Known as Croquettes de Sardines, these sardine and white bean cakes offer a delightful Breton twist on classic fish cakes. Made with salty sardines, creamy white beans and fresh herbs, they feature a perfectly smooth interior and a crispy exterior.
Enjoy them as a fun finger food with your favorite dip, paired with a refreshing summer salad, or tucked into a sandwich bun for a delicious meal.
Canned sardines in Brittany
Canned sardines are a staple food in Brittany region, that we all enjoy on a weekly basis. Local sardines are plentiful on the Brittany coastline, and they arrive fresh every morning at the harbour. While some of them are sold fresh at the fishmongers, most of them are shipped off as soon as the boats arrive to the local “conserveries” (canning factories) to be tin-canned.
Many conserveries like La Belle Iloise, Connétable and Petit Navire have made a huge reputation for themselves since the late 19th century. They continue today to pack sardines in oil the traditional way (that is, by hand) and their tins are widely available in all grocery stores.
Sardine Cakes, known as “croquettes”
I’ve loved canned sardines since I was a kid, and they’re still a staple in my weekly meals. I often savor them just as they are, swimming in their rich oil. But there are so many delicious ways to enjoy canned sardines, and these croquettes are one of my favorites!
In taste and texture, these Croquettes de Sardine are reminiscent of the classic American fish cakes or crab cakes you may be familiar with. But the use of sardine gives them a bolder taste and a slightly richer, creamier texture too!
Ingredients you’ll need for these Sardine White Bean Cakes (Croquettes de Sardine)
These sardines’ croquettes are such a fun recipe to make, with just a few staple and affordable ingredients. Here is a detailed look.
- Sardines. Plain, canned sardines are the stars of this dish! With a very distinctive taste (and smell!), tinned sardines get mashed to create these fun, bite-size croquettes. Choose them packed in oil (not water) and ideally un-flavored (ie. not “picante”, nor coming with lemon or tomato sauce). You also need one tablespoon (15ml) of the canned sardine oil.
- White beans. Canned white beans are mashed with the sardines and used here to create a dense consistency that holds the cakes together. Plus, mashed white beans are deliciously creamy and have a mild taste that allows the sardine taste to shine.
- Onion. Minced red onion provides crunch and a nice tang to the croquettes. I like to mild taste of red onion, but you can opt for sweet or spring onions if you prefer.
- Parsley. A generous measure of fresh parsley (stemmed and roughly chopped) adds a nice flavor. Flat or curly parsley both work perfectly. I like the mild taste of parsley, but you can also opt for fresh coriander which yields a more assertive, herby flavor.
- Dijon mustard. One tablespoon of Dijon mustard is mixed into the fish cake mixture, for a touch of tang.
- Seasonings. Salt, black pepper and a pinch of cayenne pepper are the simple seasonings used in these fish cakes. Again, you really want to let the sardine taste shine here.
- For the breading. A combination of flour, egg and breadcrumbs are used to create a thick and crispy outer layer. Prepare 3 different vessels with all-purpose flour, a room-temperature beaten egg and breadcrumbs (seasoned or unseasoned, as you prefer).
- Frying oil. A shallow frying pan is covered with about 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) of oil to fry the cakes. I recommend you opt for a good frying oil such as avocado, sunflower, canola or peanut.
Frequently Asked Questions
I don’t like parsley, what other herb(s) can I use?
Fresh coriander also works wonderfully in this recipe. I personally prefer the mild taste of parsley, but coriander yields a stronger herbal flavor that’s lovely too.
What frying oil do you recommend?
My best recommendations for frying oils are avocado (highest smoking point), canola (widely available and affordable), sunflower and peanut oil. For more details, I recommend this article.
Can they be prepared ahead?
Yes, absolutely! You can prepare these sardine croquettes ahead of time, up until frying them. Keep the unfried patties on a clean plate and cover them with a plastic film in the fridge. You can keep them like this for up to 24h. When ready, take the patties out of the fridge at least 30 minutes beforehand, so they can slightly warm. You can then fry them and serve them.
How long can you keep these sardine cakes?
Like most fried food, these sardine croquettes are best enjoyed immediately, when they’re still piping hot and crisp.
Once fried, Keep them for up to 4 days in the fridge. You can also keep them in the freezer for up to 2 months, in an airtight container.
To reheat, spread them on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper, and bake them for 15 minutes in a pre-heated over at 350°F (180°C). I don’t recommend re-heating them in the microwave as they become soft and mushy.
How to serve these sardine and white bean cakes?
- As an appetizer. Serve these sardine croquettes as an appetizer, with a creamy dressing to dip and wedges of lemon on the side. They are ideal for serving as finger foods at a gathering.
- With a salad. You can also enjoy them as the main protein for a meal, served with salad and a light vinaigrette, sliced tomatoes and cucumber to balance the richness of the cakes.
- In a sandwich. You can eat them on a bun, with lettuce, tomato and a choice of condiment like tartare or remoulade sauce.
