My family tried 14 frozen meals from Costco and ranked them. Even the lowest-rated item was tasty.
My family tried and ranked 14 frozen meals from Costco to see which ones were the tastiest.
The Kirkland Signature breaded panko shrimp was OK, but I wasn't fond of its $19 price tag.
Red's turkey-sausage breakfast burritos were delicious, and I plan on having them in my lunches.
Like a large portion of shoppers who buy frozen food, a retail sector that's seen significant growth over the past year, I prioritize cheap, convenient meals for my family. Costco is typically my go-to store, as I can save money by buying items in bulk.
The freezer section at Costco always offers a broad variety of frozen meals, but buying anything in bulk-sized portions can be risky if you have no idea what to expect from the food.
My family of four tried 14 different frozen meals from Costco and ranked them from worst to best.
Editor's Note: The items in this taste test were purchased between April and December 2024. Prices and availability may vary by location.
The Kirkland Signature breaded panko shrimp was the most expensive item I purchased.
The 2-½ pound box of Kirkland Signature panko shrimp, which cost $19, was the most expensive meal I purchased. According to its packaging, each box comes with 40 to 50 shrimp that can be prepared in the oven.
Once it was prepared, I found this meal a little disappointing.
The slightly peppery seasoning on the shrimp was tasty, but I thought there was too much breading, making the shellfish feel like an afterthought.
Next time, I'll make my own version with frozen uncooked shrimp, which is also quick and easy to prepare.
The Sandwich Bros. chicken-melt pocket sandwiches looked enticing.
The Sandwich Bros. chicken-melt sandwiches, which I'd wanted to try for a while, looked enormous and delicious on the box. But when I opened the package, they were smaller than I'd expected.
A pack of 15 individually wrapped sandwiches cost $12.70, which seemed reasonable to me.
They were OK, but I thought the pita bread was a little rubbery.
The pita got a little rubbery in the microwave, but no other cooking methods were listed on the box. I tried heating the sandwiches in the oven and air-fryer, but both methods essentially baked the pita into a cracker.
Taste-wise, the chicken had a mildly peppery seasoning. The strongest flavor was the American cheese, which never came out as beautifully melted as it looked on the packaging. The sandwiches tasted best when I added a condiment like spicy mayo or hot sauce.
My 3-year-old loved these sandwiches, which seemed appropriate for someone whose favorite foods are bread, cheese, and chicken nuggets.
The Kirkland Signature thin-crust pepperoni pizza required lots of freezer space, but I was excited to try it.
I picked up a four-pack of the Kirkland Signature thin-crust pepperoni pizza for $13.70, which came out to just over $3.40 per pie.
I thought the price was reasonable, but I'd prefer to spend a little more money on Target's single Red Baron pie, which doesn't require nearly as much freezer space.
Each Kirkland Signature pizza was individually wrapped in plastic. However, during transport, most of the pepperoni shifted to one side of the pizza, so I manually redistributed the slices before baking it for about 12 minutes.
The finished pizza looked exactly how I expected. The cheese melted, the edges of the crust browned, and the pepperoni glimmered with grease.
Unfortunately, the pepperoni pizza didn't blow me away.
In my opinion, this pizza was sort of bland — the thin, cracker-like crust had a nice texture but little flavor, the sauce was slightly sweet but light on seasoning, and the pepperoni didn't have much spice.
It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great, either. I would probably serve one as a convenient appetizer if I needed to cook a more elaborate meal for guests, especially if kids were around.
But since this pizza wasn't better or cheaper than other frozen pies I've had, I don't expect to buy it again.
The Ajinomoto Tokyo-style shoyu ramen with chicken looked promising.
The Ajinomoto frozen ramen featured big chunks of chicken, noodles, dehydrated carrots, corn, red peppers, and green onions.
This pack came with six individual bowls, which required a decent amount of freezer space.
The ramen was tasty and would make for a great quick lunch.
I added water and microwaved the ramen for four minutes per the instructions. The noodles were tender, the chicken was a bit spongy and sweet, and the salty soy-based broth was tasty without being overpowering.
They were a great size for a small but satisfying lunch, though far less portable than other forms of ramen. And at $18 for six bowls, they didn't seem like a very good value.
The Kirkland Signature Italian-style beef meatballs seemed like a great bang for your buck.
I'm somewhat particular about meatballs, but the deal on this Kirkland Signature product was hard to pass up. A 6-pound bag filled with 140 walnut-sized meatballs was only $18.
When I brought them home, the meatballs heated quickly in my air fryer and got a nice crust on the outside.
