• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header left navigation
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer
es_ES Español
  • Mail
  • Amazon
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • About
    • Meet Tracy!
    • Contact Me
    • Disclaimers & Disclosures
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Policy
  • Holidays
    • New Years Eve
    • Valentine’s Day
    • St. Patrick’s Day
    • Easter
    • Fourth of July
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas
  • es_ES
Oh, The Things We'll Make!

Oh, The Things We'll Make!

Make it yourself so that you control the ingredients!

  • Recipes
    • Appetizers & Snacks
    • Soups & Salads
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch & Dinner
    • Desserts & Sweets
      • frozen treats
    • Breads & Wraps
    • MIY Pantry Basics
    • Condiments & Sauces
    • Beverages & Smoothies
    • Carnivore Diet
    • Story Archives
  • Make it Yourself
    • Arts & Crafts
    • Face & Body
      • Cleansers, Soaps, & Gels
      • Deodorants
      • Hair
      • Skin Care
      • Oral Care
      • Baby & Toddler Care
    • Home & Garden
      • Cleaning & Laundry
      • Garden & Hens
    • Soap Making
    • Upcycling
  • About
    • Meet Tracy!
      • More About Me
    • Contact Me
    • Disclaimers & Disclosures
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Policy
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers & Snacks
    • Soups & Salads
    • Beverages & Smoothies
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch & Dinner
    • Desserts & Sweets
      • frozen treats
    • Breads & Wraps
    • Condiments & Sauces
    • MIY Pantry Basics
    • Carnivore Diet
    • Story Archives
  • Make it Yourself
    • Arts & Crafts
    • Natural Face & Body
      • Cleansers, Soaps, & Gels
      • Natural Skin Care
      • Natural Hair care
      • Oral Care
      • Deodorants
      • Baby & Toddler Care
    • Soap Making
    • Home & Garden
      • Cleaning & Laundry
      • Garden & Hens
    • Photography
    • Upcycling
  • Holidays
    • New Years Eve
    • Valentine’s Day
    • St. Patrick’s Day
    • Easter
    • Fourth of July
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas
es_ES Español
Overhead view of a plate of homemade salt cured anchovy fillets with green olives on the side, next to a jar filled with anchovies covered in virgin olive oil and salt mixture.

Homemade Salt Cured Anchovy Fillets

Last Modified: June 5, 2020 // by Tracy Ariza, DDS // May 21, 2015 I may receive a commission if you purchase through links in this post. Learn more here.

es_ES Español

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Homemade salt cured anchovy fillets are easy to make, healthy, and very tasty. 

Homemade salt cured anchovy fillets are easy to make, healthy, and very tasty. Read how to clean the fish, cure it, and store it.
Pin this recipe for later!

Some of the foods that I now love I once thought I hated. I went from hating avocadoes and olives to having them be some of my favorite foods. In fact, I even make my own salt cured olives now.

Another food that I thought that I disliked, without having tried them of course, was salt cured anchovies.

I mean, they must be gross. Right? In the moves people were always asking to get their pizzas without them.

I’m still not a fan of anchovies on pizza, but there aren’t many treats that beat some good salt cured anchovy fillets for me anymore!

Here in Spain, the equivalent word for anchovy, anchoa, is reserved only for the salt cured variety. Fresh anchovies are referred to as “boquerones.” Boquerones are very similar to sardines, and can be used in the same types of recipes; the main difference is really their size. While both fish are small, oily fish that are packed with healthy omega 3’s, sardines are slightly bigger than anchovies.

Homemade salt cured anchovy fillets are easy to make, healthy, and very tasty. Read how to clean the fish, cure it, and store it.

In Spanish, the term for oily fish is “pescado azul,” or “blue fish.” That is because most of the oily fish, and all of those that I know of caught here in the Mediterranean, have a bluish coloured skin. Oily fish are different from white fish in that they contain a higher percentage of fat in the flesh of the fish, and not just in the liver, as is the case with whitefish. (Why do you think they sell oil from just the liver of cod, a whitefish?) These fats are considered healthy fats because they have a good dose of Omega 3’s and have been shown to help prevent against heart disease.

What’s the down side?

Oily fish tend to also have a slightly higher dose of mercury contamination. Smaller oily fish like anchovies and sardines, though, have lower doses of mercury and other heavy metals than the bigger fish that are higher up on the food chain like swordfish and tuna.

