6 Frozen Costco Foods To Buy And 7 To Skip

Navigating the frozen food aisles at Costco can be overwhelming, but having a well-stocked freezer is essential for quick meals and easy meal planning. Whether you're a busy professional, a parent juggling multiple responsibilities, or someone who simply appreciates convenience, good frozen foods are a lifesaver. We're here to break down the myths, navigate through the aisles, and tell you which are the best six frozen Costco foods to buy, and which are seven to skip.

After seven years of navigating Costco aisles weekly for my work as a cook, recipe developer, and events planner for At the Immigrant's Table, as well as my personal life as a busy working mom of two toddlers, I am proud to say that I know the frozen aisles of Costco better than my practically non-existent closet space. I have sampled and tested more than 40 frozen foods from Costco, and I've had some duds and wins over the years. So for this article, I've sampled and evaluated my go-to frozen foods that I buy regularly at Costco, as well as the products I've, unfortunately, learned to steer clear of.

Frozen favorites are perfect for those nights when you need to put together a meal in a hurry, or for those lengthy weekend afternoons when you're stocking up on protein for meal prepping and smart shopping for your household. However, not all frozen foods are created equal, especially when it comes to taste, nutrition, and value for money. To help you make smart choices on your next Costco run, this guide will help you navigate the freezer section more efficiently, ensuring you stock up on items that offer the best balance of convenience, taste, and nutritional value.

The very first product I recommend skipping in Costco's frozen aisles is their frozen avocado halves. Once defrosted, the avocado retains a strange, almost freezer-burnt flavor that requires masking with spices and additional ingredients. Besides, its texture, albeit creamy, ends up feeling far from the vestiges of a perfectly ripe avocado. 

There are very few things in life for which you need copious amounts of frozen avocado, and unless you're running a Mexican restaurant in need of constant guacamole, this product is likely not for you. Instead, we recommend that you buy the bags of Costco avocados in the fruit and veggies aisle and, like the perfect sunset, wait for them to ripen gradually. (You can keep nearly-ripe avocados in the fridge for a few days to stagger their ripeness.)

With an array of berries that range from perfectly sliced strawberry halves and wild blueberries to mixed berries and even raspberries, Cosco has all the berry variety you are likely to need in your life, and at prices that are hard to beat. Our favorite is the Kirkland Signature three-berry blend, but it's hard to go wrong with most of them. 

If you're a smoothie lover, then Cosco's frozen berries are the perfect product you need in your fridge. If you are a fan of baking, their frozen blueberries work beautifully in scones and galettes. If you have young kids, mashing some defrosted berries and mixing them into yogurt or cottage cheese with a touch of honey is the perfect way to dress an ordinary Greek yogurt (you can even freeze the resulting mix in ice molds for a sneaky little treat). But above all else, I love just dropping some of those frozen berries into regular water to make it feel like the fanciest treat.

I am generally a fan of Costco's frozen fish and seafood, especially their portioned sole and haddock and an array of scallops and fish. So I am often the first to try any frozen fish product that appears at the store. However, their marinated wild pink salmon just didn't pass the taste test. This product is geared for cooking on a grill, and that may be where it shines. Yet regular preparation in the oven, air fryer, or microwave all ended up drying it out, even when it was cooked for less time than the instructions indicated. 

Heavily seasoned and flavored, the fish's flavor ends up completely transformed into something spicy and not entirely pleasant. Plus, the filets are swimming in sauce that ends up mostly cooking out, leaving you standing over a sticky mess with dish soap and a heavy-duty scrubber, cursing the day you decided to try Costco's marinated wild pink salmon.

These individual pizzas have been a godsend for hungry mouths on more than one occasion in my household. Lauded for their perfectly portioned sizes and flexible, quick cooking, Sabatasso's pizza singles have been one of the most beloved Costco products for years — and with good reason. They can be cooked in the oven, in the air fryer, or even in the microwave, without compromising their taste. 

