9 Popular Costco Frozen Meals, Ranked

There's no question that Costco is a great destination for those who need quick and easy bulk dinner solutions. Not only can you score multiple pounds of chicken and pasta noodles, huge bulk bags of rice, and giant jars of pasta sauce to feed a crowd, but you can also shop its frozen section for ready-to-go meals that only need to be heated up. Costco's frozen section is full of easy dinners that can satisfy even the pickiest of palates. But, we all know that frozen foods can be iffy when it comes to quality — so I decided to try and rank some of Costco's most popular frozen dinners to see how they stack up. 

I should mention that it's very likely your Costco carries more options than the foods I chose to try. After all, stock can vary among Costco locations, as the company chooses what products to offer based on what's popular in a particular region. Factors that played largely into my ranking included taste and texture — for example, I wanted dishes that had juicy chunks of chicken and crisp vegetables. I also took into account how each frozen meal reflected its fresh form, as they should be able to be substituted for takeout or a homemade dish. While I wouldn't call any of these meals bad, some were definitely underwhelming and left me wishing I could have a homemade version instead. 

Unfortunately, my last pick is one I hoped to enjoy much more as a chicken pot pie fan. Marie Callender's chicken pot pie fell short of my expectations in almost every respect, to the extent that I started looking up online reviews to see if it was just me or if other people found the pot pie to be unpalatable too. As it turns out, I wasn't alone; several customers who have been long-time fans of the pot pies say that something must have changed in the formula over the years, as they're no longer as good as they used to be. 

Though the pie is microwavable, I chose to bake it in the oven in hopes that would yield a crispy, golden brown crust that would perfectly pop out of its little pan. While the top seemed crispy enough, I seriously struggled to get it out of the pan. The rest of the crust was soggy and fell apart as I removed the pie, then the gravy started leaking everywhere. My ultimate verdict was that the pot pie boasted some nice flavors, but the textures were all wrong. The chicken cubes were large, dry, and dense, and the vegetables were far too soft. The gravy was more of a soup than a gravy, and only the top crust was crisp enough to be enjoyable. 

When a friend told me that she loves Ajinomoto's shoyu ramen bowls, I expected to at least enjoy mine as well. After all, who doesn't love a piping hot bowl of ramen? To be honest, the bowl just needed a few minutes in the microwave. Though, this isn't as impressive when you consider that making instant ramen is by no means a time consuming process. I was hopeful that I'd get juicy, flavorful chicken pieces and tender vegetables that still retained some bite, as well as a flavorful broth I was only partially pleased. 

The part of this dish I liked the most was the flavorful broth. It boasted a rich umami soy flavor that I'd have been happy to just sip on. The noodles were also pretty good; they had a decent bite to them and tasted like typical instant ramen noodles. Had this dish only been broth and noodles, I may have ranked it higher. But unfortunately, the other elements of this dish fell very flat. I avoided the chicken with every bite because it was slightly sweet, and I found it to be fairly unpalatable when paired with the broth. The vegetables present in the dish were absolutely tiny and didn't stand out on their own at all. This is a pretty middling dish if you eat around anything. It ranked towards the bottom of my list because too many parts of it didn't deliver. 

I generally enjoy a chicken teriyaki rice bowl, though they can be just so-so depending on how they're made. My expectations for Bibigo's chicken rice bowl were neither here nor there, and I was pretty prepared for this bowl to either wow me or leave me wanting more. It definitely didn't wow me, but it also wasn't horrible; there were no elements of the bowl that left me shaking my head in disgust. It just didn't do enough with its ingredients. 

The bowl was easy enough to prepare in the microwave, like many other frozen dinners on this list. My expectations hit the floor when I took it out just to find a bland-looking chicken and vegetable medley in a bowl. Fortunately, the teriyaki sauce was there — I just had to give everything a decent stir to distribute it. Upon first bite, my immediate reaction was to call this meal "fine." The sauce was fine, but it was slightly too sweet. Though, I would say that the sauce and the rice were the best parts of the meal. I appreciated that the vegetables retained some texture, but they weren't particularly flavorful. Meanwhile, the chicken was also dry and lacked flavor. I'd probably eat this if no other options looked particularly palatable — it's a safe meal choice. On the plus side, it may be a good option for kids who don't love food that's packed with flavor.

Now we're getting to the frozen dinners that I enjoyed, but that had one or more elements that were just "off." Ajinomoto's yakitori chicken fried rice is a good meal to have on-hand if you're looking for a side dish to feed a crowd, but I probably wouldn't serve it at your annual dinner party. Compared to the other frozen Asian dishes I've tried from brands like Trader Joe's, this one is definitely subpar (though, I also wouldn't call it "bad"). 

I was absolutely pleased with the portion size of this fried rice. Each individual bag contains a generous serving that I'd consider filling enough to be a dinner on its own. I also liked the vegetables in this fried rice; it felt like there was an ample amount present and they all had enough texture to be noticeable. 

The meal was unfortunately lacking in two other areas. First, the sauce that was there was yummy, but I didn't think there was enough of it to make this dish particularly flavorful. Worse than the lack of sauce, however, was the chicken, which was dry and bland. Given that chicken is the protein in this meal, I wanted it to stand out as a juicy, succulent addition to each bite; instead, I found myself avoiding it with every forkful. 

Though this meal definitely isn't the worst seafood dish at Costco, I definitely wouldn't call it the best, either. I must admit, it was very hard to choose between Bibigo's shrimp fried rice and Ajinomoto's yakitori chicken fried rice. Ultimately, Bibigo's came out on top, despite being another relatively middling dish that I found was lacking in some of its key elements. 

