The Worst Frozen Shrimp Brand Comes From This Grocery Chain

Frozen shrimp is a tasty shortcut to a seafood dinner, saving you the time and effort of peeling and deveining. So even if you don't live on the coast, you can still enjoy high-quality, wild caught shrimp by visiting the freezer section of most grocery stores. We tasted and ranked 11 frozen shrimp brands, half of which were name brands. The worst frozen shrimp brand, however, is Kroger's store-brand product.

We ranked Kroger's Private Selection frozen shrimp brand as the worst based on criteria that included product diversity, sustainability, price, taste, and texture. While Kroger's Private Selection brand offers frozen shrimp sourced from different global regions and practices sustainable fishing through its Zero Waste, Zero Hunger Foundation, the brand also distinguishes itself as gourmet. Consequently, the high price tag on the bag of wild caught Argentinean red shrimp we sampled should be justified by quality, sustainability, and taste. Unfortunately, this was not the case. Argentinean red shrimp are a hot commodity due to their sweet, umami profile and tender, meaty, lobster-like texture. However, the shrimp that came out of the Private Selection bag were big and mushy with an unsettling fishy odor that translated into a funky, fishy flavor. We certainly wouldn't buy this product again, considering other brands on our list offer the same Argentinean red shrimp and actually live up to their lobster-like reputation.

Negative reviews from Kroger's customers who purchased the Argentinian red shrimp also complained about the unsettling taste and texture. One customer said the shrimp tasted like fish food and had an overwhelming fishy smell that couldn't be ignored. The smell and taste was by far the biggest source of negative reviews, many of which thought that the bag must have been expired or old. Two disappointed customers said that the shrimp tasted super salty. When customers cooked the shrimp, they were encouraged by the size and an exterior that was deceptively firm and shiny, but once they bit into the shrimp, they were greeted with a "mushy and gross" consistency.

Ironically, Kroger's cheaper Simple Truth farm-raised shrimp ranked higher than the gourmet Private Selection. If you're venturing outside of Kroger, Costco's Kirkland Signature brand and Trader Joe's brand offer frozen Argentinean red shrimp that we think is much tastier and a better value. All frozen shrimp options are deveined and peeled, but you'll still need to thaw frozen shrimp before throwing it on the grill or into a saute pan. If you want to cook frozen shrimp right out of the freezer, turn to your air fryer for a fuss-free, fast, and texturally delicious fried shrimp dinner.