In today’s video, I’m sharing one of my favorite ways to turn humble canned sardines into something truly delicious. This special Fish Friday video marathon also features some longtime viewer fish recipe favorites. In addition to watching the video marathon, scroll down and read the blog post for even more background, helpful tips, and links to all the recipes featured in the marathon.
Fish has long been a nourishing part of traditional kitchens, and whether you observe Fish Fridays for religious reasons or simply want to add more seafood to your weekly meals, these recipes are wholesome, affordable, and deeply satisfying.
Affiliates note: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. My content may contain affiliate links to products and services. If you click through and make a purchase, I’ll receive a small commission. It does not affect the price you pay.
Table of Contents
- A Quick Glance: The Best Sardines Recipe and More!
- What Is Fish Friday—and Why It Still Matters
- Why Fish—Especially Fatty Fish—Is So Good for You
- Canned Fish or Tinned Fish?
- The Star of the Show: The Best Canned Sardines Recipe
- An Easy Pantry Favorite: Kipper Snacks
- Fish Friday Favorites: Recipe Video Marathon
- Favorite Brands I Love (Not Sponsored!)
- A Gentle Encouragement For Including Fish In Your Diet
- More Fish Recipes
- The Modern Pioneer Cookbook
- The Modern Pioneer Pantry
- Download Your Free 36-Page Pantry List
- Join the Traditional Foods Kitchen Academy
- Kitchen Academy Videos
- Shop for My Favorite Items
A Quick Glance: The Best Sardines Recipe and More!
- Learn how to make canned sardines taste truly delicious
- Discover why fish—especially fatty fish—is so good for you
- Enjoy a Fish Friday marathon of nourishing, easy-to-make seafood recipes.
- Find recipes using pantry staples like canned sardines, canned salmon, and kippers.
- Explore traditional fish stews, baked salmon, and even fish bone broth.
If you’re short on time, this post gives you everything you need to get inspired and get cooking.
What Is Fish Friday—and Why It Still Matters
Growing up, abstaining from meat on Fridays was simply part of life in our household, not just during Lent but all year long. Fish was often the centerpiece of those meals, prepared simply and shared around the family table.
If the term Lent is unfamiliar to you, it is a season of reflection and preparation observed by many Christians in the weeks leading up to Easter, traditionally marked by simple meals and, on Fridays, abstaining from meat.
Even if you don’t follow this tradition for religious reasons, setting aside one day a week for a fish-based meal is a recommended habit to embrace. It brings variety to your menu, gives your body a nutritional boost, and reconnects us to time-tested food traditions that served previous generations well.
My sweet mom, Gloria, always called fish “brain food,” and she was absolutely right.
Why Fish—Especially Fatty Fish—Is So Good for You
Fish is one of the most nutrient-dense foods you can include in your diet, and fatty fish—like sardines, salmon, mackerel, herring, and anchovies—are especially beneficial.
Key Benefits of Fatty Fish
- Rich in omega-3 fatty acids that support brain and heart health
- A good source of high-quality protein
- Naturally rich in vitamin D, selenium, and iodine
- Budget-friendly and shelf-stable when canned
Canned fish, in particular, is a modern pantry blessing—nutritious, affordable, and ready when you need it.
Canned Fish or Tinned Fish?
You may hear these fishy favorites called canned fish or tinned fish, depending on where you live. Here in the United States, we usually say “canned fish,” while in the United Kingdom and other parts of the world, “tinned fish” is the more common term. Different words, same delicious idea—and no matter what you call it, it’s a pantry staple worth always having on hand!
The Star of the Show: The Best Canned Sardines Recipe
The video marathon begins with my favorite way to prepare canned sardines so that they’re flavorful, satisfying, and anything but boring. This recipe transforms a simple pantry staple into a dish you’ll actually crave.
👉 Featured Recipe
I walk you through the recipe step by step in the video, and in the recipe post, you’ll also find:
- A detailed blog post
- A printable recipe
- Helpful tips for choosing and serving canned sardines
If you have a copy of The Modern Pioneer Cookbook, you’ll also find a similar—but different—canned sardine recipe on page 206.
An Easy Pantry Favorite: Kipper Snacks
If you enjoy sardines, kippers are another excellent canned fish to keep on hand. Kippers, often sold as ‘kipper snacks,’ are whole herring that have been split, lightly salted, and gently smoked, giving them a rich flavor and tender texture. Best of all, they’re incredibly easy to serve right from the can!
👉 Featured Recipe
This link includes a video, blog post, and printable recipe. And if you own The Modern Pioneer Cookbook, you’ll find the kipper recipe on page 203.
Fish Friday Favorites: Recipe Video Marathon
In this special Fish Friday video marathon, I included some longtime favorite recipes for you—perfect for Lent, Fridays, or anytime you want a nourishing seafood meal. With this marathon, you’ll have all the videos in one place! Each recipe includes detailed instructions and is designed to be approachable for home cooks of all skill levels.
Canned Fish & Comfort Classics
Traditional Fish Stews
Easy, Everyday Fish Meals
Traditional Nourishment
Favorite Brands I Love (Not Sponsored!)
Here are some fish brands that I enjoy with discount codes for my sweet friends. (Note: This is not a sponsored post. I want to let you know about products from companies that I use in my traditional foods kitchen.)
Fishwife
I love Fishwife’s thoughtfully sourced seafood, including their sardines, and appreciate the care they put into both quality and flavor.
