11 Frozen Fish Fillets Made With High Quality Ingredients

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When you think of frozen fish, you might not automatically think "high quality." For some of us, we imagine frozen fish fillets as basically the fish fingers of our childhoods — some sort of white paste covered in a subpar breading and microwaved (worst-case scenario) or baked (best-case scenario). More often than not, the interior was slimy, and the breading just slid right off — a moist, not crunchy crust. 

However, if that description is bringing up some harrowing childhood memories, we've got good news: The frozen fish fillets of your adulthood can be far, far different from their counterparts of decades past. You have a ton of high-quality options that range from the classic breaded white fish — excellent for pairing with fries, introducing to a sandwich or tacos, or just eating on its own — to salmon or tilapia fillets suitable to star as a main dish or to pair with pasta or salads.

So how do you actually pick the best fish fillets in the freezer aisle while avoiding the ones that are going to take you back to your cafeteria fish-finger childhood memories? We combed customer reviews to identify 11 frozen fish fillets that are not only shopper favorites, but also sourced sustainably and with quality in mind. Here are the ones to reach for during your next shopping trip.

You can find The Better Fish products sold at a range of retailers, from Costco to Walmart, and even just online. If you've never heard of this fish, it's basically just an Asian sea bass. It comes with a mild flavor and is comparable to other whitefish. 

According to The Better Fish, barramundi contains the highest amount of omega-3s of any white fish, and the brand goes to great lengths to ensure its quality and sustainability. For example, it guarantees the fish is contaminant-free (so no antibiotics or hormones, among other nasty stuff you don't want). Additionally, The Better Fish boasts the world's first Fair Trade-certified barramundi farm and Asia's first Fair Trade-certified fish farm, as well as the world's first ASC-certified tropical marine finfish farm. In short, The Better Fish is proving that "farmed' doesn't have to mean "bad." The Better Fish is also the largest sea-lease holder in Vietnam, farming its fish in the ocean, 12 miles offshore.

But all of that really means nothing if it's not a good product. Luckily, fans have tons of great things to say about these frozen barramundi fillets. On Reddit, happy customers report stocking up on the frozen fish as much as they're able, citing it as their favorite offering at Costco and a great value. Pieces are individually vacuum-sealed. Put them on a baking tray with some frozen veg, and you've got dinner in a snap.

Morey's Fine Fish & Seafood offers an array of frozen fillet products — seasoned salmon, cod, flounder, tilapia, and more. Morey's reports that it is "committed to the rigorous standards that define the highest levels of sustainability certification." This means following industry best practices, adhering to guidelines set by organizations such as the Marine Stewardship Council and Aquaculture Stewardship Council, while also supporting Fishery Improvement Projects that further work toward more widespread adoption of those Marine Stewardship Council standards.

So what do the people say? Customers report that Morey's marinated wild Alaskan salmon is an absolute frozen food must, winning over even those who don't like salmon to begin with. "A must in my freezer. So so good, I've completely stopped buying fresh salmon since I have discovered it," one Reddit reviewer wrote. 

Available at Costco, the frozen salmon is a simple favorite in the air fryer, alongside a basic salad and vegetables. No Costco membership? Don't worry. Target has your back, also selling Morey's frozen Atlantic salmon, where the brand has racked up 4.4 out of 5 stars, with the product ranking 4.5 out of 5 for taste alone.

You know Gorton's. Probably one of the most famous frozen fish brands in the grocery store, Gorton's is inseparable from its gray-bearded, yellow slicker-wearing fisherman mascot. Gorton's does sell classic fish sticks, but if you've yet to really explore the brand's other products, you're missing out. Its frozen fillets are a fan favorite — especially if you're craving a beer-battered fried fish fillet reminiscent of a fish-and-chips classic.

Reviewers on Reddit say that they'll simply toss Gorton's beer-battered whole fish fillets (and note that those are not minced fillets — you're not eating fish paste, here) onto a baking sheet alongside fries or potato wedges, and that's dinner, folks. Couldn't be simpler. You can also toss the whole lot into your air fryer. Serve the fillets with malt vinegar or tartar sauce, or make your own copycat filet-o-fish with a burger bun, tartar sauce, and American cheese.

