I Tried Every Starkist Tuna Flavor I Could Find—Here Are My Top Picks

When was the last time you paid attention to shelf-stable tuna? Was it back in 2018 when a StarKist executive blamed millennials for not owning can openers and killing the canned tuna market? Or was it during the onset of the pandemic, when millions of people lived in lockdown, and recipe developers, including us, came up with every possible spin for canned tuna? 

We don’t blame you for moving on to tinned fish or forgetting about tuna packets altogether, but know this: tuna manufacturers like StarKist have been busy. Just stroll down grocery store aisles, and you’ll see cans, pouches, and packets loaded with ambitious tuna offerings, especially in the flavor department. 

But no one has taken this creativity as seriously as StarKist. The once millennial-blaming tuna brand now offers Creations lines in multiple types of meat: tuna, chicken, salmon, and even beef. StarKist’s Tuna Creations line includes many flavors, from mild options like Ranch and Herb & Garlic to bold selections like Jalapeño and Sriracha. 

My curiosity eventually got the better of me, and I realized I needed to sample as many flavors as I could—so that’s exactly what I did. It took weeks, but I made my way through as many StarKist Tuna Creations flavors as I could to determine which ones were worth buying. 

How I Tested the Tuna Packets

I’m not unhinged enough to rip 16 different flavors of tuna packets open at once and waste all that precious protein. No, I spread this taste test over weeks, focusing on one Tuna Creations flavor at a time. These pouches became the cornerstone of my lunch, eaten straight from the packet to examine the flavors to their fullest extent. 

How Many StarKist Tuna Creations Flavors Are There?

According to StarKist’s website, there are 16 Tuna Creations flavors: Bacon Ranch, Deli Style Tuna Salad, Ginger Sesame, Herb & Garlic, Hickory Smoked, Honey BBQ, Hot Buffalo, Jalapeño, Lemon Pepper, Premium Tuna with Rice & Beans in Hot Sauce, Ranch, Sriracha, Spicy Korean Style with Gochujang, Sweet & Spicy, Thai Chili, and Whole Grain Dijon Mustard

However, not all flavors are stocked equally, and it’s especially difficult to find stores that carry certain flavors (Ginger Sesame, I’m looking at you). I wasn’t able to try every flavor because some of them are either so popular or not produced as much as, say, Ranch or Hot Buffalo. 

The Best StarKist Tuna Creations Flavors

After trying every StarKist Tuna Creations pouch I could find, I learned that it all comes down to personal preference. If your favorite flavor isn’t represented, that just means I didn’t care for it or couldn’t track it down. These are the flavors that pleasantly surprised me or especially stood out. 

Lemon Pepper: Don’t make the same mistake I did and underestimate this flavor, or assume that lemon pepper only works for chicken. StarKist’s Lemon Pepper tuna doesn’t have to work hard to make a bright, flavorful meal, making it all the more remarkable. 

Thai Chili: Out of all the spicy StarKist Tuna Creations I tried, Thai Chili was my favorite. The flavor was a perfect balance of sweet and spicy that collaborated well with the shelf-stable tuna, and most excitingly, it brought something completely new to my table. I like using this flavor on a snack board with crunchy veggies like sugar snap peas and carrots, but it’d also be good mixed with cream cheese and utilized as a tuna ball or dip—think of it as a protein-rich twist on cream cheese and pepper jelly. 

Herb & Garlic: Herb & Garlic is a nice gateway flavor—distinct enough to make a difference but not so out there that it’s alienating. If you’re looking for a tuna packet that’s bold without being too much, Herb & Garlic is a great place to start. 

Whole Grain Dijon Mustard: Dear reader, I hate mustard. Loathe it. But even a mustard-hater like me can admit a job done well. This packet is interspersed with small amounts of mustard that give the overall mixture a nice texture. Additionally, the mustard flavor is on the milder side, so it’s not as pungent as, say, straight-up yellow mustard. 

Ranch: This one’s pretty self-explanatory—ranch slaps, and the flavor is strong enough to cover up any fishy taste. There is also a Bacon Ranch flavor, but that one doesn’t include actual bacon in the ingredients, so it was a bit of a letdown. 

Honey BBQ: This flavor was another surprise—I didn’t expect to ever use “tuna” and “barbecue sauce” in the same sentence, but life proved me wrong. The shelf-stable tuna’s texture is so similar to barbecue-style pulled meat that the barbecue sauce actually worked. I suspect this flavor wasn’t intended to be eaten straight out of the packet, and would probably work best in a sandwich or in a warm dish like these BBQ Tuna Fritters. 

Ways to Use StarKist Tuna Creations

Shelf-stable tuna is one of the pillars of my diet—it’s rich in protein, iron, and vitamin D, making it very good for you; it’s simple and doesn’t require dressing up, but creative opportunities abound. Essentially, you can use the Tuna Creations anywhere you’d use canned tuna—here are a few ideas to get started. 

Some of StarKist’s Tuna Creations are designed to be eaten straight out of the pouch—Deli Style Tuna Salad, Ranch, and Bacon Ranch (which actually contains no pork, just tuna and an array of seasoning) are the best examples. 

The easiest ways to enjoy StarKist Tuna Creations involve minimal effort—adding pickle brine or mayonnaise to make a tuna salad, then eating that on a sandwich or with crackers and vegetables makes for a quick, reliable lunch. If you feel like getting fancy, utilize your stove and a bold Tuna Creations flavor to make tuna patties. 

With so many options, we're sure there's a flavor for everyone. But if, like me, you find certain flavors missing from the shelves, it might be wise to stock up once they're back, which is no problem with their long shelf life. That's the beauty of this versatile pantry hero, and even millennials can appreciate that.