Canned Tuna
Canned tuna is cooked, flaked or solid tuna preserved in oil or water, one of the most convenient and affordable sources of protein in the pantry.
How to buy
Choose between chunk light (usually skipjack, milder and more affordable) and solid white or albacore (firmer texture, slightly more delicate flavor, and higher mercury content). Oil-packed tuna is richer and more flavorful for salads and straight-from-the-can eating, while water-packed is leaner and better in recipes with their own sauce. Check cans for dents, bulging, or rust, which can signal spoilage.
How to store
Unopened cans keep in the pantry for several years past the printed date if stored in a cool, dry place. Once opened, transfer any unused tuna to a sealed container, refrigerate, and use within three to four days.
Culinary profile
- Flavor
- Mild and savory, with oil-packed versions tasting richer and more tuna-forward than water-packed, which is cleaner and milder. Albacore has a slightly more delicate, less assertive flavor than skipjack.
- Texture
- Ranges from firm, meaty chunks (solid or chunk albacore) to soft, finely shredded flakes (chunk light); draining well before use keeps salads and sandwiches from turning watery.
- Aroma
- A mild, briny fish smell, more pronounced in oil-packed cans than water-packed.
How to prepare
- Drained and flaked — Broken apart and mixed into salads, sandwiches, or pasta.
- Mixed into salad — Combined with mayonnaise, celery, and seasonings for classic tuna salad.
- Formed into patties — Mixed with egg and breadcrumbs and fried into tuna cakes.
- Tossed into pasta — Flaked directly into pasta with olive oil, garlic, and chile.
Classic dishes
American
- Tuna salad sandwich — Flaked tuna mixed with mayonnaise, celery, and relish on bread.
- Tuna melt — A tuna salad sandwich topped with cheese and broiled until melted.
- Tuna noodle casserole — Canned tuna baked with egg noodles, cream sauce, and often peas.
- Pantry tuna poke bowl — Canned tuna mixed with soy sauce, sesame oil, and scallions over rice, a quick take on poke.
- Tuna and rice casserole — A baked dish of tuna, rice, and a creamy sauce, a Midwest comfort classic.
- Tuna salad stuffed tomatoes — Hollowed tomatoes filled with classic mayonnaise-based tuna salad.
- Spicy tuna dip — Canned tuna mashed with spicy mayo and served as a quick appetizer dip.
Italian
- Spaghetti al tonno — Pasta tossed with canned tuna, olive oil, garlic, and sometimes tomato.
- Tuna puttanesca — A piquant pasta sauce of tuna, olives, capers, and tomato.
Japanese
- Onigiri with mayo tuna — Rice balls filled with tuna mixed with mayonnaise, a beloved convenience-store snack.
- Spicy tuna mayo roll — Canned tuna mixed with mayo and chile, used as a casual filling for maki rolls.
French
- Salade niçoise — A composed salad of tuna, olives, eggs, green beans, and potatoes.
- Pan bagnat — A pressed sandwich filled with tuna, olives, and vegetables, dressed in olive oil.
Spanish
- Ensalada de atún — A Spanish-style tuna salad often made with potatoes, egg, and olives.
- Tuna empanadas — Pastry turnovers filled with tuna, onion, and tomato sofrito.
- Tuna croquettes — Mashed potato and tuna formed into croquettes, breaded and fried.
Substitutions
- Canned Salmon — Canned salmon can replace canned tuna in salads and melts, though it has a stronger, fattier fish flavor and pink color.