Chicken breasts are a versatile, high-protein, and low-fat option that’s beloved by many. Costco offers both fresh chicken breasts and these Kirkland Signature frozen Chicken Boneless, Skinless and Seasoned Chicken Breasts. Having tried both the frozen and fresh, I’m going to share my thoughts on which one I think is superior and why
Location in Store
These are located in the freezer section at Costco, near the burgers and the chicken breast chunks. The item number is 378376.
Taste
The reason why I wanted to try these frozen chicken breasts is because the fresh ones weren’t appealing to me lately. We buy a ton of chicken because that’s what my husband eats every day for lunch and I use it in salads and soup etc. I’ve noticed lately the fresh ones are fattier with a bone of blood spots, tiny bones and gristle.
I know these frozen ones are probably the exact same as the fresh ones, but I think I like these a little better for the sake of convenience and the chicken already being seasoned. There were a few small blood spots in the breast but nothing like the big, bright ones that I find in the fresh ones. I also didn’t notice as much fat or gristle but there was still some.
As for seasoning, these are very mildly seasoned, they’re not at all salty and you could easily still use your own sauces, marinades, dips or seasonings on them. The chicken was moist and tender after cooking it to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cost
The two-kilogram bag costs. $29.99 Canadian at Costco and contains 10 individually vacuum sealed chicken breasts in it. These frozen chicken breasts are roughly the same price as the fresh ones, maybe slightly cheaper.
Convenience
There are many reasons why these Kirkland Signature Frozen Chicken Breasts are extremely convenient! First of all, each chicken breast is individually packaged so it’s simple to take out one to thaw if you’re a single person or only need one chicken breast.
You also don’t need to package and freeze the chicken breasts like you do the fresh chicken breasts and they’re already seasoned. Another thing that’s nice about them is that you can cook them from frozen.
The chicken breasts can be baked, grilled or cooked in a skillet. If you’d like to thaw the chicken breast prior to cooking it, you can place the unopened chicken breast in a bowl and thaw it overnight in the fridge.
These are perfect to have in the freezer for when you need a chicken breast for a recipe or want a convenient, high protein meal. The best before date on the chicken breasts is about 10 months from when I purchased them.
Nutrition
Calories
A 125-gram serving of chicken breast contains 140 calories, three grams of fat, zero grams of carbohydrates, fibre and sugar, 26 grams of protein and 230 milligrams of sodium. Chicken breast is naturally high in protein and low in calories, fat and carbohydrates. Although these are already seasoned, the amount of sodium isn’t too high which is nice!
Ingredients
The ingredients list is very simple with just chicken breast, water and kosher salt as ingredients. I’m so glad there isn’t any vegetable oil or palm oil or any other unnecessary ingredients. The chicken breasts are gluten-free, dairy-free and soy-free.
Scoring
Taste: 7.5/10
Cost: 6/10
Convenience: 8/10
Nutrition: 10/10
Overall
Give it a try!
I think I like these chicken breasts just a tiny bit more than the fresh chicken breasts at Costco and would repurchase them again.
Have you tried the Costco Kirkland Signature Frozen Chicken Breasts? What did you think of them?
Please note that this review was not paid for or sponsored by any third party. This product was purchased by Costcuisine for the purpose of producing this review. The opinions in this review are strictly those of Costcuisine. Costcuisine is not affiliated with Costco or any of its suppliers. In the event that Costcuisine receives compensation for a post from the manufacturer of a product or some other third party, the arrangement will be clearly disclosed (including where the manufacturer of a product provides Costcuisine with a free sample of the product).
I like the fact that they don’t appear to have any additives in them except salt. I like to defrost my chicken breasts overnight in the fridge, and add olive oil and steak spice and air fry them at 400% for about 12-15 minutes. I will give these a try if I can find them at my local costco.
Thank you for the review. I have been finding the fresh chicken breasts as you described as well as being “woody”. They are very tough and slicing or cutting into cubes before cooking doesn’t help. Neither does braising or stewing. This “woody’ texture is a common complaint with Costco fresh chicken breasts lately. I will try the frozen breasts.
Also, for a quick thaw, you can put the frozen packaged breasts into a container of cool water. They will thaw quickly, in about 30 minutes.
I also find these Kirkland frozen ones “woody”. Kids don’t like that texture, me neither.
So far I’ve had good luck with the 4kg box from sunrise farms not being woody at all. Gave up on the fresh and frozen Costco ones.
Yeah ahhh Noooo. I will stick with the fresh breast and clean them up as needed. Fresh just taste better and chicken in a tight plastic bag is unappealing. I am retired so nothing but time on my hands.
Thank you for this one! I hope my Costco carries it!
Thank you for this one, I hope they have them at our Costco!
I’ve been buying these for years. I cook them from frozen in my air fryer for 1 hour 10, and they come out perfect. As always, other air fryers may vary.
*** Oops, not the air fryer setting, the regular setting.
Thank you! This was a very helpful review.