I Live Alone and Still Buy Costco’s Fresh Salmon in Bulk

Of all the fish in the sea, I eat salmon the most. It’s one of those versatile proteins that I can jazz up in so many ways, whether just searing a piece off medium-rare and drizzling it with teriyaki sauce, stuffing into air-fried spring rolls, or Emily Mariko-ing leftovers into a spicy salmon rice bowl with seaweed snacks for mini hand rolls.

In order to save money on my maritime meals, I buy salmon in bulk at Costco, where I can get nearly an entire side of fresh, farm-raised Atlantic salmon for $12.99 a pound (on average, about 2.5 to 3 pounds per package).

Costco salmon is skinless and boneless — pin-bone free, so no tweezers needed! I do like salmon skin when I’m searing it to eat solo, but many times I don’t need the skin for the preparations I’m planning, so I’m willing to sacrifice it for the speed and even cooking time.

The salmon comes in one large piece — approximately 10 to 12 inches long by 6 inches wide and 1.5 inches tall at its thickest — so you can cook it like a large roast for slow-roasted salmon or portion it into individual fillets, as small or large as you want, for a few different meals.

Even though I’m a single person, I can justify buying salmon in bulk because it freezes so well. For easy math, a 3-pound piece of salmon at Costco costs $38.97 at $12.99 per pound. If you cut it into 6-ounce filets, you’ll get eight portions, which breaks down to $4.87 per fillet, a steal compared to grabbing a single fillet at a grocery store or fishmonger.

I have been buying Costco salmon in bulk for almost a decade, starting when I lived in New York City post-college and used it for decadent meal prep. Today, I’m in my 30s and living in Los Angeles and use it more for dinner-party meals and quick dinners.

I prefer to portion the fish into 6-ounce pieces, weighing them with a kitchen scale or eyeballing about 2-inch-wide fillets. I wrap each tightly in plastic wrap and foil to prevent freezer burn, and then put them in a resealable freezer bag labeled with the date and how many pieces are inside. Then I can just thaw overnight for salmon anytime in the next few months, or even cook directly from frozen in the air fryer.

One of my favorite ways to make salmon is to season it with olive oil and any spices that strike my fancy — I’ve been using Jacobsen Salt x Fly by Jing’s Tingly Sichuan Salt, Spicewalla’s Garlic & Herb, or good ol’ Old Bay — then air-fry it at 400°F for 5 to 7 minutes if fresh, and 9 to 12 minutes if frozen. I pair it with quick-cooking vegetables that can take a good char in a hot oven, like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, or green beans. (Alternatively, you can roast both the fish and veggies in the oven.) The fish and veggies are a blank canvas for sauces, like store-bought teriyaki (I love Bachan’s), a quick honey mustard sauce, store-bought or homemade pesto, or chimichurri. 

I’ll usually cook at least two portions so I can flake a leftover fillet into pieces and mix with Kewpie mayonnaise, Sriracha, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, scallions, and sesame seeds for a rice bowl or mini hand rolls à la Emily Mariko, as mentioned above.

I have also rolled that salmon mixture with nori into rice paper wrappers and air-fried them at 400°F for 5 to 7 minutes, or until crispy. Dipped into peanut sauce or sweet chili sauce, they’re some of the best appetizers-for-dinner I’ve ever made. Flaked salmon is also great in salads or chili-lime tacos, whether served hot or as leftovers. (Check out all of The Kitchn’s salmon recipes here for more inspiration.)

Find it in stores: Farm-Raised Fresh Atlantic Salmon, $12.99 per pound at Costco

Let us know about any other seafood staples you buy from Costco in the comments.