What’s the difference between king salmon and coho salmon?

Most people consider king salmon, also known as Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), the finest of the wild Pacific salmon. King salmon is known for its high content of healthy omega-3 oils and its big taste. A decadent item to feature at a white tablecloth, candlelit dinner, king salmon is about as good as it gets.

With less fatty oils than the king salmon, the coho salmon, also known as silver salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch),  has a lighter taste, which can be a virtue depending on what you’re preparing with the salmon. The coho salmon has a lot of other virtues, too. It’s milder tasting than a king salmon, which may appeal to some. Coho salmon also certainly pairs well with sauces. Many people find the coho salmon more versatile in cooking, making it possible to serve in a wider variety of ways. The coho salmon is also more of an any-day kind of dinner.

Both our wild Alaskan king salmon and coho salmon are available for home delivery here.

 

A whole king salmon and a whole coho salmon with their fillets.

 

King salmon fillets (left) and coho salmon fillets (right) with portions below.

Looking at the nutritional values, we can see that the king salmon is much richer, while the coho salmon’s virtue is its lightness.

Coho salmon: (3-ounce serving) 120 calories; Protein 19 g; Fat: 4 g; Saturated Fat 1g; Sodium 50mg; Cholesterol 48 mg; 680 mg Omega-3 Fatty Acids per 100 g serving

King Salmon:  (3-ounce serving) 200 Calories; Protein 21 g; Fat 12g; Saturated Fat 3g; Sodium 55mg; Cholesterol 75mg; 1300 mg Omega-3 Fatty Acids per 100 g serving

Though king salmon tend to be significantly larger than  coho salmon, its runs aren’t nearly as numerous. Because of the high demand for king salmon and the lower amount available, it is priced higher than the coho salmon. Compare pricing by checking out our offerings here for king salmon and coho salmon.

A 10-pound box of king salmon or a 10-pound box of coho salmon measures 15 x 10 x 6″. Our coho portions come in individually vacuum-sealed packages with six ounces net weight of coho salmon, while our king salmon comes in four and eight-ounce packages. We also have 6-portion boxes for both species, in addition to 10-portion boxes for the king salmon and 14 portion boxes for coho.  We have larger quantities of our wild salmon for restaurants and group buyers. We also sell coho salmon and king salmon fillets, which are the entire side of a fish. The size of one coho salmon fillet is roughly 18″ x 6″ x 0.5″ and they typically weigh between 1 and 2 pounds.

 

King salmon and coho salmon with knife.