The meatballs were OK, but I don't think I'd buy them again.
Unfortunately, the meatballs were a bit too spongy for my taste. Without sauce, they had a fairly strong garlic taste with some mild black-pepper spice. Still, they were neutral enough to take on the flavor of any sauce I paired them with.
I served my kids a few plain meatballs alongside some mac and cheese, and they seemed unimpressed.
When I tried the meatballs on a roll with cheese, barbecue sauce, and pickles, I thought the finished product tasted a bit like a McRib.
However, I liked them best as an appetizer, tossed in a sweet-and-sour sauce I made with ketchup, jelly, Sriracha, and Worcestershire sauce.
Overall, they seemed like a good value, but the 6-pound bag took up so much freezer space that I can't imagine buying these again.
I tried a sample of the Bibigo mini chicken-and-cilantro wontons at Costco.
On the day I went shopping, Costco offered samples of these dumplings, so I knew what to expect before I brought them home.
They seemed plain, but I was impressed by the price. The 3-pound bag was on sale for $7.50, though it normally costs $10.
The wontons were tasty and came out the best when steamed in the microwave.
When I opened the bag, I noticed some of the wontons fused in the freezer and didn't easily come apart without ripping. Though it didn't affect the flavor, this might make me less likely to use them as an appetizer while hosting.
I tried pan-frying them, but they took on a lot of the oil flavor. They were better when I steamed them in the microwave, as this cooking method allowed the filling's subtle sweetness and cilantro flavor to shine through.
The Kirkland Signature Italian-sausage-and-beef lasagna required a long time in the oven.
The Kirkland Signature lasagna requires 65 minutes in the oven, so it's a little less convenient than many other frozen meals from Costco. That is, unless you risk the 24-minute microwave option suggested on the packaging.
But other than the baking time, the lasagna requires very little work. Each two-pack of lasagna was $16.70.
The lasagna was good but a little more seasoned than I'd prefer.
The finished meal looked appealing, covered with brown, bubbly mozzarella cheese. The lasagna was surprisingly spicy, with a black-pepper taste.
The sauce was subtly sweet but more seasoned than I'd like. The noodles came out perfectly tender, and the meaty sausage had a nice fennel flavor.
Each lasagna was enough to feed my family, with plenty left for the next day's lunch.
Red's turkey-sausage egg'wich looked like a great low-carb breakfast option.
Red's turkey-sausage egg'wich caught my attention as a quick, protein-forward, low-carb breakfast option at the perfect time — I'm trying to eat lighter meals ahead of three family weddings.
The preparation was fast and simple. I microwaved the egg'wich for 50 seconds on each side, and I had a piping-hot turkey-sausage sandwich with eggs patties for bread.
This eight-pack of egg'wiches cost $15, which didn't seem especially cost-efficient as far as Costco frozen meals go.
I needed to add a few extra components to my egg'wich.
I was a bit surprised I enjoyed these, as I don't usually like precooked egg patties. However, these were moist without being too greasy (though they were a little greasier than most foods I'd eat with my hands). The flavorful turkey sausage, which had a hint of black pepper, was good, too.
However, the egg'wich, which was only 190 calories and had 17 grams of protein, didn't fill me up. I usually like to spice up my egg breakfasts with some hot sauce, but I was worried it would spill out the sides or off the top of the sandwich.
After some consideration, I took a hamburger bun and put the entire egg'wich between the bread to better protect my hands from grease and condiments. I found the egg'wiches tasted much better and were more satisfying this way, though they were no longer keto-friendly.
I'll probably buy these again — along with more buns.
The Crazy Cuizine Mandarin-orange chicken reminded me of a similar Trader Joe's meal.
This was similar to a frozen orange-chicken meal I frequently buy at Trader Joe's. Both the Crazy Cuizine and Trader Joe's versions contain frozen chicken nuggets and pouches of sweet, brown, tangy sauce.
The meal came together flawlessly in the air fryer.
Without the sauce, the meat pieces' crispy, salty, outer breading reminded me of chicken nuggets.
The meal seemed tailor-made for preparation in an air fryer and was ready in about 20 minutes. The chicken pieces came out super crispy and were even tastier than some Chinese takeout meals I've had.
I'd buy this $16.50 box again, especially since the chicken was enough for four meals for my family when I served it with white rice and vegetables.
The Kirkland Signature breakfast sandwiches were easy to prepare.
A box of eight individually wrapped Kirkland Signature breakfast sandwiches, made with bacon, egg, cheese, and a croissant, cost $16 at my Costco.
