Why We Think You Should Avoid Buying Costco's Kirkland Signature Salmon

If something is easy to prepare, effortless to cook, and delicious to taste, it will have us running to the nearest grocery store as soon as possible. Whether it's investing in some cod to try out the easiest fish-cooking method for beginners, or buying versatile ingredients to make meal prep easy, it all puts us at an advantage when it comes time to make a dish. This is probably why so many people are drawn toward foods like salmon, which chefs can easily season, pop in the air fryer, and enjoy within minutes. However, not all fish are created equal, and we suggest you avoid Costco's Kirkland Signature salmon. 

In our review of six frozen Costco foods to buy and seven to skip, the salmon, as you might have already guessed, landed in the latter category. For one, there's no difference in cost between this frozen choice and the chain's farmed chilled salmon. You're not losing any money by opting for the fresher option. The taste also leaves a lot to be desired, and it's even a bit difficult to prepare. By making one simple mistake, like leaving the fish in the skillet for a minute too long, these fillets will easily overcook. The texture of the fish is inconsistent, too. Each one ends up overly dry or soggy once cooked. You never know what you're actually in for until it's time to eat.

If you already got yourself a bag of Kirkland Signature salmon, or perhaps the affordable price tag is still calling out to you, don't fret just yet. An easy tip to reduce food waste and maximize the economic value is to go for a recipe where the fish's texture — or even flavor — isn't the main selling point. For instance, you can use this fish in lumpia, or Filipino spring rolls, and substitute the ground pork with salmon. While this isn't a traditional way to use this fish, it's not a completely wild card ingredient either. Fish lumpia is a common take on the classic version of this dish. 

For the best results, you'll want to toss the thawed salmon in a food processor first, pulse, then add it to a bowl with some minced onions and carrots. For added flavor, black pepper, salt, and garlic powder are other good additions to consider. Next comes the fun part: stuffing all the ingredients into egg roll wrappers. After filling the rolls, simply fry them up and enjoy. 

This dish is typically served with banana ketchup on the side, but a sweet and sour sauce is another equally popular choice. With all the flavors in this plate, you'll never know it all began with a lackluster fillet of Kirkland Signature frozen salmon.