With vibrant coral-colored flesh pink salmon is one of the most affordable and abundant salmon species found in the Pacific Northwest. But its reputation has suffered as a lower-quality fish primarily used for canning and processing.
So are pink salmon good to eat when fresh? Or should it be avoided in favor of pricier wild salmon like sockeye and king? Let’s delve into the pros, cons, flavor profile, and best cooking methods for underrated pink salmon.
Quick Facts on Pink Salmon
Before evaluating if pink salmon tastes good here are some quick facts
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Pink salmon, also called humpies, are the smallest of the Pacific salmon species, averaging 3.5 to 5 pounds.
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They are named for the bright rosy hue of their flesh. Males develop a large hump on their back when spawning.
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Pinks have a 2-year lifecycle, shortest among salmon. They spawn in coastal streams and die soon after.
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Abundant runs occur from June to September in Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon.
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Most commercial pink salmon comes from Alaska and is sustainably wild-caught.
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It has a moderately firm texture and less oil than king, sockeye, and coho salmon.
Why is Pink Salmon Cheap?
Pink salmon is an economical choice for a few reasons:
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Every pink salmon fish has less fillet meat than bigger salmon species because they are smaller.
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They are extremely abundant, with some runs numbering over 100 million fish. This high volume keeps costs down.
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Lower oil content means less desirability among salmon connoisseurs. But oil is not necessarily an indicator of quality.
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Difficulty distinguishing male from female fish results in a lot of mixed-sex canning. Fillets are less valuable.
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Canned pink salmon has a strong fishy flavor from processing. Fresh pinks have a milder taste.
What Does Pink Salmon Taste Like?
The flavor of pink salmon varies significantly between canned versus fresh:
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Canned pinks have a pronounced fishy taste from the canning process. Texture also suffers, becoming dry and chalky. Overall an affordable but low-quality preparation.
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Fresh pinks have a mild, delicate flavor with sweet, buttery notes. The coral flesh has a smooth tender-firm texture when cooked properly. Much better eating than canned.
So fresh pink salmon tastes pleasantly mellow compared to sockeye or king with their rich fattiness. The subtle flavor allows other ingredients to shine.
Nutrition & Health Benefits
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Rich in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, although less than other salmon.
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High-quality complete protein to support muscle growth and maintenance.
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Excellent source of important nutrients like B vitamins, selenium, and potassium.
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Low mercury levels make it safer for pregnant women and children.
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Sustainably wild-caught Alaskan pinks have minimal contaminants.
Best Cooking Methods
Pink salmon achieves the peak flavor and texture when cooked with moisture and care:
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Baking/broiling: Brush fillet with oil or butter and bake 12-15 mins at 400°F. Broil 4-6 mins per side.
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Poaching: Gently simmer fillets submerged in liquid like wine, broth, milk etc for 8-12 mins.
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En Papillote: Bake seasoned fillets wrapped in parchment/foil with veggies for 15-18 mins.
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Grilling: Quickly grill skin-on portions over direct high heat for 2-3 mins per side.
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Sautéing/frying: Cook briefly in small batches in hot oil or butter.
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Canning/smoking: Preserves pinks well but compromises fresh flavor and texture.
Best Uses for Pink Salmon
Beyond eating the fillets pan-fried, here are excellent ways to use pink salmon:
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In pasta, salmon fried rice, risotto, seafood stews or tacos. Flakes beautifully when cooked.
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As salmon patties, croquettes, loaf, burgers, or salmon cakes. Binds well.
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In salads, toasts, sandwiches, pizza, flatbreads, and savory tarts or galettes.
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In scrambles, omelets, frittatas, and quiches for breakfast.
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As an alternative to tuna salad with mayo.
Should You Choose Pink Salmon?
Pink salmon offers several advantages:
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Cost – $2-$3 per pound, significantly cheaper than kings and sockeye. Great budget option.
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Sustainability – Abundant wild stocks, responsibly managed. Eco-friendly choice.
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Nutrition – Rich in omega-3s and protein with minimal mercury risk.
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Taste – Delicate flavor lets other ingredients shine when cooked right.
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Texture – Cook gently to bring out moist, smooth meat. Avoid overcooking.
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Versatility – Works in many cuisines from Asian to Mediterranean dishes.
However, it does have some downsides to consider:
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Mild flavor lacks the richness and complexity of fattier salmon like king and sockeye.
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Smaller fillet size means more prep work for a meal.
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Can dry out and flake if overcooked due to lower fat content.
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Not the best for eating raw as sashimi or carpaccio.
The Takeaway
Despite pink salmon’s lowly reputation, it can be amazing to eat when optimally prepared. Cooked with care, the coral flesh has a pleasingly mild taste and velvety texture. Beyond the bargain fillets, pink salmon is versatile for many recipes from salmon patties to pasta dishes. For shoppers on a budget or large families to feed, pink salmon offers an affordable way to enjoy excellent nutrition, sustainability, and good flavor in seafood. While it may never achieve gourmet status, pink salmon deserves more appreciation for its advantages. Given its price and eco-friendly wild abundance, pinks are a great catch.
