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Trader Joe’s Smoked Salmon (Lox) Review

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Head to your nearest TJ and get yourself to the Trader Joe’s smoked salmon section! It’s extensive, but I’m breaking it down and sharing some favorite varieties. Grab some lox and put out your very own Trader Joe’s lox and bagels spread (I like to serve a variety of flavors for this), make the perfectly fancy smoked salmon sandwiches, or my easy smoked salmon dip. Plus more ideas on how to eat smoked salmon below.

If you are a HUGE TJ fan, be sure to check out my mega list of easy Trader Joe’s recipes, it includes plenty of easy meal ideas. Masala lentils, pollo asado quinoa bowls, and chicken vegetable curry are all popular recipes to start with.

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Wall of Trader Joe's smoked salmon in store.

Trader Joe’s Smoked Salmon Review

What is the best smoked salmon at Trader Joe’s? It depends on what you are looking for and there are a TON of smoked salmon options, so you’ll surely find a version that works well for you.

There is a lot of confusion when it comes to all of the different types of salmon. Many people actually confuse lox with smoked salmon. Here’s some info:

  • Cured – Cured salmon, like gravalax is not smoked, but cured with a salt, dill, lemon, and alcohol mixture that draws out the liquid and helps preserve the fish.
  • Smoked – Smoked salmon on the other hand is what most versions are at the store. They can be hot smoked (texture similar to cooked salmon) or cold smoked (a cured and then cold smoking process)
  • Lox – Lox is traditionally the salmon belly that is salt cured like gravalax and not smoked. But it’s typically synonymous with smoked salmon.
  • Wild vs Farm Raised – This comes down to wild-caught salmon or farm-raised.
  • Plain vs Flavored – Trader Joe’s has plenty of plain options, but also has some fun options that have added flavor like pastrami style and everything but the bagel.
  • Type of Salmon – Nova salmon refers to both the where the species of salmon is from and also how it is prepared. Nova comes from Nova Scotia and is supposed to be cold-smoked. (As you can see below on the package, this is called out.)
Trader Joe's lox - various types.

Trader Joe’s Lox Ingredients

The ingredients will vary based on the specific variety, but here’s the ingredient list for the Wild Sockeye Smoked Salmon:

Smoke sockeye salmon, salt, apple wood smoke.

FAQs

Is smoked salmon raw?

Hot smoked salmon has been cooked all the way through and is not considered raw.

Can you freeze smoked salmon?

Yes, you can freeze smoked salmon for 1-2 months in the freezer or up to 6 months.

What to do with Smoked Salmon

There are so many ways to enjoy Trader Joe’s lox:

Pieces of Trader Joe's lox in a line.

Turn a bag of Trader Joe’s groceries into dinner!

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More Trader Joe’s Reviews

Here are a few more reviews of popular Trader Joe’s items:

Salmon lox bagel with cucumber and tomato

More Easy Trader Joe’s Recipes

If you’re looking for some easy Trader Joe’s recipes, here are a few favorites to try:

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