Tinned fish might not be new or novel, but it is enjoying a recent resurgence in popularity. One of the easiest ways to get a meal on the table in 10 minutes or less? Pop open a can. Sardines, anchovies, mackerel, trout, salmon, tuna and other treasures from the sea are easy to eat right out of the tin with a fork — perhaps alongside a few radishes or slice of buttered bread. With a little dressing up, and a few tangy or tart accompaniments, meaty, flaky fish can add protein, flavor and texture to salads, sandwiches and more for simple lunches and dinners. Here are 16 of our favorite recipes starring tinned fish, with even more ideas in our Recipe Finder.
Smoked Trout Salad With Dill Dressing and Potato Chips
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Pictured above. Greens, tart quick-pickled cucumbers and dill freshen up salty smoked trout. Potato chips, added just before serving, give this salad extra crunch. Get the recipe.
Fennel, Lentil and Smoked Trout Salad
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Top crisp, thinly sliced fennel with lentils and flaky smoked fish. The shallot-mustard vinaigrette adds verve. There’s no need to stick to smoked trout — salmon or whitefish work just as well here. Get the recipe.
Couscous Salad With Smoked Trout and Pepperoncini
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Here, warm couscous gets tossed with a garlicky dressing, tomatoes and pepperoncini before it’s topped with smoked trout and fresh herbs. Any smoked fish works here, as does non-smoked canned salmon or tuna. Get the recipe.
Ricotta and Potato Chip Fish Cakes With Peas
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Crushed potato chips give these plush salmon cakes fish-and-chips flair. Ricotta makes them creamy, and almost pillowy. Served with peas, they make an easy and elegant main course. Get the recipe.
Creamy Salmon Pasta
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Combining canned salmon, yogurt, a bit of onion and lemon juice in a food processor or blender produces a surprisingly easy, inexpensive and delicious sauce for pasta. Get the recipe.
Quick Lentil Salmon Salad
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While you’re cooking a cup of lentils, make a pungent, herbaceous vinaigrette. Once the little legumes are done and drained, coat them in the dressing, and then top them with canned salmon, slices of red onion and a generous squeeze of lemon. Get the recipe.
Chale Sauce With Sardines
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Here, Ghanaian chale sauce forms a base for meaty tinned sardines. Not into sardines? The sauce — rich with roasted bell pepper, onions, ginger, a bit of Scotch bonnet chile, garlic and Madras curry powder — is great with just about any protein or vegetable. Get the recipe.
Lemon-Dressed Farro, Tuna and Chickpea Salad
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Pearled farro gives this salad a slightly nutty flavor, which pairs especially well with oil-packed tuna, chickpeas, lemon and parsley. Diced sweet onion, tossed into the salad at the end, gives it some pep. Get the recipe.
Tuna, Celery and White Bean Salad
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This fresh combination of oil-packed tuna, crunchy celery, white beans and herbs is great the day it’s made, but if you have time, make it a day ahead to give the ingredients and flavors time to mingle. Get the recipe.
Tunisian Fricasses
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Canned tuna sandwiches, dressed with olive oil, hard-boiled eggs, tender potatoes and olives, are popular throughout the Mediterranean. In this version, harissa gives the sandwich a hit of spice. Get the recipe.
Mediterranean Chopped Salad Bowl With Tuna
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Crunchy lettuce is an ideal backdrop for oil-packed tuna, bell peppers, green olives, parsley and a red wine vinaigrette. Feel free to substitute or add any vegetable or tender herb you may have on hand, such as fresh basil, cooked green beans or broccoli, tomatoes, radishes or radicchio. Get the recipe.
Sesame Tonnato Noodles
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Italian tonnato sauce was the inspiration behind this deeply savory and creamy bowl of noodles. Fish sauce, rice vinegar, scallions and sesame seeds give it pops of salinity, tanginess and crunch. Get the recipe.
Mackerel Toasts
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A lemony horseradish mayonnaise makes these open-faced tinned fish sandwiches a surprisingly elegant meal — even though it takes just 10 minutes to make. Get the recipe.
Fast and Easy Tomato Sauce
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Anchovies are this sauce’s not-so-secret weapon: They give it a big backdrop of umami. Bonus: The sauce needs only 25 minutes on the stove. Get the recipe.
Spaghetti With Anchovy, Lemon and Arugula
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This easy pasta dish is bright, briny and supercharged by anchovies, lemon juice and peppery raw arugula. Get the recipe.
Bitter Greens With Shaved Radish, Almonds and Anchovy Vinaigrette
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Anchovies might be an common addition to pasta sauces, but they’re also terrific in salad dressings. Here, they’re the key to making this combination of greens, radishes, almonds and oranges a fast, filling and flavorful meal. Get the recipe.
