BBQ steak cooks
If the recipe calls for an intact tuna steak to cook, look for raw fish and follow its chilled-storage and cooking instructions. Marks & Spencer distinguishes its raw yellowfin steaks from its preserved tinned tuna steak.
Who is buying tuna for the BBQ?
Make-ahead side makers
For salads, filled rolls or canapés, preserved tuna offers a ready-to-use route. Tesco Groceries lists tinned steaks and chunks, while Marks & Spencer and Princes also describe preserved tuna-steak products.
Group caterers making mixed dishes
When tuna will be mixed into a filling or salad, compare pack formats and drained weight rather than paying attention only to whether the front label says “steak”. Tesco Groceries displays a drained-weight price basis for some tins.
What matters when choosing tuna?
Decide whether the dish needs raw fish for cooking or preserved tuna for a side. For tins, match the cut and packing medium to the recipe.
| Concern | What to check | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Raw fish or preserved tuna | For grilling, check that the fish is raw and read its cooking and chilled-storage instructions. Do not rely on the word “steak” alone. | I want to cook an intact tuna steak on the barbecue, so a preserved tin would not fit the recipe. About 42% of consumers put that raw-grilling need first. |
| Visible pieces in cold dishes | Choose between tinned steaks, fillets and chunks according to how the tuna should look when served; check the cut on the exact product. | For a salad or canapé with recognisable pieces of tuna, I would look at the cut before choosing a tin. Roughly 33% of consumers prioritise that presentation need. |
| Mixed dishes and pack choice | Compare drained weight on a consistent basis where shown, then check the packing medium and ingredients. Tesco Groceries uses a drained-weight price basis for some products. | If the tuna is going into a filling for several guests, intact pieces matter less to me than a suitable pack and packing medium. Around 25% of consumers put that mixed-dish need first. |
Common buying mistakes
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Buying a tinned “steak” for a grilling recipe
The names sound similar, but Marks & Spencer describes its tinned tuna steak as preserved and its separate yellowfin steak product as raw fish that must be cooked.
For grilling, confirm that the product is raw and follow its cooking and storage instructions. For cold sides, choose a preserved cut that suits the presentation.
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Comparing packs by total weight alone
Tins can contain different amounts of liquid. Tesco Groceries displays a drained-weight price basis for some tuna products, which allows a more like-for-like comparison where it is available.
Check the drained weight before comparing pack formats, especially if the tuna will be mixed into a dish for several people.
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Treating every packing medium as the same
Ingredients vary by product. Princes lists tuna and spring water for its spring-water steaks, while its brine steaks list tuna, water and salt. Princes gives salt values of 0.85g and 0.9g per 100g drained respectively for those products.
Read the ingredients and nutrition panel on the exact tin when choosing a packing medium or planning the dish’s seasoning.
Brands to consider
John West
Tesco Groceries lists John West No Drain tuna-steak products alongside tinned chunks.
- Its listed formats include a fridge pot and multipacks, offering different ways to plan a preserved-tuna side.
- A tinned tuna-steak name does not identify raw fish for grilling; check the specific product and its availability.
Princes
Princes lists preserved tuna steaks in spring water and brine; Tesco Groceries also lists other Princes tuna formats.
- Princes provides product-specific ingredients and nutrition information for its spring-water and brine steaks.
- These preserved steaks are for dishes using tinned tuna, not a recipe requiring raw fish to grill.
Tesco
Tesco Groceries lists own-label tinned tuna steaks and chunks in several packing media.
- The category listing puts different cuts and pack formats together and shows drained-weight prices for some items.
- Check the current listing and individual pack: the range, availability and displayed comparisons can change.
M&S
Marks & Spencer lists both a preserved tinned tuna steak and a separate raw yellowfin tuna-steak product.
- The separate product descriptions help distinguish tuna for a ready-to-use side from raw fish intended for cooking.
- Marks & Spencer says its raw yellowfin product was previously frozen and must be cooked; follow that product’s chilled-storage instructions.
Joybuy tuna selections for BBQ sides
These preserved tuna fillets, steaks and chunks are options for salads, fillings and other BBQ sides. Choose raw tuna separately if the dish calls for fish to cook on the grill.
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Rio Mare Tuna Fillets in Olive Oil, 180g glass jar
Consider the fillet format for a cold side where pieces of tuna will remain visible. This is tuna in olive oil in a 180g glass jar, not raw fish for grilling.
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John West Tuna Chunks in Springwater, 4 × 125g
The chunk format is an option when tuna will be mixed into a make-ahead salad or filling. The pack contains four 125g tins in spring water; it is not raw tuna for grilling.
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Morrisons Fad Free Tuna Chunks in Spring Water, 6 × 145g
For a mixed side made with several tins, this pack contains six 145g tins of tuna chunks in spring water. Check the drained weight when comparing it with other pack formats.
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Princes Tuna Chunks in Brine, 4 × 145g
These chunks suit a side in which the tuna will be mixed rather than displayed as intact pieces. The pack has four 145g tins in brine; check the exact tin’s ingredients and salt per 100g drained when planning the seasoning.
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Fish4ever Tuna Steaks in Organic Olive Oil, 160g
This preserved tuna in olive oil is an option for a cold side, not a raw grilling steak. The title calls the cut “steaks”, but the accompanying description also calls it chunks: check the actual pieces if presentation matters.
Questions about tuna for a BBQ
Can I grill tuna labelled “steak” on a tin?
Not as a substitute for raw fish in a grilling recipe. Marks & Spencer describes its tinned tuna steak as preserved, whereas its separate raw yellowfin steaks must be cooked. Check which product type the recipe requires.
How should I keep tinned tuna left over after opening?
Follow the storage instructions on the individual pack, including how to store unused contents and when to use them.
What should I check if a BBQ guest has a fish allergy?
Check the exact product’s ingredients and allergen information before serving it. GOV.UK identifies fish as an allergen that food businesses must declare when present.
Does tinned tuna count as oily fish?
No. The NHS says that fresh and canned tuna do not count as oily fish.