We Tried 27 Brands of Smoked Salmon, These Are the Top 9

The best smoked salmon is silky—but it has some bite. It’s salty—but not too salty. It’s oceanic—but not crazy fishy. It drapes onto a cream cheese-smeared bagel as if it were a textured throw draped onto a bed in a perfectly staged house on Zillow. Over the course of two taste tests, we tried an ocean’s worth of store bought smoked salmon (nearly 30 kinds) to find the best cold smoked salmon, hot smoked salmon, and gravlax out there. 

One of my favorite “fancy” solo dinners is a packet of smoked salmon, a jar of capers, some sliced red onion, and a baguette. I tear off pieces of baguette, top with smoked salmon, and sprinkle on capers and red onion. I rip and nibble my way through all of it—full jar of capers included. My fingers absolutely reek of fish by the end. But I’m eating alone—what do I care? This might sound like an expensive feast, but it’s pretty darn affordable, actually.

Sure, you can find smoked salmon that isn’t exactly cheap. But there are plenty of high-quality smoked salmon brands available at the grocery store for not that much money. What’s the best smoked salmon brand? Glad you asked. After tasting slice after slice of the top smoked salmon brands available (including far too many from Trader Joe’s—seriously, it’s like TJ’s has a stake in a salmon farm), I can tell you all about the best smoked salmon. After our most recent smoked salmon taste test, I’ve updated this list with the best hot smoked salmon and the best gravlax—plus an unexpected, thick-cut, seared smoked salmon I really think you need to try. Here it all is, the best store bought smoked salmon, in its fishy, oily glory.

Best Hot Smoked (Plain)

If you’re looking for the best hot smoked salmon from the grocery store without any extra flavorings or peppercorns, this hot smoked salmon from Kroger’s Private Selection line is the one for you. It’s rich with a lightly smoked flavor and a silky texture. And it’s not too salty. It’s definitely on the soft end of the spectrum, which makes it the best smoked salmon to use in a dip. Go ahead and mix this up with some cream cheese and serve it with toast points. Easy and elegant.

Credit: Merc / Ralphs

Rating:

7/10

Sporks

Best Not Too Fishy

Oh look, another pick from Kroger’s Private Selection line! This is the best cold smoked salmon we tasted from their line. It’s an extremely dark color—almost like mandarin orange. It’s firmer than many of the other smoked salmons we tried and easy to shred—so it’s another good option for dips. It’s applewood smoked and leans harder into the smoke flavor than the fish flavor, so it’s some of the best smoked salmon for people who don’t want to channel their inner Heathcliff.

Credit: Merc / Ralphs

Rating:

7.5/10

Sporks

Best Gravlax

There aren’t a lot of store bought gravlax on the market—not in our area, at least—but this was the best gravlax we tried, even if it isn’t technically gravlax. Gravlax is essentially lox but cured with dill instead of just salt. (If you’re wondering about the difference  between lox and smoked salmon, give our explainer a read.) It should be delicate and silky and seriously dilly. Ducktrap’s gravlax is cured with salt and dill, but it is also cold smoked, like smoked salmon. It still manages to maintain a silky texture and it’s quite heavy on the dill. A lot of store bought gravlax can be too salty, but this one walks the line beautifully. Personally, I think this herbaceous gravlax-style smoked salmon would be heaven with a cold, crisp Gin Martini, though aquavit would be more traditional. 

Credit: Merc / Ralphs

Rating:

7.5/10

Sporks

Best Hot Smoked Salmon

Before I talk about how this is the best hot smoked salmon you can buy, I must complain about the packaging. It’s impossible to get open. The plastic covering is cemented down and if you do happen to get a sliver open, you’re met with oil from the fish, so you can’t get a grip to pull it fully off. Please fix it, Echo Falls. Aside from that, though, this is the best smoked salmon if you like firm, flaky, not-too-fishy hot smoked salmon. It has a wonderful sweet, smoked flavor that totally rocks, and there are big chunks of peppercorns on top to add some spice. Put this on a brunch board and let guests flake it onto bagels or crackers.