The sandwiches were extremely easy to prepare — after just six minutes in the air fryer, I had a quick, hot-breakfast option.
We thought the Kirkland Signature breakfast sandwiches had a good flavor.
We enjoyed these sandwiches. The croissant (though a bit flimsy) had a nice hint of sweetness, the bacon was flavorful with a bit of crunch, and the melted cheese kept the sandwich from becoming too dry.
The sandwich also had enough flavor and moisture that it didn't need ketchup or hot sauce.
They reminded my wife and me of similar options from chain coffee shops. However, at about $2 per sandwich, they cost less than many of the options at my local Starbucks.
I'll likely repurchase the Kirkland Signature sandwiches when I need a break from my typical breakfast routine.
The Kirkland Signature tempura shrimp seemed like a great meal for a busy weeknight.
I picked up this 30-count box of the Kirkland Signature tempura shrimp on a week when I needed an easy dinner to make.
I thought I knew what to expect from the $18 box, as I'd previously bought this item for a holiday party. But I didn't try many, and though I remember my kids eating them, I wasn't sure if they'd still like this meal — that was over a year ago, and children can be fickle.
The box contained a resealable bag of frozen shrimp and pouches of a soy-based dipping sauce.
To my pleasant surprise, my entire family liked the tempura shrimp.
The shrimp were extremely easy to prepare — I simply heated them in the air fryer at 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
The shrimp were light on flavor yet hearty, so each piece felt substantial. When I tried them with the soy dipping sauce, they soaked up the sweet-salty taste.
All four of us liked this meal — which is a rarity. My 7-year-old deemed them "shrimp sticks" and delighted in the way the tails acted like little handles.
The Authentic Motor City Pizza Co. deep-dish double-pepperoni pizza came with plenty of mozzarella and meat.
I was eager to try this staple of the Costco frozen section. The package came with two six-serving pizzas and was on sale for $10, though it normally costs $13.
It may be a deep-dish pizza, but the crust was nice and airy. Each pie had plenty of molten mozzarella and both sliced and diced pepperoni.
The pepperoni got shaken up in the package, but that allowed me to rearrange the pieces to leave a meat-free section for my 6-year-old, who doesn't like it.
I tried baking the pizza two different ways and was pretty satisfied with the results.
The instructions called for baking the pizza directly on the oven rack in the tray it comes in. I tried this method, but I thought the buttery crust had more texture when I set the tray on top of a preheated cast-iron pizza pan.
The Kirkland Signature garlic-butter shrimp looked like a convenient dinner option.
A box of Kirkland Signature garlic-butter shrimp cost $16, which seemed like a good price for seafood that wasn't breaded.
The box contained two 1-pound bags of shrimp, which I found convenient — a pound of shrimp is usually just enough for a family dinner.
The meal couldn't have been easier to prepare. I opened the bag and dropped the shrimp into a skillet over medium heat. As the meal cooked, the buttery crust on the pieces of shrimp melted into a sauce.
With frequent stirring, the shrimp was ready to eat in about 10 minutes.
Simply put, the shrimp was delicious.
The shrimp was surprisingly tender, considering it was cooked straight from the freezer. The buttery, rich sauce also burst with garlic and Parmesan flavors.
I served the shrimp over white rice, which was a perfect medium for soaking up the excess sauce. I sometimes make a similar shrimp meal from scratch, but it never goes over as well as this one did.
My only issue with the meal was that my kids wanted more shrimp than their usual share. I'll buy this again, but I'll cook both bags for future dinners.
I tried preparing Red's turkey-sausage breakfast burritos a few different ways.
I experimented a lot with preparing Red's turkey-sausage breakfast burritos. The tortillas tended to burst open when I cooked the burritos in the air fryer, and the microwave made them too chewy.
Eventually, I settled on a combination — 30 seconds on each side in the microwave, then 10 minutes in the air fryer at a low temperature.
I liked everything about the breakfast burritos.
I don't normally enjoy precooked frozen eggs in dishes like these. However, these burritos and their egg fillings tasted freshly made. The cheese was gooey, the sausage was tasty, and the flavor was spicy enough to be interesting without turning off my kids.
Don't let the name fool you — these do not have to be reserved for breakfast. Since this taste test, the turkey-sausage burritos have become my go-to lunch.
At $15.70 for 10 small burritos, they're a similar price to some convenience-store burritos, but these taste like premium versions.
This story was originally published on June 6, 2024, and most recently updated on December 19, 2024.
Read the original article on Business Insider
