15 Canned Salmon and Tuna Recipes You'll Actually Be Excited to Eat (2024)

Using canned tuna and salmon is a convenient way to get dinner on the table fast. Including cheesy casseroles, crab cake knock-offs, and easy sandwiches, these canned seafood recipes are ideal for mixing up your weeknight dinner routine. Stock up on canned tuna or salmon packets, and you'll be just minutes away from enjoying a heart-healthy entrée.

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Lemon-Dill Salmon Cakes

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15 Canned Salmon and Tuna Recipes You'll Actually Be Excited to Eat (1)

Once these lemony, crispy cakes are coated in panko bread crumbs and pan-fried, you'll never notice it started from canned salmon. Mix together plain Greek yogurt, lemon juice, and a pinch of fresh dill for a creamy dressing to top your salmon patty salad.

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Mediterranean Tuna Salad

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15 Canned Salmon and Tuna Recipes You'll Actually Be Excited to Eat (2)

Canned seafood comes in oil or water. Here, we suggest seeking out tuna in oil since the rest of the pretty, composed salad is so lean. The extra fat boosts satisfaction and vitamin absorption.

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Salmon Pot Pie

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Pot pie can be a daunting dish to bake on a weeknight. Not this fast-forward fish version! A canned salmon and veggie filling cooks to bubbly perfection and is casserole-ready in about 10 minutes. Plus, the crust is almost instant since (our little secret!) it comes from the supermarket refrigerator.

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Gluten-Free Asparagus-Tuna Casserole

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This gluten-free casserole is the ideal crowd-pleasing dish to serve in that long stretch when winter transitions into spring. Plenty of hearty potatoes and melted provolone will warm you up, while tuna in garlic oil and fresh asparagus pieces make this dish one for anyone, whether you need to be gluten-free or not.

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Tuscan Tuna Mac Casserole

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Can't decide between tuna noodle casserole or mac and cheese? No need to choose just one when you can enjoy both in this scrumptious Italian herb-seasoned pasta bake. In addition to two cans of tuna, this casserole features a cup of sliced cremini mushrooms for another hearty, meat-like ingredient.

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White Bean Tuna Salad

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Talk about a dinner winner. This healthy, herb-packed, and super affordable salad can be ready 20 minutes from starting. Canned tuna, canned white beans, and a simple homemade red wine vinaigrette make it possible.

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Salmon Patties with Parsley Mayo

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With a meaty texture and a creamy parsley-mayo topping, these burger look-alikes will convince those who typically swim clear of salmon to catch their omega-3s for the day. Serve stuffed inside a bun or between two slices of toasted bread for a seafood sandwich.

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Mediterranean Salmon Wrap

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If you're not keen on seafood salads mixed with mayo, try this light and refreshing canned salmon creation. Instead of mayonnaise, we use olive oil, lemon juice, and other Mediterranean classic pairings like Kalamata olives and diced red onion.

Mediterranean Breakfast Recipes You'll Want to Eat All Day

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Tuna-Noodle Casserole

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A classic tuna noodle casserole that's easy and made from scratch? Yes, please. The creamy, decadent sauce is made with 100 percent recognizable ingredients, including milk, butter, and freshly grated cheese.

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Muffin Pan Tuna Melts

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All the melty goodness; no griddle required! Build open-faced tuna sandwiches in muffin cups and then pop them in the oven. Serve two with a fresh salad to make these canned tuna melts a complete meal.

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Fast Nicoise Salad

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Why spend $10+ for a restaurant salad when you can build a way more budget-friendly Nicoise at home in just 20 minutes? The combo platter of pouch tuna and hard-cooked egg gives each satisfying serving 20 grams of protein.

Insanely Easy Recipes for Weeknight Dinners

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Tuna and Green Bean Bake

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Calling all kids (and kids at heart)! A handful of cheesy fish-shaped crackers give a colorful, crunchy finish in this playful green bean bake featuring canned tuna. Stick to light condensed soup and milk for less sodium and fat.

19 Great Green Bean Recipes

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Avocado Ranch Tuna Melts

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Ranch and tuna may seem like a weird combination, but don't knock it until you try it. Creamy avocado (another source of omega-3) serves as the base to make this a heart-healthy light lunch.

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Salmon-Stuffed Zucchini

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Stuffing zucchini is one of the best ways to enjoy the summer squash as a meal. Try using recipe-ready lemon pepper packets of salmon for a burst of citrus flavor in this light, yet filling dinner recipe.

