Ever since the Native Americans of the Pacific Coast tied their salmon to cedar boards and smoked them near an open fire, Trader Joe’s has been looking for a cedar planked salmon of our own to sell. (That’s hyperbole, ok?) From the start, we at least knew we wanted to use Sockeye Salmon, since this variety ranks consistently among our Customers’ favorite frozen items. However, all the sockeye/cedar-plank combos we came across were cost prohibitive and really wouldn’t translate into a Trader Joe’s value.

Still, we didn’t give up. We finally located a supplier that exchanges the wooden plank for a thin wrap of cedar, hand-tied around a six-ounce deboned fillet of wild caught, Alaskan sockeye. Our Cedar Wrapped Sockeye Salmon is also rubbed with BBQ seasonings, including smoked sea salt and chipotle powder to yield a balanced, smoky, mildly spicy, distinctly cedar-y Fillet. And, in addition to imparting flavor, that cedar wrap also ensures a super moist result—no matter whether you bake it or grill it!