The Costco Salmon Product You Should Avoid, According To Shoppers

When you become a member at specialty shopping clubs, like Sam's Club and Costco, the whole point is getting more and paying less. If you're in the know, there are certain tips and tricks for added savings, like the hack for getting cheaper Costco ground beef. But occasionally, something might find its way into your cart at a premium price, something with the nickname "specialty," whether it's supposed to be of higher quality or has an added degree of convenience. And some shoppers on Reddit have a particular gripe with one of these Costco specialties: Cuisine Solutions Sous Vide Seared Salmon.

The packaged, cooked salmon in a soy, honey, and ginger sauce appears on Food Republic's best and worst Costco salmon products list (in the worst category) because it's a little light on flavor. But it's not only unfulfilling taste-wise ... it's also pretty pricey. A 2-pound package of Cuisine Solutions Sous Vide Seared Salmon could cost you $34.53 at Costco, while fresh salmon fillets might be $12.47 a pound (prices may vary by location). It doesn't seem that much more expensive for a prepared product until you consider, as another Redditor did, that the package's weight is only about half salmon and half sauce. So, you're really paying about three times the price for the actual fish. Plus, buyers complain that the fish is tough no matter how you cook it — so it's just a bad purchase on all levels.

The best way to ensure you get a great salmon meal is to buy the raw stuff and cook it at home. If you don't typically cook fish, it can be intimidating, but salmon is actually pretty forgiving. It has plenty of fat, so it stays fairly juicy, unlike flakier white fish that can be more temperamental. Sure, it's not a three-minute microwave solution, but you can cook up some wonderful oven-baked salmon with vegetables in just about 40 minutes from start to finish. Buying salmon fillets without the skin attached is often best for roasting in the oven with little cleanup. But pan-seared skin-on salmon also has plenty of flavor and texture, and takes even less time. Just place your fillets skin-side down in a sizzling-hot skillet, then sear for about six to eight minutes, basting the top during the last few minutes of cooking.

If you're using the oven, garnishing the fillets with lemon slices and herbs will add flavor. But if you want the pure, mild, sweet salmon to shine, just a little salt and pepper is fine. For the simplest way to spice your fillet, a customer favorite at Costco is the Kirkland Signature Atlantic Blackened Salmon. It's ready to go for the stovetop, grill, oven, or air fryer, and easy to keep fresh in the freezer until you're ready to cook — and the dry rub means you're not paying for half the weight in sauce.