Costco Canned Tuna: All 5 Brands Ranked (Chicken of the Sea, Safe Catch, Wild Planet, Kirkland & Fishwife)

By CostcoFan | Updated July 2026

My everyday pick: Chicken of the Sea Chunk Light, 12-pack · Item #162274 · $17.59 (~$0.21/oz)

I’ve eaten a lot of Costco canned tuna — it’s been a staple of mine since I was a broke college student, and it still is. Costco carries five brands worth talking about, spanning three different species and a wild price range, from about 21 cents an ounce to a buck fifty. I bought all five, ate all five, and ranked them honestly. Fair warning up front: my ranking is by value, because that’s how I shop. The most expensive one might actually taste the best. I’ll be straight about that when we get there.

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What I Actually Do (The Short Version)

If you don’t want to read all five reviews, here’s my honest cheat sheet:

• Everyday value: Chicken of the Sea Chunk Light — cheapest, low-mercury skipjack, and I’ve eaten it for 20 years. My #1.
• If mercury matters to you: Safe Catch — every fish tested to a strict limit, highest protein, firm and delicious. Worth the premium if that’s your priority.
• Best all-around albacore: Wild Planet — dense, meaty, no liquid to drain, sustainably caught. Especially on sale.
• Cheapest albacore staple: Kirkland — great value, but drier than the others (fine in tuna salad).
• A treat: Fishwife — probably the best-tasting straight from the can, but at ~$1.50/oz it’s a splurge, not a staple.

Now the full breakdown.

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The Nutrition Comparison (Per 3 oz, Normalized)

Canned tuna comes in different can sizes, so I’ve normalized everything to a 3 oz serving for a true apples-to-apples look. These are approximate (drained weights vary), but they’re honest and comparable:

Brand	Species	Protein	Sodium	Fat	Price/oz
Safe Catch Ahi	Yellowfin	26g	220mg	0.5g	~$0.50
Kirkland Albacore	Albacore	~24g	~267mg	~2g	$0.32
Fishwife	Albacore	~22g	~342mg	~16g	$1.51
Wild Planet	Albacore	~20g	~185mg	~3g	~$0.43
Chicken of the Sea	Skipjack	18g	270mg	0g	$0.21

A few things jump out: Safe Catch leads on protein and runs low on sodium — the premium pick earns it on paper. Wild Planet has the lowest sodium once you normalize for can size. Fishwife’s fat is way higher — that’s the olive oil it’s packed in, and it’s why it tastes the richest. And my #1, Chicken of the Sea, is actually lowest in protein per serving — but it’s cheap, low-mercury, and I love it. Value isn’t the same as “best on the label,” and I’m not going to pretend it is.

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1. Chicken of the Sea Chunk Light — The Value King

$17.59 · 12-pack, 7 oz cans · Item #162274 · ~$0.21/oz · Skipjack · 18g protein / 270mg sodium / 0g fat per 3 oz

This is my number one, and it’s honestly hard to move off the top spot because I’ve been buying it forever.

It’s a genuinely great value for the quality — not overly fishy, perfect texture, and endlessly versatile. I eat it straight from the can, throw it on sandwiches, mix it into rice, or make it into tuna salad the same way I do my sardines (Greek yogurt, Dijon, dill, red onion, celery — full recipe in my Costco sardines guide).

The nostalgia is real. This was my staple in school when I had no money and ate constantly. My go-to lunch, 3-4 times a week: drain two cans, mix in a full cup of pico de gallo, and eat it with an entire row of club crackers. It was cheap, filling, and I still make it. That history is a big reason it holds #1.

On price: at ~21 cents an ounce, it’s the cheapest tuna in the lineup by a wide margin — an amazing, cheap, healthy lunch or snack. Salads, crackers and cheese, on the go — it does everything.

On mercury: it’s chunk light, which is skipjack — one of the lower-mercury species (more on that below). So my cheapest pick is also, conveniently, one of the lowest in mercury. I’m still mindful of mercury, but that’s true of all tuna.

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2. Safe Catch Wild Yellowfin Ahi — The Mercury-Tested Premium

6-pack, 5 oz cans · Item #1292488 · ~$0.50/oz · Yellowfin · 26g protein / 220mg sodium / 0.5g fat per 3 oz

If I ranked by anything other than pure value, this might be my #1.

Safe Catch’s whole thing is that they test every single fish for mercury — the packaging states a strict limit of 0.1 parts per million. For context, the FDA’s action level for methylmercury in commercial fish is 1.0 ppm. So Safe Catch’s limit is one-tenth of the FDA threshold. I can’t personally verify their testing, but the stated number is real and it’s well within safe limits — and after buying the brand for years and genuinely liking the tuna, it feels good knowing it should be lower mercury.