Audrey’s cooking tips:
- You can make these sardine cakes either by hand or with a food processor. I personally prefer using a fork to mash the sardines and white beans together, to keep a chunky consistency. You can also use a processor to mash them until your desired consistency.
- Make sure you drain the can of white beans very well.
- For the breadcrumbs, use classic store-bought or hand-made (grating stale bread) if you would like a thinner coating. Or you can use panko if you would like a lighter, yet crunchier coating.
I hope you’ll love this Sardine and White Bean Cakes recipe as much as I do. If you have any questions, please leave a comment.
More appetizer recipes you may like:
- French Cheese Puffs (Gougères)
- Eggplant Caviar Dip (Caviar d’Aubergine)
- French-style Zucchini Fritters
- Brie en Croûte with Cranberries, Nuts and Thyme
- Classic French Salmon Rillettes
- Swiss Chard Pancakes (Farçous)
- Ham Cheese Olive Bread
- Sardine and Cream Cheese Rillettes
- Roasted Red Pepper Dip (Poivronade)
- Black Olive Tapenade
- Gruyère Cheese Twists (Torsades au fromage)
16 comments
What kind of dressing/dip have you used here?
Nikki, any dip of your choosing can be used for these cakes, but my preferred sauce is a simple mix of fromage blanc, lemon juice, salt, pepper and chopped fresh coriander. The issue is, fromage blanc is nearly non-existent outside of France, but greek yogurt is the closest substitute I’ve found and can be used quite successfully for a dip like this. Enjoy!
Hi Audrey, would you ever freeze these , and cook after defrosting? Regards jo
Hi, Jo. I’ve only ever frozen them after frying and they last pretty well for a month or two in an airtight container. I’ve not prepped and frozen them before cooking, and generally, with this “softer” type filling, it doesn’t work out too well, unless you had a flash freezer.
Made these tonight for supper (2 people). Simple to make – due to great instructions, thank you Audrey! I didn’t make any sauce, we just ate them with dressed salad. They are quite rich and filling. Many thanks for your recipe 😋
Great to hear, Helen, so glad you enjoyed these! As is they taste wonderful, and a sauce helps give a nice contrast of hot and cold, creamy and smooth… But simply paired with a salad makes for a great meal. Thanks for letting me know, I appreciate the support!
I made these the other night (with Connetable sardines and cannellini beans) and we really enjoyed them …even though I forgot the Dijon mustard. Thanks for the recipe.
So glad you enjoyed them, Peter! Forgetting the Dijon is just another reason to make them again! 🙂 Honestly, the Dijon really does add a layer (as it does to basically every dish it’s in) that makes things just THAT much better! But good to know they were good even without.
Do you have a dip recipe for the sardine white bean patties? I would like to make these.
Hello Kimberly. I always just mix what I have on hand for a dipping sauce, but it almost always includes fromage blanc (which you can use plain Greek yogurt as a sub, but isn’t exactly the same), some lemon juice, black pepper, salt, garlic powder and some chopped fresh herbs, be it dill or chives. You can also add some mayo to the dip if you’d like, it may go nice with the Greek yogurt.
Hope you’ll enjoy!
Could the sardines cakes be cooked in an oven perhaps air frie? I don’t have a stove, only a toaster oven. I live in a senior’s residence with just a kitchenette.
Great question, Janine… I genuinely think that, even though I haven’t tried to do it this way, that an air frier would work! It would definitely be my choice between that and an oven, and think while not exact to being fried, they’d turn out quite well!
I did it as a winter dinner and served it with a big dish of stir fried vegetables (all sorts included) and it went down really well despite being a summer type of dish really. No photo as my presentation wasn’t quite good enough but the taste was excellent and in fact I did it because I was asked if I “could cook that sardine dish again”.
You know, you’re right David… The dish definitely leans summer, but there’s absolutely no reason it wouldn’t be just as good in fall. It’s warm, it’s comforting, it’s fried! If you ask me, this is an any season dish! So glad you enjoyed it, and honored to hear it was requested. Compliments to the chef!
These are so very good. I made them for a casual dinner with a close friend, along with baguette, a salad, a couple of cheeses, olives, and (my) roasted red peppers with good balsamic and some fresh basil. I am not confident in my frying abilities, but found it easy with a very good sunflower oil. I needed to use two rather than one egg for the coating, and used panko, such a wonderful ‘cheat’. I made two sauces, one with Greek yogurt, lemon, cilantro, pickle juice, and chopped capers, a riff on yours. My other my standard, just mayo and sriracha. Both very good with the rissoles. I think that even people who claim they don’t like sardines wouldn’t notice them in this, and would love the rissoles. Overall a great recipe. Thank you Audrey.
So kind, Michèle. Another recipe I wish more readers would give a try, despite the word “sardine”. Sardines can be truly wonderful, canned or grilled, and just just as you noted – you don’t even really get hit with the “pungency” of them in this recipe.
Your sauces sound amazing, as well. My husband also loves mayo and sriracha, but I don’t recall having that sauce with these. We’ll have to give it a try!