I tend to have very low blood pressure myself, and sometimes, especially in the summer, go through dizzy spells and black out when I get up quickly. It was recommended to me to eat a salt cured anchovy every morning to help regulate the way I was feeling.

While I didn’t get into the habit of eating them every single morning, I do eat them often because I really do enjoy them, especially when they are homemade! Don’t get me wrong, an occasional canned anchovy is fine, but it will never compare to those made at home.

A great, healthy, fat-packed snack that I like to make myself is homemade salt cured anchovy fillets with homemade salt cured olives! While I enjoy them plain with a plate of olives, most people here choose to eat them on toast.

Homemade salt cured anchovy fillets are easy to make, healthy, and very tasty. Read how to clean the fish, cure it, and store it.

Here in Spain, they are probably surprised to see me write that I think that people need to seriously increase their intake of healthy fats. It’s quite obvious from the television commercials here that Spain hasn’t quite embraced the idea that people need more fats, not just for heart health, but also for regulating hormones and helping prevent neurological disorders like dementia and Alzheimer’s.

Instead, commercials still boast about things having grains, or “cereales,” as if that were a healthy addition to the product. You can find low fat (high sugar) versions of things, claimed to be healthier, packed with grains. They even add them to things like highly processed chocolate milk, as if it weren’t gross enough, and unhealthy enough, already. 😉

Then there are the commercials for high sugar yogurts claiming to increase your defenses and lower your cholesterol, or soy products claiming to be healthier than other alternatives.

Heck, there are still commercials for butter flavored margarines claiming to be healthier than butter!!!

Don’t even get me started on that one… it’s a topic for another day. Just know that it’s been pretty obvious for quite some time now that hydrogenated, vegetable oils that are high in omega 6s are not good for you and will never compare to butter, especially if that butter is from grass fed cows, making it higher in omega 3s than conventionally raised cow products.

I guess I went on a bit of a tangent, but it was all to get my point across.

Healthy fats are, well, healthy! Got it?

So, that brings us to my salt cured anchovy fillets recipe…

Craving more?Subscribe to my newsletter for the latest recipes and tutorials!
Homemade salt cured anchovy fillets are easy to make, healthy, and very tasty. Read how to clean the fish, cure it, and store it.

Homemade Salt Cured Anchovies

4.34 from 6 votes
Print Rate
Author: Tracy Ariza, DDS

Ingredients

  • fresh anchovies
  • salt
  • extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

  • Clean the anchovies by removing the entrails and heads, and then rinsing out the belly cavity.
    Homemade salt cured anchovy fillets are easy to make, healthy, and very tasty. Read how to clean the fish, cure it, and store it.
  • Add a layer of sea salt to the bottom of the glass container in which you want to store your anchovies.
  • Add a layer of anchovies, followed by another layer of sea salt, followed by more anchovies.
    Homemade salt cured anchovy fillets are easy to make, healthy, and very tasty. Read how to clean the fish, cure it, and store it.
  • Continue layering until you have used up all of the anchovies, and finish with a layer of salt, making sure to completely cover all of the fish.
    Homemade salt cured anchovy fillets are easy to make, healthy, and very tasty. Read how to clean the fish, cure it, and store it.
  • To ensure that all of the fish are well preserved, mix up a batch of brine solution. This is achieved by adding salt to warm water, and dissolving as much salt into it as you possibly can. Once you have your brine solution ready, pour it over your anchovies and salt, just covering them.
    Homemade salt cured anchovy fillets are easy to make, healthy, and very tasty. Read how to clean the fish, cure it, and store it.
  • Cover your container and put it into the fridge for about 3 months. (Yes, you read that right!) 😉
  • Once 3 months have passed, you can start to take a look at your anchovies. They should now be cured and have a light brown flesh color.
    Homemade salt cured anchovy fillets are easy to make, healthy, and very tasty. Read how to clean the fish, cure it, and store it.
  • Remove a few anchovies from the salt. I like to prepare just a few anchovies at a time, not more than what I think I’ll use in a week or two.
  • Fillet each anchovy by removing the spine section with your fingers.
    Homemade salt cured anchovy fillets are easy to make, healthy, and very tasty. Read how to clean the fish, cure it, and store it.
  • Add the anchovy fillets to a bowl with fresh water. While you can eat them immediately, they tend to be too salty if you don’t leave them in salt water for a little while first.
    Homemade salt cured anchovy fillets are easy to make, healthy, and very tasty. Read how to clean the fish, cure it, and store it.
  • After an hour or two, check on the anchovies for saltiness. If you still find them way too salty, you may want to change the water, and leave them for another hour or two. This part depends on how salty your particular anchovies have become, and your taste.
  • Once the anchovies have reached the desired level of saltiness, dry them off on a cotton or paper towel, and place them into the container in which you want to store them.
  • Cover with extra virgin olive oil, and you are done!
    Homemade salt cured anchovy fillets are easy to make, healthy, and very tasty. Read how to clean the fish, cure it, and store it.
Course DIY Pantry Foods, snacks
Cuisine Mediterranean
Tried this recipe? Tag me today!Mention @thethingswellmake or tag #thethingswellmake!

