Wondering what to do with anchovy fillets? This guide covers how to pick them, cook them, store them, and swap them, plus 171 recipes to put them to work.
Anchovies are a small sea-fish that is extremely abundant in the Mediterranean. Anchovies are rarely sold fresh.
Anchovy fillets are most commonly found layered with salt and oil in jars or cans and sometimes rolled around a caper.
They must be stored in the refrigerator once the jar or can is opened. In Asia, anchovies can be found salted and sun-dried.
Anchovy fillets are most commonly used in Italian cookery in sauces such as the tomato, garlic and caper based Spaghetti alla puttanesca and in southern Italy as a pizza topping.
They are also used in a very popular Swedish dish Jansson's Temptation which is a gratin of anchovy fillets and potatoes.
Anchovy fillets freeze well. Roll up each fillet and freeze on a plate. Transfer frozen fillets to a zipper bag.
See: How To Store Leftover Anchovies for more recommendations and detail on the best way to store anchovies.
Specific kinds of anchovy fillets and the recipes that use them.
Anchovies are a small sea-fish that is extremely abundant in the Meditteranean. Anchovies are rarely sold fresh.
Anchovy fillets are most commonly sold layered with salt and oil in jars or cans and sometimes rolled around a caper.
Anchovy pastes can also be found sold in jars or tubes.
They must be stored in the refridgerator once the jar or can is opened.
Ikan Bilis, dried anchoives, are commonly used in Malaysia in dishes such as Nasi Lemak. Ikan is the Malay word for fish.
In Singapore and Malaysia, anchovies are used to make a fish stock, Javanese sambal, or are deep fried and are used in a similar way that dried shrimp are used in Malaysian cuisine.
An anchovy fish stock is commonly used as a base for noodle based soups.
Where to find anchovy fillets: Anchovy fillets are usually found in the canned goods section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.
Food group: Anchovy fillets are a member of the Finfish and Shellfish Products US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.
| Amount | Weight |
|---|---|
| 1 oz, boneless | 28 grams |
| 1 anchovy | 4 grams |
| 1 can (2 oz) | 45 grams |
| 5 anchovies | 20 grams |
There are 210 recipes using and its varieties.
Pan-seared salmon with golden crust, bathed in a silky cream sauce spiked with anchovies, tomatoes, and white wine in just 30 minutes.
Mak kimchi ferments chopped napa cabbage with daikon, garlic, carrot, anchovies, and chili flakes for a quick-style Korean kimchi. A 2-day countertop ferment that keeps for 10 days.
Caesar salad is delicious and can successfully be combined with such accompaniments as grilled chicken, steak, and shrimp. Here's the recipe I use.
Hors d'oeuvres (finger food) that's easy to pick up and pop in the mouth. Quartered eggs wrapped in slices of ham.
Bold, briny spaghetti alla puttanesca with San Marzano tomatoes, capers, black olives, and anchovies tossed in garlicky olive oil. This quick Italian pasta dish hits the table in 40 minutes with layers of salty, savory depth in every forkful.
This delicious chicken caesar salad has a few great techniques that make the chicken juicy and moist.
Sautéed chicken breast sliced thin over crisp romaine with homemade garlic croutons, Parmesan, and a from-scratch Caesar dressing made with anchovy paste and fresh lemon. A low-calorie salad that eats like a meal.
Fiery penne all'arrabbiata with pancetta, crushed Roma tomatoes, capers, green olives, anchovies, and hot chili peppers simmered in red wine. A bold, spicy Italian pasta ready in 45 minutes.
A good salad needs a good dressing. This caesar salad dressing for sure makes your salad taste delicious, and it's so easy to make.
Quick, easy and delicious. Using whole wheat pasta makes the dish even more nutritious and filling. An ideal one-pan meal.
A delicious, filling and well balanced chicken caesar salad satisfies everyone at the dinner table.
This healthy version of Caesar salad has great flavor. For a complete dinner you can add cooked chicken breasts and toss in salad.
Very easy to put together, tastes delicious and it's packed with goodness as well. Perfect for a quick lunch or a no-fuss dinner.
This quick and easy pasta dish tastes delicious. For a vegetarian version, just omit the anchovies, and it is still refreshingly tasty.
Just delicious. Love the health factor considered in developing this recipe, especially since I'm watching my saturated fat and cholesterol intake. I'd never have made caesar salad for a party recently if not for this one. There was not a romaine left on anyone's plate. Thanks!
Mushroom focaccia tops plain focaccia bread with sauteed portobello slices, salty anchovy strips, fresh rosemary, and melted mozzarella. A 20-minute upgrade from store-bought bread to bistro-worthy starter.
Hard to go wrong with a Muffuletta sandwich. It was easy and simple to assemble, and it was packed with flavour.
This sandwich absolutely deserves 5 star! It was so quick and easy to put together, and it was packed with flavour. We omitted the anchovies, used Swiss cheese, otherwise followed the recipe. If you are looking for a crowd-pleasing sandwich, this is the one!
Alice's zucchini crust pizza swaps dough for a golden crust of grated zucchini bound with egg, parmesan and basil. A low-carb, veggie-packed base for all your favorite pizza toppings.