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Curried Tuna Sandwich

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If you love global, aromatic curry spice, try this updated canned tuna salad recipe. The addition of coleslaw and peanuts adds a nice crunchy bite. It's an easy make-ahead recipe to keep in the fridge for when you need a quick meal.

15 Canned Salmon and Tuna Recipes You'll Actually Be Excited to Eat (2024)

FAQs

Is canned tuna or canned salmon healthy? ›

While they're both highly nutritious, salmon comes out ahead due to its healthy omega-3 fats and vitamin D. Meanwhile, tuna is the winner if you're instead looking for more protein and fewer calories per serving.

Should you drain canned salmon? ›

Canned salmon also contains high concentrations of sodium, particularly when the fish is packed in salt water. That's why it's recommended that you drain the salmon before eating it. A can of salmon can contain over 400 milligrams of sodium, which is about 17% of a person's recommended daily sodium intake, per the FDA.

Can you eat tuna and salmon together? ›

I hope this answers helps, and so with that in mind, yes, you can eat salmon and tuna together, just not in excess.

Is it OK to eat canned salmon everyday? ›

Takeaway. The FDA recommends eating 8 ounces of salmon per week. So you *can* eat it every day but in smaller servings. If you're pregnant, the FDA recommends eating 8 to 12 ounces of seafood per week from sources that have lower mercury levels — including salmon!

Which is healthier red or pink canned salmon? ›

The pink tends to be milder and softer. Now, calorie wise, um, they. These ones are pretty much the same, but often. red salmon tends to be slightly higher in calories, has more Omega 3 fatty acids than the pink.

What is the white stuff in canned salmon? ›

That white slimy stuff is called albumin, and it's actually just a harmless (albeit pretty gross-looking) protein that solidifies as salmon cooks.

What is the black stuff in canned salmon? ›

The small black specks could be anything from really tiny flakes of scale to tiny singed parts from when the meat was cooked to microplastics eaten by the fish - who knows. In any of those cases, not harmful to you.

Why does canned salmon say do not drain? ›

Draining the liquid shouldn't impact nutritional value

Despite this minor leaching of nutrients, canned salmon retains lots of its oils, which means a large portion of omega-3s remain in the fish. Because these oils are not highly water soluble, the nutrients are less likely to be washed away by rinsing.

Can you make canned salmon taste good? ›

Drain a little of the naturally occurring juices (the oily liquid in the can comes solely from the fish itself, there is nothing added but a little salt), then add a little olive oil plus some chopped onion. That really evens the flavor out in a very delicious way.

Can I eat the bones in canned salmon? ›

Are they safe to eat, or should they be avoided? The short answer is that the bones in canned salmon are completely safe to eat.

How many times a week should you eat tuna and salmon? ›

A healthy, balanced diet should include at least 2 portions of fish a week, including 1 of oily fish. That's because fish and shellfish are good sources of many vitamins and minerals.

How many times a week can you eat tuna and salmon? ›

For adults, a typical serving is 4 ounces of fish, measured before cooking. Our advice is to eat 2 to 3 servings of a variety of cooked fish, or about 8 to 12 ounces, in a week.

How many times a week can you eat canned salmon? ›

Still, small amounts of mercury can pose a risk to young children, unborn babies and the babies of nursing mothers, so the recommended servings of even low-mercury canned light tuna and salmon are no more than 2 to 3 servings per week of 3 to 4 ounces for folks who fall into those categories.

What is the healthiest canned fish to eat? ›

The most healthful choices on this list that are available canned include anchovies, Atlantic mackerel, clams, crab, oysters, sardines, shrimp, and trout. Canned seafood brands offer varying levels of testing to ensure lower mercury levels.

Is it better to eat tuna or salmon everyday? ›

While there's no strict daily limit per se, two to three servings of fish per week is generally recommended by the FDA, according to Hill. On the flip side, if you're eating salmon every day, she says that you could also be at risk for a lack of nutrient variety.

Is it safe to eat tuna or salmon everyday? ›

You could eat both canned tuna and salmon everyday, but I would personally limit myself to maybe one can of tuna per week or biweekly due to levels of mercury often found in tuna, but as far as salmon are concerned, as long as the salmon are wild caught, you can eat it daily.

What is the difference between canned tuna and canned salmon? ›

Perhaps the biggest difference between canned salmon and canned tuna comes down to their nutritional profiles. While both are good sources of protein, tuna edges salmon out slightly with 21 grams of protein per 3-ounce portion as compared to just 17 grams for the same amount of salmon.

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