Best Quality Salmon You Can Get At ALDI & What to Avoid
Salmon is one of the most versatile proteins out there, and thankfully, we can find it at great prices at discount supermarket chain stores such as ALDI. The company offers a good variety of salmon, but the quality varies depending on the farm or fishery. Below are quick tips on what to look out for.
*Please note that products and prices may vary due to season and store location. These images were taken in August 2022 in Wilmington, North Carolina.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
- Does ALDI have good salmon?
- ALDI Canned Salmon
- What kind of salmon is sold at ALDI?
- Is the salmon at ALDI wild-caught?
- Where does Aldi’s salmon come from?
- ALDI Fresh Salmon Reviews
- Is ALDI fresh salmon wild-caught
Let’s dive in!
ANSWERS:
Does ALDI have good salmon?
It depends on who you ask. As a commercial fisherman’s wife, I promote wild-caught because I love the taste, it’s our lifestyle, and I think of all the hard-working fishermen and families behind each catch. With that said, farm-raised salmon has a similar nutritional profile to wild-caught, but some salmon farms do not use the best farming practices (based on U.S. and international standards). The same can be said for some wild-caught fisheries around the world as well. You just have to know what to look for. (Keep reading!)
For example, ALDI offers Wild-Caught Alaska Pink Salmon in the canned section, while the farmed salmon in the fresh and frozen sections are from Chile and Norwegian. Recently, there have been reports of toxic additives in farmed salmon from Chile, yet the U.S. wild-caught salmon fishery is considered well-maintained. The takeaway? Not all farms and fisheries are created equal.
Whether you prefer wild-caught or farmed salmon, information is available to learn if ALDI seafood is sustainably sourced and if the farm or fishery maintains healthy practices. (Sustainability means environmental impact, fair and just work environments, and workers’ quality of life.)
Click here to visit the Oceans Disclosure Project to learn more about the farms and fisheries ALDI uses and which seafood to avoid. They are rated as “Well Managed,” “Managed,” “Needs Improvement,” or “Sustainability Not Rated.”
ALDI Canned Salmon
At the time of writing, canned Alaska Wild-Caught Pink Salmon is $2.99 per can.
What kind of salmon is sold at Aldi?
- Wild-Caught Alaska Pink Salmon Canned in the U.S.A.
- Farmed “Atlantic” Salmon from Chile.*
- Farmed “Atlantic” Cedar Plank Salmon from Chile.
- Farmed “Atlantic” Salmon from Chile with Mediterranean Herbs.
- Farmed “Norwegian” Cold Smoked Salmon.
*”Atlantic Salmon” and “Norwegian Salmon” are other names for farmed fish.
Is the salmon at Aldi wild-caught?
The only Wild-Caught salmon I’ve found is the Wild-Caught Pink Salmon in the canned section. It makes for an easy salmon salad for salmon cakes!
For a behind-the-scenes look at the commercial fishing lifestyle, check out the Partners of Commercial Fishermen Podcast on Apple, Spotify, and more!
Where does Aldi’s salmon come from?
Besides the canned Wild-Caught Pink Salmon from Alaska, the salmon options available at ALDI are farm-raised from Chile or Norway. I’ve also read that they’ve previously sourced Russian wild-caught salmon.
ALDI Fresh Salmon Reviews
Taste-wise, seafood comes down to preference, and whether you prefer wild-caught or farmed salmon. But as we mentioned before, not all farms and fisheries are created equal. Here is one review on why ALDI is dealing with a class-action lawsuit for its Atlantic farmed salmon. For a rated list of farms and fisheries, please reference the category above “Does ALDI have good salmon?”
Is ALDI fresh salmon wild-caught?
The fresh salmon at ALDI is not wild-caught. It is farm-raised in Chile, Russia, or Norway.
What kind of salmon have you tried from ALDI, and how was it? We’d love to know; please share in the comments below!
If you liked this, you’d love Best Quality Salmon to Buy at Trader Joe’s for Healthy Meals.
The Best Quality Salmon to Buy at Trader Joe’s for Healthy Meals
Even the “wild caught” is often coming from china. China runs the largest fish farms in the world. How could we even know where the fish is really from. I doubt Aldi sends a cashier with every chinese fishing trawler…
Hey, Jimmy. If it says “wild-caught,” it should not come from farms. That’s another type of fish. If they are mislabeling farmed fish for wild-caught, that’s a whole other issue (and totally unethical!). If there was a company you are suspicious about, I would Google search the company to learn more about their fishing practices. For this reason, I chose Alaskan wild-caught because the quality is second to none. Happy seafood eating!
I bought the wild caught frozen salmon from Aldi for the 1st time recently. I thawed the product and proceeded to cook it. Upon inspection it was a mess. The product resembles every wrong thing one should look for. I recently watched the special on Nexflix on an experiment with 22 twins—one of the shows explained farm raised fisheries!!! I will never ever ever buy this product anywhere…….didnt even want to give it to my DOGS, who looked at me like, “Really!!”
That’s unfortunate! Sounds like something happened during the processing or transporting the fish. Maybe frozen and unfrozen too many times before hitting the shelves? No idea. Wild caught is so amazing fresh. Bummed that you got a bad batch! Cheers for you eating seafood. Hope your next meal is more enjoyable!
I’ve bought the wild caught frozen salmon from Aldi twice (figuring the first time was a fluke) and both times experienced what I’m guessing is the same thing you did. It was incredibly mushy and just not a good product. I made the most recent batch into a salmon salad and it was edible but I certainly won’t be buying it again because it seems that’s just how it always is. A shame, because I know what wild caught salmon is supposed to be like – and that is NOT it!
