Tinned Fish Is Having a Moment—Here’s How to Make the Most of It

Sardines with sweet piquillo peppers. Albacore tuna with Spanish lemon. Trout in curry sauce. From restaurant menus to TikTok reels and subreddits, tinned fish are seemingly everywhere these days, and the wide array of flavors and varieties now available across the country go far beyond the canned tuna and anchovies you might be used to.

Tinned fish has been one of the most popular food trends in recent years, and it’s easy to see why—tinned fish is a convenient, shelf-stable source of protein, an approachable luxury, and an easy and delicious way to travel the globe. But if you’re new to the trend, you might be wondering where to get started.

To find out everything you need to know about tinned fish—where to buy them, how to use them, and how to store them—we chatted with Anna Hezel, author of Tin to Table: Fancy, Snacky, Recipes for Tin-thusiasts and A-fish-ionados, and Julia Merid, category merchant at Whole Foods Market. Here are their tips for getting started with tinned fish.

What Are Tinned Fish?

Tinned fish—or rather, tinned seafood—refers to fresh seafood that has been cooked (typically steamed or smoked), then sealed in an airtight container (such as a tin or can), and heat-sterilized to preserve the seafood’s freshness and flavor. In addition to popular tinned fish such as sardines, tuna, anchovies, mackerel, trout, and salmon, you’ll also find tinned shellfish including clams, mussels, oysters, and squid. Tinned seafood is commonly packed in water or oil, but some producers add an extra level of flavor by preserving the seafood in sauces and brines such as ragout, escabeche, pesto, or curry. With that said, the options are nearly limitless—think sardines in tomato sauce, trout with chimichurri, mussels in escabeche, or spiced calamari in ragout sauce.

Why Are Tinned Fish So Popular?

Tinned seafood has been around for centuries and is an especially popular part of dining culture in Spain and Portugal, where these tinned delicacies are known as conservas. Over the past few years, however, tinned seafood has seen a new wave of interest in the U.S., popping up on bar and restaurant menus, TikTok reels, subreddits, and in gourmet markets. Brands from Spain and Portugal such as JOSÉ Gourmet, Matiz, and Nuri are increasingly easy to find, and newer North American brands like Fishwife, Patagonia Provisions, Scout Canning and Siesta Co. have also started carving out a niche in the category.

Hezel attributes the newfound interest in part to the COVID-19 pandemic, when shoppers began stocking up on shelf-stable pantry goods and cooking more for themselves at home. “COVID changed so many of our habits as consumers—it convinced us to buy more specialty groceries online, and to keep our pantries stocked with shelf-stable protein,” Hezel says. “This coincided with a general interest in lean, sustainable proteins. This shift in consumer behavior also just means that there are so many brands of tinned fish available in the U.S. now that were hard to find even four or five years ago.”

Tinned fish are a relatively affordable, convenient source of protein, omega-3s, and essential vitamins and minerals. Merid agrees that recent interest in high-protein meals has more consumers reaching for tinned fish.

“Tinned fish has surged in popularity as a convenient, nutrient-rich protein source,” Merid says. “It really is the purest protein you can find in the center aisles of a grocery store! Food influencers are showing consumers how easily these products transform into quick, delicious meals, how they can be added to a charcuterie board, or even serve as an on-the-go snack. The use cases for tinned fish are so versatile!”

Beginner-Friendly Tinned Fish Varieties

With hundreds of different types of tinned seafood available on the market, shopping for tinned fish can feel a bit overwhelming for newcomers. If you’re just getting started, Hezel recommends picking out a few tins that look interesting to you and having some friends over to try them all. “That way, everyone gets to try something new, and you’re less likely to waste a tin (even if it doesn’t turn out to be your favorite),” she says.

Need some guidance? Hezel and Merid recommend these beginner-friendly tinned fish:

Smoked Salmon

Canned salmon is one of the most commonly available tinned fish varieties in U.S. grocery stores, and these days you’ll find tinned salmon packed with everything from chili crisp to birch syrup. Hezel says she always tells people to start with a really good smoked salmon, which has “nostalgic, familiar flavors” that shine in salads and rice bowls.

Smoked Trout

With a mild, slightly nutty flavor and flaky texture, smoked trout is one of the first tinned fish varieties Hezel recommends to newbies. Like smoked salmon, it’s equally at home on a crusty piece of bread or atop a salad or rice bowl.

Sardines

Ever heard of “Sardine Girl Summer?” Fatty and flavorful, sardines are more than just a decorating trend—and Merid says not to be afraid of them. “Sardines are rising in popularity because they are more delicious than you’d think,” she says. “They are tender, rich, and meaty, and are a nutritional powerhouse with omega-3s, iron, potassium, and more.”

Tuna

Perhaps unsurprisingly (tuna noodle casserole, anyone?), tuna is one of the most popular tinned fish in the U.S., and Merid sees it as the most approachable for beginners. If you’re new to tinned fish, she recommends starting with albacore tuna. “Albacore packed in water is very approachable and can be made into a sandwich, salad, and tacos,” she says. “Albacore packed in oil is another great option—try adding to a pasta dish or mac and cheese!”

What to Look for When Buying Tinned Fish

As with any seafood, it’s important to keep sustainability in mind when purchasing tinned fish. Hezel says guidance varies depending on the species, where it was caught, and how it was caught, but the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program has a comprehensive guide you can reference.

Merid recommends looking for logos from organizations like the Marine Stewardship Council, as well as other call-outs such as “pole & line caught.” “These indicate a commitment to sustainability in minimizing impact on the environment, and responsible management of the fish stock, so overfishing does not deplete fish populations,” she says.

Where to Shop for Tinned Fish

You can find a large selection of tinned seafood in nationwide grocery stores such as Whole Foods Market and Trader Joe’s, as well as some well-stocked smaller grocery stores. If your town has an artisanal food store or gourmet market, chances are they’ll have a few varieties of tinned seafood available. For ordering online, Hezel recommends Rainbow Tomatoes Garden, Caputo's, Despaña and Portugalia Marketplace.

What to Pair with Tinned Fish

Tinned seafood is delicious in its own right, so luckily, you don’t need much to enjoy it. Simply pair a tin with some crackers or a fresh loaf of sourdough, or build a “seacuterie” board with fresh or pickled vegetables, butter, olives, cheeses, herbs, crackers, potato chips, and other accouterments. “Sometimes just a good loaf of bread, some butter, and a few pickles or fresh herbs is all you need,” Hezel says.

How to Cook with Tinned Fish

While you can certainly enjoy tinned seafood on its own, there are also plenty of ways to incorporate it into your cooking that go far beyond Caesar salad or tuna salad (though we love those, too!). “Tinned seafood is such an easy way to add flavor and protein to quick pastas, salads, and rice bowls without having to overthink how you're going to cook that protein,” Hezel says. Stir some sardines into pasta, add anchovies to a frittata, use tinned salmon or trout to make a quick dip, or add some protein to a salad or grain bowl.

When cooking with tinned seafood, make sure to keep salt in mind. Tinned seafood tends to be salty, so you might not need to add as much salt as you normally would. “Always taste a tinned product before adding it to a recipe, and add salt to taste at the end of the recipe so that you don't end up with a finished dish that's too salty,” Hezel says.

Since tinned seafood is preserved, these tins generally have a long shelf life. Properly stored in a cool, dry place (such as inside a cabinet or pantry), tinned seafood will typically last up to about five years. The only exception? Anchovies, which as Hezel notes, are often only partially preserved. Anchovies should be stored in the refrigerator and used within about a year of purchase.

Once opened, tinned seafood can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Hezel also recommends using Siesta’s reusable silicone lids, which are specifically designed to fit open tins.