Cooked tuna packed in oil, water or brine. It is already fully cooked, so it needs only warming through, and it flakes rather than slices.
What it does in a recipe: Shelf-stable savoury protein that flakes into salads, sauces and fillings without cooking. Pick the swap that covers that job — the ratios below are written so you can act on them without doing any arithmetic.
Also called: Tinned tuna, Tuna in water, Tuna in oil
4substitutes
1close matches
Proteinscategory
Quick answer
Canned salmon
one 5 oz can tuna = one 5 oz can salmon, drained
All substitutes, best first
4 ways to replace canned tuna
Canned salmon
Closest match
one 5 oz can tuna = one 5 oz can salmon, drained
Another oily fish preserved the same way, so it flakes to the same size and binds into a mayonnaise or a fishcake identically.
Trade-offRicher, softer and pinker, with a more pronounced fish flavour. Tinned salmon often includes soft bones and skin, which some cooks remove.
Allergen checkThis is still fish, so it is no help to anyone avoiding fish — and if you are cooking for a fish allergy, none of these first three swaps are safe. Fish allergy is often severe and lifelong; take it as a medical matter.
Canned sardines or mackerel
Reliable
one 5 oz can tuna = one 4-5 oz can sardines or mackerel, drained and mashed lightly
Both are oily preserved fish with a similar protein and fat profile, and mashed they take the place of tuna in a pasta sauce or on toast with no change of method.
Trade-offMuch stronger and more distinctly fishy, and the softer flesh will not stay in flakes.
Allergen checkFish, and sardines in particular are also high in histamine. Do not use any of these for a fish-allergic eater, and check the tin for added ingredients such as soy oil or wheat-containing sauces.
Shredded cooked chicken
Reliable
one 5 oz can tuna = 3/4 cup shredded cooked chicken
Mild, already-cooked protein that shreds to roughly the same size, so a chicken salad sandwich is made exactly like a tuna one.
Trade-offNone of the sea flavour that tuna brings, so a niçoise or a tuna melt becomes a different dish rather than a substituted one.
Allergen checkThis is the sensible route when fish is the thing being avoided, since it introduces no top allergen of its own. Still check any pre-cooked or rotisserie chicken for wheat, soy or dairy in the seasoning.
Chickpeas, mashed
In a pinch
one 5 oz can tuna = 3/4 cup canned chickpeas, drained and roughly mashed
Mashed chickpeas hold dressing and have enough body to bind into the same sandwich filling, which is why chickpea 'tuna' salad works as a dish in its own right.
MethodA sheet of crumbled nori or a splash of caper brine adds back some of the sea note the fish provided.
Trade-offNutty and earthy instead of fishy, and softer in the mouth. It is a good dish, but nobody will mistake it for tuna.
Raw / no-cookCookingVeganVegetarianGluten-freeDairy-freeEgg-freeNut-freeSoy-free
Allergen checkChickpeas introduce no top allergen, which makes this the safe route for a fish allergy as well as the vegan one. If you add nori for the sea note, check that packet separately — some seaweed products are processed alongside fish and shellfish.
Worth knowing
Tuna packed in oil has more flavour and stays moister; tuna in water is leaner and takes dressing better. Draining the oil-packed kind into the salad rather than the sink is rarely a mistake.
Cooking around an allergy? Diet tags here describe the ingredient itself, not any particular brand. Processed products change formulation without notice and shared production lines are common, so read the label on everything you use. A severe allergy is a medical matter — confirm with the manufacturer or your clinician rather than relying on a substitution chart.