If you’ve been around here a while, you know I think sardines are one of the most underrated foods for women in midlife — and this is the recipe that converts the skeptics. Crisped in the air fryer and finished with a lemony garlic butter sauce, they taste indulgent while quietly doing real work for your body. Sardines are rich in omega-3s that calm the inflammation behind so many midlife aches, the calcium and vitamin D your bones need as estrogen dips, and protein to protect the muscle we lose in our 40s and 50s. Here’s why it works — and how to make it in 15 minutes.
Crispy Sardines in Lemony Garlic Butter
Crispy air-fryer sardines in a lemony garlic butter sauce — an indulgent-tasting, anti-inflammatory dinner rich in omega-3s and protein, ready in 15 minutes.
Ingredients
Method
- Drain the olive oil from both cans of sardines and reserve.
- Place sardines in the air fryer at 400°F for 10 minutes until the skin gets a little crispy.
- While sardines are in the air fryer, melt butter in a small pan.
- Add the reserved sardine oil, garlic, and crushed red pepper. Cook until fragrant.
- Squeeze in the lemon juice and stir.
- Lay fresh lemon slices on a plate as a bed.
- Place crispy sardines on top of the lemon slices.
- Spoon the lemony garlic sauce over the sardines.
- Garnish with fresh parsley and chive. Serve with sourdough bread.
Notes
Jimela’s tip: The sourdough bread is non-negotiable — use it to mop up every last drop of that lemony garlic sauce. Trust me.