First, I was surprised to find that the individual bags contained a significantly smaller portion size than I expected. I don't think this could make up a dinner on its own, though it could be a small lunch or decent side dish. I liked that the shrimp retained some texture without being chewy, though they didn't have much flavor on their own. The fried rice itself surprised me; it was full of flavor, and I didn't get bored as I was eating it. Though, I think it would need a ton of soy sauce to be palatable. My biggest complaint was the scrambled eggs. They were weirdly spongy and very unpalatable, and I found myself wishing I'd just scrambled my own eggs to add to the dish instead.

I enjoyed the rest of the dishes on this list to varying degrees, and I'd probably eat them all again — depending on my mood on any given day. I love yakisoba, and though my standards for the dish are high, I kept my expectations for Ajinomoto's product to a minimum, as I was afraid of being disappointed by a frozen yakisoba. Though I was indeed correct that the frozen version doesn't hold up to the fresh yakisoba I've had in the past, the dish was still surprisingly good for what it offered — though I'd change a couple of things the next time I prepare it. 

I made this dish in the microwave. But next time, I'd want to thaw it out in the microwave before sauteing it on the stovetop. I felt like this dish simply needed to be cooked a bit more to bring out everything it had to offer. The noodles were slightly chewy, but they boasted a delicious, rich flavor, as did the vegetables. Though, the vegetables retained virtually no texture, with the exception of the delightfully crunchy pieces of cabbage. One serving is definitely enough to be a dinner and the flavor alone would keep me coming back for more. Since I think it requires a little more than just easy microwave prep, it ranked slightly lower on my list than some of the other selections that could just be made in the microwave. 

I should start by saying I didn't expect to like Birds Eye's garlic chicken at all, so when I cooked it up and found I actually enjoyed it, I was blown away. The dish features chicken pieces, pasta, and veggies in a garlic sauce. At first, I felt that was simply too plain to make for an appetizing meal. Though it's definitely not the most delicious frozen meal I've had, I have to admit I may have made my first judgment of the food too hastily. 

This dish only required 10 minutes on the stovetop, and some water, to prepare. I covered it and stirred it occasionally while I cleaned the kitchen, so I wouldn't call it a labor-intensive meal at all. Though, it did take more time to prepare than other dishes on this list. To put it plainly, I expected dry chicken, chewy pasta, and soggy vegetables without much flavor. Boy, was I wrong. The chicken was moist and flavorful, the pasta was tender, the vegetables retained a nice bite, and the garlic sauce was surprisingly flavorful. My biggest complaint about this dish was the broccoli, as you could absolutely tell it was frozen. Overall, I was pleased with this meal; it would be a no-brainer buy if I needed a quick, nutrient-dense meal for my family.

Who doesn't love a burrito bowl? As a longtime fan of Mexican-American fare, I knew what I wanted from this burrito bowl from the start. And, I'm happy to say that I wasn't disappointed in the slightest. Before I even get into the bowl, something that gave this buy brownie points in my book was the fact that it was a good buy for the single shopper at Costco who often shies away from buying in bulk. Each package contains three, relatively-small freezable bowls, so it's easy to keep them on hand for when you need a quick meal. 

I only have one critique for this bowl: I thought it needed slightly more salt. Then again, I'm noticing that's a frequent complaint I have about prepared foods, so maybe my palate is just a bit off. Other than adding a sprinkle of salt to the top, the bowl was great. I adored the melty cheese on top and appreciate how the bowl heated through beautifully after just a few minutes in the microwave. The corn was nice and crunchy, the chicken chunks were tender and moist, and the bowl even boasted a little bit of spice. The rice and beans had a nice bite, and I found myself cleaning the bowl even though I don't usually enjoy black beans. This meal was slightly too small for me to consider it a full dinner, but it would be plenty if you supplemented it with a side or two.

Now on to my top pick, and a dish I'll certainly find myself buying again: Costco's Kirkland Signature Italian sausage and beef lasagna. Since Costco's Kirkland brand is always a good quality choice, I shouldn't have been surprised that I loved this dish. I was hard-pressed to eat just one piece. Preparing this dish took the longest out of any other frozen meal on this list, but I still can't call it labor intensive — just pre-plan so you can give this dish an hour in the oven before you're ready to dig in. 

Now, I'm no frozen lasagna connoisseur, but my gut says this has to be one of the best frozen lasagnas available. It has a crispy outside with gooey, melty cheese in the middle that was still bubbling when I pulled it out of the oven. I cut way too big of a piece at first and still ate all of it unashamedly. The outside was so pleasantly crispy, the noodles were tender, and there was an ample amount of meat and ricotta in each bite. Moreover, it boasted some delightfully herby notes, and the sausage had a spicy kick to it. My sole complaint was that the lasagna falls apart easily when being transferred to a plate, but to me, that just sounds like an excuse to eat it straight out of the pan.

Frozen meals can be difficult to rank. After all, how am I supposed to compare a creamy Italian lasagna to an Asian fried rice dish? Fortunately, I had experience on my side, as I know what dishes like fried rice and lasagna should taste like. This means a large part of my ranking depended on how each dish compared to fresher versions that I've had before. Some dishes, like the lasagna and the burrito bowl, I'd be hard-pressed to know were ever frozen. Others, like the chicken pot pie and the chicken rice bowl, had qualities that indicated that they were frozen beforehand.

Beyond comparing how "fresh" each dish tasted, I took into account the flavors and textures of each one. This especially came into play with dishes that featured vegetables. For example, if a vegetable was soggy or had no bite to it, the meal almost automatically ranked lower. Less flavorful dishes ranked lower than ones that boasted tons of flavor, and others (like the ramen) got ranked lower because one element of the flavor simply didn't marry well with the rest.