If you're not keen on the beer batter, some prefer the crispy-battered variant of the same product, as you get the same crispy exterior, just without what some describe as a beer-like smell. These are particularly a favorite for fish tacos. Add on a quick slaw or some chipotle mayo and taco seasoning, and you have a fast yet impressive meal. All the while, you'll rest easy knowing that over 99% of the seafood used in Gorton's products is either Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) or Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP)-certified.

Another frozen favorite that's available at both Costco and Target (as well as other retailers), SeaCuisine offers up tilapia and salmon fillets that have been highly ranked by consumers and that come with a sustainable, high-quality promise.

SeaCuisine sells both wild-caught and farmed seafood. For the former, expect products sourced from MSC-certified suppliers (or suppliers in the midst of their MSC assessment), as well as products that are rated by other third parties for sustainability and responsibility. Farmed seafood is sourced from suppliers that are Global Aquaculture Alliance Best Aquaculture Practices-certified or similar.

Reviewers say that the frozen, tortilla-crusted tilapia is one of the best frozen fish products that Costco sells, great in fish tacos, and very easy to make in the air fryer (though some did report that their fillets were only breaded on one side — while also noting that that fact hardly diminished the fish's tastiness).

Meanwhile, at Target, the Sea Cuisine frozen garlic and herb tilapia fillets are a hit, with 4.5 out of 5 stars. The flavor, quality, and ease of cooking are all mentioned in reviews.

Just like Costco, Sam's Club has gained a following for many of its products, especially those that fall under its can't-find-anywhere-else Member's Mark brand. And when it comes to Sam's Club frozen fish recommendations, the salmon fillets win big. On Reddit, for example, one shopper came in asking for frozen fish recommendations — something that might be easy to cook on the stovetop. One Sam's Club associate chimed in, saying, "The only one I buy is the wild caught sockeye salmon. Pricey but worth it."

That's a sentiment that translates over to the item's star rating as well, with reviewers giving it 4.5 out of 5 stars across more than 4,000 ratings. Reviewers' reasoning stretches from the fact that the fillets are USA-caught and processed to the individually packed portions being perfect for singles — and the ease of prep and cooking.

If you are, though, on a budget and don't want to pay for the sockeye salmon, the Member's Mark skinless and boneless Atlantic salmon fillets are available at a lower price. You get more salmon for your money, and these fillets are ranked even higher, at 4.8 stars out of 5 stars.

Much like Gorton's, Van de Kamp's may be highly associated with frozen fish sticks, but don't let your childhood experiences sully your taste for the high-quality fish fillets offered up from this long-standing brand. And, honestly, while we can all probably agree that fish sticks aren't the highest quality food in the freezer box, let's not malign them either — just like pizza rolls and frozen taquitos, they have their place in the pantheon of quick, frozen, just-what-you're-craving foods.

Van de Kamp's offers multiple breaded fish fillets that pair perfectly with your fries and malt vinegar, or your fluffy bun and tartar sauce. At Walmart, the beer-battered, wild-caught fillets earn 4.5 out of 5 stars, with more than 3,500 ratings to date. Reviewers love how easy and quick the fillets are to prepare (again, they recommend breaking out your air fryer), and some even compare the fillets to those sold at Long John Silver's. On Amazon, the same fillets boast 4.4 out of 5 stars, with more than 5,000 reviews.

All of Van de Kamp's seafood is MSC-certified, and all of it is wild-caught — no fish farming here. The haddock is caught in the North Atlantic, while the pollock and flounder are harvested in the North Pacific.

Trader Joe's is known for producing high-quality cult classic foods (cookie butter, anyone?), but when it comes to frozen fish, the branzino fillets absolutely stand apart as one of the best items that you can find in stores. Shoppers on Reddit absolutely sing this fish's praises, calling it "not your average frozen fish." 

One Redditor even recounted what convinced them to buy the fillets, saying, "I was waiting in line and in the line next to me, I saw a woman with a small child. About 4 or 5. She had 8 packages in her cart and her child was singing about her love of the branzino and was kissing the packages. That sold me."

If you're not familiar with branzino, it's basically a European sea bass. Trader Joe's sells branzino that's been farm-raised in Turkey and then deboned and filleted. The skin remains intact. All you have to do is thaw, season, and cook it. The fact that the skin is left on makes this fish feel a bit fresher and less processed, and customers report success pan-frying the fillets and serving them with salads, or cooking them in the air fryer for serving with fish tacos.

