Who would’ve guessed that tinned fish would be the new ‘it’ trend? For a long time, canned fish was considered undesirable: mushy, stinky, and certainly not something you should put in the office microwave, if you didn’t want to get shouted out of the building.  

Now, we’re very happy to say that we’re in a new era; sardines on toast are the latest ‘it’ snack, anchovies are on every restaurant menu, and ‘seacuterie’ boards stacked with tins are all the rage on TikTok. 

We’ve got no problem with tinned seafood... We love anything that gets Aussies eating more fish! Our top tip, though, is to buy Australian. Not only does that mean you can be sure the fish was sourced sustainably, but it also means you’re supporting local industry. Bonus! Our favourite places to buy Australian sourced and canned seafood are Little Tuna and Little Tin Co.

Here are some recipes that tinned seafood would work beautifully in (including some from Little Tuna and Tin Co themselves), to get your creative juices flowing.  

Mussels 

Craving mussels, but not in the mood to debeard, steam, and de-shell them? Your problems are solved with the tinned version, preserved at their freshest. Regardless of the flavourings already in your tin, mussels and sourdough are a match made in heaven. We reckon Little Tin Co’s Smokey Port Lincoln Mussels would work perfectly with the babaganoush in this recipe! 

Or, go all out and beer-batter your mussels to recreate this utterly unique Little Tin Co recipe for Beer Battered Smokey Port Lincoln Mussel Tacos. One word: yum. 

Sardines 

Sardines were one of the first species to be canned, and they continue to be one of the most popular choices when it comes to tinned fish. From grilled to fried, broiled to pickled, you can do a lot with this humble, oily fish.

Little Tuna have a great selection of Australian-caught and canned Sardines on their website. 

Their rich taste complements other robust flavours like parmesan, garlic and sage - making this full-flavoured recipe a winner.  

Need something more lunch appropriate? These Mediterranean Pitas would make a perfect office lunch (and won’t offend your colleagues).

Tuna 

What was once developed specifically for cats is now a household staple around the world. Although some people may still scrunch up their noses and judge tinned tuna, you can’t argue with how convenient and nutritious it is for an on-the-go lunch.  

Next time you make our Salade Niçoise recipe, swap the tuna steaks for the tinned version and do it the traditional way: from pantry to plate! 

This Bonito salad recipe would also work really well with tinned tuna – the fish are cousins, after all! Little Tuna's Lemon Myrtle flavoured tin would give it a real zesty zing.

Or, go with a tried and true classic: a Tuna Melt!

Remember, always buy Australian if you can... Little Tuna is our favourite place to buy tinned Tuna.

Crab

Yes, you read that right... you can buy tinned crab! It’s a great alternative if you're feeling nervous about handling a whole crab, or just want to whip something together speedily. Sunday brunch anyone? Or perhaps Sunday dinner... 

Australian Salmon 

We were so excited to see that Little Tin Co stock one of our favourite lesser-known species, Australian Salmon.  

Not to be confused with Atlantic Salmon, this fish is endemic to Australia and only wild-caught. The Little Tin Co team can it with nduja, which is the perfect foil to its strong fishy flavour. 

We reckon it’d work beautifully in a pasta (think like Joel Bennetts: recipe vid here). Or, take a leaf out of Little Tin Co’s book and toss it through scrambled eggs! Now that’s a brunch we want to be invited to. 

Kingfish 

Bet you didn’t know you could can Kingfish. We certainly didn’t, until we discovered Little Tin Co’s Hot Smoked Kingfish and Vermouth Pate. This tin and some hot buttered toast is all you need to create the perfect work from home snack or winter dinner party appetiser... But if you want to take it further, try this recipe.