Familiar flavours and aromas can bring back memories of family meals. This Brazilian sardine traybake, known as torta de sardinha, is a savoury bake with a soft batter rather than the pastry crust a British reader might expect from a pie.
The original recipe was shared as a family favourite, passed between relatives and associated with Christmas gatherings. This English version keeps that homely character without treating the translator as the person who experienced those memories.
Brazilian Sardine Traybake Recipe
Prepare the batter and filling separately, then combine them in a baking tin. The batter is mixed in a blender, and the filling uses tinned sardines with chopped vegetables.
Ingredients for the Batter
- 240g plain flour
- 3 eggs
- 1 Brazilian recipe cup of vegetable oil (240ml)
- 2 Brazilian recipe cups of milk (480ml)
- 50g grated Parmesan
- 1 small coffee spoon of salt, or to taste (the original recipe does not specify a precise gram weight)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
Ingredients for the Sardine Filling
- 2 tins of sardines, drained; tin sizes vary, so check the size you normally use for this recipe
- 1 medium tomato, finely chopped
- ½ pepper, finely chopped
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- Fresh coriander, to taste
- Grated cheese, to taste, for the topping
Optional Filling Ingredients
- Peas, to taste
- Sweetcorn, to taste
- Pitted green or black olives, to taste
How to Make the Sardine Traybake
Make the batter first, then mix the filling. Check that your blender can safely hold the ingredients; if necessary, work in batches and combine them in a bowl. Contains fish, wheat, milk and eggs; check ingredient labels for other allergens.
Preparing the Batter
- Choose a large baking tin deep enough to hold the batter and filling without overflowing. The original recipe does not specify tin dimensions, so allow room for the batter to rise.
- Grease the tin with butter or oil and dust lightly with flour.
- Place the eggs, oil, milk and Parmesan in the blender. Add the flour and salt, then mix in the baking powder briefly at the end.
- Blend until the batter is smooth, stopping to scrape down only after switching the appliance off.
- Pour the batter into the prepared tin and set aside briefly while you mix the filling.
Preparing the Sardine Filling
- Finely chop the onion.
- Finely chop the tomato and pepper too.
- Put the chopped vegetables in a bowl and add the coriander.
- Flake the drained sardines into the bowl, checking for any bones you prefer to remove.
- Add peas, sweetcorn or pitted olives if you wish. Drain tinned additions well so that they do not make the filling unnecessarily wet.
- Mix gently until the filling ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Spoon the filling over the batter in the tin.
- Spread it evenly across the surface rather than leaving it in one thick mound.
- Sprinkle the grated cheese over the top.
Baking and Serving the Sardine Traybake
- Preheat the oven to a moderate temperature, around 180°C conventional or 160°C fan. This is a practical interpretation of the original recipe’s unspecified medium oven, rather than a kitchen-tested baking setting.
- Bake and begin checking after about 20 minutes. A deeper tin or different oven may need substantially longer; the original time is a guide, not a guarantee that the centre is cooked.
- Watch the top as it bakes. If it browns before the centre is cooked, cover loosely with foil and continue baking, adjusting the heat if necessary.
- Check that the centre is set, steaming hot and free of raw batter. A clean food-safe skewer inserted into the batter should come out without wet batter clinging to it. Do not use a matchstick.
- Allow the traybake to stand briefly before slicing, then serve. Cool any leftovers promptly and refrigerate within two hours; do not leave this fish-and-egg dish out overnight.
A Savoury Bake for Sharing
This sardine traybake can fit a family meal, lunch or a Brazilian-style festive buffet. As with any inherited recipe, tin size and oven performance affect the result; use the doneness checks rather than relying on the clock alone. This translated version has not been kitchen-tested.
Cooking together can become part of your family’s Christmas traditions. For other ideas, try our Christmas biscuits or Brazilian Christmas farofa.
Share this Brazilian sardine traybake recipe with someone who enjoys savoury baking. Tell us about your version in the comments and, if you would like more festive ideas, follow our social channels.
Discover More Christmas Recipes
Brazilian Rabanadas with Condensed Milk and Cinnamon
Grandma-Style Christmas Biscuits with Colourful Icing
Brazilian Christmas Farofa with Bacon and Calabresa Sausage
Related Reading
Christmas Biscuits: A Festive Baking Tradition Around the World
The Meaning of Christmas: Faith, Family and Shared Traditions
