# The 6 Best Sardines on Amazon in 2026 > Best sardines in 2026: sardines in olive oil, soybean oil and water, a Portuguese variety pack and smoked brisling sardines in jars. Guide: https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/best-sardines/ · Updated 2026-09-29 · By TwelveTabs · Search it live: https://twelvetabs.com/?q=best%20sardines&guide=best-sardines As an Amazon Associate we may earn from qualifying purchases. Our picks are independently researched, written by TwelveTabs AI and never sponsored. Prices and ratings change often: see the guide for today's. ## The top picks - **Meaty, scale-free sardines in olive oil:** Wild Planet Wild Sardines in EVOO and Sea Salt, 4.4 oz, 12 Pack. Wild-caught, scale-free sardines with skin and bones, packed in extra virgin olive oil and sea salt with a convenient pull tab, from the North Pacific. - **Everyday sardines for toast, crackers and pasta:** Brunswick Sardines in Soybean Oil, 3.75 oz, 12 Pack. Wild-caught sardines in soybean oil, a shelf-stable pantry staple in a 12-can case, with 14 g of protein per 3.75 oz can, per its listing. - **Small, mild brisling sardines:** King Oscar Brisling Sardines in Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 3.75 oz, 12 Pack. Brisling sardines, among the smallest fish used for sardines, packed in extra virgin olive oil with a light flavor and delicate texture, in a case of 12 cans. - **Trying different Portuguese flavors:** NURI Portuguese Sardines Variety Pack, 4 Pack Bundle. A bundle of four cans, one of each, of Portuguese sardines from a cannery working since 1920, including sardines in pure olive oil and spiced versions. - **Smoked brisling sardines in jars:** MW Polar Alder Wood Smoked Brisling Sardines in Olive Oil, 9.5 oz Jar, 6 Pack. Wild-caught brisling sardines from the Baltic Sea, smoked over real alder wood and packed in olive oil in 9.5 oz glass jars, in a pack of six. - **Water-packed sardines with no salt added:** Wild Planet Wild Sardines in Water, No Salt Added, 4.4 oz, 12 Pack. Wild-caught, scale-free sardines packed in water with no salt added, listed with 18 g of protein and 70% of the daily value of vitamin D per 3 oz serving. Our top pick is the **[Wild Planet in olive oil](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/best-sardines/#pick-1)**, a scale-free, skin-on sardine in olive oil. We read 120 Amazon search cards for “sardines”, set aside mackerel, tuna and other tinned fish, and compared 10 finalists. Sardines vary by packing liquid, size and how they are cooked, so we picked six for different tastes. For everyday toast and crackers, the [Brunswick Sardines in Soybean Oil](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/best-sardines/#pick-2) is Wirecutter's budget pick. The [King Oscar in olive oil](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/best-sardines/#pick-3) is a small, mild brisling sardine, and the [NURI Portuguese Sardines Variety Pack](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/best-sardines/#pick-4) is a sampler of four Portuguese cans. For smoke, the [MW Polar Smoked Brisling](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/best-sardines/#pick-5) comes in glass jars, and for no added salt, the [Wild Planet in water](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/best-sardines/#pick-6) is packed in water. For crackers to serve alongside, see our [guide to crackers for dip](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/best-crackers-for-dip/). For another tinned fish, see our [guide to anchovies](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/best-anchovies/). ## How to choose sardines The tin looks the same, but the fish inside differ. These are the choices that matter. - **What they are packed in.** Wirecutter's picks are mostly in olive oil. It says the soybean oil in its budget pick is more neutral than olive oil, and the sardines still tasted good. Water packs have no oil to sop up, and some have no salt added. - **Skin and bones.** Chowhound says a sardine's skin is tender, delicious and safe to eat. It found a boneless, skinless brand noticeably lacking in flavor and texture, closer to an unseasoned can of tuna. - **Salt.** Saltiness varies a lot. Chowhound found one well-known brand under-salted, and Wirecutter's tasters found some brands oversalted and others underseasoned. A no-salt-added tin lets you decide. - **Size and type.** Brisling are among the smallest fish used for sardines. Wirecutter notes that big, plump sardines are almost a main course, and that young pilchards run smaller. - **Texture.