Nutrition Facts Servings: 1; Serving Weight: 100 g (raw); Calories: 116; Protein: 19.94 g; Total Fat: 45 g; Total Saturated Fatty Acids: 0.558 g; Carbohydrate: 0 g; Total Sugars: 0 g; Total Dietary Fiber: 0 g; Cholesterol: 52 mg; Selenium: 44.6 mcg; Sodium: 67 mg
- Alaska: Pink salmon are the most abundant Pacific salmon. In southeast Alaska, the Alaska Coho Salmon Assemblage is made up of coho salmon, sockeye salmon, pink salmon, and chum salmon. Three groups of coho salmon are used to figure out the health of the assemblage. These groups are Coho salmon – Auke Creek, Coho salmon – Berners River, and Coho salmon – Hugh Smith Lake. The 2021 fish stock assessments for the Hugh Smith, Auke Creek, and Berners Rivers say that these fish stocks are not overfished and will not be overfished. Summary stock assessment information can be found on Stock SMART.
- West Coast: We don’t know what’s going on with the pink salmon on the West Coast. Because they only live for two years, pink salmon returns are much higher in years with an odd number of years.
- Populations are affected by: Changes in ocean and climatic conditions. Habitat loss from dam construction and urban development. Degraded water quality from agricultural and logging practices.
- Population conservation efforts include: Captive-rearing in hatcheries. Removal and modification of dams that obstruct salmon migration. Restoration of degraded habitat. Acquisition of key habitat. Improvements to water quality and instream flow.
- The Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund helps salmon species get back to normal.
- Commercial fishing: About 216 million pounds of pink salmon were caught for commercial purposes in 2022, worth more than $144 million. 5 million, according to a database kept by NOAA Fisheries for commercial fishing Almost all of the pink salmon caught in the US comes from fisheries in Alaska. A few pink salmon are also caught off the West Coast, mostly in Washington, especially in odd-numbered years (read the Science section to learn more about the pink salmon’s unique two-year life cycle).
- Pink salmon are caught with purse seines, gillnets, and reef nets. These gear types affect habitat and catch other animals. Purse seines catch salmon by putting a long net around them and then closing the bottom of the net around them. Gillnetters catch salmon by putting up nets that look like curtains that are not in the same direction as the pink salmon as they move along the coast toward fresh water. The gear used to catch pink salmon doesn’t touch the ocean floor very often and doesn’t have a big effect on the habitat. Bycatch is low and usually consists of other salmon species.
- Recreational fishery: Salmon are a favorite catch of recreational fishermen. Pink salmon can be caught by recreational fishermen with a variety of gear. Even though pink salmon aren’t as popular with sport fishermen as other salmon species because they’re not as big, they’re great to catch because they’re aggressive and taste great. West Coast fishermen can only keep a certain number of salmon per trip. This is to make sure that recreational fisheries are sustainable. In Alaska, regulations vary by area and individual fisheries. Recreational fishing in high-use areas like Cook Inlet, Southeast Alaska, and Copper River is controlled by management plans that decide how much fish to give to recreational and commercial fishermen who are competing for the fish.
- Subsistence fishing: For Western Indian tribes and Alaska natives, salmon is a key source of spiritual and physical food. Salmon are also culturally important to many other people who live in these areas. Different kinds of fishing gear are used by subsistence fishermen to catch pink salmon.
Juveniles of the five Pacific salmon species. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Alaska Fisheries Science Center
NOAA Fisheries conducts various research activities on the biology, behavior, and ecology of pink salmon. The results of this research are used to inform management decisions for this species.
NOAA’s StockSMART web tool lets you search for pink salmon or any other species of interest to find out more about their status, management, assessments, and resource trends.
Pink Salmon Research in Alaska
We can figure out how many pink salmon are in Alaska and what their trends are by predicting salmon harvests, looking at how commercial fisheries affect salmon, and seeing how salmon populations react to changes in the environment.
Red or Pink Salmon? What’s the Difference?
FAQ
Is pink salmon ok to eat?
Does pink salmon taste different?
What is better, pink or red salmon?
What is the best tasting salmon to eat?
Is pink salmon healthy?
It’s also the most commercially available option. Pink salmon has a lower oil content that makes for a milder, lighter flavor—and it comes in pouches or cans, says Allen. While slightly lower in healthy fats than its counterparts, pink salmon offers high levels of selenium, vitamin B12, and vitamin B3.
Is fresh salmon safe to eat?
Yes, salmon is a source of omega 3, the fatty acid is responsible for acting in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, making the heart strong and healthy. Just be careful to analyze the supplier to make sure it doesn’t have any contamination.
What do pink salmon eat?
For the few populations that spawn much further up large rivers, young pink salmon may eat aquatic insects as they travel to saltwater. In the ocean, pink salmon feed on plankton, other smaller fish, squid, and the occasional aquatic insect. The tiny marine crustaceans pink salmon eat are what give their flesh its pink color.
Do pink salmon eat when they leave freshwater?
The young salmon fry, or alevin, live under the gravel feeding off the yolk sac attached to their belly and continue to grow until they are large enough to emerge and travel to the ocean. Since young pink salmon migrate immediately to the ocean, they generally do not eat as they leave freshwater.