12 Must-Have Picks from Costco’s Seafood Section

Costco is a top spot to stock up on frozen breakfasts, bakery items, and even patio furniture. However, the members-only warehouse store also has a good selection of entrees, apps, and ingredients from the ocean as well. You can get your fill of briny fare from the Costco seafood department and in the prepared foods section. There are also plenty of freezer-friendly packages that will help you keep your favorite fish or crustaceans on the menu at any time. 

Seafood can be pricey, but buying in bulk can help save a little money. The Costco store brand, Kirkland Signature, is also known for high quality items that are budget-friendly. Even though there are some luxury purchases available at Costco (we’re talking jumbo lump crab and tasty smoked salmon), you can also grab basics like fish sticks to get your seafood fix without spending a ton.

Whether you’re looking for something ready-to-eat or planning to cook a seafood feast, these are the items you shouldn’t miss. Like other Costco purchases, they’re sold in bulk, so be ready to enjoy some seafood favorites (or at least have a plan to store them in your freezer). While you’re there, stock up on your favorite Costco condiments to complete your table and get ready to dig in.

Not only is the salmon Milano with basil pesto butter one of our favorite seafood dishes at Costco, it’s also a top choice among all of the prepared foods made in house at the warehouse. Swing by the prepared foods case to pick up a Costco-sized salmon filet, which comes ready to pop right in the oven when you get home. It’s already topped with herb butter and just has to cook for around an hour for a tasty and nutritious dinner. 

The basil pesto butter has just enough herbs mixed in to create a nice crust on the top as it melts into the fish when cooking. Each pat of butter also comes with a generous piece of dill, which adds extra flavor. It’s perfectly edible, but we remove the larger pieces of herb before serving to make things a bit easier. 

Our only complaint about this dish is that it doesn’t make for very great leftovers. If you’re feeding a crowd, you’ll probably finish the entire thing, plus sides. The grain and celery salad is a hidden gem that pairs well for a light but satisfying meal.

Setting up a bagel bar and need some high quality toppings? Head on over to Costco to pick up delicious smoked salmon in bulk. The Kirkland Signature wild smoked sockeye salmon is super tasty and budget-conscious, thanks to being sold under the popular store brand. Two 8-ounce packages, which come connected but separately sealed, costs around $25. They are especially rich in flavor and have a very consistent texture as well.

Smoked salmon can be pricey because it takes time and special care to prepare. It is made in a smoker over a few days, either hot or cold depending on the method. The result is a smooth and thinly sliced piece of fish that adds salty flavor to foods like cream cheese and crackers. You may see the words smoked salmon used interchangeably with lox, but the two are actually different ways of arriving at a similar salmon snack.

This will add something special to your bagel spread or hors d’oeuvres. It comes pre-sliced, so all you have to do is put it out and watch people drool over the salty snack. There are other smoked salmon options in the Costco refrigerated case and you really can’t go wrong with any of them. That being said, the Kirkland Signature wild smoked sockeye salmon is our favorite because it’s such a great deal on an item that we would normally just keep as a luxury purchase.

Rich, buttery scallops in bulk? Yes, please! Pick up 2 pounds of raw scallops in the freezer section in a resealable bag. There are between 30 and 40 scallops in each bag, so you may not get through the entire thing in one meal. You can use what you need and keep the rest protected from freezer burn. Just be sure to let them thaw and completely dry the scallops, especially if you want to create the best sear. 

These scallops come raw and frozen, so you’ll need to let them thaw for easier cooking. Just add them to a piping hot pan and sear on each side for a couple of minutes. Be careful not to overcook or you’ll end up with a bland, rubbery dish. If you keep them frozen, you’ll end up with uneven cooking. Fortunately, you can just pull out what you need and keep the rest wrapped in the freezer.

