Choose tinned tuna steaks or fillet-style pieces when you want distinct pieces of fish on the plate; choose a pack labelled no-drain when skipping preparation matters more. Chunks work well when the tuna will be mixed into pasta, a jacket potato or a filling. Check the packing liquid, portion size and any drained weight, then follow the individual pack’s allergen and storage instructions.
Who each format suits
Late eaters who want fewer steps
If you would rather open a tin and put supper together without draining it, compare products explicitly labelled no-drain. John West describes its cited tuna steak pot as easy-opening and no-drain; Tesco Groceries also lists no-drain formats.
Diners who want distinct pieces
For tuna served visibly on toast, alongside salad or gently folded into pasta, look at canned steaks or fillet-style pieces. Marks & Spencer describes its cited tuna steak as firm-textured; check the individual pack rather than assuming every steak product has the same texture.
Cupboard-meal planners
If you use tuna across several pasta dishes, jacket potatoes, sandwiches or toast toppings, chunks in a multipack offer a format worth comparing. Tesco Groceries lists chunk multipacks, while Princes includes both chunks and steaks in its range.
What matters when choosing
For a late supper, decide whether avoiding a draining step, keeping the fish in distinct pieces or having portions for several meals is your main priority.
| Concern |
What to check |
Who this matters to |
| Minimal preparation |
Look for explicit no-drain wording and a portion size that suits the meal. |
When it is late, I want to open the tuna without draining liquid or adding another bowl to the washing-up. About 38% of consumers put this need first. |
| Distinct tuna pieces |
Check whether the pack says steaks, fillets or chunks, and which liquid the fish is packed in. |
If the tuna is going on toast or beside salad, I want pieces that remain visible rather than fish mixed throughout the dish. Roughly 31% of consumers prioritise that texture. |
| Portions for several meals |
Check the number and size of tins, plus drained weight where stated. |
When I am stocking the cupboard for more than one supper, I need portions that work in different fillings and pasta dishes. Around 31% of consumers make that flexibility their primary concern. |
Common buying mistakes
-
Assuming steaks and chunks will serve the same dish
A steak-style piece is more relevant when the tuna remains visible on the plate; chunks make sense when you plan to mix it into pasta or a filling.
Choose the form for the finished supper, rather than relying on the word tuna alone.
-
Comparing multipacks by tin count alone
Tins can differ in size and packing liquid, so the same number of tins need not provide the same amount of tuna. Tesco Groceries also identifies drained weights on some catalogue entries.
Check the net and drained weights where shown, then consider how many portions you expect to use.
-
Treating packing liquids as interchangeable
Spring water, brine and oil give you different starting points for seasoning a quick meal. The nutrition panel also applies to the particular product, not every tuna steak or chunk.
Read the liquid and nutrition information on the pack you are choosing, especially if you intend to use the packing liquid in the dish.
-
Overlooking the label after opening
Fish is an allergen that must be declared when it is an ingredient in UK food, according to GOV.UK. The cited Marks & Spencer tuna steak also warns that bones may be present and gives specific instructions for leftovers.
Check the current allergen and bones information, and follow that pack’s directions for transferring, refrigerating and using any leftovers.
Brands to consider
John West
Relevant if skipping the draining step is central to your late supper.
- John West describes its cited sunflower-oil tuna steak pot as easy-opening and no-drain; Tesco Groceries lists other John West no-drain steak formats.
- Check the particular tin or pot for its liquid, portion size and opening instructions rather than applying the pot description to the whole range.
Princes
Relevant when comparing chunks with steak, drained or flavoured formats.
- Princes lists chunks, drained tuna, sandwich tuna, steaks and Ocean Select products within its tuna range.
- Those formats meet different preparation and presentation needs; confirm the form and packing liquid on the individual product.
Tesco
An own-brand range to examine if you are choosing between a steak tin and chunks for mixed meals.
- Tesco Groceries lists 110 g own-brand tuna steaks in spring water, brine and sunflower oil, alongside chunk tins and multipacks.
- A liquid or pack-size choice does not establish how a product will taste; use the individual label to check what suits your dish.
M&S
Relevant if you want to assess a larger spring-water tuna steak tin for several portions.
- Marks & Spencer describes its cited 800 g Tuna Steak in Spring Water as firm-textured.
- That product warns that bones may be present. Its label says to transfer leftovers to a non-metallic container, refrigerate them and eat them within two days.
Joybuy tinned tuna selections
These Joybuy products cover no-drain chunk multipacks for quick mixed dishes, other chunk portions for repeat meals, and oil-packed steaks for suppers where distinct pieces matter.
Image unavailable
John West No Drain Tuna Chunks in Springwater, 3 x 100g
Consider these chunks when you want to put tuna into a late pasta dish or sandwich without a draining step. The pack contains three 100 g tins in spring water; choose steaks instead if keeping distinct pieces on the plate matters most. Check the fish allergen information and follow the pack’s directions for leftovers.
View on Joybuy
Image unavailable
John West No Drain Tuna Chunks in Sunflower Oil, 3 x 100g
This three-tin pack suits mixed suppers when you want no-drain chunks packed in sunflower oil rather than spring water. The chunks will not serve the same presentation need as tuna steaks. Check the fish allergen information and the pack’s bones warning before eating.
View on Joybuy
Image unavailable
Tropical Sun Tuna Steaks in Sunflower Oil
Choose the steak format to keep the tuna more distinct in a simple plated supper. This product is packed in sunflower oil; if you plan to warm it, check its preparation directions, including whether to drain the oil first. Follow the current pack’s fish allergen and leftover-storage instructions.
View on Joybuy
Image unavailable
Fish4ever Tuna Steaks in Organic Olive Oil, 160g
This 160 g olive-oil-packed steak tin is an option when you want distinct tuna pieces rather than chunks stirred through a filling. If avoiding draining is essential, check the preparation directions on this specific tin before choosing it. Read the fish allergen and leftover-storage instructions.
View on Joybuy
Image unavailable
John West Tuna Chunks in Springwater, 4 x 125g
The four 125 g tins suit a cupboard stocked for several mixed meals, rather than a supper centred on steak-like pieces. These chunks are packed in spring water. If you need to avoid draining, check this pack’s preparation wording before buying; its name does not identify it as no-drain. Check the fish allergen information too.
View on Joybuy
Questions about tinned tuna
Should I use tinned tuna steaks or chunks for a late supper?
Use steaks when distinct pieces are part of the finished plate; choose chunks when you intend to mix the tuna into pasta, a jacket potato or a filling. Marks & Spencer describes its cited canned steak as firm-textured, while Tesco Groceries lists both steak and chunk formats.
What should I do with leftover tuna from an opened tin?
Follow the storage directions on the specific pack. For its cited tuna steak, Marks & Spencer says to transfer unused contents to a non-metallic container, refrigerate them and eat them within two days; check whether your chosen product gives different instructions.
How do I compare tuna tins of different sizes?
Check both the amount in the tin and the drained weight where it is stated, then decide how many portions the pack suits. Tesco Groceries lists different tin and multipack sizes, so tin count alone does not tell you how much tuna you will have for your meals.
Which allergen information should I check on tinned tuna?
Check the current ingredients and allergen labelling for the particular tin. GOV.UK identifies fish as an allergen that food businesses must declare when it is an ingredient; also read any product-specific bones warning.