Northwest Wild Foods
I enjoy Northwest Wild Foods for their delicious wild Alaskan King Salmon, Halibut, Cod, and more. If you’re not sure what to get, try their Wild Alaskan Seafood Sampler or Wild Alaskan White Fish Sampler Pack.
- Northwest Wild Foods for a variety of raw, healthy, and natural foods (NEW: Use promocode Marysnest2026 for 10% off.)
Vital Choice
I also enjoy fresh seafood from Vital Choice. And if you’ve seen my Baked Salmon Recipe – How to Make the Most of Your Sheet Pan Suppers recipe video, I show you how to bake a whole salmon filet from Vital Choice.
A Gentle Encouragement For Including Fish In Your Diet
Whether you observe Fish Fridays as a spiritual practice, a nod to tradition, or simply as a healthy habit, I hope these recipes encourage you to enjoy fish more often and feel confident cooking it at home.
Sometimes the most nourishing meals come from the simplest ingredients—and from traditions lovingly passed down to us from our ancestors.
More Fish Recipes
Baked Salmon Recipe – How to Make the Most of Your Sheet Pan Suppers
This recipe comes together in minutes with a side of salmon and a few simple seasonal ingredients.
How to Make an Easy Meal with Kipper Snacks
Not sure what to do with all the tinned fish in your pantry? Discover this tasty and nutrient-dense kipper recipe.
How to Make Tuna Boat Surprise Using Canned Tuna
Make this School Lunch Favorite loved by young and old alike!
Order YOUR COPY Now!
The Modern Pioneer Cookbook
Seasonal ingredients, traditional techniques, and nourishing recipes. Over 85 traditional, from-scratch recipes! Discover for yourself how you can use simple ingredients and traditional techniques to cook the modern pioneer way.
Order YOUR COPY Now!
The Modern Pioneer Pantry
Simple ingredients, timeless techniques, and a well-stocked pantry. Discover over 100 nourishing recipes to preserve food and turn pantry staples into homemade meals. Build a wholesome, traditional pantry—just like a modern pioneer!
Start Your Traditional Foods Journey
Sharing my passion for traditional cooking goes beyond my YouTube cooking school—it also comes to life in the pages of my cookbooks. Both of my books, The Modern Pioneer Cookbook and The Modern Pioneer Pantry, are proudly published by Penguin Random House.
The first is filled with time-honored recipes to help you create a traditional foods kitchen, while the second is your complete guide to home food preservation. Order both books today to start or continue your traditional foods journey.
Download Your Free 36-Page Pantry List
For an extensive list of the traditional foods you can make and purchase to stock your pantry, be sure to download my free 36-page Traditional Foods Pantry List. This comprehensive eBook is full of links to recipe videos, helpful articles, and more!
Join the Traditional Foods Kitchen Academy
Are you looking for more traditional foods videos? If so, I invite you to join the Traditional Foods Kitchen Academy. Members of this optional paid YouTube community get access to exclusive videos and other members-only perks. Plus, your YouTube comments include a special members-only badge.
Kitchen Academy Videos
The Gentle Power of Fermented Beverages—All Year Long
Learn how fermented beverages gently support digestion year-round, shifting with the seasons to nourish the gut through traditional, living drinks.
How to Make Oatmeal Higher in Protein (The Old-Fashioned Way)
Turn simple oats into a hearty, protein-rich porridge.
The Only Traditional Recipes You’ll Ever Need!
Focus on traditional recipes with real food. Don’t chase trends.
Stay in Touch with Mary’s Nest
- Subscribe to My YouTube Channel for Traditional Foods Videos (Free) - When you subscribe, be sure to click on the notification bell that will let you know each time I upload a new video.
- Subscribe to Mary’s Traditional Foods Newsletter (Free) - Get a free 36-page eBook for signing up: How to Stock Your Essential Traditional Foods Four-Corners Pantry.
- Join the Traditional Foods Kitchen Academy - For more detailed videos and exclusive members-only perks, join my YouTube membership community.
- Order The Modern Pioneer Cookbook - Get a hardcover book of Mary's nourishing recipes from a Traditional Foods Kitchen. This bestselling cookbook is published by Penguin Random House with their DK imprint.
- Order The Modern Pioneer Pantry - Get Mary's latest hardcover cookbook about preserving food and making delicious meals from your Four Corners Pantry. Mary's second cookbook is also published by Penguin Random House.
I look forward to having you join me in my Texas Hill Country Kitchen!
Shop for My Favorite Items
Favorite Kitchen Supplies
- Favorite Aprons
- Spice Grinder
- Countertop Burner (On my kitchen island in many recipe videos.)
- Handheld Vacuum Sealing System
- Vacuum Lids
- Whisk
- Silica Gel Packets (Helps keep moisture from building up in your mix)
- Cast Iron Dutch Oven
- 8-Quart Slow-Cooker
- Fat Separator (Clever kitchen device to help you decant bone broth)
- Flour Sack Towels
- pH Strips (Helps you check on the acidity of your vinegar)
Amazon Shop and Shopping Guide
- Visit Mary’s Nest Amazon Shop
- Get a 30-day Audible trial with a free audiobook
- Visit my Shopping Guide page
Get up to 15% off for stocking your Traditional Foods Pantry and equipping your Modern Pioneer Kitchen, including discounts from US Wellness Meats, Farmhouse Teas, Backwoods Home, Masontops, Cultures for Health, Survival Garden Seeds, Redmond Real Salt, and More!
