Pork Schnitzel is a beloved dish that originates in Austria and became very popular in Germany. It features thin pounded pork cutlets that are breaded and fried to a delightful crispness. It’s a versatile dish that can be served with a variety of sides and sauces. When I discovered the new Kirkland Signature Pork Schnitzel Dinner at Costco, I was eager to see if they could successfully deliver this perfectly simple comfort food.
Location in Store
You can find this in the pre-made meal section at Costco, near the chicken tacos and the shepherd’s pie. The item number is 33973.
Taste
My husband and I had this and also shared it with my parents. My parents loved the meal. The pork on its own is pretty tasty and nice and moist. I wouldn’t say the pork alone is super flavorful but the breading gives it a nice, salty flavor. We baked the pork cutlets and they turned out pretty crispy and crunchy.
The quality of the meat seems good, not great, there’s the odd piece that’s a bit fatty. The mushroom sauce is creamy and has a bit of a vinegar flavor and some tanginess. I’m not a usual fan of sauces but the flavors in the mushroom sauce go well with the pork.
The potatoes are good but pretty plain, there’s both red and white mini potatoes. The gravy also goes well with the potatoes. I totally regret not air frying the potatoes because I’d prefer them crispy, after baking them in the oven they were soft.
The sauerkraut has a lemony flavor and tastes best in small amounts paired with the potatoes and schnitzel. All of the components of the meal seem pretty tasty but I’m a bit underwhelmed by the meal as a whole. I prefer other pre-made meals like the Kirkland Signature Gyro Kit or the Kirkland Signature Meat Lasagna.
Cost
This isn’t a cheap meal, the cost is dependent on the weight of the tray and costs $15.99 per kilogram. I paid $31.72 for my tray that included four large cutlets, potatoes, sauerkraut and lemon wedges.
Convenience
I’ve been finding that the Costco pre-made meals are never cooked enough in the time the instructions say. I baked my schnitzel at 350 degrees for 12 minutes and the schnitzel was nowhere near 165 degrees Fahrenheit internally and the potatoes weren’t at all crispy. Next time I’ll definitely try air frying my schnitzel and potatoes.
The reason why I didn’t air fry my schnitzel is because my air fryer isn’t very big and the cutlets are very large so I think I’d fit maximum one or two cutlets in my air fryer at a time. The best before date on the pork schnitzel is about four days from when I purchased them and the schnitzel needs to be kept refrigerated.
If you’re wondering about freezing the schnitzel I would probably cook it first then freeze some individual meals. My toddler refused to try this so if you’re wondering about kids liking the meal, I think it depends on the kid!
Nutrition
Calories
A 220 gram serving or 1/11th of the tray contains 280 calories, 10 grams of fat, 31 grams of carbohydrates, four grams of fibre, three grams of sugar, 15 grams of protein and 1000 milligrams of sodium.
That’s a ton of sodium and 1/11th of the tray isn’t very much considering there’s only four cutlets in the tray and most people will probably eat half a cutlet or even a full one!
Ingredients
If you make pork schnitzel at home you save yourself from additional unhealthy ingredients like dextrose, soy protein and palm oil. One thing I want to point out is that they use avocado oil on the potatoes which is amazing and I’m so happy to see! The potatoes are gluten-free FYI but the schnitzel is not.
The sauce contains a few unsavory ingredients as well like hydrolyzed soy protein and some additives/chemicals. Also take note that the sauce contains brandy.
Scoring
Taste: 7/10
Cost: 6/10
Convenience: 9/10
Nutrition: 4/10
Overall
Give it a try!
My parents really enjoyed this meal, I thought it was fine just not anything spectacular. I’m glad I tried it but probably wouldn’t buy it again. I think Costco has better pre-made meals I’d rather have.
FAQ
Four.
1/11th of the tray contains 280 calories.
$15.99 Canadian per kilogram.
Have you tried the Kirkland Signature Pork Schnitzel Dinner? What did you think of it? Drop a comment below!
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).
You said you fed 4 people a full course meal for $31.72. I do not think this meal is expensive. I haven’t tried it yet as I haven’t seen it in our Costco. They used to sell
Frozen Schnitzel in a box in the frozen dept but they haven’t had any in the store for months.
We (3 adults) tried the Pork Schnitzel dinner last week. First dinner served 3, and the second served 2 of us. All together we got 5 good sized servings out of the package as one was so huge it served 2 of us. We all gave this dinner a 10/10. I did cook the schnitzel in my air fryer. It is not the largest machine, but i did fit in 3 meat pieces. After the meat was done, I cranked up the air fryer to 400 F and popped the potatoes in while heating the sauerkraut and gravy in the microwave. I will definitely be buying this again. The cost is not the cheapest, but a schnitzel dinner at a local restaurant ranges from $23 to $28 per person, so a bargain in my eyes.