Here's The Hands-Down Best Frozen Seafood To Pick Up At Costco

Costco has one of the best freezer sections in the supermarket game. With entire meals, a huge selection of veggies and fruits, breakfast items, desserts, doughs, and nearly every kind of protein you can imagine, you'll have a hard time leaving this aisle empty handed. The frozen seafood selection at Costco is also quite substantial, and there's lots of great options to choose from. If you're someone who doesn't live in an area with access to freshly caught fish, you probably rely on frozen to get the best tasting and "freshest" seafood possible. We ranked seven Costco frozen seafood staples and found the Japanese Hokkaido scallops by the East Coast Seafood brand to be the best of the best.

We didn't come across any frozen seafood in these rankings that were so bad or not worth purchasing. But the Japanese Hokkaido scallops reigned supreme because of their unbelievable texture, flavor, high protein content, and reasonable price. The scallops were also very easy to prepare and came together in just under 10 minutes, not including the thawing process. The instructions even include a suggestion to cook in butter and garlic, which our reviewer found to yield delicious results. Overall, we can recommend any of the seven Costco frozen seafoods our reviewer ranked, but if you could only choose one, the scallops are a shoo-in.

Huge indicators of high-quality scallops are a buttery texture and a sweet, delicate flavor. Unfortunately, while it is convenient and preserves freshness well, freezing can alter the texture and flavor of scallops, so proper storage, thawing, and preparation are crucial. Make sure the scallops are protected from air when going into the freezer. Inspect the bag for any tears or rips and place inside a sealed food storage bag if you're worried about air exposure. When you're ready to thaw your scallops, place them in a covered, airtight container and allow to slowly thaw in the fridge. If you're really in a pinch, you can place the scallops in a food storage bag and run under cold tap water until thawed. Once thawed, you can begin the cooking process.

In general, scallops release a lot of moisture while cooking, and this is compounded by the freezing process. Make sure to pat your scallops super dry before cooking to help get a crispy, brown sear and limit the amount of moisture leaking into your pan. Scallops have a delicate flavor that doesn't need a ton of seasoning, so use a light hand. A dash of salt, some pepper, a little bit of garlic butter, and a sprinkling of fresh parsley or chives makes for a delightfully simple scallop preparation. Next time you're at Costco, snag a bag of these Japanese Hokkaido scallops from East Coast Seafood and indulge in a chef-quality scallop dish.