati Manal Sardines in Olive Oil
• Trader Joe’s Sardines in Olive Oil Wth Smoked Flavor
• Jose Gourmet Sardines in Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Season Premium Brisling Sardines in Olive Oil

Though our editors didn’t enjoy these canned sardines quite as much as our winner, they still thought the four above were very good and would be happy to eat them on their own or serve them with bread and crudités at a dinner party.

Everyone praised the flavor of Ati Manal Sardines in Olive Oilwhich was nicely fishy and extra savory. The texture, however, divided some of our editors. Laila enjoyed the “buttery” texture of the sardines, and Genevieve thought they were tender and flaky. Daniel and Amanda, however, thought they seemed a touch too dry.

Laila enjoyed Trader Joe’s Sardines in Olive Oil With Smoked Flavor for its meaty texture and savoriness: “The seasoning is spot-on—salty enough to amplify the fish’s natural flavor.” Jessie thought these had a subtler flavor compared to other brands, making it a suitable choice for those trying tinned sardines for the first time or those who prefer canned fish on the mild side. Some of the fillets had tiny bones; while this is typical for many brands, Amanda didn’t appreciate having to pick them out and would have preferred a smooth, boneless fillet.

Another staff favorite was Jose Gourmet Sardines in Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, which leans heavily on the olive oil notes. Both Genevieve and Daniel found the flavor of the olive oil a bit strong, but didn’t mind, as it tasted like high-quality oil to them. Though Jessie would have preferred more tender fillets, they still liked the overall flavor of the fish.

Our editors appreciated the mild and mellow flavors in Season Brisling Sardines in Extra-Virgin Olive Oil. “The olive oil has a strong presence, which I like since it adds richness and depth,” Laila noted. Like Laila, Amanda thought the fish were pleasantly buttery. The texture of the sardines, however, was up for debate. While Jessie thought the fillets were nicely tender, Genevieve and Daniel found the fish a bit too mushy.

The Contenders

1. Ati Manal Sardines in Olive Oil
2. Bar Harbor Wild Petite Sardines in Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
3. BELA Lightly Smoked Sardines in Olive Oil
4. Brunswick Boneless Butterflied Sardine Fillets
5. Gonsalves Sadines in Olive Oil
6. Henry & Lisa’s Wild Sardines In Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
7. Jose Gourmet Sardines in Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
8. King Oscar Wild Caught Sardines in Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
9. Maria Organic Sardines in Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
10. Mina Sardines in Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
11. Ortiz Sardines in Olive Oil
12. Patagonia Provisions Sardines in Olive Oil
13. Regalis Large Sardines in Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
14. Sea Tales Pilchard Sardines in Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
15. Season Premium Brisling Sardines in Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
16. Trader Joe’s Lightly Smoked Sardines in Olive Oil
17. Wild Planet Wild Sardines in Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

Key Takeaways and Conclusion

We enjoyed many of the canned sardines we tried, especially those packed in extra-virgin olive oil. Most premium brands use extra-virgin olive oil, which is mechanically pressed from ripe olives without high heat or chemical solvents. Extra-virgin olive oil typically has a strong flavor, and some have grassy, peppery notes that can overwhelm the fish. If you prefer sardines with a stronger fish flavor over those with extra-virgin olive oil, you might be better off selecting fish submerged in regular olive oil. Our winner and two runners-up sell their fish in extra-virgin—instead of regular—olive oil. Our winner, Patagonia Provisions Sardines in Olive Oil, contains only three ingredients: extra-virgin olive oil, sardines, and salt.

Some brands, including Trader Joe’s, add “smoked flavor” or natural flavors to enhance the flavor of the sardines. Our editors didn’t think the added flavors made the sardines any tastier; more important was the quality of the fish and olive oil used.

Many sardines are sold with their skin and bones intact since the high pressure and heat of the canning process soften the bones, making them easy to chew. While the bones don’t necessarily alter the final product’s flavor, they can add a slight grittiness that some people don’t like. (Our editors personally didn’t mind them.) Our overall winner from Patagonia and all four of our runners-up use sardines packed bone-in and skin-on.

Our editors found that small, young sardines were typically more tender, while large fillets—which come from more mature fish—tended to be a touch too dry for our taste. Surprisingly, the most expensive tins we sampled—Ati Manal Sardines in Olive Oil and Jose Gourmet Sardines in Extra-Virgin Olive Oil—fell into this category. Both were delicious, but were a bit drier than the other contenders. If dryness is an issue, we recommend adding a splash of extra-virgin olive oil, from either the can or a bottle, for additional moisture and richness.

Our Testing Methodology

All taste tests are conducted with brands completely hidden and without discussion. Tasters taste samples in random order. For example, taster A may taste sample one first, while taster B will taste sample six first. This is to prevent palate fatigue from unfairly giving any one sample an advantage. Tasters are asked to fill out tasting sheets, ranking the samples according to various criteria. All data is tabulated, and results are calculated with no editorial input to provide the most impartial representation of actual results possible.