With a mix of pepperoni pizzas and four-cheese pizzas, they provide a great canvas for additional toppings during fun pizza and movie nights where everyone gets to decorate their own pie just the way they like it. And with their convenient single-portion size, you don't have to worry about cold, dry leftovers or having to break your pizza in half if you live alone. We recommend that you choose these frozen pizzas over Costco's lackluster pepperoni pizza.

Another dish meant to be inspired by the flavors of the grill in summertime, the Olivia butterfly shrimp are meant to make you feel like Bobby Flay spent the afternoon in your garden, making you the world's best-tasting grilled shrimp. Instead, this dish ends up tasting like someone took a poor shrimp, stomped on it on the ground with their heavy boots, brushed it with way too much oil and spices, and then placed the whole unappetizing mess on your plate. If you want to grill shrimp like a pro, you're better off skipping this frozen product and following our shrimp grilling guide with an item you should always buy at Costco: Kirkland Signature farm-raised raw shrimp.

If you're looking to eat healthier by stocking your freezer with nutritious, versatile, and convenient options, then the Costco frozen broccoli from Nature's Path is a must-buy. As a busy professional and parent, I can confidently say that their frozen broccoli stands out as a top choice. 

First off, we love the larger-portioned packaging, which enables you to cook enough broccoli for several servings in one bag. The quality is consistently excellent, with vibrant green florets that maintain their texture and flavor even after cooking. Unlike some frozen vegetables that can become mushy, Costco's broccoli retains a satisfying crunch. It's perfect for quick stir-fries, roasting, or adding to casseroles and soups, but we often just end up eating it as our veggie side after microwaving it. The large packaging offers great value for money, ensuring you always have a healthy veggie option on hand. Plus, frozen broccoli is just as nutritious as fresh, making it an excellent choice for boosting your vegetable intake without frequent grocery trips. And the nicest thing, it costs even less than the fresh Costco broccoli while tasting just as good.

While the concept of ready-to-eat poke bowls from Costco's freezer section may seem appealing, the salmon and tuna poke singles fall short of expectations. These pre-portioned seafood dishes suffer from an overwhelming mix of seasonings that mask the delicate flavors of the fish. The heavy-handed approach to flavoring leaves little room for customization or appreciation of the raw fish itself.

Moreover, the shelf life of these products is disappointingly brief, with the quality deteriorating rapidly once thawed. This creates a sense of urgency to consume them, which may not align with your meal planning. The packaging adds another layer of frustration, as the individual servings are neither generous enough for a satisfying meal for two nor small enough for a single serving. This awkward sizing makes it challenging to incorporate these poke bowls into your regular dining routine. Ultimately, you're better off preparing fresh poke at home, or just buying Costco's new poke trays from the refrigerated aisle.

Frozen chicken breasts from Costco are an absolute essential that I never fail to grab on each shopping trip. These protein powerhouses are a cornerstone of my meal planning and preparation strategy. Unlike Costco's pre-cooked chicken options, these raw frozen breasts offer unparalleled flexibility in the kitchen. They're perfect for batch cooking sessions, allowing me to prepare a week's worth of meals in one go. 

The quality of these chicken breasts is consistently high, with each piece being individually frozen, making it easy to thaw only what's needed. This reduces waste and ensures I always have protein on hand for impromptu meals. Whether I'm grilling, pan-frying, or tossing them into the slow cooker, these chicken breasts adapt to a myriad of recipes and cuisines. Their neutral flavor profile makes them ideal for marinating or seasoning to suit any dish. If you're cooking for a busy household that prioritizes healthy eating without sacrificing convenience, Costco's frozen chicken breasts should become your new favorite freezer staple.

