15 Minute Korean Sardines (with canned fish)

korean sardines on a gray rectangular plate

15 Minute Korean Sardines (with canned fish)

Enjoy canned sardines the Korean way with this easy Korean technique that takes under 15 minutes from start to finish. This makes for a quick side dish or main course (when you have nothing in the fridge). This recipe uses 4 (4.4 oz) tins of sardines, so it can serve 4 as a small appetizer or 2 as a main dish.

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine Korean

Diet Gluten Free, Low Fat, Low Lactose

Keyword one pot

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 7

Servings

Calories 337kcal

Author Agile Test Kitchen

Equipment

1 small to medium saucepan at least 2 qt in size

Ingredients

2 teaspoon cooking oil such as avocado, coconut, or grapeseed
1 .1 lb sardines packed in oil 1.1 lbs is four, 4.4 oz tins of sardines packed in oil. See Note 1 for alternatives.
1 c onion sliced ¼" thick, about 1 small onion
¼ c Korean chili powder See Note 2 about coarse vs. fine chili powder
1 teaspoon minced garlic about 2 small cloves
1 teaspoon fish sauce or soy sauce or liquid aminos
¼ c water
3 ea green onion Cut into 2" long pieces, slice the white part of the onion further into thin strips

Instructions

Heat the saucepan over medium heat.
Add the onion to the pan. Give it a quick stir and let cook for a minute to develop its own flavor. You might not think it helps, but it actually does layer in a different flavor than adding onions into the braise without cooking in oil first.
Add the Korean red chili flakes and garlic to the pan. Stir and cook for about 15-30 seconds.
Gently layer the sardines into the pot, taking care to keep each sardine in tact as much as possible. Also, pour in all the liquid and oil from the tin.
Pour in the water. It should just about cover the fish. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer at a gentle bubble for 5 minutes uncovered. Since the fish is already cooked, you're just trying to infuse it with onion and chili flavor. You also don't want to stir, so you don't break up the fish. During the last minute of cooking, add the green onion strips.
Remove the pot from the heat, and gently spoon the fish onto a serving dish.
Serve with steamed rice and seaweed crisps.

Notes

I prefer using sardines packed in olive oil. However, you can use use sardines packed in water. Just pour in the entire contents of the tin (fish and water) into the pot. This recipe also works really well with canned mackerel instead of sardines.
Korean chili powder comes in coarse or fine texture. Coarse is more common and preferred for this dish, but you can use the fine powder if you have it.
Variation: Add 1 teaspoon of minced ginger for extra freshness. Add thinly sliced carrots and cook with the onion for more vegetables.

Nutrition