Sardines in Spicy Tomato Sauce

Sardines in spicy tomato sauce, fruity and tangy

Nuri sardines in spicy tomato sauce are whole Portuguese sardines in a fruity tomato sauce with olive oil and chili. Fruity, tangy, savory – the Mediterranean favorite from Matosinhos for when you crave something a bit more robust.

Sardines in spicy tomato sauce are whole sardines from the traditional Nuri cannery in Matosinhos, served in a fruity tomato sauce with olive oil and a dash of chili. Tender fish meets sun-ripened tomatoes and a delicate heat – a small Mediterranean dish, ready-made in a tin. Just open, serve on bread, and enjoy. If plain sardines sometimes feel like not enough, you’ll find a complete meal in a tin right here.

Sunny tomato meets delicate heat

The sardines are nestled in a rounded, fruity tomato sauce, to which a pinch of chili adds a warm, spicy note. The sauce here isn't just an accompaniment, but half the pleasure.

First, you taste the sweet ripeness of the tomato and the olive oil beneath it, then the heat kicks in, keeping the flavor vibrant. The tender, buttery fish ties everything together, making the sauce and sardines seem made for each other. Fruity, tangy, savory – that’s the taste of the south on a good day.

A ready-made dish from a tin

Sardines in spicy tomato sauce are almost a small meal in themselves – open the tin, and dinner is essentially served. There is hardly anything more convenient for a quick lunch.

They are heartiest served on toasted bread that soaks up the tomato sauce; add a few herbs and your quick meal is ready. Poured over pasta or rice, the sauce becomes a zesty sugo in which the sardines break apart. If you prefer it mild, try our sardines in tomato sauce; if you are looking for heat in oil, reach for the spicy sardines in olive oil from our Portuguese canned fish collection.

Handcrafted in Matosinhos since 1920

Nuri is part of Conservas Pinhais, founded in 1920 in the fishing port of Matosinhos – one of the few remaining traditional Portuguese canneries that still pack their sardines by hand to this day.

A tin of Nuri goes through a full 37 steps, and almost all of them are performed by hand. Experienced women clean, behead, and carefully pack each sardine before the fruity chili-infused tomato sauce is added. The Nuri brand has existed since 1935, and since 2016, Austrian Jakob Glatz has been leading the traditional company. Legend has it that an Arab trader exclaimed "Nuri!" upon opening a tin – a word meaning light and purity. That is the taste of living artisanal tradition. Highly recommended.

Warm from the pan with an egg

Warming this tin releases its full power – pop the sardines and sauce into a pan for a moment, add an egg, and you have a hearty meal in minutes.

Unopened, the sardines last for years and actually become more rounded in flavor over time. Once opened, store them covered in the fridge, where they will taste even tangier the next day. Keep a small stash in your cupboard, and a warm meal is never far away. Especially when it’s raining outside, a plate like this is wonderfully warming. You can find more from the Nuri range with us, from mild sardines to gift sets.