Credit: Merc / Vons

Rating:

8/10

Sporks

Best Spiced

This pastrami-spiced Trader Joe’s smoked salmon has a butter-soft texture and a serious dose of spice. It’s not just for show—the spices get you in the back of the throat with a tasty kick. It’s definitely the best smoked salmon for someone looking for something a little different—perhaps something with a bit more character to put on your sea-cuterie board (remember when people were trying to make that a thing?).

Credit: Merc

Rating:

8.5/10

Sporks

Best Seared

Ever had tuna tataki at a Japanese restaurant? This Sam’s Club brand smoked salmon is smoked salmon tataki. It’s cut thick with a seared crust along the edges. It’s different from any other smoked salmon I’ve ever tried. You could totally use this to make DIY sushi at home. It has a rich, savory flavor. And it’s not too fishy at all. If you shop at Sam’s Club, try this smoked salmon ASAP. 

Credit: Merc / Sam’s Club

Rating:

8.5/10

Sporks

Best for Fish Lovers

This smoked salmon is a bit of a splurge (we got it for about $14 for four ounces), but it’s a true smoked fish-lover’s smoked salmon. It has a great texture and fills your mouth with fishy flavor (in a good way). It almost tastes like smoked trout and finishes with an almost lemony note. It’s bold and complex. If you like smoked trout or smoked mackerel, this is the best smoked salmon for you. If you, like my colleague Jordan Myrick, are not interested in fish that tastes like fish, then I suggest you steer clear.

Credit: Merc / Instacart

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Best for a Plain Bagel

Trader Joe’s sells a lot of smoked salmon, but only two of their offerings made this list—the flavored ones. It’s just further proof of my theory about TJ’s: Their generic foods are fine, but their unique foods, the ones they put their own spin on, that’s where they really succeed. If you love their Everything But the Bagel seasoning, then this is the best smoked salmon for your brunch plate. It’s saturated with the oniony, garlicky flavor of the seasoning mix. And the fish is good, too. It’s firm, salty, and comes away in slices. Dress up a plain bagel and cream cheese with a few slices or drape it atop an everything bagel for the ultimate everything experience.

Credit: Liv Averett / Trader Joe’s

Rating:

9.5/10

Sporks

Best of the Best

Oooo, baby. Here it is, the absolute best smoked salmon you can buy at a grocery store. It’s extremely silky and gorgeously rich. It melts in your mouth. It’s not too fishy. It’s not too salty. It’s balanced, so you can eat it on its own—serve this as an appetizer at a fancy dinner party. Simply plate it with a sprig of parsley. It peels off in pristine slices, which feels expected, but so many of the salmons I tried turned into mush when I tried to spear a slice. And, as if it couldn’t get better, it’s not even expensive. In fact, it’s one of the cheaper brands on this list. Our local Walmart sells four ounces for just over $5.

Credit: Merc / Walmart

Rating:

10/10

Sporks

Other smoked salmon brands we tried: Echo Falls Smoked Scottish Atlantic Salmon, Trader Joe’s Oak Smoked Salmon Pieces, Trader Joe’s Wild Nova Smoked Smoked Sockeye Salmon, LASCCO Kosher Wild Caught Keta Nova Salmon, Trader Joe’s Nova Salmon Pieces, Vita Classic Premium Sliced Smoked Atlantic Nova Salmon, Trader Joe’s Wild Sockeye Smoked Salmon Ends and Pieces, Acme Smoked Nova Salmon Everything Bagel, Private Selection Cold Smoked Norwegian Atlantic Salmon, Echo Falls Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon Gravlax, Foppen Smoked Norwegian Salmon Slices, Honey Smoked Fish Co. Original Flavor Honey Smoked Salmon, Ducktrap Smoked Roasted Atlantic Salmon, Private Selection Hot Smoked Norwegian Atlantic Salmon Cracked Pepper, Private Selection Hot Smoked Norwegian Atlantic Salmon Cajun, Mowi Atlantic Salmon Everything Seasoned, Mowi Atlantic Salmon, Echo Falls Hot Smoked Coho Salmon Traditional

ncG1vNJzZmiroKS%2FrLHDZ5qopV%2BWv7W1wqWcaJqVqMFuv8yoop6cXaiurbnOp2Y%3D