The Store-Bought Condiment That Will Elevate Canned Tuna

Whether or not you remember how it got in the back of your pantry, canned tuna is a food that should never go unappreciated. Cheap, ready-to-eat, and packed with protein, there's a reason tuna is one of the top canned meats to keep on hand. If canned tuna has any flaws, it might be its flavor. By itself, it's often bland and can be a bit dry. Fortunately, there's no shortage of ingredients that can add depth and excitement to even the plainest tinned fish. For those who like to bring the heat when they chow down, try adding a dash or two of hot sauce to your next canned tuna meal.

Hot sauce doesn't just turn up the heat of canned tuna; depending on the brand, it can also bring smokiness, acidity, or even a hint of sweetness. There's no real trick to making this combination work. Simply grab a container or three of the best store-bought canned tuna and a bottle of the hot stuff while grocery shopping. Drain the tuna and add hot sauce drop by drop until you're satisfied with the fire factor.

Spicy ingredients in general pair well with fatty foods like fish. Canned tuna can be quite rich, which is fine if you enjoy the fishy flavor, but it can get overwhelming. The spicy and acidic notes of hot sauce are able to cut through that richness, resulting in a more well-rounded meal. It's also easy to incorporate hot sauce into tuna, no matter if you're enjoying it by itself on some toast or mixed into a first-class tuna salad.

Once you've perfected your hot sauce to tuna ratio, you can start experimenting with other ingredients to make yourself a dish perfectly tailored to your tastes. A squeeze of lemon can add more acidity, and fresh herbs like cilantro add freshness, while a bit of diced red onion or celery gives the dish a nice crunch and breaks up what can otherwise be a mushy meal. Or, you could try some of Gordon Ramsay's favorite tuna salad ingredients like quail eggs. After playing around with the different ways to transfer tuna to your tummy, go a step further by using hot sauce and tuna to make a spicy tuna melt. Adding a bit of shredded cheese to the mixture, then toasting it, creates a creamy, flavorful filling for a sandwich or wrap. The heat from the hot sauce, the melted cheese, and the savory tuna make a simple yet satisfying meal that's a great way to make lunchtime more special.