The pasta and rapini are tossed with a flavorful and creamy white bean and anchovy sauce. The ingredients are so inexpensive, but they create a delicious and wholesome meal.
Jansson's Temptation: creamy Swedish potato casserole layered with anchovies and onions, baked golden at 400F. This iconic Scandinavian comfort dish is a must for Christmas smorgasbord.
This Cajun blackened chicken caesar salad was absolutely delicious. The chicken was super moist and packed with flavor. We used lettuce for the salad, and it was tasty and refreshing, perfectly balanced with chicken. Serve it with a few slices of bread, or some croutons to make a complete meal.
This dish is a hearty meal itself. The puttanesca and fra diavolo in the sauce produce a memorable accompaniment to shrimp as well as mussels, clams or even canned or frozen lobster meat.
Chilled pineapple and shrimp appetizer on lettuce leaves with a homemade dill remoulade sauce made with capers, anchovy paste, and hard-boiled eggs. Elegant and refreshing.
Turkey legs braised in a rich mole sauce built from chocolate, peanut butter, raisins, ground chile, and warm spices. This authentic Mexican mole delivers deep, layered flavor that will have you licking the plate clean.
Danish leveropostej: a classic pork liver pate with anchovies, onion, allspice, and clove, wrapped in pork fat and baked in a water bath. Served sliced on smorrebrod or as a first course.
Orecchiette pasta tossed with slow-cooked red onions, anchovies, garlic, and fresh oregano. Rustic Southern Italian one-pan sauce that uses pasta water to bind it all together.
Italian puttanesca sauce simmered with garlic, anchovies, green and black olives, capers, and crushed red pepper. Bold, briny, fiery, and ready to toss with hot pasta.
The classic Italian cold veal dish reimagined over pasta. Tender braised veal sliced thin over noodles tossed in a silky tuna-anchovy sauce with capers and parsley.
Steamed fish rolls: salmon and sole wrapped in napa cabbage leaves, bamboo-steamed and served over a silky roasted red pepper sauce. An elegant, low-fat dinner party starter.
Thin-crust pizza alla Siciliana loaded with briny black and green olives, capers, anchovies, and parmesan on a simple tomato base. Salty, intense, and ready in 8 minutes from a hot stone.
Spaghetti puttanesca with anchovies, black olives, capers, and garlic in a chunky tomato sauce. Bold, briny, and on the table in 45 minutes with pantry staples.
Rotelle with Provencal tomato sauce: a no-cook raw tomato sauce with balsamic vinegar, roasted red peppers, kalamata olives, capers, and fresh basil tossed with hot pasta. Ready in 20 minutes.
Herb-crusted rack of lamb seared and finished with compound herb butter, served over mesquite-grilled pepper ragout with socca and olive tapenade. Restaurant-level Provencal cooking.
A 15-minute no-cook Caesar dip made with mashed anchovies, Parmesan, Dijon mustard, and lemon juice blended into creamy mayo. The go-to party dip for veggie trays and crudités.
Sicilian pasta con le sarde with fresh sardines, sweet currants, toasted pine nuts, fennel, and crispy breadcrumbs. Authentic Italian coastal flavor.
Oysters Rockefeller, the New Orleans classic appetizer with fresh oysters on the half shell topped with a rich spinach, scallion, and anchovy butter and broiled hot.
Shaved spring vegetables are crunchy and refreshing, and white bean absorb the flavor from the light and tasty vinaigrette. A well balanced spring or summer salad.
Potato focaccia with paper-thin red potato slices, Parmesan, rosemary, and anchovy paste baked into a soft, pillowy dough made with mashed potatoes for extra tenderness.
Leg of lamb Nicoise marinates butterflied lamb in a Provencal paste of anchovy, garlic, rosemary, thyme, and red wine vinegar. Broiled or grilled to a juicy pink center for a Mediterranean dinner.
Mushrooms and queen scallops in a silky cream sauce finished with tarragon vinegar and anchovy essence. A refined British appetizer served in scallop shells or a gratin dish.
An Italian-inspired tuna and new potato salad with green beans, dressed in pesto mayonnaise with mashed anchovies. Think salade niçoise meets Genoa in one bowl.
Three-ingredient venison medallions baked between anchovy fillets until tender and deeply savory. Olive oil, salt from the sea, and the clean flavor of wild game. Minimalist and elegant.
Oven-baked sea bream fillets with cherry tomatoes, capers, anchovies, black olives, and white wine. A Mediterranean one-pan fish supper finished under foil and served with crusty bread.
Potetboller are Norwegian fried potato balls spiked with minced anchovies, mustard, and a whisper of mace, then breaded and deep fried to a crackling golden shell. Salty, savory, and dangerously snackable.
British-style tuna pasta bake layered with sweetcorn, peas, tomatoes, and mushroom soup, topped with cheddar and golden anchovy puff pastry spirals. A proper crowd-pleasing family supper.
Mediterranean spring salad with marinated new potatoes, feta, cucumber, tomato, and green pepper on mixed greens. Lemon-oregano-olive oil dressing doubles as marinade.
Silky butter whipped with chopped anchovies for a savory spread that transforms plain toast or sandwiches into something special.