The tuna itself is excellent: firm, delicious, never fishy-smelling or tasting, not spongy. It’s also the highest protein in the lineup at 26g per 3 oz. They used to sell it in pouches, which I loved — they traveled great. They’ve switched to cans now, which are easy to open with a pull tab, but I do miss the pouches.

There’s a no-salt-added version on Amazon that’s very popular. I like the salt and don’t have blood pressure issues (yet), so I’m fine with it — and honestly it tastes better with the salt.

The only reason it’s #2 and not #1: at ~50 cents an ounce it’s more than double the Chicken of the Sea. Worth it if mercury is your priority. Hard to justify daily if you’re frugal like me.

• Safe Catch Canned Albacore Tuna Fish No Salt Added, 5oz Can, 12-Pack | Wild Caught, Lowest Mercury Limit on Amazon -> Our albacore tuna belong to the North and South Pacific Ocean Albacore populations and are caught in the Northwest Pacific (FAO 61), the Western Central Pacific (FAO 71), and off the coast of New Zealand (FAO 81). 

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3. Wild Planet Albacore — The Best All-Around Albacore

6-pack, 5 oz cans · Item #7552 · normally $17.89 (on sale $12.89 in my photo, ~$0.43/oz) · Albacore · ~20g protein / 185mg sodium / 3g fat per 3 oz

This is the albacore I’d actually recommend, and it beat out the Kirkland for one simple reason: no liquid added.

Most canned tuna is packed in water or oil that you drain off. Wild Planet packs theirs with no water or oil — so it’s denser, there’s more actual meat, and you don’t drain anything. Just open the can and go. That also means you need much less yogurt or mustard to moisten it up, because it isn’t dried out from draining. It’s pole-and-line caught (the sustainable method), comes in an easy pull-top can, and travels well.

It’s also, once you normalize for the smaller can, the lowest sodium in the lineup (185mg per 3 oz).

One practical note: they all go on sale, so keep an eye out. The rankings here are close enough that price swings matter — Wild Planet at $12.89 on sale is a much easier call than at $17.89. Sales are usually when I switch it up.

• Wild Planet Skipjack Wild Tuna with Sea Salt, 5 Ounce, Pack of 12 on Amazon -> Count on Wild Planet’s Wild Skipjack Tuna to provide big tuna flavor harvested with sustainable practices. Each can provides omega 3, protein and more of the nutritional ingredients that you want, while leaving out the fillers, added water or oils you don’t.

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4. Kirkland Signature Solid White Albacore — The Value Staple (But Dry)

$17.99 · 8-pack, 7 oz cans · Item #1492456 · ~$0.32/oz · Albacore · ~24g protein / 267mg sodium / 2g fat per 3 oz

A Kirkland staple and a genuine value — but it dropped to #4 for one reason: it’s dry.

It comes in a nice solid piece (which is what “solid white” means, and it looks premium), but eaten plain it’s a little tough and dry-ish — even though it’s packed in liquid, which is the strange part. That’s partly just the nature of solid albacore. Where it shines is in tuna salad — my usual recipe with Greek yogurt and mustard adds plenty of moisture, and then the dryness is a non-issue.

At ~32 cents an ounce it’s a strong value and a reliable Kirkland staple. If you’re making tuna salad anyway, the dryness doesn’t matter and this is a smart buy. If you eat your tuna plain, you’ll notice it.

Mercury note: it’s albacore, which runs higher in mercury than skipjack. So it’s higher than my #1 on that front — worth knowing.

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5. Fishwife Spicy Olive Oil — Last Only on Price (I Love This Stuff)

$14.49 · 3-pack · Item #1908847 · ~$1.51/oz · Albacore · ~22g protein / 342mg sodium / 16g fat per 3 oz

Here’s the part I don’t like doing, because #5 makes it look like the worst, and it absolutely isn’t. It’s last only because of price. I love this tuna.

Fishwife is hook-and-line caught albacore packed in spicy olive oil — white pepper, garlic, salt, hot paprika, and cayenne. It’s not too spicy, just how I like it, and it’s probably my favorite one to eat straight from the can. It tastes that good.

But at almost $5 a can (~$1.51/oz), it’s significantly more expensive than anything else here — Chicken of the Sea is 21 cents an ounce; this is a buck fifty. As much as I love the flavor, I can’t justify that as a staple. Maybe I’m just cheap and frugal — but hell, that’s why I love Costco. And here’s the thing: I can add my own spices for pennies. A cheaper can plus a few shakes of Frank’s Red Hot makes a great spicy tuna sandwich for a fraction of the price.

