Best Canned Tuna: Four Brands Worth Keeping in Your Pantry

Introduction

Canned tuna has a reputation problem. For many people it means dry, water-packed fish mashed with too much mayonnaise, remembered rather fondly as a childhood lunch and never revisited. But the gap between a mediocre can and a great one is enormous, and once you taste tuna packed in olive oil or a properly cooked water-packed fillet, it is hard to go back.

This guide breaks down four brands across two categories: water-packed tuna for tuna salad and sandwiches, and olive oil-packed tuna for pasta, salads, and anything where you want the fish to shine. The single most important thing we learned comparing them: the best tuna is cooked only once, not twice, and that difference shows up in every bite.

Water-Packed Tuna: What to Look For

Start with the type of fish on the label. If the can says “white”, it is usually albacore or yellowfin, with a lighter, milder taste. If it says “light”, it comes from stronger-flavored fish such as skipjack or bluefin. Unless you actively enjoy a pronounced fishy flavor, stick with white tuna.

Next, look for the phrases “pole caught” or “line caught”. This is a more humane alternative to net fishing, and it also tends to taste better, because the fish are less stressed.

The biggest differentiator between brands is cooking method. All canned tuna must be cooked for safety, but the best producers pack it raw in the can and cook it once. Tuna that is pre-cooked, packed, then cooked again is a recipe for very dry fish. Some lower-ranked brands add vegetable broth to mask that dryness, which does not work: it just makes the tuna unpleasantly soft and soggy.

Best Water-Packed Pick: American Tuna

American Tuna is the winner in the water-packed, pole-caught category. Because it is packed raw and cooked only once, the tuna stays noticeably moister than the double-cooked competition, and the flavor stays clean rather than masked by broth or additives.

If you are making tuna salad or tuna salad sandwiches, this is the can to reach for. It delivers exactly what water-packed tuna should be: moist, tender, and flavorful without gimmicks.

Runner-Up: StarKist

StarKist takes second place among the water-packed options. It is widely available, easy to find, and a solid choice when you want dependable tuna salad without hunting down a specialty brand.

It will not match the single-cooked moisture of our top pick, but it holds its own in the category and works well for everyday sandwiches and quick lunches.

Olive Oil-Packed Tuna: The Upgrade That Changes Everything

If water-packed tuna is a pantry staple, olive oil-packed tuna is a genuine pleasure. This is the category that changed our mind about canned tuna entirely, and it is worth insisting on one rule: if it is packed in vegetable oil, do not bother. Why settle for vegetable oil when olive oil is an option?

Good olive oil-packed tuna is cohesive, tender, and rich, without an overly fishy taste. You can eat it straight from the jar, flake it over salads, or fold it into pasta. It is the kind of ingredient that makes you excited to cook.

Best Olive Oil Pick: Tonino

Tonino is one of our two winners in the olive oil category. The fillets hold together beautifully in the jar, look as good as they taste, and deliver that tender, rich texture without a heavy fishy flavor.

It is exactly the kind of tuna that makes tuna pasta something to look forward to, and it works equally well on salads and sandwiches.

Best Olive Oil Runner-Up: Ortiz

Ortiz is the second olive oil standout, and for the same reason: intact, tender fillets in quality olive oil with a clean, rich taste. The texture is the story here. Where double-cooked canned tuna turns to dry flakes, Ortiz stays moist and substantial enough to be the centerpiece of a dish rather than a mix-in.

Open a jar, add good bread, and you have a snack. Add pasta, and you have dinner.

Best Overall Buying Advice

Choosing well comes down to three checks. First, pick white tuna unless you want a stronger fish flavor. Second, look for pole-caught or line-caught labeling for both ethics and taste. Third, in the water-packed category, favor brands that cook the tuna once; in the oil-packed category, insist on olive oil over vegetable oil.

If you want one can and one jar in the pantry, American Tuna covers the sandwich side, and Tonino or Ortiz covers everything else. It is a small upgrade that changes how you think about canned fish.

Conclusion

Canned tuna deserves better than its boring reputation. Pole-caught, single-cooked water-packed tuna like American Tuna makes excellent salads and sandwiches, StarKist is a reliable widely available fallback, and olive oil-packed jars from Tonino and Ortiz turn a pantry staple into something genuinely delicious. Once you make the switch, there is no going back.