The Frozen Fish We Usually Avoid Buying At Costco

Salmon are known for their intense adult migration, swimming upstream from the ocean back to their spawning grounds, navigating obstacles such as waterfalls and predators. Once they've returned to lay and fertilize their eggs, the salmon's life draws to a rapid close. But these marvels of nature are also known for being incredibly tasty, whether that's smoked and served on a bagel with cream cheese or grilled on a cedar plank to perfection.

Sadly, Morey's marinated wild pink salmon, available at Costco, does not do justice to this inspiring animal. When Chowhound rated 6 Frozen Costco Foods to Buy and 7 to Skip these marinated fillets were firmly on the skip list. The article noted that the salmon was over-seasoned, giving it a less-than-pleasant spiciness. Worse (if you're on the after-dinner clean-up crew), the sauce the salmon comes "swimming" in transforms into a sticky, difficult-to-scrub mess during the cooking process.

Furthermore, Morey's marinated wild pink salmon committed the cardinal sin of being dry once baked. And this was after testing it in an oven, air fryer, and microwave. Admittedly, the salmon is meant to be prepared on the grill, as was noted in the review. Nevertheless, in the key categories of taste, texture, and ease-of-preparation, this salmon misses the mark.

Thankfully, if you're shopping for salmon at Costco, you're not limited to this sub-par offering. Check their frozen seafood section for non-marinated frozen salmon fillets, such as the Kirkland Signature Farmed Atlantic Salmon and the Kirkland Signature Wild Caught Alaska Sockeye Salmon. You should be able to find affordable slabs of fresh salmon in their refrigerated meat section as well. From there, you can cut and freeze your own fish filets, if you so choose. 

While less-confident cooks may be dismayed that some of these other options don't come pre-seasoned, never fear. There are plenty of simple seasonings that can upgrade your salmon. Start with a sprinkling of salt and pepper, and maybe some sliced lemons. If you want to take it to an even higher level, prepare a tasty garlic honey sauce. Start with minced garlic and honey and add additional elements from there.

While seasoning your own salmon takes a little more effort than buying it ready-to-cook, the result should be far more satisfying than Morey's marinated wild pink salmon.