The Absolute Best Costco Meals & Meal Hacks

It’s hard to imagine a more magical shopping experience than the one you experience in Costco. And while everyone knows their baked goods — looking at you banana cream pie and peanut butter chocolate pie — are top-notch and their book section is no slouch, there are some tried-and-true personal standbys people swear by.

So that’s why Scary Mommy asked our audience to share their favorite Costco meals (and meal hacks) with us. And because we’re not gate-keepers, we’re sharing them with you.

Yes, Costco just got even better. You’re welcome.

Meats

We love the Chicken Taco kit, the Butter Chicken and the Chicken Pot Pie! Can you tell we love chicken?!

Their chicken pot pie is sooooo good! I buy one every time I go. It makes for a quick easy meal and the price is great. I can't make a pot pie for even close to their price. Not to mention the time it saves me.

We use the Just Bare chicken nuggets to make homemade KFC mashed potato bowls!

We love the Chicken Alfredo!

We are loving the Kevin’s brand paleo meats. They are pre cooked with a sauce. You can just add a veg and be good to go.

I love their fully cooked and seasoned chicken kebabs! They are a must-have when I host parties and gatherings at my house.

Whenever I am there shopping, I grab chicken bakes for dinner that night, from the concession area. Easy dinner done!

The chicken quesadilla kit.

Just Bare nuggets with pasta and sauce (easy chicken parm)

Chicken fried rice packs from Costco - great for school lunches

The heat and eat chicken stir fry is the best! Quick, fresh, veggies included.

When you’re on the run with the family, heading out to a game, a concert, etc. and don’t have time to cook, the chicken bakes from the food court are a great to-go option.

Mediterranean chicken skewers with tzatziki sauce and a salad kit. They’re so easy and so delicious!

We use the Just Bare chicken breasts and the Brioche buns to make chicken sandwiches, add veggies as a side for a quick weeknight dinner.

We take the frozen chicken Tikka masala and add a can or two of chickpeas, then eat over brown rice. Nom.

I get the bakery croissants and put the prepared chicken salad on those for quick and delicious sandwiches. We also will get a honey smoked salmon, the smashed avocado packs and then do the croissants sliced in half lengthwise with cream cheese, avocado and salmon on top. Soooooo good.

Their canned chicken to make fast chicken salad. My kids love it on the Stonefire mini naan. We also love the Kirkland pulled pork. Put it on King’s Hawaiian sliders with Kinder’s bbq sauce. Kid fave and all from Costco!

Chicken banh mi sandwiches: Costco baguette, rotisserie chicken, fresh cucumber, and banh mi pickled vegetables. Optional: add some cilantro and a quick sauce of hoisin/mayo/fish sauce/sriracha.

Rotisserie chicken, Caesar salad kit, croissants. Cut up the chicken, mix up the salad, cut the croissants open lengthwise and stuff with chicken and salad. The BEST chicken “salad” sandwiches ever! My family loves this meal.

Sabatino’s Paleo Teriyaki Pineapple Chicken Meatballs— skewer them with cut bell peppers, onions and tomato and bbq on the grill. They come out AMAZING!!

I ALWAYS get the Sukki Chicken Tikka Masala with their veggie rice, sticky rice with all of the Kevin meats, the Mediterranean salad, birria pupusas, guacamole, salsa, and of course the Kirkland nacho chips.

Mains

Love the microwave sticky rice with the pouches of Indian lentils over the top for a quick vegan meal

Cauliflower crust supreme pizza.

I love the salmon with dill butter (from the readymade fresh section) served over the quinoa salad from same section. I spoon some of the hot buttery dripping over the quinoa and it kinda cooks or wilts it a bit. Delicious!

The gyros are the best I've ever had! Aussie bites, best frozen pizza & hotdogs, queso blanco

Just bare chicken patties, marinara on top, then mozzarella and Parmesan. Lazy chicken Parmesan

There is a salmon with dill pesto butter on it. Just get it and pop it in the oven.

