The Absolute Best Type Of Canned Fish To Use For Burgers

In general, canned fish can last for a whopping five years if you leave it sealed in your pantry. This means that while you can use it to whip up an easy meal of taquitos or to add protein to your Alfredo pasta for a filling dish, you can also deploy these tins to cook quick and simple burgers whenever you're craving them.

And yet, some types of canned fish are better for forming into patties than others. To figure out which varieties you should reach for first, we turned to Chef Charlotte Langley, President and Founder of Langley Foods. And as it turns out, tinned salmon is her top pick. "It has a meaty texture and rich flavor that holds up well when formed into patties," Langley told Tasting Table. In general, it's a more substantial option than other types. As opposed to canned tuna, salmon has a little more calories, protein, and "good" fats. It also has more moisture than other kinds of fish, so you'll be left with juicy, succulent burgers that may be difficult to differentiate from ones made with fresh stuff.

While canned salmon is Langley's first pick, there are other types of tinned fish you can use for burgers if you don't have it on hand. "Tuna can also work, but it's a bit drier, so you'll need to add moisture with ingredients like mayo or yogurt," she said. In general, you'll want to go with 2 tablespoons of mayo for every 5-ounce can of tuna, or one to two tablespoons of plain Greek yogurt for the same amount of tinned fish. But these two aren't the only moisture-giving options here — you can also deploy about 2 to 3 tablespoons of sour cream. For the most flavor and moisture, choose full-fat options of these dairy products.

While salmon and tuna are Langley's standouts for tasty canned fish burgers, you have a few other options if you want to venture off a bit. It's entirely possible to make patties out of tinned sardines, which will have a saltier, fishier flavor than salmon ones; or even out of mackerel, which has a less oceanic taste but still packs in plenty of umami goodness. In either case, however, you'll still need a binder. This can come in the form of the aforementioned dairy ingredients, although you can also use a combination of eggs and breadcrumbs.