Sardine and Avocado Toasts

By Ali Slagle

Updated April 29, 2026

  • Christopher Simpson for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Media 1 of 1
Ready In
10 min
Rating
5(100)
Comments
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Together, sardines and avocado make a rich pair. Here, the combination is balanced by rubbing a raw garlic clove on the warm toast and stirring together a vinaigrette right in the sardine tin using its seasoned oil. (You could also add capers, chives or everything bagel seasoning for more punch). Instead of slicing the avocado, scoop it out with a spoon, so that the vinaigrette can pool inside the little nooks instead of slipping off the toasts. Now’s also a great time to use smoked or seasoned sardines. 

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • 4 slices crusty bread (such as sourdough or country loaf)

  • 1 garlic clove, peeled

  • 2 ripe, firm small to medium avocados

  • Salt, preferably flaky sea salt

  • 1 tin olive oil-packed sardines (about 4 ounces), not drained 

  • 1 tablespoon Sherry vinegar or white wine vinegar

  • Crushed red pepper, to taste

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

23 grams carbs; 40 milligrams cholesterol; 301 calories; 11 grams monosaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 19 grams fat; 8 grams fiber; 377 milligrams sodium; 12 grams protein; 2 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Toast the bread. While still warm, rub the toast with the garlic clove until you can smell garlic. Halve and pit the avocados. Use a spoon to scoop small spoonfuls of the avocado and place on top of the toasts. Season lightly with salt.

    1. Step 2

      Arrange the sardines among the avocado, breaking them up if they’re large. To the tin of sardine oil, add the vinegar and a big pinch of crushed red pepper. Drizzle over the toasts.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
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Comments

Gordon Thomas

Love this idea! I adore sardines and find avocado toast bland and unappealing. The garlic rub in combination with the dressing is perfect, plus no more wasting of the packing olive oil. Forget the naysayers, it’s a delicious combination!

CHM

To me this was gilding the lily. Sardines — I used mild ones — are so distinctive that they overpowered and negated the avocado. The recipe was easy, and it tasted good, but the avocado was a superfluous waste.

Michael Feno

I love this combination and I will be experimenting to get the perfect luscious combination for me. Capers and red onions? I wish I could find the nutritional information and calories per serving!

sarah k

5/5 stars. I made this exactly according to the recipe and it was a divine breakfast. The sherry vinegar/sardine oil dressing is genius. I’ll be making this one again!

Jason

I like raw garlic in moderate amounts, so I ground the garlic on a microplane and sprinkled on the bread. Beware of garlic breath though.

Tricia

Serving this on toasted artisanal whole wheat bread makes for a battle with knife and fork on the plate. Try going with a bruschetta approach: cut from a narrow long loaf to make several portions per person, small enough to pick up and bite into.

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