The scallops are shucked right after harvesting and then frozen quickly, which keeps them super fresh. These are wild caught and full of flavor, but quite expensive. The 2-pound bag costs over $64, which is a lot for a single ingredient. You can find similarly-priced scallops (although in smaller portions so you’ll have to buy multiple) at other grocery stores, but we still like the Costco version for its high quality and large scallops.

The Phillips jumbo lump crab meat is a bit pricey but a good option if you like crab. The 16-ounce option costs around $46, but if you want something a little bit more budget-friendly, Costco also carries a container of premium lump crab in the same size for $33. The pieces are a bit smaller, but still work well in most recipes. For the largest and most succulent bits of crab, however, the jumbo lump is worth it. They are extra rich and buttery, perfect for forming into crab cakes or adding into a chowder.

Unlike canned crab meat, this version is fresh and stays in the fridge. You can reseal the container if you only use part of it, but with just 16 ounces, don’t expect to have a ton of leftovers. This is a larger portion than you find in the grocery store, but still not meant to last for weeks. If you want to make things even easier, grab a box of Phillips Maryland-style crab cakes from the freezer section. They’re a bit more budget-friendly and already come formed, so all you have to do is cook and eat. They aren’t as versatile as the loose crab meat, however.

Craving some rich lobster but don’t have access to catch your own? Grab a 2-pound bag of wild-caught Langostino lobster tail meat from Costco instead for just $35. While this isn’t actual lobster, it is the perfect substitute and can be used in the same dishes. Langostino is a type of crustacean that looks and tastes like a lobster, but it is actually a different species. 

They are a bit smaller, so the meat is as well. Going with the biggest lobster doesn’t necessarily mean the best meat, though, so this smaller option can be even more tender and flavorful. Plus, the smaller pieces work perfectly when you’re incorporating lobster as an ingredient rather than serving it whole. They are also more plentiful, so the prices aren’t as high as lobster, which can be expensive. 

The meat comes already cooked, peeled, and ready to eat. You can add them to your own dishes, like seafood salad or in lobster rolls, or let them thaw to create a seafood appetizer. Serve with cocktail sauce and a squeeze of lemon.

Make authentic fish and chips at home, saving money compared to take out. The Trident Seafoods version uses wild-caught cod from Alaska that is flaky and rich. It comes in a large box with 2.5 pounds of whole cod fillets. The fish is sustainably caught, which is important to consider. The breading is what sets these apart from other frozen fish that we’ve tried. It’s crispy with an extra bit of flavor thanks to the beer battering. The interior is tender, but cod is still a firm enough fish to hold up to dipping. These are pretty large, so we like to eat them as an entree with tartar sauce or put on a fish sandwich.

Add some frozen french fries to your baking dish and you can whip up a tasty meal with almost no prep. Our trick to keeping cleanup a breeze as well is to line the sheet with foil. When your fish and chips are done in the oven, transfer them over to a plate and toss the foil away. We also like to make these in the air fryer, which gets the exterior extra crisp.

Another seafood favorite in the freezer section that is easy to prepare is the box of Kirkland Signature breaded panko shrimp. The crustaceans come with a crispy breading on the outside that is a bit more substantial, thanks to the larger pieces of panko. However, the lighter texture of the panko keeps them from being too heavy. Panko is also dried more than standard plain breadcrumbs, so they aren’t as greasy or oily. Each batch of the coating is made fresh before putting it on the shrimp.

They are tail-on and butterflied, so the shrimp are quite sizable. There are between 40 and 50 shrimp in the 2.5-pound container. Each one is just over $22, making this a great budget-friendly option as well. You’ll need to keep them in the freezer, but take the bag out of the larger box to save some space. You can serve them as an appetizer with cocktail sauce for dipping or as a main entree.

If you want something extra savory with rich buttery flavor, try the Kirkland Signature garlic butter shrimp. This entree is in the freezer case alongside many other seafood favorites. It’s one of the few that isn’t fried and you’ll heat it up on the stove in addition to the oven. The 2-pound package is less than $18, making it one of the least expensive seafood options at Costco.

