Turn Tinned Fish Into Mini Casserole Dishes In The Air Fryer

Tinned fish is convenient, affordable, and tasty. Some people love eating tinned fish as is, while others prefer to dress it up with various sauces and seasonings. You can even upgrade your taco night with canned fish. Either way, tinned fish is a canned meat you should have in your pantry, according to tinned fish videos on TikTok that have amassed millions of views. 

Whether you're not a fan of eating canned fish straight from the tin or you're looking for a clever way to switch up the flavor, TikTok's Good Vibes Cooking has developed a super tasty way for eating canned seafood by turning them into mini casseroles or cracker dips in the air fryer. The general idea is to remove the lid, drain the oil from the tin, break up the fish with a fork, pour a creamy sauce over it, and add cheese on top. Stick the entire tin in the air fryer for a few minutes until the cheese is golden brown and bubbly. The mini casserole can be eaten with a fork but also makes a perfect savory cracker dip. 

In their "Marry Me Mackerel" tinned fish video, Good Vibes Cooking uses a variety of seasonings in their sauce like paprika, basil, and onion powder, as well as garlic, lemon juice, and heavy cream. They also grate fresh Parmesan for the cheese topping. By simply combining various sauces and toppings you can create endless recipes for tasty air fryer tinned fish casseroles.

Common varieties of tinned fish include tuna, mackerel, herring, sardines, anchovies, and salmon. While you often hear about tuna and sardines being popular canned varieties, Atlantic mackerel is the most underrated tinned fish. Canned mackerel and tuna both have a tasty umami flavor and are also milder than sardines, making them the perfect versatile fish for a variety of sauces and add-ons. They are also flakier than sardines, making it easier to incorporate into a casserole or dip. 

Besides a creamy, garlicky white sauce, try adding olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes, capers, spinach, and Parmesan to your tinned mackerel or tuna for a Mediterranean flavor. Or turn your tinned fish into a mini fish pie, a traditional British dish consisting of flaky fish (often smoked cod or salmon) and veggies in a creamy white sauce, topped with mashed potatoes. The air fryer gives it the perfect golden, crunchy crust that fish pie is known for. Making a mini fish pie is a clever way to use up leftover mashed potatoes sitting in your fridge, or you can use time-saving instant mash.  

Besides tinned fish, Good Vibes Cooking shows how to turn canned clams and canned lump crab meat into delicious air fryer tinned seafood snacks. With chive cream cheese, mayonnaise, soy sauce, sesame seed oil, and mozzarella cheese on top, the TikTok creator turns a can of crab meat into a tasty crab rangoon dip, complete with air fried wonton wrappers for dipping. 

Several comments on Good Vibes Cooking's tinned fish videos question the safety of putting the tins in the air fryer since they contain a plastic liner. One TikTok user commented, "I love these ideas but baking the plastic coating on these tins really stresses me out. The fumes permeating the food." 

Bisphenol A or BPA is an industrial chemical used in plastics that research has shown can leak into our food, particularly when heated. In high doses, BPA may have harmful effects on our health, however, more research is needed to understand the toxicity level of BPA in humans. Cans contain plastic liners to increase the food's shelf life and prevent corrosion, but most manufacturers no longer use BPA to make those liners. According to the Center for Environmental Health, tests showed that 95 percent of cans were BPA-free in 2019. Still, it's uncertain if the new plastic liners are carcinogenic or not.

According to Eater, food scientist Dr. Bryan Quoc Le explains that, "Tin cans are capable of surviving temperatures slightly higher than the boiling point of water." The plastic in the tin's liner can be heated for a short amount of time, according to Dr. Quoc Le, but isn't made to withstand lengthy cooking. In short, it's likely safe to heat the fish in the tin for a short amount of time. However, if you are concerned, consider transferring it to an air-fryer/oven-safe dish like a ceramic ramekin.