The One Ingredient That Prevents Skipjack Tuna From Drying Out When Cooking

Do you have a can of skipjack tuna in the pantry, but feeling doubtful on how to use it? If you plan on cooking it, possibly for tacos, pan-fried, or in a casserole, it's important to know that canned skipjack tuna can become dry and overcooked quickly. An easy solution to prevent skipjack tuna from drying out is to add plenty of oil as it cooks.

Like other types of tuna, canned skipjack is either packed with water and salt, or oil – and remember that some canned tuna brands are better than others. For the cans packed with water, oil will be especially important during the cooking process to retain moisture in the fish. The tuna that comes packed in oil has a stronger, richer flavor and will stay moist longer when cooked. So, give yourself a bit of a head-start and choose an oil-packed type of tuna for dinner — like the Skipjack Wild Tuna in Extra Virgin Olive Oil from 365 by Whole Foods. With that choice, you'll start with flaky, oily, saturated tuna that will hold up to the heat and the other ingredients you're adding to the pan.

If you want to add oil to water-packed tuna, or add a bit more to the ones packed in it, any type will work to keep skipjack tuna moist while it's cooking. But why not take the opportunity to upgrade canned tuna and infuse some extra flavor and nutrients into it? Olive oil and avocado oil are great choices for adding healthy fats and antioxidants. To amp up the flavor, cooking with coconut oil will infuse a hint of nutty, tropical coconut into skipjack tuna. For a slight nutty flavor, use peanut oil, macadamia nut oil, and ghee or clarified butter. You don't have to worry much about the smoke point of whatever oil you choose because you're already going to cook your skipjack at a lower temperature to retain moisture.

If you want to increase the nutritional value and flavor of your tuna dish, avoid more processed oils like corn, vegetable, soybean, or canola oil. These oils won't change the way your tuna alfredo casserole tastes, but don't expect any health benefits or amplified flavor from these, as they all mostly have a neutral flavor. In small amounts, these oils are not necessarily bad for you, but they're not as health-packed as olive or avocado oil.