For a super quick and effortless side dish to pair with some hot rice, this Spicy Sardine With Eggs (Sardin Telur) will hit the spot. A nostalgic dish that’s spicy, savory, and very filling.
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Welcome back to my Ramadan Series, where I share easy to follow recipes of food that many of us in Malaysia have for sahur/suhoor (the morning meal before dawn and fasting for the day) and buka puasa/iftar (the meal when you break your fast). Or at least, the meals I grew up having with my family during Ramadan!
I first started off the series with an updated version of my easy 10-minute Spicy Peanut Noodles, if you’d like to check that out.

Spicy, Savory Sardines and Eggs In Tomato Sauce Recipe
This time, we’re going down the simple sardines and eggs route. Sardines for sahur has always been a thing in my house since its so effortless to make and pairs perfectly with white rice. I have very fond memories of this dish, while eating with eyes barely open, sleep crusts aplenty and bed head hair game strong.
This particular sardines and eggs recipe has been viral on the Malaysian TikTok-sphere in recent months. Though it’s not hard to see why! It requires only a handful of ingredients and will be ready in no time.
I’m all for extra spiciness, so I love to add on some chili powder and fresh cut chilis to the mix (yes, even for sahur time). But these are definitely optional, so you can skip this step if it’s not up to your preference.

Ingredients You’ll Need
(For full ingredient measurements, please proceed to the recipe card below.)
- Onion
- Garlic
- Fresh chili (optional)
- Canned sardine in tomato sauce
- Water
- Fish sauce
- Sugar
- Chili powder (optional)
- Eggs
How to make spicy sardine with eggs (sardin telur)
- Sauté onions, garlic and fresh chili (optional) over medium heat until onions are transluscent.
- Add canned sardines and 1/4 can (the sardine can) of water.
- Optional step: Crush sardines with spatula.
- Season with fish sauce, sugar and chili powder (optional).
- Stir and bring to a boil before adding 4 eggs.
- Turn heat down to medium low and cover until the egg is cooked to your preferred doneness.
- Turn off heat and garnish. Serve with bread or white rice. Enjoy!
Notes for Spicy Sardine With Eggs (Sardin Telur)
- Fish sauce: You can skip the fish sauce and season with salt instead. Taste and adjust accordingly.
- Type of sardines: I used spicy canned sardines. You can use whatever type you prefer.
- Where to get them: I buy my canned sardines from an international/asian grocery store.
More Quick Meals
- Savory Oatmeal with Mushrooms
- Garlic Chili Oil Noodles (10 minutes)
- Chili Oil Beef Stir Fry (10 minutes)
- 15-Minutes Bok Choy Mushroom with Oyster Sauce
- Easy 15-Minutes Chicken Teriyaki (No Mirin and Sake)
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Spicy Sardine with Eggs (Sardin Telur)
Ingredients
- 1/2 onion sliced
- 3 cloves garlic sliced
- 2 fresh chili optional – sliced
- 1 canned sardine in tomato sauce
- water
- 1.5 tbsp fish sauce
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp chili powder optional
- 4 eggs
Instructions
- Sauté onions, garlic and fresh chili (optional) over medium heat until onions are transluscent.
- Add canned sardines and 1/4 can (the sardine can) of water.
- Optional step: Crush sardines with spatula.
- Season with fish sauce, sugar and chili powder (optional).
- Stir and bring to a boil before adding 4 eggs.
- Turn heat down to medium low and cover until the egg is cooked to your preferred doneness.
- Turn off heat and garnish. Serve with bread or white rice. Enjoy!
This recipe, over rice, was shockingly good. I went into this unsure, never had sardines before, and it will become a regular breakfast around here now. Thanks very, very much.