While Bibigo's steamed dumplings have gained immense popularity on TikTok, they may not be the culinary gem that social media hype suggests. Despite the brand's status as America's No. 1 Korean food brand, these dumplings were a big disappointment. While convenient, the microwave preparation sacrifices authenticity and texture, resulting in soggy wrappers that pale in comparison to traditionally prepared Korean dumplings. The filling, a mix of chicken, cabbage, onions, and mushrooms, lacks the depth and complexity of genuine Korean cuisine. Even when we tried to take a cue from TikTok and dress the dumplings with copious sauces and toppings, we found that the dumplings themselves were bland and required significant enhancement. 

Furthermore, wasteful packaging was quite annoying, with the preparation instructions printed on the box and not on the individual frozen trays. Although Bibigo may be one of the country's top Korean food brands, these dumplings are not the best representation of their products and quality. Those seeking an easy Korean dumpling experience would be better off trying Bibigo's beef mandu dumplings and pan-frying them.

Kirkland Signature ice cream bars are a must-buy treat that rivals the familiar Magnum bars in taste and quality. These indulgent desserts offer the same luxurious experience as their name-brand counterpart but at a significantly lower price point. The rich, creamy ice cream core is enveloped in a thick, crackling layer of premium chocolate studded with nut shards that shatter satisfyingly with each bite, just like a Magnum. 

What sets these bars apart is their generous size and high-quality ingredients. And the best part is that they're individually wrapped for convenience and portion control. These bars are a smart choice for discerning dessert lovers looking to satisfy their sweet tooth without breaking the bank.

Unlike the previous frozen treat, Costco's Chocofruit chocolate-dipped strawberries are a complete bust. I was so excited to try them, thinking I had finally found a healthy frozen treat in the aisles of my favorite store. Instead, I was met with disappointment. The chocolate coating tasted stale and lacked cocoa flavor, failing to deliver the rich indulgence I expected. Even worse, the strawberries themselves were watery and uninspired, devoid of the bright, juicy flavor that makes fresh strawberries so delicious. 

The combination of subpar chocolate and lackluster fruit resulted in a treat that felt like soggy fruit forgotten in the back of the fridge rather than the fondue-dipped morsels of sweetness that inspired this. The texture was off-putting, and the overall experience was far from the sweet, satisfying snack I had hoped for. This product fails to hit the mark as either a decadent dessert or a healthy alternative, leaving consumers with a mediocre option that's best left in the freezer aisle.

Costco's smoked salmon is an exceptional buy that combines premium quality with unbeatable value for bagel and cheese lovers throughout the land. Sourced from cold Alaskan waters, this smoked steelhead salmon boasts a rich, buttery texture and a perfectly balanced flavor. The one-pound package offers generous portions at a price point significantly lower than specialty stores or delis. 

The salmon is thinly sliced, making it ideal for everything from elegant appetizers to a quick bagel topping. Its versatility also shines in dishes like salads and pasta, or as a standalone protein. The vacuum-sealed packaging ensures freshness and extends shelf life, allowing for convenient storage and use over time. Nutritionally, it's an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids and high-quality protein. In short, whether you're hosting a brunch, preparing a quick lunch, or seeking a luxurious snack, Costco's smoked salmon is a great, smart choice for both everyday consumption and special occasions.

Unlike its smoked counterpart, Costco's frozen farmed Atlantic salmon is a product best left on the shelf. Despite its apparent convenience, it's just not a great buy for the price. First off, it costs the same as Costco's farmed chilled salmon, negating any potential cost savings. This makes it difficult to justify choosing the frozen option over its fresher counterpart. Moreover, the packaging is excessively wasteful, with individually wrapped portions contributing unnecessary plastic to landfills. 

From a culinary perspective, the taste and texture are just not that great, with the salmon often overcooking in a brief period of time. The freezing process often compromises the delicate flavor of the salmon, resulting in a bland, sometimes slightly fishy taste that pales in comparison to fresh fillets. And for the final nail in the coffin, the fish's texture can be inconsistent, ranging from mushy to overly dry when cooked. In short, savvy shoppers are better off passing on this bag and opting for Costco's fresh salmon options instead.