Use it up · Fish and seafood

Canned tuna

Have extra canned tuna? Here’s how to choose, store and prep canned tuna, plus 5 family recipes to use it all up, best matches first.

🍽 See the recipes 🧺 Pick a few things you have

🛒 Choosing it

Choose cans with no dents along the seams, bulges or rust. Tuna packed in water is leaner; oil-packed is richer.

🧊 Storing it

Pantry: Unopened: until the date on the can
Fridge: 3 to 4 days once made into tuna salad
Freezer: Tuna salad doesn't freeze well

Keep the fridge at 40°F or below and the freezer at 0°F. Freezer times are for best quality; food kept frozen at 0°F stays safe. When in doubt, throw it out. Times from FoodSafety.gov.

🔪 Prepping it

Drain well, flake with a fork and mix with dressing, or stir into pasta and casseroles.

📊 Nutrition per 100 g

Tuna, canned in water. 100 g is about 3 1/2 ounces.

Calories	86 kcal	4%
Protein	19 g	39%
Total fat	1.0 g	1%
Saturated fat	0.2 g	1%
Total carbohydrate	0.0 g	0%
Dietary fiber	0.0 g	0%
Total sugars	0.0 g
Sodium	247 mg	11%
Calcium	17 mg	1%
Iron	1.6 mg	9%
Potassium	179 mg	4%

% Daily Value for adults (FDA). From USDA FoodData Central 173709 (SR Legacy).

🍽 Recipes that use it up

5 recipes, the ones that use the most canned tuna first.

Plan them into your week in the meal planner, or find recipes for two or three things at once with the “What can I make?” picker.

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Storage times and buying tips are general guides from the sources below; follow any date or instructions on the package. Cook meat, poultry, fish and eggs to the USDA safe temperatures in each recipe.