Who is this for?

Family pie cooks

If the pie needs several portions, start with the recipe quantity and choose a tin size that supplies enough salmon. A Princes fish-pie recipe for four, for example, uses three 213g tins alongside other ingredients.

Low-prep cooks

If you want to flake the salmon into the filling with less picking through it, look for skinless-and-boneless wording. Read the bone warning too: M&S says small bones may remain in its 170g skinless-and-boneless red salmon.

Cooks choosing salmon for its flavour

If you want the fish to have a more pronounced flavour in the pie, red salmon is another option to consider. M&S describes its red salmon as rich; check the particular tin for its size and bone statement.

What matters when choosing a tin?

Start with how much salmon the pie calls for, then decide how much preparation you want before it goes into the filling.

Concern What to check Who this matters to
Enough salmon for the pie Compare the recipe quantity with the tin's net weight and any stated drained weight. If I am making a pie for several people, I need enough salmon without opening more tins than planned. About 40% of consumers put filling quantity first.
Less picking through Look for skinless-and-boneless wording and read any residual-bone warning. When time for preparation is short, I want to flake the salmon straight into the filling after checking it. Minimising skin and bone preparation is the primary need for about 30% of consumers.
Salmon flavour Choose between pink and red salmon, then check the exact tin's size and bone statement. For a pie where I want the salmon flavour to stand out, I may prefer the red-salmon option described as rich by M&S. A more pronounced flavour comes first for about 30% of consumers.

Checks before making the pie

  • Choosing a tin before checking the recipe quantity

    Tins come in different sizes, and a single small tin may not supply the amount a pie recipe calls for.

    Check the recipe quantity against the weight on the tin. If you will open more than you need, plan how to use and store the remainder.

  • Assuming every tin is bone-free

    Princes' recipe instructions allow for removing skin and bones from standard pink salmon if preferred. M&S warns that small bones may remain even in its skinless-and-boneless red salmon.

    Read the exact pack wording, then inspect and flake the salmon before adding it to the filling.

  • Guessing how to store an opened tin

    After-opening instructions vary by product. Food Standards Scotland advises checking the food label for storage directions.

    Follow the tin's instructions for unused salmon. For the cited M&S red-salmon products, the directions are to transfer it to a non-metallic container, refrigerate it and eat it within 24 hours.

Brands to consider for tinned salmon

Tesco

Tesco lists standard wild Pacific pink salmon in 212g and 418g tins, alongside other salmon formats.

  • The two confirmed tin sizes give cooks different quantities for a planned pie.
  • Do not assume a standard pink-salmon tin is skinless or boneless; read its label.

Princes

Princes lists wild Pacific pink salmon in 213g and 418g formats.

  • Its fish-pie recipe provides an example using three 213g tins for four servings, with other ingredients.
  • Princes' recipe guidance says skin and bones can be removed if wished, so check the fish before mixing the filling.

John West

John West has a 105g wild Pacific pink-salmon product.

  • The 105g format gives cooks a smaller stated quantity to compare with a recipe.
  • Check how many tins the pie needs rather than assuming one smaller tin will be enough.

Sainsbury's

Sainsbury's lists 212g wild Pacific pink salmon and a 170g skinless-and-boneless pink-salmon option.

  • The listings let cooks choose between a standard tin and one labelled for less skin-and-bone preparation.
  • Check the weight and any bone warning on the option selected.

M&S

M&S lists wild Alaskan red salmon, including a standard 105g tin and a 170g skinless-and-boneless product.

  • The two cited products provide different preparation options within its red-salmon range.
  • M&S states that the standard 105g product contains bones and that small bones may remain in the skinless-and-boneless product.

Pink salmon selections on Joybuy

These Morrisons pink-salmon tins suit cooks planning a storecupboard pie filling. Choose between a four-pack of 213g tins and a single 213g tin according to the quantity your recipe needs.

Morrisons Pink Salmon 213g, four-pack

Morrisons Pink Salmon 213g, four-pack

Four 213g tins offer a way to plan the salmon quantity for a larger pie or more than one meal. Check the label for skin and bone wording, and inspect the fish before mixing the filling.

View on Joybuy
Morrisons Pink Salmon 213g tin

Morrisons Pink Salmon 213g

The single 213g tin suits a recipe calling for a smaller planned amount of pink salmon. Check its label for skin and bone wording, then inspect and flake the fish for the pie.

View on Joybuy

Questions about tinned salmon

How much tinned salmon do I need for a pie?

Use the amount in your chosen recipe rather than a fixed amount per person. As one example, a Princes fish-pie recipe serving four uses three 213g tins alongside prawns and other ingredients.

Should I remove skin and bones before making the filling?

Check the tin and the preferences of the people eating the pie. Princes says skin and bones can be removed from its pink salmon if wished; even tins labelled skinless and boneless can carry a small-bone warning.

How should I keep salmon left over from an opened tin?

Follow the particular tin's after-opening instructions. Food Standards Scotland advises checking the label; for its cited red-salmon products, M&S directs shoppers to transfer unused contents to a non-metallic container, refrigerate them and eat them within 24 hours.

Can I use tinned salmon after its best-before date?

A best-before date concerns quality, and GOV.UK says food is usually safe after that date, although its quality may have declined. Check the tin's condition and storage instructions; this guidance does not override a use-by date.

Which allergen should I check on tinned salmon?

Check the exact product label for fish and any other allergen information. The cited Tesco pink-salmon product identifies fish as an allergen; ingredients and labelling should be checked on the pack you buy.