Canned Salmon Brands, Ranked Worst To Best

As Costco's house brand, Kirkland has plenty of experience with making budget-friendly versions of some pretty standard consumer goods. It tries its hand at a range of products, often successfully, but its Wild Alaska Pink Salmon has yielded some pretty mediocre results. 

Said one Amazon reviewer, "The problem I have with it is that it is very gritty. There may not be any skin or bones that are obvious, but there are hard pieces of bone throughout the salmon. It was like eating tiny pieces of gravel."

If you're lucky enough to not have any hard pieces in your can, then you may actually notice an overall mushy texture that isn't too pleasing. Also, while the salmon is wild-caught and has a "Certified Responsible Fisheries" badge on the package, there isn't any other information about the source of Kirkland's salmon, which gives us some hesitation. It's not absolutely horrible, but pretty much any other brand would be better.

Bumble Bee is another big name in the canned fish market. The brand actually dates back to 1899 when it was founded by a group of seven professional fishermen in Oregon, according to Funding Universe.

Today Bumble Bee markets its seafood as the original superfood that's more nutritious and convenient than protein powders and granola bars. And while that's an exciting proposition, how good is the salmon? 

Well, this particular can of salmon includes skin and bones, which adds more nutrients. The flavor of the salmon is pretty standard — nothing remarkable, but it does have a nice, pure salmon flavor. The only problem with Bumble Bee is that even though the skin and bones are expected, there's other stuff in the can as well including scales and who knows what else. One Target reviewer said, "Expected skin and bones. That is standard. Did NOT expect scales and whatever else that mess was. Gross. VERY disappointed."

Maybe you'll have better luck with your can of Bumble Bee but with the hit-or-miss nature of this manufacturer, it's better to go with a brand that can promise more consistency.

Whole Foods' proprietary brand 365 promises to deliver ingredients of the highest quality at affordable prices (via Whole Foods). The brand offers everything from jellies, desserts, bread, sauces, and vitamins. But 365's salmon is particularly interesting because "Non BPA lining" is printed on the can, which indicates that there was no bisphenol A used in the lining of the can. This is important because studies have linked BPA to a number of health issues, though more research is necessary to fully understand its effects.

We can get behind the BPA-free cans, but this salmon is just too dry to be enjoyable. This is particularly odd because this variety does include bones and skins, which usually impart a certain amount of delicious oil. Perhaps Whole Foods is overselling the quality of its 365 products because although this canned salmon isn't bad, it's not as good as you would hope. An Amazon reviewer agreed: "Not completely inedible, but not something I would buy again."

By packing its salmon in a small 3.75-ounce can, Vital Choice is fully prepared to have its wild red sockeye salmon gobbled up straight out of the can. (most other cans of salmon on this list are 7.5 ounces).

A Vital Choice reviewer was a fan of both the bones and the serving size: "Once you try this it will be hard to go back to any other canned salmon. The tender bones are a bonus and packed with extra nutrients. Also, the size is a perfect single serving — often cans come in awkward portions — too much for one serving but not enough for two."

Vital Choice says that it's committed to only canning sustainable salmon, and the company also touts the health benefits of wild Alaskan salmon. The company's fish is bright pink in color and has a rich delicious flavor. This looks like high-quality salmon and has a taste to match.

Trident Foods has several lines of canned and prepared seafood under it, including Rubinstein's. The company is proud to partner with thousands of independent Alaskan fishing families to provide fresh fish for its canning operation, according to its website. It feels nice to support a seafood brand with initiatives like that in place. 

Rubinstein's is a smooth and pure tasting salmon, so you know you're getting high-quality product. That makes sense because red salmon is known for being fattier and richer than pink salmon (via Dr. Gourmet). Although both red and pink salmon are generally equal in health benefits, pink salmon has a lighter flavor profile.

One Trident reviewer appreciated the flavor: "It is the tastiest canned salmon I've found and I've tried quite a few. I made a salmon salad sandwich added cut-up celery and some mayo to it — put it on some bread with lettuce. It is delicious."

Crown Prince has an informative website that gives the sources of each of its lines of seafood. The sardines, for example, are from the Northern Coast of Scotland and the salmon is wild-caught in Alaska (via Crown Prince). If you're someone who likes to know more about the origins of your food, you may find some peace of mind in knowing that Crown Prince has you covered. 

It's important to know that Crown Prince wild-caught pink salmon includes skin and bones. There are actual chunks and filets of fish in the can as well as some water. It's nice and dense salmon that tastes almost like it's fresh. There's also no salt added so you can go in and adjust the salt level in your recipes to your exact wishes. 

We like one Amazon reviewer's idea of keeping a few cans in the pantry to make an easy dish for unexpected guests. They said, "I mash-in the soft bones with the fish in a bowl, use some dill for flavoring and a bit of light mayo and, just with my fork, I can make up a batch of salmon pate which tastes like restaurant quality!"

Rating canned salmon is pretty straightforward. It should taste like salmon, of course, but that's easier said than done. Some brands are too fishy, while others don't taste enough like salmon. For something that is in the sweet spot — fresh-tasting but fishy where it counts — there's Wild Planet.

Wild Planet is another company that's totally transparent about its fishing practices. For example, the canned salmon's fishing method is listed as "Single-species drift and set net. Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) are never used." And the brand even includes a harvest location on its website.

"I asked a lifelong friend who grew up in Alaska and retired to Florida about this salmon. She said this is the real deal to have in the pantry for the months when you cannot get fresh wild-caught Alaskan. I was also advised to avoid Atlantic since much of it is farmed," said one Target reviewer. 

Wild Planet's salmon does contain some sea salt but other than that, Wild Planet's skinless and boneless salmon checks all the boxes for the salmon of our dreams. Wild Planet salmon is for when you want the world's easiest meal — just dump a can of salmon in a bowl, mix with some mayo, spread on a cracker, and enjoy.