That’s a shame to hear! Wild-caught definitely should not be that way! I wonder if it was frozen and thawed too many times. Did you contact the store about it?
Thansk for a generally good article. Aldi does sometimes have fresh wild-caught salmon, but more importantly, their standard inventory includes frozen wild-caught Alaskan salmon fillets. That is, to my mind, the most nutritious salmon that they offer!
I’m surprised that it was not included in this review.
Hey, Michael! Thanks for reading. That’s great you can find wild-caught at your ALDI! From my understanding, not all stores get the same product and times may vary on when product is delivered. A disclaimer at the top mentions that this was based on a specific shop in Wilmington, NC. I’m glad you mentioned your ability to find wild-caught. Hopefully, others will have that option, too!
I only buy salmon from Aldi’s, and only the Norwegian as I’m under the understanding that Norway is one of the places that radiation from Japan’s nuclear incident hasn’t reached yet, and now they are releasing more contaminated water as of August into the Pacific. i would never buy Alaskan salmon for that reason. I am very upset to find out that the Norwegian salmon is not wild caught! I will say however that it is usually pretty good. occasionally ill get a fillet that has some dark meat on it that i have to cut off. Thats where the fishy smell comes from
Hi, Kim. Thanks for reading! I haven’t heard of the incident you mention, but I can make note of a possible reason why Norway’s main export is farmed salmon: I spoke with a fishing company from Scotland (where “Scottish Salmon” comes from, also farmed) while attending the Seafood Expo North America (SENA) in Boston, Massachusetts, and they said that salmon used to be prolific in that part of the world, but due to pollution over the years (I’m not sure from what), they’ve had to change their practices to farming. If memory serves, they also said there is only one family in the country that has a wild-salmon permit, but the catch numbers are very limited. If I learn of other information, I will post. Thank you again for your reply! Cheers to future seafood meals!
Who ever wrote this article is obviously biased and doesn’t shop at Aldi… The fresh coho salmon that is always available is not from China or Norway…. nice try tho…
Hi, Michael. Thanks for your feedback. Good to know you can get fresh Coho Salmon at Aldi! I believe it depends on the location. I am in Wilmington, NC, and the stores do not offer it here. Knowing this, hopefully, others around the country can find some as well. Happy Eating!
The Coho salmon I have purchased at Aldi is just delicious! My only issue is that it isn’t available enough!
I have successfully cut larger pieces into portions, and frozen them. The fish retained its flavor and texture beautifully – (crispy pan seared salmon…
Hey, Kathleen! Thanks for your comment! What a treat that you were able to get Coho salmon at Aldi! I love the idea of cutting and freezing for later. Such an easy and delicious protein that goes with any meal, any time of year! Thanks again for your comment. Happy eating to you!
I think aldi wild Alaskan pink is super. I’m a food purist and from time to time I’ll look back at the lable before I cart my monthly alotment and look for ‘Alaska” and the wild-caught badge just to be sure the packaging hasn’t been changed. I use 5-7 cans each month that I stagger throughout my meal planning. And I do meal planning albeit I’m a guy. It’s important to me that my diet be of eating balanced meals. Even in a simple meal of black eyes there is all the macros plus fiber! Canned pink is very versatile with a little imagination. Great food from the cleanest waters at an affordable price, And, it’s mild! -I love this page!
Hi, Mark! Thank you for your comment. I couldn’t agree more about the versatility of pink salmon. And with Aldi prices, it’s hard to beat! Great note about checking to see if the packaging has been changed. I’ve never thought of that before. Thank you again for taking the time to comment! It is inspiring to see how others enjoy this incredible seafood. Happy eating, and thanks for being here! 🐟💙
What are some things you make with canned??
Hey, Lesa! Thanks for your reading and your comment! I look forward to seeing what Mark has to say, but I generally make salmon patties (they are also called salmon cakes) or eat it out of the can (LOL). But here is an award-winning seafood salad recipe that I bet it would be good with, too. Best part, you probably have most or all the ingredients already, and you can mix it all together in a mason jar for easy clean up! Here’s a link to the “Easy AF Seafood Salad Recipe You Can’t Mess Up:” https://meganwaldrep.com/seafood-salad/
Hi Mark! What are some things you make with canned??
I buy aldis norweigen and sock-eye salmon, thinking I’m avoiding farm raised products,(sock-eye from alaska. It is extremely important to me to never ingest farm raised period. So now that I’m to believe false information? (Central Florida.) So do not believe their labeling?
Hi, Paul. Thanks for reading! Shopping for fish can be confusing, however sockeye salmon is always wild caught, and “wild-caught” should be labled on the package. If it’s Alaska salmon (whether sockeye, pink, king, etc.) you can count on it being wild-caught. “Norwegian salmon” is farmed salmon. Another name or farmed salmon is “Atlantic salmon.” You can tell the difference bc farmed salmon is lighter in color and usually has larger veins of fat. However, not all farmed salmon is considered “bad.” It just depends on the practices of the farm. (There are links in this article on how to check on those practices.) But if you’re are a salmon fan, you can’t go wrong with anything caught in Alaska. And if it’s wild-caught, it most likely will say “wild-caught” or “Alaskan” on the packaging and on menus becuase it is a premium salmon and they want to show it off :). Hope this is helpful!