The Best Tinned Fish: A Guide to Every Type Worth Trying

Tinned fish is having a genuine moment, and the aisle has gotten crowded fast. Here's what's actually in those tins, what each one tastes like, and which to reach for depending on what you're after.

Sardines

The entry point and still the best all-rounder. Rich, soft and savoury, with edible bones that carry a serious amount of calcium. They take flavour well, which is why you'll find them packed in everything from plain olive oil to tomato, chili and smoke.

Best for: toast, pasta, eating straight from the tin. If you're new to tinned fish, start here.

Anchovies

Not really a snack — a seasoning. Salt-cured and intense, anchovies dissolve into hot oil and disappear, leaving a deep savoury backbone behind. Most people who think they hate anchovies have only met them on a bad pizza.

Best for: melting into pasta sauces, dressings, braised greens, Caesar dressing.

Mackerel

Bigger, meatier and oilier than sardines, with a firmer flake. The flavour is stronger too, so it stands up to mustard, vinegar and pickles rather than getting lost under them.

Best for: smashing into a pâté, rye bread, potato salads.

Tuna

The one everyone grew up with, but the good stuff is a different product entirely. Look for whole loin packed in olive oil rather than shredded chunks in water. Note that tuna sits higher on the food chain than sardines or anchovies, so it carries more mercury.

Best for: salads, sandwiches, or dressed simply with lemon and good oil.

Mussels

Usually smoked and packed in oil or escabeche. Sweet, chewy and a little briny — they taste more like a treat than a pantry staple.

Best for: straight from the tin with crackers and hot sauce.

Octopus

Tender, mild and surprisingly meaty. Often packed in olive oil with paprika or garlic. One of the more expensive tins, and one of the most impressive to put on a board.

Best for: a tinned fish board, or tossed through potatoes and parsley.

Squid and calamari

Frequently packed in their own ink, which is exactly as dramatic as it sounds. Mild and tender, with the ink adding a deep briny richness.

Best for: stirred through rice or pasta, where the ink can do its thing.

Cockles and clams

Small, sweet and springy, usually in brine. Delicate compared to the oily fish, and best not buried under strong flavours.

Best for: with lemon and bread, or folded into a simple pasta.

Trout and salmon

Milder and less oily than mackerel, often smoked. A gentler option if the stronger fish aren't for you, and a good bridge for anyone who already likes smoked salmon.

Best for: crackers, cream cheese, scrambled eggs.

How to tell a good tin from a cheap one

• The oil — olive oil beats vegetable or soybean oil, and it becomes an ingredient in whatever you cook.
• Whole fillets, not fragments — pieces and chunks mean lower-grade fish.
• A short ingredient list — fish, oil, salt. Maybe a herb.
• Certification — the blue MSC label means the fishery has been independently assessed as sustainable.
• Where it was packed — Portugal, Spain and Morocco have canning traditions going back over a century.

Which tinned fish should you start with?

• Never had it before? Sardines in tomato or pepper sauce.
• Want to cook with it? Anchovies, then sardines in olive oil.
• Building a board? Mussels, octopus, and a smoked sardine.
• After the nutrition? Sardines and mackerel, bone-in.

Ready to start? Shop our sardines, or find a stockist near you.