11 Smoked Salmon Brands, Ranked

I don't know a soul who doesn't love smoked salmon. Personally, my favorite use for the seafood is on a piled-high bagel with lox (and, yes, I know the two aren't exactly the same) — there's no more satisfying breakfast, in my opinion. But no matter what smoked salmon recipe is on your weekly meal plan agenda, I'm guessing you want to source the best of the best, and all the options at the supermarket have been known to give me massive decision fatigue. 

So, I did what I always do when faced with such "what-to-buy" dilemmas — I bought everything I could find and conducted a taste test. If you thought all smoked salmon was relatively the same, think again. The quality gap between my top and bottom choices on the list below was massive. I ranked the following smoked salmon brands based on a few factors: how tender the salmon was, whether its flavor was mild or fishy, and how large, small, thick, or thin the slices were (this last one was a very tertiary consideration). If you, too, are frequently confronted with too many smoked salmon options and not enough intel, put down that bagel and read on for my definitive ranking. 

My least favorite of the smoked salmon I tried came from Lascco. I had my doubts as soon as I pulled it out of the bag, but I promised myself I wouldn't judge the book by its cover — or, in this case, the salmon by its rectangularity. I swiftly reversed my decision upon tasting it. I'm likening this offering to the deli meat version of smoked salmon, and I don't mean that as a good thing. 

The smoked salmon felt processed in both taste and texture. It was easy enough to bite through, but the texture was a little rubbery, and this selection definitely wasn't as melt-in-your-mouth as some of the following choices. In terms of its flavor, there really wasn't any. This was the most nondescript selection on the list by far, and again I don't mean that to be a compliment. I'm not sure what a good application for this smoked salmon would be — perhaps on a sandwich when you just want to get a little protein in? Overall, I'd suggest you pass on this one.

Closely tied with Lascco's smoked salmon offering is the package I got from Natural Grocers. I'm not a frequent shopper at Natural Grocers, so I don't have the best idea of where the brand's strengths and weaknesses lie; however, after tasting its smoked salmon, I'd have to call smoked salmon a definite weakness. 

This offering faced many of the same pitfalls that the previous selection did, especially texturally. The slices here were very thick and impossible to separate, with a pastrami-like feel. That's why the pieces in the picture above are so broken — I couldn't separate a single slice for the life of me. When I tasted it, I found that the salmon was indeed dry, and the exterior had an odd waxy texture. The only factor that pushed this above the former was its flavor. I got ample smokiness here, but it was also pretty fishy and waxy. I'll take a slightly off-putting flavor above no flavor at all, though. 

Echo Falls' smoked salmon rounds out the bottom tier of this list, aka the section of salmon that I wouldn't be easily persuaded to have again. However, I can see Echo Falls' selection being appealing to some consumers, for reasons I'll explain momentarily — it just wasn't my thing, but it was better than the two previous offerings. 

On the plus side, the texture of the smoked salmon was pretty good. The slices were neither too thin nor too thick, and the salmon was far more tender than the prior two smoked salmon mentioned here. However, I couldn't get behind the flavor, which was fishier than every upcoming smoked salmon I tried. Now, it's not an egregious flaw — I wouldn't say it tastes too fishy to be unpalatable, but it stood out when pitted against the other options. I may not have had as much of a qualm with it were I eating this without comparing it to 10 others; unfortunately for Echo Falls, though, its smoked salmon didn't do enough to set itself ahead of the competition. 

I was able to try some bona fide New York smoked salmon when I tried the city's famous bagels, so I have fairly high standards for anything that claims to be "New York Style" smoked salmon. I wouldn't call this a bad smoked salmon offering, but it didn't measure up to the city's other smoked salmon I've had, earning a solid eighth-place spot. 

Waterfront Bistro's smoked salmon fell short in pretty much every category I used to rank the salmon; I could give it an overall rating of "okay," but I can't really single out one aspect to praise. Texturally, it was slightly stringier than some of the following selections, and I had the feeling it might stick in my teeth if I were eating it on a sandwich or a bagel. Flavor-wise, the salmon was salty and fairly sweet, without much smoky appeal whatsoever (which is often what attracts me to smoked salmon). Some consumers may prefer that this isn't as smoky as other smoked salmon, but that took away from the experience for me. 

While I love Trader Joe's, I didn't find its Norwegian smoked salmon impressive enough to get higher than spot seven on this list (but don't get me wrong, I'll still buy the store's everything bagel salmon regularly). For starters, this was one of the thickest smoked salmon on my list, and I prefer thin slices, so I have more control over how much smoked salmon goes on whatever I'm eating it with. 

Moreover, the thickness gave this salmon more chew than some of the others. It was still tender and not stringy in the slightest, but it didn't have that melt-in-your-mouth quality that other smoked salmon did, and some spots were tough. I also wouldn't call the salmon fishy, but it wasn't as smoky as I'd have liked, either. Trader Joe's smoked salmon fell a little short to earn anything higher than seventh place; however, given that TJ's is my regular grocery store, I don't have many qualms about buying this one again. 

