We Asked Chefs About the Best Canned Tuna and Got a Unanimous Answer: Here’s Why It Matters

The simple tuna mayonnaise sandwich is an all-time classic. It holds a special place in our daily diet. It is praised not only for its ease of preparation, but also for its perfectly blended flavors that have been loved by generations.

Canned tuna is the core of this practical ingredient, providing a large amount of easily accessible protein at a low price. Whether you are in a hurry or planning, tuna is a great meal base. It is convenient to carry and nutritious.

With tuna, mayonnaise is a good choice. This ingredient gives it an essential creamy taste. Mayonnaise is very important in changing the taste of dry fish flakes, creating a smooth and easy-to-eat mixture that brings everything together. This smooth taste can effectively counter the dry taste of tuna.

Together, these ingredients create a salad base that can be used in many ways. The most common practice is to spread it thickly on bread slices, which makes for a sandwich that everyone loves. But the mixture can also be gently added to salads, where it provides excellent protein. It can also be mixed into warm pasta to make a simple sauce that is perfect for coating noodles. In fact, tuna salad base is very versatile and can make different dishes more delicious.

Journalist Candace Nagy writes for Eating Well magazine. She went looking for the experts’ secrets to making the best tuna salad. She delved into the knowledge of seasoning food experts and applied their years of knowledge on flavors and ingredients. Her report aims to share this expertise and provide practical tips for everyday cooks to help them improve their tuna salad preparations, as well as valuable advice from the world’s top food experts.

What did she find? Through her diligent research on food facts, Candace revealed the simple secrets you see, and it all starts with an important first step: choosing the best canned fish from the beginning. It’s the step before you mix anything, and the choices you make on the store shelf, which experts told her can have a huge impact on flavor and texture.

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Ultimate Tuna Salad

This quick and easy recipe for ultimate tuna salad uses fat-free cottage cheese as a base, offering a high-protein, low-carb alternative to traditional mayo-based versions. Simply combine drained tuna, cottage cheese, diced onion, minced garlic, and Mrs. Dash seasoning, then mix well and season to taste. Ready in minutes for a healthy lunch or snack.

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Total Time 5 minutes mins

Course lunch/dinner

Cuisine American

Servings 2 people

Calories 414.3 kcal

Equipment

• 1 Mixing Bowl
• 1 Can Opener (if using canned tuna)
• 1 Fork or spoon for mixing
• 1 Knife for dicing
• 1 Cutting Board for dicing

Ingredients

  

Main

• 6 ounces tuna in water drained
• 1 cup fat-free cottage cheese
• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 2 tablespoons original Mrs. Dash seasoning mix
• salt & pepper

Instructions

 

• Drain the tuna thoroughly to remove excess water.
• Finely dice the onion.
• Mince the garlic clove.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the drained tuna, fat-free cottage cheese, diced onion, minced garlic, and Mrs. Dash seasoning mix.
• Mix the ingredients together using a fork or spoon until well combined.
• Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
• Stir again to ensure seasonings are evenly distributed.
• Serve immediately, or chill for a few minutes before serving.

Notes

This recipe offers a protein-packed, lower-fat take on tuna salad by using cottage cheese instead of mayonnaise. Ensure the tuna is thoroughly drained to prevent a watery consistency. The cottage cheese provides creaminess, but the texture will differ from mayo-based versions; expect it to be a bit thicker and potentially curdy. Finely dice the onion and mince the garlic to integrate their flavors smoothly without large chunks. Mrs. Dash provides a good base seasoning, but always taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Consider adding finely diced celery or pickles for crunch and tang, or fresh herbs like dill or parsley to brighten the flavor.

All the chefs stressed this point, “Choose tuna in olive oil.” The consensus among the famous chefs shows the importance of this concentrate. Olive oil does more than just keep the fish fresh, they say, it enhances the overall taste of the tuna. It’s a rich taste that tuna in water can’t give.

Think about the flavor that olive oil adds compared to water. Water is pure and just keeps the fish fresh. But olive oil is an ingredient in itself, and it gives tuna a unique subtle flavor that makes the original flavor of tuna more intense and complex. It turns tuna from just a protein to an integral part of the overall taste of tuna mayonnaise. It gives tuna in water a unique rich taste.

Chef Michael Proetti, who you may know from TV cooking shows, discussed this with Candice at length. He pointed out that tuna in water can taste more pungent or more fishy. Olive oil has a specific effect that you want. In his words, it has the effect of softening the fish. It dilutes the strong fishy smell and makes the tuna taste richer. It is not like ordinary fish, but more like a mixture of fish meat.

Carla Contreras even goes a step further and shows how the oil from the can is part of her cooking method. She uses the drained oil from the can as a base and adds it to her favorite tuna salad recipe.

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Albacore is a good choice for those who like a stronger, more complex tuna salad. It is known for being firmer and more likely to break apart after canning. This means that the tuna retains most of its flakes and maintains its texture even when mixed with mayonnaise and other ingredients. It has a richer, fuller taste. It is also suitable for sandwiches and salads. It is a good choice for those who want the original taste of tuna.

If you like your tuna salad a little softer, you may find it a little more moist and smoother. Then, they say, large pieces of light tuna are a good choice. This type breaks up more easily when mixed and blends better with all the ingredients. This makes the salad smoother and not as heavy as you might expect. It is perfect for spreading on bread or mixing into other foods, such as dips, to bring a different delicious taste.

There is also yellowfin tuna salad, which brings a third different taste experience for those who like different flavors. Candace discovered that canned yellowfin tuna is popular because it is tender and has a smooth texture. This description evokes rich and tender. Yellowfin tuna salad has a rich and delicious texture that melts in your mouth. People crave this real rich and smooth taste.

One of the great things about making tuna mayonnaise is that it’s easy for anyone to do. You see, you don’t need any special cooking skills. This makes it ideal for everyone. Whether you’re new to cooking. Or if you’ve been cooking at home for years. It’s actually very easy to make delicious tuna mayonnaise. Here are some easy to make, delicious recipes.

The NHS even offers a simple healthy option, like a tuna mayonnaise and sweetcorn sandwich. It provides clear instructions on how to make it. It takes away any unpleasantness from the process. It’s easy for anyone to make.

The ingredients needed for this simple NHS recipe are simple, with just a few common ingredients that are easy to find. You need half a 160g can of canned tuna. The recipe says to use tuna soaked in spring water. And make sure to drain well – which is different from the experts’ preference for cooking oil. Maybe this recipe is for low-fat or light tastes. Like it calls for low-calorie mayonnaise. You need a level tablespoon of low-calorie mayonnaise. This gives the well-known creamy taste, but with less fat. Mainly to keep it good for your health.

For sweetness and color, you need sweetcorn. The recipe says a full tablespoon is enough. You can use canned corn, which is easy to buy. Or use cooked frozen corn. Some people prefer frozen because it feels fresher. A little black pepper is added for flavor. It brings a simple warmth that lifts the palate without being overpowering.

Typically served on two thick slices of bread, it uses half and half bread. It’s a solid and normal way to eat it. This simple method of making it shows how easy it is to make.

Back to the powerful uses we mentioned earlier. Well-made tuna mayonnaise is not just for sandwiches. Although it is also great on thick slices of bread. It is a perfect blend of flavors and textures. Making it a base that you can change up for multiple foods. Whether it’s throughout the day or the week, you can see it. This adaptability is a big reason why we keep it on hand. So that it can be easily paired with different meals.