Trader Joe's Salmon, Ranked

It should come as no surprise by now that we're big fans of Trader Joe's. Sure, not all of the products are winners (there are some that Reddit downright hates), but on the whole, the store is a reliable source of pretty much all weekly grocery needs — and salmon is no exception. Moreover, the sheer quantity of salmon products you can choose from at the store is surprising, especially for a smaller grocer. I came across 11 different salmon items just in the fresh fish section, while the freezer has even more to offer.

When I'm in the mood for salmon, I always gravitate to Trader Joe's. I find the prices to be reasonable for the quality I get, though I should probably mention that, being from the Pacific Northwest, it's not hard to find good seafood here. I've tried a few of the store's salmon offerings before but had never sampled the whole selection — before now, that is. To abate today's culinary curiosity, I figured it was high time to give my store's entire range a try and rank them. The ranking is based primarily on perceived tenderness and mildness. I didn't dislike any of the salmons, and I think the store likely has something for everyone; however, figuring out how to order the below wasn't exceedingly difficult. 

Though I didn't dislike Trader Joe's Hot Smoked Sockeye Salmon, it was my least favorite of everything I tried. If you're used to (and enjoy) hot smoked salmon, this may be a great purchase. Having never had it before, I didn't know what to expect, so you can imagine my disappointment when the first bite was in stark contrast to the buttery, velvety salmon pieces I'd been tasting thus far. 

I'll enlighten the other hot smoked salmon newbies: The salmon in this package is far dryer and chewier than you're used to, almost akin to jerky (though it still retains a bit of moisture). As far as the flavors go, I wasn't the slightest bit disappointed. It was sharp, tangy, and smoky, and paprika and black peppercorn accented each slice. So, whether you like this will likely come down to how you feel about the texture. On the plus side, the thick cut would make this well-suited as a sandwich protein, or you could chop it up and mix it with some wet ingredients to make a salmon salad-esque dish. I could see the occasional consumer loving this selection, but given that it was also the most expensive of the smoked salmons I bought, I'll give it a pass the next time I'm at Trader Joe's.

One thing I learned during this tasting was that I'm not the biggest fan of the sockeye salmon variety, texturally or flavor-wise. The offering definitely has its place in the salmon world, but that place isn't with me. Sockeye seems to brag about itself a bit, with its deep red hue and distinct flavor profile — I, on the other hand, prefer my salmon light and unassuming, and I probably won't be buying sockeye selections in the future.

For starters, where most of the other fresh salmon choices yielded a thick, tender, and flaky texture when cooked, the sockeye salmon seemed to crumble under my fork. I wasn't the biggest fan of its flavors, either, which are more fish-forward than its milder counterparts (though not fishy in the unappetizing sense of the word). It's bolder than I'm used to and has a gorgeous color, and though this isn't the selection for me, I think it would make at least a decent buy for enthusiasts of sockeye salmon. 

I'll give the same disclaimers to Trader Joe's Oak Smoked Salmon Pieces that I gave to the previous picks — I have no doubt that this is the right choice for a certain brand of smoked salmon consumer, I just don't fall under that umbrella. However, one thing I can give this salmon is its stellar price point. This package cost me just under $4 for 3 ounces, which isn't awful in the grand scheme of things.

Though this gets the third-to-last spot on my list, I still wouldn't hesitate to grab some should I see it on offer at a gathering. The texture was tender and buttery, but being cut slightly thicker meant it still had some body to it. My biggest textural complaint was that this was a bit wetter than I'm used to, and the mouthfeel wasn't the best (however, I also have textural problems with bananas and yogurt, so this could just be a me thing). It also has a milder flavor than some of the following selections, which could be good or bad, depending on what you're looking for. Don't expect it to add a ton to other dishes, but it gets the job done when eaten solo.

Up next is a fresh salmon selection that I could definitely recommend to anyone looking for boneless, skinless salmon fillets. Only small, picky nuances earned it the eight spot on my list, and those could simply be due to the particular package I picked up. On the whole, it's a pretty good salmon choice that I'll pick up if I ever need to feed those who don't like salmon skin.

Alas, I love salmon skin, which prevented me from giving this item a higher spot on my list. I also found that it didn't have as much flavor as the two fresh salmon choices I ranked higher; however, that difference was subtle and only noticeable because I was scrutinizing and looking for distinctions between each. Other than that, it cooked up mild and slightly sweet and seemed slightly more delicate than the following fresh salmon selections. Were I not a super-fan of skin-on salmon fillets, I likely would have given it a higher spot; as-is (and especially considering the choices that follow), I could only grant it the eight place. 

When it comes to this and all the following smoked salmon offerings, I could eat any of them again and be a very happy lady. Small personal preferences and the fact that I tried each side-by-side were the main factors enabling me to distinguish between each. However, aside form the obviously seasoned smoked salmons, you may not be able to tell much of a difference between these smoked salmon options. 

Trader Joe's Nova Salmon pieces ranked slightly below the rest because some bites had a stringy quality that simply wasn't present in others. I also found it to be somewhat saltier than other labels, though not too salty for me. It's relatively thin-cut but still retains some body, a much-appreciated quality over the previous smoked salmon pick. However, this $10 package does give a full 8 ounces of smoked salmon, so I can't call it a bad buy in any capacity. 

More impressive was the Wild Sockeye Smoked Salmon which, though still not my favorite (yes, not even this could convert me), still boasts a good taste and texture. I found this selection to be especially smoky — it reminded me of a campfire when first biting into it. If you like heavily-smoked sockeye this would be a great buy, and I imagine that it's due simply to personal taste that I couldn't rank this selection higher. 