This is a large Costco-sized bag with 2 pounds of garlic butter shrimp, but they come in two separately-sealed 1-pound bags for easier storage. If you only want to make one half, the other bag won’t get any freezer burn. You can serve it on its own, but we love to use the shrimp as a topping for pasta or rice. It also helps stretch this entree even further, although it is pretty large and can feed a crowd.

This one is gluten-free, but still has a lot of garlic and butter. If you’re sensitive to alliums or dairy, this won’t work for you. The sauce is quite strong, but works really well with the shrimp.

It’s hard to find large fish fillets, but leave it to Costco to offer even fresh fish in bulk. You can find pink, rich salmon in the meat and fish section, each one separately portioned and wrapped. It comes skinned and with the bones picked out, so you can put it right on the grill or in the oven. If you want a little bit of extra flavor without extra prep, stick with the salmon Milano from the nearby prepared foods department. When you’re just on the hunt for a large piece of fish, though, this is a great option.

At less than $15 per pound, this is a great deal of fresh salmon. Each one has around 3 pounds of fish, typically all in one piece, and costs around $40. The selection can be a bit varied, since this fresh fish relies on what is delivered to the warehouse. You also can’t get fish cut to your own specifications, so you may end up with more than you need. You can freeze any unused salmon, but it’s best to vacuum seal it to maintain freshness.

If you don’t want to deal with cooking fresh fish but still want your fill of seafood, a shelf-stable tuna is the perfect solution. You’ll find a few types of canned tuna in the pantry section at Costco, but the Kirkland Signature version is wild-caught Albacore tuna and a fantastic value. 

Albacore tuna is considered some of the highest quality, and the fish in these cans come in large chunks — perfect for preparing dishes that benefit from a salty, briny bite. It is quite meaty and adds a lot of protein as well. Each can has a whopping 42 grams!

There are eight 7-ounce cans in the box, each of which is separately sealed. These make great lunches on-the-go or can be added to tuna salad or pasta. There is a total of 3.5 pounds of fish for around $18. It’s packed in water rather than oil, which keeps it on the lighter side. It also helps the tuna incorporate better into other dishes since you don’t have to deal with an oily residue or film when you mix it in.

If you remember bland, burnt fish sticks that you had as a kid, forget everything you think you know about this dish. The Trident Seafoods version has rich, flaky fish on the inside and a perfectly crispy panko coating on the outside. These are made with wild-caught Alaskan pollock and coated in crunchy panko. They are very similar to the beer battered cod — also from Trident Seafoods and carried at Costco — but smaller.

The breading is pretty light, which keeps the focus on the firm white fish inside. These are also not as greasy as many that we’ve tried, and if you make them in the air fryer, the crunch is even better. 

For those cooking for kids, these make an easy and fun meal choice. They are super dippable and there are plenty of ways to upgrade fish sticks to create a delicious dinner. Our favorite is to put them in street tacos with some slaw and salsa for quick and easy fish tacos. Fish sticks are also a great option for those on a budget. The entire 4-pound bulk bag costs less than $18. Fortunately, it’s resealable so you don’t need to worry about losing any of your food to pesky freezer burn. Just be sure to get as much of the air out as you can before sealing it back up.

If you want a delicious seafood dish that doesn’t require a lot to put together, the Morey’s marinated salmon fillets are perfect. This entree take the prep work out of cooking and each piece of fish come pre-marinated. The package only comes with six fillets, but they are pretty sizable. The entire thing is around $25, which comes out to less than $5 per serving. It’s a good value, especially considering that you don’t need to purchase additional seasoning or marinade ingredients.

Each one is individually-sealed so you only need to cook what you need. You can prepare them still frozen or let them thaw, and then put them on the grill or in the oven to cook. The skin is left on the bottom, which helps retain moisture, but they are already de-boned. You can go from the fridge to the plate in around 30 minutes from frozen and half the cooking time if you thaw them first.