Cupboard-meal shoppers
If you use tuna regularly in sandwiches, salads or pasta, tinned chunks give you an ingredient you can keep in the cupboard until opening. Compare the stated drained weight when deciding how much fish a pack provides.
Who each format suits
Tuna-steak cooks
If you are planning a cooked fish main meal rather than a mixed dish, a frozen steak or fillet fits that plan. You will need freezer space and time to follow the product’s preparation and cooking instructions.
Pack-label checkers
If packing liquid, fish species or sourcing labels affect your choice, check the exact variant. A label or ingredient list on one tuna product does not describe every product in the same range.
What matters when choosing
Decide whether the meal calls for ready-to-use chunks or a steak you will cook. Then check the pack details that matter within that format.
Tinned tuna chunks
Choose when: You need tuna for a sandwich, salad or other meal using ready-to-use chunks.
Bear in mind: Brine, spring water and oil are different variants, and the amount of drained fish can differ from the tin’s total weight.
Frozen tuna steaks
Choose when: You want a fillet-style fish meal that you will cook.
Bear in mind: Raw frozen steaks need freezer storage and preparation according to the instructions for the exact pack.
| Concern | What to check | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Usable tuna in the pack | Check the drained weight of tinned tuna, alongside the number and size of tins. | When I am stocking up for repeat meals, I want to know how much tuna remains after draining. About 50% of consumers put usable fish quantity first. |
| Ready-to-use convenience | Check whether the tin is a no-drain format and which liquid it contains. | For meals assembled without cooking fish, I need a cupboard ingredient that is ready when I am. Roughly 30% of consumers make that convenience their primary concern. |
| Cook-from-raw meals | Check frozen storage, defrosting and cooking directions for the exact steak or fillet. | If I am making a plated tuna-steak meal, I can allow for freezer storage and cooking. Around 20% of consumers prioritise that meal format. |
Buying pitfalls
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Taking tin weight to mean drained tuna weight
The total weight of a tin includes its packing liquid, so tins of similar stated size need not provide the same amount of fish.
Check the drained weight on the pack when comparing tinned variants.
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Using a frozen steak like canned chunks
The frozen Asda tuna-steak example is a raw product intended for cooking, not a ready-to-use cupboard ingredient.
Choose steaks for a meal you plan to cook, and follow the instructions on the exact pack.
Allow for freezer space and preparation time.
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Assuming packing liquids make no difference
Spring water, brine and sunflower oil identify different tinned-tuna variants. Their ingredients and nutrition information should not be assumed to match.
Choose the variant that fits your recipe and read its own label.
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Extending a sourcing label across a whole range
A certification shown on one tuna product does not establish that every variant from that brand or retailer carries it.
If an MSC ecolabel matters to you, check the exact can or pack.
Brands and ranges to consider
John West
Its tinned range includes no-drain tuna chunks in spring water for meals where draining is inconvenient.
- John West describes a SmartStrip opening on its no-drain spring-water multipack.
- Check the exact pack if you want a particular packing liquid or a conventional drained tin.
Princes
Its canned chunks include spring-water, brine and oil variants across different pack formats.
- The spring-water range includes single tins and multipacks.
- Check the packing liquid and pack size rather than assuming similarly named variants are identical.
Tesco
Its own-label and Stockwell & Co. ranges provide tinned-tuna options, including chunks in brine.
- Tesco’s Stockwell & Co. brine chunks provide a single-tin cupboard option.
- Choose another variant if you specifically need spring water, oil or a no-drain format.
Sainsbury's
Its own-label tinned chunks include spring-water, brine and sunflower-oil variants.
- Four-tin packs are among the listed formats.
- Check the liquid and drained weight of the exact variant you choose.
Asda
Its range covers both tinned chunks and a separate frozen yellowfin tuna-steak option.
- The tinned spring-water chunks and frozen steaks serve different meal plans.
- The frozen steak is a raw, cook-from-raw product; follow its pack instructions.
M&S
Its range includes spring-water tinned chunks and yellowfin tuna steaks.
- M&S describes its spring-water chunks as pole-and-line-caught under its Forever Fish policy.
- Check the exact product and your local Foodhall for availability.
Joybuy product selections
These products cover a frozen tuna-steak option for cooking and tinned chunks for cupboard meals. Choose the format for your planned dish before comparing individual packs.
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Super Frozen Tuna Steaks, 2 steaks, 260 g
A frozen steak format for a tuna meal you plan to prepare. Check the pack’s storage, defrosting and cooking instructions; the title’s “sashimi grade” wording alone does not establish that eating it raw is safe.
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Princes Tuna Chunks in Brine, 4 × 145 g
Tinned chunks for cupboard meals such as sandwiches or pasta. The pack contains four 145 g tins in brine; check its drained weight and ingredient label for your intended use.
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John West No Drain Tuna Chunks in Springwater, 3 × 100 g
A no-drain tinned option when you want to add tuna to a meal without draining the can. This is a three-tin springwater pack; check its label if the amount of tuna or ingredients matter to your choice.
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John West Tuna Chunks in Springwater, 4 × 125 g
Tinned springwater chunks for salads, sandwiches or pasta. The four-tin pack has 125 g stated for each tin; check the drained weight when comparing it with other tinned formats.
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Princes Tuna Chunks in Sunflower Oil, 4 × 145 g
A tinned option if sunflower oil suits the dish you are making. The pack contains four 145 g tins; choose another packing liquid if your recipe calls for spring water or brine.
Frequently asked questions
Should I buy tinned tuna or frozen steaks for a budget shop?
Buy tinned chunks for ready-to-use cupboard meals, or frozen steaks when you specifically plan to cook a fillet-style main meal. Check the usable amount and pack details for the format you choose rather than assuming the two products serve the same dish.
Do frozen tuna steaks need cooking?
The researched Asda frozen tuna steaks must be fully cooked and must not be eaten raw, according to that product’s instructions. Follow the preparation and cooking directions on the exact pack you buy.
How should I store tinned tuna after opening it?
Follow the label on your tin. The researched Tesco, Asda and M&S tinned-tuna products instruct shoppers to transfer unused contents to a non-metallic container, cover and refrigerate them, and consume them within two days.
Does an MSC label apply to every tuna product from a brand?
No. Check the exact can or pack for the blue MSC ecolabel rather than extending a label shown on one variant to a brand’s entire range.