This Supermarket Brand Is The Hands-Down Best Canned Salmon We Tasted

Canned salmon is a tricky food to judge; there's a wide range in quality, and sometimes the product just doesn't meet taste standards. In addition, competing with the flair of freshly-prepared salmon makes a comparison with the canned variety complicated. However, Chowhound taste tested numerous canned salmon brands and discovered one that will impress even the most discerning home cooks.

Signature Select Alaska pink salmon, an Albertsons store brand, is the best canned salmon you can purchase at the grocery store, according to our expert review. Our tester ranked each salmon brand by how it smelled and tasted, and by judging the texture of the fish. Signature Select canned salmon is fresh and has a light salmon flavor. The fish is delicate and tender, and although the salmon has a lot of bones, the quality, texture, and lack of aftertaste make this product stand out.

Coming in second is Polar brand canned salmon, which also has an overall incredible flavor; and the fish is flaky, moist, and tender. If it weren't for the higher price — and the first bite tasting questionable for the reviewer — Polar canned salmon might have been a winner. There are so many mistakes to avoid when cooking salmon, and preparing it well is the first step in making a good canned product. Some of the other brands simply didn't taste like good salmon, had a bad aftertaste, or the smell and texture was off-putting enough for them to easily place at the bottom of the list.

Canned fish is a must-have pantry staple, and canned salmon is one that can be incredibly versatile. There's a lot of choice in what you can prepare with canned salmon if it's a higher-quality choice like the Signature Select brand. In addition to great taste, salmon also has health benefits from its high levels of omega-3, vitamins, and minerals. Good canned salmon has a more robust taste than canned tuna, so you might even consider using canned salmon as a way to enhance dishes that call for tuna, such as in a salad spread. Mix canned salmon with capers, Dijon mustard, fresh herbs, and seasonings to make a salmon salad you can use in sandwiches and lettuce wraps.

Consider all of the ways to upgrade canned salmon, including using it in budget-friendly Asian dishes. Pair it with rice to make sushi-inspired rice bowls or easy-to-prepare sushi rolls. One idea is to make a canned salmon rice bowl with cucumber, scallions, nori strips, and perhaps some spicy mayo made with sriracha sauce. You can get a lot of use from a simple can of canned salmon. Just find some good canned salmon recipes and bask in time you save by enjoying this convenient, easy-to-use food.