** Wirecutter calls its budget pick soft but says the fish held together, and Chowhound praises fish that come out of the tin without crumbling. - **Sustainability.** Wirecutter says to look for certification from the Marine Stewardship Council or Friend of the Sea, and that a brand without it is not necessarily unsustainable. ## Our picks in detail ### 1. Wild Planet Wild Sardines in EVOO and Sea Salt: best a scale-free, skin-on olive oil sardine **Why it made the list** - Its listing calls them meaty and tender, with the scales removed so the dark skin shows. - They are packed in extra virgin olive oil, with a light smoky flavor and a pull tab. - One 3 oz serving lists 18 g of protein and 1,800 mg of EPA and DHA omega-3s, per its listing. - They are non-GMO verified, gluten-free, kosher and from the North Pacific, and the listing says they are caught with selective harvesting methods to reduce bycatch. - Chowhound ranks Wild Planet's sardines in olive oil fifth of nine brands and describes a delicious, meaty bite and a hearty texture. **Drawbacks** - Chowhound found them surprisingly under-salted, so a bit bland straight from the tin. - The cans are 4.4 oz, so a 12-pack is a lot of small tins. **Skip it if** you like a salty, assertively flavored sardine straight from the tin. ### 2. Brunswick Sardines in Soybean Oil: best everyday sardines for toast and crackers **Why it made the list** - Wirecutter names this its budget pick, the most impressive of the supermarket brands it tried, and says they beat many premium tins. Wirecutter's own Amazon link goes to a different listing than this 12-pack. - Wirecutter describes tidy, intact fish in a translucent oil with a sweet, salty and fresh flavor touched with smoke, from the Baltic Sea. - Its listing says each 3.75 oz can has 14 g of protein and that it is gluten free, keto and paleo friendly and kosher certified. - The listing calls them shelf-stable and ready to eat with no prep, no thawing and no refrigeration. - Chowhound ranks a Brunswick brisling sardine first of nine brands. **Drawbacks** - Wirecutter found the texture on the softer side, though the fish held their shape when speared with a fork. - They are packed in soybean oil, which Wirecutter says is more neutral than olive oil. It thought that might be a drawback, but found the sardines did not suffer. **Skip it if** you want olive oil, or a firm, meaty sardine. ### 3. King Oscar Brisling Sardines in Extra Virgin Olive Oil: best small, mild brisling sardines **Why it made the list** - Its listing says these brisling are world-famous for their dainty size, delicate texture and light flavor. - The ingredients are brisling sardines, olive oil and salt, from Poland. - Chowhound ranks King Oscar fourth of nine brands and calls it an excellent middle ground: the fish come out of the tin without crumbling, with no harsh smells or sogginess and fresh, aromatic olive oil. **Drawbacks** - Chowhound says it is a good sardine but not a great one, and that a few brands simply tasted better. - The cans are 3.75 oz, smaller than the 4.4 oz tins of the Wild Planet picks. **Skip it if** you want a large, meaty sardine. ### 4. NURI Portuguese Sardines Variety Pack: best trying Portuguese flavors **Why it made the list** - Its listing says the bundle has one can of each of four Nuri sardines, including sardines in pure olive oil. - The sardines are described as handcrafted, using vapor pre-cooking and careful manual preparation, by a Portuguese cannery working since 1920. - The ingredients are sardines, olive oil, salt and other natural ingredients, wild caught with no preservatives or additives, per its listing. **Drawbacks** - It is one can of each, so you cannot stock up on a favorite from this listing. - Four cans are a sampler, not a pantry stock (our inference from the pack size). **Skip it if** you want a full case of one kind of sardine. ### 5. MW Polar Alder Wood Smoked Brisling Sardines: best smoked sardines in jars **Why it made the list** - Its listing says they are naturally smoked the traditional way with real wood, not artificial smoke flavor. - They are brisling sardines wild-caught in the cold Baltic Sea off the coast of Latvia. - They are hand-packed in olive oil, ready to eat, and suggested for snacks, appetizers and tapas. - Wirecutter also recommends smoked sardines from other brands for people who like smoke, and describes a campfire-like flavor. **Drawbacks** - Glass jars are heavier than tins and can break in shipping (our inference from the packaging). - A 9.5 oz jar is a lot of sardines for one snack, so plan to finish it within a few days once open (our