Our Experts Tried 6 Brands to Find the Best Frozen Fish Fillets
Updated: Nov. 07, 2023
Our Test Kitchen tried six brands of frozen fish fillets. Find out which ones are keepers.
About Best Loved Brands
In efforts to find the best kitchen staples—everything from bacon to brownies, pancake mix to potato chips—Taste of Home put 100+ products to the test. Each offering was tested blindly by an expert panel of culinary and editorial staff, all of whom are avid home cooks and bakers. After undergoing a thorough review, our Best Loved Brands emerged. Find out which brands you should be shopping for.
Finding the Best Frozen Fish Fillets
Fresh fish can be tricky business. You’ve got to use it fast once you bring it home from the grocer so it tastes its best. If we’re being honest though, sometimes meal plans don’t go to schedule which is why frozen fish is such a good option. Keep it stashed in your freezer and when you’re ready, just defrost—little planning required. However, we’ve all had some lackluster frozen fillets in our day. That’s why our Test Kitchen wanted to put frozen fish brands to the test—so you can have a go-to brand for tasty fish dinners anytime. For this test, our culinary and editorial experts tested frozen cod—a great basic for fish fries, fish tacos and more—in a blind taste test. Six brands were judged according to these criteria:
- Flavor
- Texture
- Appearance
With the right frozen cod—one that’s flavorful, firm and flaky—you can make some darn good recipes, like this unique Cioppino-style soup. In fact, a good frozen fillet should have you thinking it was never frozen at all. Let’s see what brands could do that!
First Place: Orca Bay
Our Test Kitchen’s frozen fish of choice is Orca Bay. These frozen fish filets ranked highly in every category. Appearance-wise, these cod fillets were white and clean looking. The texture of this fish was a bit denser than others but it provided us with an exceptional product—it easily flaked when cut into with a fork (no waterlogged fish here!). And when it came to flavor, our culinary team felt this fish had a nice taste that was closer to fresh than we could have thought possible!
Available at select grocers nationwide.
Second Place: Simply Balanced
Target’s Simply Balanced brand of frozen cod is also worth stocking in your freezer. This frozen fish had a nice, mild flavor with some almost buttery notes and an exceptionally flaky texture.
Available exclusively at Target.
Third Place: Fisherman’s Reserve
Another great option for frozen fish came from Kroger’s exclusive seafood brand. This frozen cod was fairly substantial with its thicker cuts and firm texture. Just like our other top brands, there was no unpleasant fishy flavor—just good white fish.
Available exclusively at Kroger and Kroger-owned stores.
What to Make with Frozen Fish Fillets
When it comes to frozen fish, treat it just like fresh (once its thawed)! Good cod like these Best Loved Brands makes a great base for your next fish fry—here are some recipes to get you started. Besides frying, broil your fish, saute it, sear it, even grill it. However you prepare it, as long as you start with good fish, you should end up with a great meal. Just check out these easy fish dinners that start with frozen cod.
And don’t forget—that frozen cod works well in this Italian-style soup. Plus it’s a breeze to make—just watch!
We hope this makes your next shopping trip just a bit easier. Don’t forget to add our other Best Loved Brands to your list!
Originally Published: August 16, 2018
