Do Sardines Need Gutting?

If you are cooking them whole as in the photo, you do not need to gut them. Just rub off the scales with a cloth or paper towel, then wash and pat dry. If they are not too big, you can eat everything; otherwise, they come off the bone easily once cooked. ... You can cook and eat the heads of sardines.

Are sardines gutted?

Yup, There's Still Guts In There

Most people who eat canned sardines just plop the suckers on some crackers or pizza as is because the cooking/steaming process at most canneries softens the bones to the point where they're edible.

Can you eat sardine guts?

Whole Fish Safety Concerns

Sardines are at the bottom of the food chain and feed entirely on plankton. For this reason, they are much safer for eating, even with their guts, than many larger species of fish that build up heavy metals and contaminants in their tissue throughout their lifetime.