King · ChinookPremium
King Salmon
Oncorhynchus tshawytscha
The largest, fattiest, and most prized of the five Pacific salmon. Buttery, silky, deep red flesh — the salmon experienced cooks reach for when they want to do as little as possible to the fish.
Best cooked simply: roasted with salt, grilled skin-on, or sliced for sashimi when the quality is right. Renders so much fat that overcooking is the cardinal sin. Pull at 125–130°F internal and let carryover finish the job.
Trolled by hook-and-line in Southeast Alaska. The Sitka fleet works the open coast for kings from May through July. Kodiak fishermen target them in late spring as the runs move up the Gulf.
Fat
Flavor
PeakMay–Jul
Where it runs
Catching grounds
The Alaska waters where king salmon is sourced. Click through for the full story of each ground.
