Costco Kirkland Frozen Sockeye Salmon Review
Math is our friend.
Welp. This blog is officially 6-months old, and this is my 79th food review. Hooray?
Whoops, once more, with more enthusiasm: HOORAY!
I bought a 3-pound bag of frozen Kirkland Sockeye Salmon at Costco, because it was on sale. Buying $35 of frozen fish all at once felt like quite a commitment. But, fortunately, it ended well.
Sockeye salmon is probably my favorite fish in the whole, wide-world.
Well, I haven’t tried all the fish in the whole, wide-world. Not even close. But, of the fish I’ve eaten, sockeye is my favorite. So there.
The portions in the bag are all individually vacuum-sealed, and they have skin, but no bones. This is wild-caught Alaskan salmon, and is certified sustainable by MSC. Compared to other frozen sockeye salmon I have tried, this one has the least “fishy” smell, so it appears quite fresh.
I thawed my salmon by submerging a vacuum-sealed portion in a bowl of cool water for 10 minutes (or so) until it was thawed. The fillets are thick, and have vibrant color with minimal fat between the fish grain — a hallmark of quality wild-caught salmon. The skins are moist with a pliable, fresh appearance. My fillets had some small gouges in the surface, but this probably occurred during the harvesting and packing process.
The Kirkland individual sockeye salmon portions average 6 ounces, but can range from 5-7 ounces — although mine appeared surprisingly consistent in size. Some are not as thick.
I cooked my salmon in a pan with some butter, salt, pepper, and a little garlic. I know it looks burnt in my picture, but hear me out: the meat inside was uber moist, and the slight charring tasted delicious once I flaked it into my creamy pasta with zucchini.
My fish had a rich “salmon” flavor, and a tender texture. It’s moist, and flaked nicely — and even re-heated the next day to taste pretty decent. I did find a couple thin fish bones, but nothing egregious.
I peeled the skin off my cooked salmon, and added it to a creamy pasta with zucchini. Behold, the splendor!
It was pretty yummy. This is 5.2 ounces of Boursin cheese, plus 1 large zucchini, plus about 1.5 cups dry pasta (cooked), and one 6-ounce fillet cooked sockeye salmon. Sautee the zucchini in 2 tablespoons butter with salt and pepper for about 2 minutes, then add the hot cooked pasta (with a little pasta water), stir in the Boursin cheese, and flake the salmon into it. Salt and pepper to taste. Done.
Nutrition Facts in Costco Kirkland Sockeye Salmon
There were exactly 8 portions in my bag, and most of them were consistent in size, but varied slightly in shape. Each 6 ounce serving has a whopping 38 grams of protein, but only 220 calories, and 8 grams of fat. You get 120% of your daily recommended value of Vitamin D, too.
Ingredients in Kirkland Frozen Sockeye Salmon
This is a Kirkland Signature (Costco store brand) product. The item number is 221177. The fish is a product of the USA.
Ingredients listed on the bag are:
- Sockeye Salmon
That’s all, folks!
Shelf-life
The expiration date on my bag allowed me approximately 1.5 years to eat my salmon, assuming it remains frozen.
Price and Servings
There are eight portions in my 3 pound bag. I bought mine on sale for $30, which means the fish was $10/pound. Each portion costs $3.75 at the sale price. Honestly, I typically get two meals out of each 6-ounce fillet, so that makes it a frugal $1.88 per meal for me. Maybe not for you. The non-sale price for this item is $34.99. At that price, each 6-ounce fillet would cost $4.38.
Math is our friend. Say it with me. “Math is friend.”
The End.
P.S. Want a cheaper frozen salmon option? Check out my review of Orca Bay Wild Keta Salmon — also available from Costco.
More Reviews You Might Like (or Hate)
Check out a few other reviews I’ve written:
- Trident Ultimate Fish Sticks
- The Fresh Market Crab & Salmon Cakes
- Aldi Macadamia Nut Crusted Flounder
- Bibigo Korean Sweet & Spicy Crunchy Chicken
Author’s note: I wasn’t paid or compensated in any way for this review and I have no affiliation with Kirkland Signature nor Costco.