I'll admit, the mild discoloration on the bottom of Blue Hill Bay's smoked salmon slices caused me a bit of pause, but it ended up not being a serious consideration in the ranking of this offering. Overall, I liked Blue Hill Bay's smoked salmon, and though it had a few minor flaws, I could have it again. 

The slices were slightly smaller than some of the upcoming selections, which knocked this down a bit lower than it may have been otherwise. I really liked the ample smoky appeal of this smoked salmon. Texture-wise, it wasn't nearly as tender as some of the salmon I'll list below, but at least it wasn't stringy. The slices were also on the thicker side, but not quite as thick as Trader Joe's. This was a decent smoked salmon and a solid middle-spot contender. 

At last, we've reached the top five smoked salmon. Each was good in its own right, yet each was still noticeably different from the next; which one you buy may depend on what you have access to. I can definitively say that none would disappoint. Sitting squarely in spot No. 5 is Gerard & Dominique's European Style Smoked Salmon, and while it wasn't my favorite, it had its merits.

For starters, I enjoyed how thin and tender the salmon slices were. Biting through them was like biting through butter, but the flavor profile knocked this selection down to spot five. I wouldn't call it bad, but it just wasn't necessarily my style. The salmon was fairly salty, moderately smoky, and otherwise pretty neutral. I think it would hold up on a bagel or sandwich, but the saltiness made it overwhelming to eat solo.

Spence & Co.'s smoked salmon also suffered a minor pitfall, but nothing so egregious that I wouldn't shop the brand again. I liked this salmon on the whole, and while the last fell somewhat short in the flavor department, this one didn't quite hit its textures out of the park. I struggled when deciding which should come out on top, but eventually decided I cared more about flavor. 

This salmon tasted very similar to my top choice, with a moderately smoky appeal and just enough saltiness to have plenty of flavor. However, this wasn't the most tender salmon of the bunch; I wouldn't necessarily call it stringy, but it didn't have the buttery quality I look for in a good smoked salmon. At the end of the day, I'd choose a more tender smoked salmon over this one, but you may like it if you want an option with some body.

Kroger's store brands almost never cease to impress me, and its smoked salmon is no exception. The slices are neither too thin nor too thick, and they're a generous size, which I'll always appreciate in smoked salmon. It was texturally on point, as well, but the flavors impressed me most. 

Yes, the salmon was plenty tender and not at all stringy, which helped give it a top-three spot. It was also one of the smokiest salmon on this list. It almost tasted like a campfire, and though that may make it slightly limiting in terms of pairing options, I found it quite endearing when eating the salmon on its own. If I may leave you with a little missive, it's this: Don't shy away from Kroger store brands, and let its smoked salmon be an example of why sometimes name-brand isn't always the best choice. 

Still, you shouldn't always eschew name brands, especially if you see some smoked salmon from Acme at your local grocery store. I'll admit to being skeptical when I first opened this package — it smelled fishy, which made me less than optimistic for what was to come. I needn't have been concerned, because I ended up liking this salmon enough to give it a solid No. 2 spot on this list.

While the flavor was strong, it wasn't strong in a fishy way; rather, it was incredibly smoky and salty enough to be full of flavor. I was quite impressed by this one. Moreover, the salmon slices were fairly thin and impeccably tender. All those qualities made for a well-rounded smoked salmon entry and one I'll seek out again — still, I can't say I'd choose it over my top-place contender. 

Yep, everyone's favorite warehouse store is home to a smoked salmon that I deemed worthy of placing in the top spot. Now, price wasn't a factor when ranking these salmon, but I'd be remiss not to mention the deal Kirkland offers — I got a 2-pack of 12-ounce smoked salmon packages for $24.99. At just over a dollar per ounce of smoked salmon, it's an incredible deal, even more impressive when you consider that I'd have given this the top spot on this list regardless of cost. 

I love Kirkland's smoked salmon and have had it before, but I didn't expect it to come out on top; however, I found this to be the most balanced offering of the bunch, and it got straight A's on all of my criteria. The salmon is incredibly tender and easy to bite through, with that delightfully buttery mouthfeel that I find so alluring in the smoked fish. It was plenty flavorful but still neutral enough to not turn off any consumers, with a mild saltiness, and though it was very identifiably salmon, it didn't go overboard at all. And, it got bonus points for having some of the largest slices of the bunch. Congrats, Kirkland — you've done it again. 

Ranking these smoked salmon was a relatively easy task, as I had definitive criteria in my head as far as what my "perfect" smoked salmon would taste like. I considered texture, flavor, and the overall size and thickness of the slices when putting these in order. Salmon that were tough, rubbery, or stringy in texture ranked lower, as did salmon that were small and thick or had a flavor profile that was too salty or too fishy. My top spots went to tender, buttery smoked salmon, which were cut into large, thin slices and were full of flavor, yet mild enough to pair with pretty much anything.