Much like Trader Joe's, Whole Foods has a rather solid reputation for good-quality products. Its 365 brand is its own private label that offers products at a more agreeable price point, without sacrificing the aforementioned quality. For example, when it comes to seafood, Whole Foods remains committed to certain standards. Seafood must be sustainably wild-caught or responsibly farmed, and no genetic modifications are allowed. Neither are prohibited ingredients, such as certain preservatives often used to treat seafood.

There are two particular types of frozen seafood at Whole Foods that customers seem to like the most. First, there are the 365 wild-caught frozen haddock fillets. They've earned 4.6 out of 5 stars on Amazon, and customers appreciate the fillets' flaky texture, plus ease of preparation and cooking. Then, there are the 365 breaded fish fillets, which have earned 4.4 stars out of 5 on Amazon. Easy to cook and crispy when baked, the fillets are made from sustainably wild-caught pollock.

The Aqua Star umbrella hovers over a range of seafood products, including quite a few frozen fillet options, some of which have been highly ranked by consumers and experts alike. The wild Pacific salmon fillets receive a 1.6 score from Environmental Working Group (EWG). This nonprofit ranks thousands of consumer products on a scale of 1 to 10, based on factors such as nutrition, ingredients, and processing, to determine which are overall best for your health and for the environment. Aqua Star's fillets' 1.6 ranking places them firmly in the green-flag territory, with EWG noting that each serving provides a high level of omega-3 fatty acids, as well as protein. All the while, the fillets do not contain artificial or industrial ingredients, and there are no EWG processing concerns.

Then, you have Aqua Star's frozen breaded Alaskan Cod, which earns a respectable 4.2 stars on Amazon. Many reviewers note that the fish is a good value for the price, and that it makes for a good fish sandwich. 

Meanwhile, Aqua Star overall is dedicated to sustainability and quality via its Seafood Forever program. It sets a strict code of conduct for Aqua Star suppliers and pays careful attention to not only the quality and sustainability of the sourced seafood, but also how sourcing affects human rights issues, carbon emissions, and more.

If you pay close attention to the many food-related pitches (and flops) that come up on the show "Shark Tank," then you may've actually come across Fish Fixe before. This is a brand that sustainably sources flash-frozen fresh fish and then ships it to your doorstep. You can also sign up for a fish subscription, in addition to making one-time purchases. In 2021, the brand applied to appear on "Shark Tank" and made a deal with Lori Greiner.

Since then, Fish Fixe has received many positive reviews not only for the brand's product quality, but also for the way it makes the cooking process easier. For example, you're not buying a meal subscription service that locks you into a rigid meal plan. You're just getting the seafood of your choice, and then Fish Fixe will provide a few suggestions for cooking that seafood, but no more beyond that. Everything's portioned in resealable bags.

If you're specifically looking for fillets, what you can order will depend on the exact offerings available at any given time. However, past potential items have included wild-caught mahi, Norwegian salmon, and ocean-raised cobia — a prized, large, predatory fish that, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), "is sustainably managed and responsibly harvested under U.S. regulations."

Look through numerous frozen seafood reviews, and you'll find that Blue Circle pops up frequently. This brand is all about delivering great seafood, but also about changing the way that you think about aquaculture, aka fish farming. Yes, Blue Circle is using fish farming to get high-quality seafood to your door, but these fish are living in deep-water pens that are comprised of 98% water and 2% fish, with marine-based diets and no copper nets. And then, for any Blue Circle products that are wild-caught, items are 100% traceable, MSC-certified, and line-caught.

Blue Circle offers a lot of different products, but as for frozen fillets, you can purchase Atlantic salmon, Alaskan sockeye, and Icelandic cod — but don't let your explorations of what all this brand offers stop here. Rave reviews have highly praised Blue Circle for many of its other products. For example, there are the salmon sausages, which come fully cooked and are as simple to prepare as any kielbasa or hot dog. There's also the hardwood cold-smoked salmon that you can buy on Amazon, which has earned 4.5 out of 5 stars. And who could resist the well-reviewed Happy Fish salmon nuggets that come shaped like, yes, fish, and that are dairy, egg, and gluten free?