What Are Herrings and How Can I Use Them?

Herrings is easier to cook with than it looks. Here's how to choose, use, and store them, what to substitute, and 11 recipes to get you started.

Recipes using herrings

There are 11 recipes that contain this ingredient.

Crispy Oat Herrings & Apple Rings (Irish)

Whole herrings coated in crunchy oatmeal, pan-fried until golden, and served with caramelized apple rings. This traditional Irish breakfast or supper pairs rich fish with sweet fruit in under 15 minutes.

Soused Herrings with Lemon

Classic British soused herrings slow-baked in a tangy bath of white wine vinegar, lemon juice, Marmite, and pickling spices. Served cold as a traditional pub-style appetizer.

Scandinavian Fish Salad

Scandinavian herring salad with pickled fish strips, crisp apple slices, sour cream, Dijon mustard, and malt vinegar marinade. A classic Nordic appetizer served chilled on lettuce.

Baked Stuffed Herring (Irish)

Traditional Irish baked herring stuffed with lemony breadcrumbs and braised in hard cider. A rustic, hearty supper that brings the taste of coastal Ireland to your table.

Fried Herrings & Onion Sauce

Danish-style fried herrings breaded with flour, egg, and breadcrumbs, pan-fried in butter and served with a creamy onion béchamel sauce. A classic Scandinavian comfort dish.

Herring Stir-Fry

Herring stir-fry with fresh ginger, broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots finished with lemon juice and zest. A quick, healthy fish dinner ready in under 10 minutes of cooking.

Homemade Pickled Herring

Homemade pickled herring fillets simmered in a sweet-spiced vinegar brine with cinnamon sticks, allspice, mace, peppercorns, cloves, and onion. A traditional German preparation made for big batches.

Potted Herrings in Guinness (Irish)

Irish potted herrings baked in Guinness stout and vinegar with bay leaves, cloves, peppercorns, and onion rings. A traditional cold fish dish with deep, malty tang.

Heringstopf Mit Saurer Sahne (Herring Salad with Sour Cream)

Heringstopf Mit Saurer Sahne (Herring Salad with Sour Cream) recipe

Herring Pickled

Pickled herring in a sour cream and vinegar marinade with sweet onions. Old-world Scandinavian smorgasbord classic that gets better after a day or two in the fridge.

All 11 recipes