This smoked salmon is incredibly flavorful (in a similar way to the aforementioned fresh sockeye salmon). It's thicker cut than other choices, which I was surprised to enjoy as much as I did. The melt-in-your-mouth texture is endlessly inviting and makes it adaptable to a variety of uses and pairings; in fact, its strength may benefit from being tempered by other flavors. I'd easily add this salmon to a salad kit or simply stack it on top of bagel with a flavorful garlic cream cheese. 

Trader Joe's Pastrami Style Smoked Salmon is a bold, flavorful choice that didn't rank higher purely because of its limited versatility. While I believe this would be the perfect selection for the namesake pastrami sandwich (or nearly any sandwich, for that matter), I don't think it would be the easiest to pair with most ingredients and dishes. In other words, you'd want to take its flavor profile into account before adding it to something willy-nilly. 

That said, it's a delicious smoked salmon that I really enjoyed eating solo. The pastrami rub is incredible, and paprika and black pepper add body to the already smoky flavor profile, while hints of dill bring an earthy complexity into the equation. It also has enough flavor potency to hold its own even in a complex sandwich. Don't worry about the flavors getting lost or becoming muted in the presence of other ingredients. Finally, the texture of this was so typical I almost didn't take any notice of it — it's as tender as you'd expect from a smoked salmon, though it lacks that distinct melt-in-your-mouth quality that characterized other selections. 

I certainly don't have anything against Trader Joe's BBQ Cut Fresh Atlantic Salmon — after all, it did make it into the top five of this ranking — but there was another fresh salmon selection I enjoyed more. As with other salmons on this list, I sauteed a small section of this prior to sampling it. Perhaps I'd have had a different opinion if I'd prepared this over the barbecue; however, I aim for uniformity in these rankings. 

Once cooked, this fillet easily broke up into fork-tender flakes that were a delight to piece through. It has a rich and buttery flavor that is consistent and doesn't vary, but it still boasts the mildness I crave in a salmon dinner. I believe it would pair well with virtually any side dish. I also liked how thick it was — the two aforementioned fillets were thinner, but this one piece could have easily fed me three satisfying meals. 

My second favorite smoked salmon on this list was Pacific Supreme Smoked Atlantic Salmon. This salmon had everything I adore in a plain smoked salmon, and it only ranked lower than my top smoked salmon choice because I have a riveting love affair with the following seasoned selection. Otherwise, this is the perfect smoked salmon, with a palatable flavor and texture profile that could easily endear itself to a variety of consumers.

This salmon is wonderfully smoky with a smooth, velvety texture. It manages to be moist without feeling wet and watery, and I was drawn to this juicy-like quality in a way that somewhat surprised me. I also liked that it was very thinly sliced to make an easy and no-fuss addition to bagels. However, if you wanted it to stand out in a sandwich, you might have to use nearly the whole package. The milder flavor makes it easy to add to anything, though, and this is the smoked salmon I'd keep in my fridge as a safety net. 

My favorite fresh salmon is, coincidentally, the one I already buy on the regular — my tasting adventure merely confirmed I was making the right choice. First, it's the lowest-priced of the fresh salmon selection. I also found it to be the most flavorful of the lot (aside from the Alaskan sockeye but, again, that was why I didn't love it) and the uniform thickness made it easy to cook evenly.

As I've mentioned, I love a crispy salmon skin, and this one doesn't disappoint. It breaks off into thick, even flakes and has a velvety mouthfeel with an intensely deep, buttery flavor profile. Moreover, it doesn't ask for any additions; in fact, I'd recommend eating it sans heavy seasoning (aside from salt, pepper, and lemon) to let the salmon take center stage. The exceptional flavor and affordability made it easily recommendable, and very easy to buy on the regular. 

Okay, perhaps my bias is showing, but I'll stand firm and steadfast behind my top-choice pick: I believe Trader Joe's Everything but the Bagel Seasoned Smoked Salmon is a premium offering. I prize it for its flavor, texture, versatility, and unbeatable price point ($6 at my local store). Given that just a dash of everything bagel seasoning can elevate various dishes and snacks, it's not surprising that salmon is among them, though I'll admit to being a bit shocked at exactly how much the seasoning adds to the fish. They both work together in perfect harmony — neither overshadows the other and they don't make for an overwhelming pair.

This ideal marriage of salmon and seasoning yields a smoked offering that should be your go-to choice the next time you're craving bagels and lox. The texture is exceedingly smooth, and the flavor is mild, buttery, and smoky — attributes which are only enhanced by the multi-faceted seasoning. My only wish is that there was a bit more seasoning on the salmon. However, I can accomplish this easily enough myself (only on rare occasions would you not find this pantry staple in my kitchen), and I do appreciate the versatility this lends to the salmon. It makes it equally suited for salads and sandwiches, without worrying about matching the EBTB profile too much.

Selecting the salmons to try for this ranking was pretty simple — I just went to my Trader Joe's location and grabbed one of everything offered in the refrigerated section. I'd considered including frozen selections as well, but after seeing the plethora of fresh offerings, I decided frozen options would be best left to another article. To sample the raw salmon fillets, I sauteed each piece on the stove with olive oil, salt, and pepper, then gave each a squeeze of lemon after cooking. I wanted flaky, buttery, mild salmon that was easily palatable and amenable to a variety of uses, which is why the Alaskan Sockeye Salmon got a lower spot on my list.

For the smoked salmon, I tasted each solo and took into consideration its flavor, texture, and versatility. I preferred velvety, melt-in-your-mouth salmon that also offered a unique flavor profile. Most of the smoked salmons didn't strike a good balance here, but Trader Joe's Everything but the Bagel Seasoned Smoked Salmon was an easy winner in my book.