Cheese tortellini — refrigerated section — sautéed with peppers, kielbasa and Italian dressing. Orange chicken — freezer section — add rice + steamed broccoli

Cilantro lime shrimp sauteed with fish taco seasoning. Serve with tortillas and the queso fresco salad.

Costco has the most amazing fillet mignons!

Kevin's Meals are great, so quick and easy to make and low in carbs!

We always have the pre-cooked pulled pork in the freezer for pulled pork tacos. Quick weeknight dinner when we don't have time to think or prep.

Their cilantro lime marinated flank steaks are amazing! Grill them up and slice it. Put them on soft tortillas with all the fixings for fajitas! Soooo good!

Just discovered the Paleo Steak Chimichurri. So good!

Kirkland brand Italian meatballs, shrimp tempura, Panko shrimp, and frozen cheese tortellini.

Gyros! We buy the frozen gyro slices, tzatziki sauce, stonefire mini naans, and then onions, and tomatoes.

Salmon with dill butter: take out half the butter and toss in a bunch of asparagus, sliced onions, and other veggies in there. Roast. Serve over rice!

I use the chicken cilantro mini wontons from the frozen section to make mason jar soup all the time! Just add some miso paste and better than bouillon (also costco) to a jar with 8-10 wontons and some coleslaw mix. Then add boiling water and shake, then let sit for 10 minutes.

We buy Costcos 5 Cheese pizzas and add our own toppings like green pepper, red onions, sometimes some chicken or ham slices! It’s delicious!

THE PHO!!!! DROP SOME CHKN N EXTRA VEGGIES N UR SET!

I'm Celiac and am happy that Costco has some good options for me, such as the Kevin's Paleo meats in various sauces. My favorite is the Thai-Style Coconut Chicken, to which I add lots sauteed zucchini (or their frozen organic mixed veggies) and serve with the Costco Quinoa. Delicious and I can eat on that for multiple days.

Veggies & Salads

Love the stuffed peppers; I add some sauce and extra grated cheese on top

Stuffed peppers. I cook them then chop up and put it in flour tortillas and add salsa and sour cream.

They have the best spinach salad I like to add rotisserie chicken to it!

I love the kale salad! It’s the pre-chopped bagged one and it is SO good!

The Mediterranean crunch salad with a filet of wild caught Mahi-Mahi on top. It’s perfect.

Bagged poppyseed dressing salad, add diced apples, extra pumpkin seeds and feta plus a shredded rotisserie chicken!

The Garlic Herb canned tuna fish on top of the Dill Pickle Salad kits.

Sides

Their Mac n Cheese, it's absolutely the best!!

Artichoke, Parmesan, Garlic Dip. Throw it in a Pyrex pan in the oven til it’s bubbling, serve with tortilla chips.

We get the white queso cheese dip and mix it up with pulled rotisserie chicken and basmati rice. So quick and cheesy goodness

I bought two trays of their Mac and cheese and served it as a side at Thanksgiving. Transferred it to a baking dish, threw some breadcrumbs on it, and popped it into the oven before my guests showed up. I got so many compliments

Their Cauliflower rice. Microwave for 8 minutes. Poke a hole in the bag and microwave for another 2 minutes. Dont use their instructions.

Desserts

I got the frozen profiterole and made some homemade chocolate sauce to drizzle on top. My dinner guests acted like it was food of the gods!

Costco croissants cut in half, then in the microwave for a few with a handful of Kirkland semi sweet chocolate chips inside. You’re welcome

Other

The Keto muesli is very good. I have this for breakfast with Greek yogurt. Add any berries along with it.

The Terra Fina quiches are a great quick meal - for bfast, lunch OR dinner.

The Crazy Crispy plant-based chicken is FANTASTIC! I get 4 boxes at a time cuz 1 time they were out and I panicked

Our current go-to in a pinch is Nonna Pia’s Balsamic Glaze that we got from there about two months ago. A little goes along way. We quickly nuke pre-cooked chicken strips from there which come divided into smaller pouches. Mix them with a little drizzle of the glaze and serve it with some veggies and rice or mashed potatoes. So quick and easy. Picked up this hack from their samples.

Answers have been edited and condensed for clarity.