So Fishwife is what it is: a genuine treat. I buy it when it’s on sale and enjoy every bite, but it’s not the everyday can. If money were no object it might be #1. It’s #5 because I shop like a Costco person.

• Fishwife Lemon Tuna (6-Pack) on Amazon -> Premium Tinned Fish | MSC-Certified | High Protein, Gluten Free, Paleo Friendly, Omega-3s | Wild-Caught Tuna from South Africa Fishery

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Skipjack vs. Albacore vs. Yellowfin: What’s the Difference?

People don’t realize “canned tuna” isn’t one fish. These five cans cover three different species, and the species explains a lot of the taste, price, and mercury differences. Here’s the plain-English version:

Skipjack (aka “chunk light”) — the smallest, most abundant tuna. Milder, softer, flakier, and the cheapest. Because skipjack are small and short-lived, they accumulate the least mercury — generally about a third of what albacore has. This is your Chicken of the Sea Chunk Light. Best budget-and-mercury combo.

Albacore (aka “solid white”) — the “white” tuna. Firmer, meatier, milder-but-richer, and it comes in solid pieces rather than flakes. It’s the classic “nice” canned tuna. But albacore are bigger and longer-lived, so they run higher in mercury than skipjack. This is your Kirkland, Wild Planet, and Fishwife.

Yellowfin (aka “ahi”) — the premium sushi-grade species. Firm, clean, meaty. Naturally moderate-to-high mercury by species — which is exactly why Safe Catch’s per-fish testing matters, because it overrides the species default. This is your Safe Catch.

The practical takeaway: if mercury is your main concern, skipjack (chunk light) or a tested brand like Safe Catch are your safest bets. If you want the firm, meaty “nice tuna” experience, albacore delivers but runs higher in mercury. Balance it based on how often you eat tuna.

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Was There a Costco Tuna Recall?

Short answer, because a lot of people are searching this: yes, but it likely doesn’t affect these canned tunas.

The 2025 Costco recall that got attention was for a Kirkland tuna poke product (the fresh/refrigerated poke), pulled over possible listeria contamination — not the shelf-stable canned tuna reviewed here. There was also attention around an ahi tuna wasabi poke product. These are prepared, refrigerated poke items, not the canned tuna on the shelf.

As always, check the specific lot/recall notices for anything you’ve bought, but the canned tuna in this comparison wasn’t the subject of that recall. If you’re worried about a specific can, the Costco app and the FDA recall site are the places to verify.

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How I Eat Canned Tuna

• Tuna salad — my main use, same recipe as my sardine sandwich: Greek yogurt instead of mayo, Dijon, dill, red onion, celery. The Greek yogurt is the move — healthier and it doesn’t dry out.
• Straight from the can — especially the Safe Catch and Fishwife
• The college special — two cans drained, a cup of pico de gallo, a row of club crackers. Still undefeated.
• On rice — quick protein bowl
• On salads — obvious but great
• Crackers and cheese — the easy snack
• Spicy tuna — cheap can + Frank’s Red Hot, or just buy the Fishwife

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Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the best canned tuna at Costco?

For everyday value, Chicken of the Sea Chunk Light (item 162274, ~$0.21/oz) — cheap, low-mercury skipjack, endlessly versatile. If mercury is your priority, Safe Catch (tested to 0.1 ppm). For the best albacore, Wild Planet.

How much is canned tuna at Costco?

It ranges widely: about $0.21/oz for Chicken of the Sea Chunk Light up to ~$1.51/oz for Fishwife. Kirkland albacore is ~$0.32/oz, Wild Planet ~$0.43/oz, Safe Catch ~$0.50/oz.

Which Costco tuna has the least mercury?

Safe Catch tests every fish to a 0.1 ppm limit (a tenth of the FDA action level). Beyond that, skipjack/chunk light (Chicken of the Sea) is naturally lower-mercury than albacore (Kirkland, Wild Planet, Fishwife).

What’s the difference between chunk light and albacore?

Chunk light is skipjack — milder, softer, cheaper, lower mercury. Albacore is solid white — firmer, meatier, pricier, higher mercury. Yellowfin (ahi), like Safe Catch, is the premium sushi-grade species.

Was Costco tuna recalled?

The 2025 recall involved Kirkland tuna poke (refrigerated, listeria concern), not the shelf-stable canned tuna. Always verify specific lot numbers, but the canned tuna here wasn’t the subject of that recall.

Does Costco sell Safe Catch and Wild Planet?

Yes — Costco carries Safe Catch Wild Yellowfin Ahi, Wild Planet Albacore, Kirkland Albacore, Chicken of the Sea Chunk Light, and Fishwife. Availability varies by warehouse.

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