So, yes, the process is quite long, but it isn’t difficult, and it is so worth it!

I really enjoy making my own salt cured anchovy fillets whenever I can get ahold of fresh anchovies! While my husband is a fisherman, he tends to only fish for shrimp, so I don’t have access to fresh anchovies as often as I would like.

If you want to prepare your own anchovy fillets, but don’t want to wait three months, you can also buy imported salt packed anchovies online. If you choose to buy the salt packed variety, you can begin with the filleting step above.

Do you love seafood too?

 

 

 I have gathered together a bunch of different healthy seafood recipes from some of my favorite real food bloggers.
Check it out!
Homemade salt cured anchovy fillets are easy to make, healthy, and very tasty. Read how to clean the fish, cure it, and store it.
Category: Life in Spain, MIY Pantry Basics, Recipes, Spanish Food & Recipes

About Tracy Ariza, DDS

Tracy Ariza, B.A., D.D.S., left dentistry and the United States to found Oh, The Things We’ll Make!, writing to you from the Spanish Riviera. She loves making things herself in order to keep control of what goes in them. While far from perfect, she strives each day to live a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle.

Previous Post:Homemade solar water heater made out of coiled black water hose laid on the ground next to a white water tank.Homemade Solar Water Heater
Next Post:Smoothie Recipes For Kids: The Popeye SmoothieA bottle full of spinach smoothie with a blue and white straw inside, and a couple of strawberries scattered around the bottle.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Peter McLeod

    January 30, 2023 at 6:13 PM

    Hi all -love the robust but respectful discussions. As a South African it is cheaper for me to buy commercially made anchovies than to make them myself. But I make them myself and love the experience. Best regards Peter McLeod

    Reply
« Older Comments
4.34 from 6 votes (6 ratings without comment)

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Sidebar

Search

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Hello, I’m Tracy!

I love making my own natural products like soaps and lotions and my own pantry items like yogurt and salad dressings.
Why do I do it? Sometimes to save money, sometimes because it's healthier, but I always love having control of the ingredients!​
Oh, the things we'll make!...

More about Tracy

I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Featured on Buzzfeed, Lifehacker, Fitness, Shape, Country Living, Healthline, Redbook, Redfin

Closeup of 4 bars of homemade soap. Two of them have been wrapped in brown paper and wrapped with ribbons. One soap is wrapped with red ribbon and the other with white ribbon.

Making an Easy, Basic Beginner Soap, and Then Making it Fun!!

Homemade prawn crackers on a plate in front of uncooked homemade prawn crackers and a roll of prawn crackers dough.

Prawn Crackers from Scratch

Impress your friends and save money by making your own soy sauce from scratch. Today we'll learn how to make a homemade shoyu, a fermented Japanese soy sauce made from soybeans and wheat berries. #shoyu #soysauce

How to Make Soy Sauce (Homemade Shoyu)

Two bottles of a homemade conditioner next to a wooden comb and a washcloth.

Easy DIY Hair Conditioner for Natural Hair

A small glass jar filled with an emulsified sugar scrub with a wooden spoon in it.

Easy Emulsified Sugar Scrub

Over head view of a spoon full of tomato paste over a jar full of it. A couple of fresh tomatoes lay next to the jar.

Easy Homemade Tomato Paste Recipe

Featured on Buzzfeed, Lifehacker, Fitness, Shape, Country Living, Healthline, Redbook, Redfin

Oh the things we'll make.

Copyright © 2025 Tracy Ariza · Disclaimers and Disclosures · Privacy Policy · Cookie Policy

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




Let us know what you thought of this recipe:

This worked exactly as written, thanks!
My family loved this!
Thank you for sharing this recipe

Or write in your own words:

A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok