Once a pantry staple I’d written off, canned tuna has become one of my most-used ingredients. But it has to be packed in oil, not water. Oil-packed tuna is flavorful right out of the can and also a versatile star player that turns even the simplest meal into something worth digging into. Here are my favorite ways to use it—pasta, salads, toast, and beans are just the start.
When I was a kid, I hated canned tuna. Or at least, I thought I did. The only way I ever encountered it was in sandwiches cloaked in gloppy mayonnaise, pressed between soft bread, and squishing unpleasantly with every bite. The problem wasn’t the mayonnaise. The real issue was the tuna itself: Dry, chalky flakes from water-packed cans, the stuff needed to be drowned in mayo just to be edible.
Fast-forward to my teenage years, when I opened my first can of tuna packed in olive oil. It was a revelation: supple flakes of fish glistening in golden oil, rich and meaty without any dryness. Suddenly, I didn’t view tuna as a filler for lunchbox sandwiches, but as an affordable luxury I could keep in my cupboard to turn weeknight pantry dinners into something special on a moment’s notice. That day, oil-packed tuna became my gold standard for canned tuna.
The Differences Between Oil-Packed and Water-Packed Tuna
That said, I respect that water-packed tuna still has its time and place for many people. It’s less rich, milder tasting, and sometimes exactly what you want. But when I’m cooking, I’ll take olive oil every time. At first glance, the two look similar—just tuna sealed in a can. But the difference in liquid changes the flavor and texture of the tinned fish considerably.
Water-packed tuna is exactly as advertised: fish canned in water. Because water is flavorless and pulls moisture from the fish, these cans often yield drier, firmer flakes. The upside is that the tuna has a cleaner tuna-only flavor profile, with a faint salinity that doesn’t compete with other ingredients. That’s why many people—including our editorial director, Daniel, prefer water-packed tuna for mayo-based tuna salads.
Oil-packed tuna, on the other hand, is indulgence in a tin. The tuna is submerged in oil, which locks in moisture and infuses the fish with richness. During canning, the heat gently poaches the tuna in that oil, creating silky flakes that are ready to eat straight out of the can. The oil itself becomes a bonus flavoring—drizzle it on pasta, bread, or beans for instant depth.
But not all oil-packed tuna is created equal. Many inexpensive brands use soybean or vegetable oil, which can taste flat or greasy and overwhelm the fish. The good stuff is packed in olive oil, which lends fruity, peppery notes that complement rather than mask the tuna. Read the label closely, and look specifically for tuna packed in olive oil if you want the best flavor and texture.
The best oil-packed tuna has just enough oil to make the fish glisten, but not so much that it leaves a greasy film in your mouth. It should have a balanced flavor where neither the fish nor the oil overwhelms the other. Instead, the tuna should taste rich and meaty, complemented by subtle fruity, peppery notes from the olive oil itself. (You can find our favorite brands in our thorough canned tuna taste test, for which we assessed both oil-packed and water-packed tuna.)
If oil-packed tuna is a luxury, then ventresca is the crown jewel. Cut from the fatty belly of the tuna, ventresca is the equivalent of toro in sushi. It’s delicate, buttery, and tender. Instead of the firm flakes of standard cans, ventresca arrives in broad, silky fillets that practically melt. It’s pricier than your standard weeknight tin of tuna, but for special occasions—or for eating straight out of the tin with nothing but bread and a glass of wine—it’s unbeatable.
My Favorite Uses for Oil-Packed Tuna
Serious Eats / Jordan Provost
Oil-packed tuna is a pantry staple that’s both practical and flavorful. It works for quick weeknight meals but is good enough to be the centerpiece of a dish. Here are my favorite ways to use it.
1. Pasta, Pasta, Pasta: There’s no better showcase for oil-packed tuna than pasta. It pairs with boldly flavored ingredients, such as capers, chili flakes, and lemon, parsley, and/or garlic. Sacha Marx’s pasta al tonno recipe is pantry cooking at its finest, turning humble ingredients into a weeknight feast. And don’t waste that oil from the can, which is infused with tuna flavor. Use it to sauté your aromatics to further boost the tuna flavor of the sauce.
2. Salads That Aren’t Tuna Salad: I’m not talking about mayo-heavy tuna salad here. I mean a summer tomato tonnato or crisp, bitter greens like escarole or radicchio tossed with lemony vinaigrette, beans or potatoes for heft, and big flakes of oil-packed tuna on top. It’s also the tuna I reach for in a classic Niçoise. Daniel’s uncomposed version is excellent.
3. On Toast: Think conserva chic. Toast, rubbed with garlic, drizzled with some of that tuna oil, topped with tuna fillets and maybe a hit of chile or pickled shallots. It’s the quickest dinner party appetizer you’ll ever make.
4. Beans and Tuna, Forever: Oil-packed tuna and white beans are soulmates. A can of cannellini beans, some onion or shallot, olive oil, lemon juice, and tuna, and dinner is ready. And on par with what you’d find at an Italian trattoria.
When to Reach for Water-Packed Tuna
Oil-packed tuna is my default, but water-packed isn’t without merit. It’s leaner, lighter, and sometimes exactly what a recipe calls for. Here’s when it makes sense to reach for it:
- Classic mayo tuna salad. If you’re mixing with lots of dressing and crunchy added vegetables, the lightness of water-packed tuna is welcome.
- Tuna melts. Again, the mayo and cheese do the heavy lifting when it comes to richness, so leaner tuna balances it out.
- Easy tuna noodle casseroles. The creamy sauce does the heavy lifting, so a lighter can of tuna blends in without weighing the dish down.
The Pantry Staple I’ll Never Be Without
Oil-packed tuna will always be the star of my pantry. It’s not just a convenience food—it’s a flavor powerhouse that turns pasta, beans, salads, and toasts into meals I get excited about.
So if you’ve only ever known the mayo-laden sandwiches of childhood, consider this your invitation to rediscover canned tuna. Open a tin of oil-packed tuna, drizzle the golden liquid on something simple, and taste just how good canned tuna can be.
