TINNED FISH IS LITERALLY EVERYWHERE—HERE ARE THE BEST PICKS TO TRY NOW

If you've seen cans upon cans of tinned fish everywhere lately, you’re not alone. The colorful packaging is inspiration enough to pick some up next time you’re at the grocery store (or coffee shop, stationery store, clothing store…these are truly everywhere), but if you’re used to, say, StarKist canned tuna, it can be hard to figure out what’s what. And that’s not even mentioning the price tag, which can seem a bit steep to pay for something that’s a mystery. I spoke to Food Editor Francesca Zani to give us the 411.

To start, she lauds tinned fish for being extra sustainable, sometimes more affordable, and just plain enjoyable to eat. Girl dinner, anyone? Let’s dive in further (pun intended)!

The varieties of fish that get canned are usually more abundant than those we eat fresh, and they don’t need nearly as much refrigeration, either. This gives them a much longer shelf life (most up to several years), so you never have to worry about waste.

Though tinned fish can indeed be on the more expensive side, you get what you pay for. It’s a bit like nice cheese: If you’re eating it on a charcuterie board, you might spring for a fancier option than when you’re just melting it into a casserole. You can cook with tinned fish for a dinner party or enjoy it on its own for a light snack or meal.

Are you fully on board, but don’t know where to start? Zani broke it down even further.

Tuna

The OG of tinned fish, tuna is a classic for a reason. If you want to broaden your horizons, but are nervous to go too wild, try swapping your average water-packed tuna for one packed in oil. It’ll have a richer texture, and of course, more flavor. Speaking of flavor, you’ll also find additional ones packed alongside your tuna in oil—spicy options abound. One of our favorites? Fishwife’s Albacore Tuna in Spicy Olive Oil.

Sardines

Unlike much of the other seafood on this list, sardines are often canned whole, skin, and (soft) bones included. With the recent tinned fish boom, there are many brands available from all over, but the best place to source yours is somewhere with a Mediterranean climate, like Spain or Portugal. You can find a variety of flavor profiles, but if you’re looking to keep things simple, you can’t go wrong with Ramon Peña’s Sardines In Olive Oil. Though you can cook with sardines, we usually prefer to cook with their relatives—pre-filleted anchovies—and instead save these delicious, heartier sardines for enjoying atop toast alongside other tapas or charcuterie.

Lobster

We can all agree that including lobster is one of THE best ways to make a meal feel special. It’s also, unfortunately, a bit of a pain to prepare. It’s absolutely worth the effort if you’ve got someone to impress, but if it’s just you? Grabbing a can of lobster (we like Scout Atlantic Canadian) brings all that flavor, with much less work. Try it mixed into mac & cheese, or served alongside a nice steak for a shortcut surf & turf situation.

Anchovies

Anchovies have a distinct hit of salty, umami flavor that isn’t easily replicated. The most common option is anchovy fillets packed in oil—like Zani's pick, Cento Flat Fillet Anchovies in Olive Oil—but you can also find salt-packed, dried whole, or vinegar-preserved versions (the latter is a Spanish delicacy known as boquerones). All these varieties make tinned anchovies extra versatile, so you can enjoy them on pizza or flatbread, cooked into a pasta sauce, or turned into a salad dressing.

Cod

If you’ve only experienced fresh cod, you are in for a real treat with the tinned variety. Most canned cod starts with the centuries-old, around-the-world tradition of salting and drying the fish as a preservation technique. Known as bacalhau in Portuguese, baccalà in Italy, bakaliáros in Greece, etc., these names often refer to both the fish itself and the recipes made with it. There are tinned cod options out there that have been preserved this way, then reconstituted in just olive oil, but Zani recommends seeking out the ones that have a little more going on. Like her pick—ABC+ Codfish In Caldeirada Sauce—there are lots of tasty options inspired by traditional stews that feature ingredients like onion, garlic, tomato, and more.

Razor Clams

Named as such because they resemble a closed, straight razor when in their shells, these clams can be hard to find fresh, so your best bet is to get them tinned. Razor clams are usually more tender than your average clam, with a buttery texture and bite somewhere between a littleneck clam and a scallop. Zani's pick is the Espinaler Razor Clams In Brine, and she suggests enjoying them on their own or in an Asian-inspired stir-fry or an Italian-inspired pasta dish.

Octopus

Fresh octopus is a great delicacy to order out at a restaurant, but what if you’re craving its unique, subtly sweet flavor at home? Not only is it recommended that you boil octopus even before moving onto your preferred preparation method (~45 minutes per every 2 lbs!), but it’s also hard to purchase an amount appropriate for just one or two people. Save yourself the stress, and enjoy a canned variety—like Zani's recommended Conservas De Cambados Octopus In Olive Oil—instead. Try sautéing it for some delectable crispy edges, then toss it with pasta or in a bright green salad.

Trout

A bit more readily available than other options on this list, smoked tinned trout is one of the more popular options, but it’s not the end-all. You can find it canned with tomato sauce, in brine, or with TONS of herbs, like Zani's pick in this category—Scout’s Rainbow Trout With Dill. She suggests treating it a bit like you would lox, and enjoying it with cream cheese on a sandwich or in a dip.

Mussels

If you love mussels on their own or in a seafood stew, but don’t want to have to deal with cleaning the shells or debearding them, canned is absolutely the way to go. Patagonia Provisions (yep, related to that Patagonia) has a ton of tinned fish options, including spicy and smoked mussels that are great. You can eat them on their own or as a crostini atop toast, but they’re also a great hack for shortcutting your way to a great gumbo or cioppino.

Now What?

Hopefully the above is enough to get you feeling just a bit more confident in the tinned fish realm—I've certainly learned a ton! Most importantly, experimenting is the name of the game. In the search for your favorite tinned fish, half the fun is all the ones you can try along the way. Have more questions? Let us know in the comments below.

2025-05-12T18:10:17Z