inference). **Skip it if** you do not like a smoky flavor, or want single-serve tins. ### 6. Wild Planet Wild Sardines in Water, No Salt Added: best no salt added, water packed **Why it made the list** - Its listing says they are packed in water with no salt added, and are meaty, scale-free and tender. - One 3 oz serving lists 18 g of protein, 1,800 mg of EPA and DHA omega-3s and 70% of the daily value of vitamin D. - They are non-GMO verified, gluten-free and OU Kosher Pareve, with a pull tab, from the North Pacific. - A no-salt-added tin lets you season to taste, and both Chowhound and Wirecutter find that saltiness varies a lot between brands. **Drawbacks** - With no salt added, they will taste plain unless you season them (our inference), and Chowhound found even the olive oil version of this brand under-salted. - A water pack has no oil to sop up with bread (our inference from the packing). **Skip it if** you want a rich, salty sardine straight from the tin. ## What we left out, and why We read 120 search cards, 108 different products, and the pages of 10 finalists. We kept six and left out: - **Season Sardines in Olive Oil.** Another olive oil case doing the same job as pick 3. - **Matiz Sardines in Olive Oil.** A Spanish olive oil pack that overlaps with pick 3. - **Beach Cliff Wild Caught Sardines in Water.** Amazon's own summary of its reviews raises an authenticity concern, that the fish are sprats and not sardines. - **Chicken of the Sea Sardines in Water.** A single can, and Chowhound ranks the brand last of nine. Amazon's results for “sardines” also mixed in mackerel, tuna, salmon, herring and kipper cards, and a sponsored King Oscar mackerel in the first position. We kept only products titled as sardines. Wirecutter's top pick is Açôr Sardines in Olive Oil. It did not appear in our Amazon search, so there is no Wirecutter pick in the comparison table. Wirecutter's budget pick is our [Brunswick Sardines in Soybean Oil](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/best-sardines/#pick-2). ## Questions people ask ### What is the best brand of sardines? It depends on taste. Wirecutter picks Açôr, Donostia and Patagonia Provisions for flavor, none of which appeared in our Amazon search. On Amazon, the [Wild Planet in olive oil](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/best-sardines/#pick-1) is our pick for a meaty olive oil sardine, and the [Brunswick Sardines in Soybean Oil](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/best-sardines/#pick-2) is Wirecutter's budget pick. ### Are sardines in olive oil or water better? Olive oil adds richness, and Wirecutter's picks are mostly packed in it. Water packs like the [Wild Planet in water](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/best-sardines/#pick-6) are plainer and let you control the salt. ### Can you eat the skin of a sardine? Chowhound says a sardine's skin is tender, delicious and safe to eat, and that a skinless, boneless sardine loses flavor and texture. ### What is a brisling sardine? A brisling is a small fish sold as a sardine. The [King Oscar in olive oil](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/best-sardines/#pick-3) and the [MW Polar Smoked Brisling](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/best-sardines/#pick-5) are both brisling. ### How did TwelveTabs choose these sardines? TwelveTabs read the first two pages of Amazon results for “sardines”, set aside other tinned fish and sponsored repeats, and read the pages of 10 finalists. We kept six that suit different tastes and checked the advice against Wirecutter and Chowhound. AI wrote this guide from that research. To see what TwelveTabs picks today, run the search yourself with the button on this page. ## How we researched On September 29, 2026 we read 120 Amazon search cards for “sardines”, 108 different products. AI compared them, set aside mackerel, tuna and other tinned fish, sponsored repeats and non-sardine cards, read the pages of 10 finalists and chose six sardine products for different tastes. AI wrote this guide from that research. Listings change: we read them on September 29, 2026, and a pack size, seller or delivery time may differ today. Ingredients and claims are the listing text as we read it, which the collector cut to about 200 characters per bullet. Taste and texture notes come from Wirecutter and Chowhound. ### Sources - [Wirecutter: The Best Sardines](https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-sardines/) - [Chowhound: Canned Sardine Brands Ranked Worst To Best](https://www.chowhound.com/2070082/canned-sardine-brand-ranked-worst-best/)