Plated-dish cooks
If the tuna will remain visible in a salad, pasta dish or shared starter, look at steak formats and check how much fish the pack provides. The packing medium also matters if you plan to add your own dressing.
Who is this for?
Quick, low-mess dinner makers
If you are assembling a cold dish shortly before serving, a no-drain portion or a flavour already suited to the recipe can mean fewer preparation steps. Check the pack format and quantity rather than assuming every ready-to-use product is a tin.
Cooks following a mixed-in recipe
If the tuna will go into a sauce, filling or pasta bake, chunks may be more useful than intact steak pieces. Compare the packing medium and drained weight where stated, so the tuna fits the recipe and the planned portions.
What matters when choosing?
Decide whether the tuna needs to hold its shape, fit an existing dressing or minimise preparation, then check the usable quantity for the number of diners.
| Concern | What to check | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Presentation and texture | Look for steak, fillets or chunks; compare drained weight where stated. | For a plated salad or pasta dish, I want recognisable pieces of tuna rather than fish stirred throughout. Around 40% of consumers would put that presentation need first. |
| Flavour control | Read the ingredients for spring water, brine, oil, added salt and flavourings. | If my recipe already has a dressing or sauce, I need to know what the tuna will add before seasoning it. About 30% of consumers would make control of the finished flavour their primary concern. |
| Preparation and portions | Check whether draining or cooking is required and whether the quantity suits the dish. | When dinner needs assembling quickly, I want fewer handling steps without finding that one pack is too small for the planned meal. Roughly 30% of consumers would prioritise that practical need. |
What should you avoid overlooking?
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Treating pack weight as the weight of fish served
A tin’s stated net weight can include its packing liquid. That matters when tuna is the main ingredient rather than a topping.
Compare drained weights where stated, then decide whether the fish is a garnish, a mixed-in ingredient or the centre of the dish.
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Seasoning an oil-packed or flavoured tuna dish as though the tuna were plain
Princes lists olive oil, salt and lemon flavouring in its Ocean Select yellowfin tuna steak with lemon. Those ingredients need to be considered alongside any dressing or sauce you plan to add.
Read the ingredients and taste the dish before adding more oil, salt, citrus or chilli.
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Assuming a small pack will make two tuna-led portions
Single 110g steak products are listed by ASDA Groceries and other retailers. Whether one is enough for two depends on how prominently the tuna features in the meal.
Plan around the pack’s usable quantity: make the tuna one component of a shared dish, or choose an amount that fits a tuna-led meal.
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Overlooking pregnancy-specific tuna guidance
The NHS advises people who are pregnant or trying for a baby to limit tuna because it can contain mercury.
If that guidance applies, account for this meal within the NHS limit of no more than four cans of tuna or two tuna steaks a week.
Brands to consider
John West
John West offers no-drain tuna steak formats, including a 110g fridge pot listed on Joybuy.
- The no-drain format can simplify assembly of a cold dish.
- Check whether the product is a fridge pot or a tin, and whether the pack size fits the meal.
Princes
Princes lists tuna steaks in several packing media, alongside flavoured Ocean Select products.
- Its 160g Ocean Select yellowfin steak with olive oil and lemon offers a specific flavour direction for a simple dish.
- Check that the added lemon flavouring and salt suit the recipe before seasoning further.
Tesco
Tesco Groceries lists own-label tuna steaks and 145g tuna chunks in spring water or brine.
- The listed formats let you choose between visible steak pieces and chunks for mixing in.
- Check the individual pack’s drained weight and packing medium for the planned recipe.
Sainsbury's
Sainsbury's lists own-label tuna chunks in sunflower oil among its canned-fish options.
- Chunks can be distributed through a mixed pasta dish or filling.
- Check whether the oil suits the sauce or dressing you intend to use.
Asda
ASDA Groceries lists a 110g own-label tuna steak in a little spring water.
- Spring water leaves room to add your own dressing or sauce.
- For a tuna-led dinner for two, check whether one 110g pack provides enough fish.
M&S
Marks & Spencer lists tuna steak formats, including a 200g product in olive oil.
- The 200g olive-oil format is an option to consider when tuna will remain visible in a shared dish.
- Oil-packed tuna may not suit a recipe that already has a rich sauce; check the ingredients and usable quantity.
Single-tin options on Joybuy
These tuna options cover steak pieces for plating and chunks for mixing into a dish. Check each product’s preparation directions and usable quantity before choosing for one or two diners.
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Tropical Sun Tuna Steaks in Sunflower Oil
For a dish where the tuna remains visible, these steaks come in sunflower oil. Check the drained weight when deciding how much fish the meal needs.
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Topical Sun Tuna Chunks in Spring Water 160g
These chunks suit a pasta dish or filling in which the tuna will be mixed through. The product instructions say to drain the spring water; check the drained weight when planning portions.
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Tropical Sun Tuna Steaks in Brine 160g
For a dish with visible tuna pieces, these steaks are packed in brine. The product description instructs cooking thoroughly before eating, so follow its preparation directions rather than treating it as ready to eat.
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Morrisons Tuna Steaks with Sunflower Oil 110g
This 110g steak product is an option for a dish where the tuna remains visible. Check the pack’s draining directions before planning preparation: its product information describes the draining status differently.
Frequently asked questions
Should I choose tuna steak or chunks for a date-night dinner?
Choose steak when you want pieces to remain visible in a plated dish; choose chunks when the tuna will be stirred into pasta, a sauce or a filling. Check the pack size and drained weight as well as the format.
Should I buy tuna in spring water, brine or oil?
Spring water suits a recipe with its own dressing or sauce, while oil or added flavourings need to fit the dish you have planned. Read the ingredients and taste before adding more salt, oil or seasoning.
Is one pack of tuna enough for two?
That depends on whether the tuna is a topping, a mixed-in ingredient or the centre of the meal. UK listings from ASDA Groceries, Tesco Groceries, Princes and Marks & Spencer include relevant packs labelled 110g, 145g, 160g and 200g respectively; compare drained weight where stated before deciding how much to use.
What allergen should I check on a tuna product?
Tuna is fish, so check the individual product’s fish-allergen information. Read the full label for any other ingredients or allergen statements, particularly on flavoured products.
What does NHS guidance say about tuna during pregnancy?
The NHS advises people who are pregnant or trying for a baby to have no more than four cans of tuna or two tuna steaks a week because tuna can contain mercury. Account for a tuna dinner alongside any other tuna eaten that week.