The 6 Best Items From Costco To Cook In The Air Fryer

With convenient frozen foods that you can buy in bulk, Costco is a paradise for those who need to feed a large family, shoppers who want to stock up on staples and basics, or those who just want to keep plenty of quick dishes on hand. With a popular store brand, Kirkland Signature, that has high-quality items for a budget price, it's hard to beat the utility of Costco favorites. The deli section and freezer cases are full of convenient snacks and entrees, but a few stand out as top choices to stick in the air fryer.

Air fryers use hot air to get the exterior of your food super crispy while heating the inside. They cook faster than most standard ovens, which is why they work so well if you want a convenient snack or meal without sacrificing quality. Because they use air instead of oil, they are easier to cleanup and add fewer calories to your food compared to deep frying. There are plenty of air fryer options that vary based on price, quantity, and extra features.

Whether you're cooking for a crowd or want to enjoy a snack yourself, these are the top picks from the warehouse store to use with your air fryer.

If you're a Costco lover, chances are you've tried the chicken bakes. These handheld flaky sandwiches are stuffed with strips of chicken breast meat, plus additional rib meat. Along with the meat, there's plenty of mozzarella and provolone, which gives them a gooey, cheesy consistency. There is plenty of Caesar dressing mixed in as well, which keeps the inside moist. The inside mixture has smoky bacon and green onions as well, although these are a little bit harder to pick out next to all of the other ingredients.

The only downside when it comes to taste and texture is that the breading can be quite substantial on the two hands. However, this makes it easier to hold the sandwich with one hand, so it ends up being a benefit for us in most situations. Prepping them in the air fryer keeps the outside crispy without drying it out, which gives them a flaky exterior. It also helps to brown the sprinkling of parmesan cheese on the top.

Each chicken bake comes in an individual wrapper with the instructions printed right on it. So if you're short on freezer space, take them out of the larger box and store the sandwiches stacked. They're great for a quick bite for older kids between school and evening activities, although they may be too much for a younger diner. We like to cut them in half for the younger members of our family instead.

If there's one item that we love from the Costco freezer section, it's the Kirkland Signature lightly breaded chicken breast chunks. They're made of whole pieces of antibiotic-free chicken with a light breading. They've been compared to the pricier Just Bare chicken breast chunks but we can't tell a difference. The Kirkland Signature bag is resealable, which helps prevent spills and freezer burn, although we generally go through them so quickly that they don't have much of a chance to get the icy covering that can happen when foods are exposed to air in the freezer.

These delicious chicken bites are perfect to use when you meal prep, including putting them on top of protein bowls, add to tacos, or eat on their own. You can put a few or many in your air fryer to make them in a hurry. These are a go-to option when we pack lunches, especially in the winter months. Putting them in the microwave can result in a slightly soggy nugget, but the air fryer keeps the outside crispy and still makes them in around 10 minutes. At least once a week, we put a batch in the air fryer in the morning and are able to pack lunches to go by the time the coffee is done brewing.

For a savory, salty, and cheesy two-bite egg breakfast, we love the sous vide egg bites from Costco store brand Kirkland Signature. You can find them in the deli section and they are stored in the fridge, but we've also kept the individual packs in the freezer and reheated them without any issues. They come in an egg white with cheese trio and roasted red pepper, but it's the uncured bacon and gouda that really get our taste buds excited about waking up in the morning.

Each box comes with five servings of two bites each. They're individually wrapped in vacuum-sealed packages, consistent with the sous vide method. This cooking style uses water to cook food at a specific temperature but isn't the best at creating a crispy exterior. You don't need to have any special sous vide equipment to enjoy them, however, since they come already cooked.

Sous vide takes care of cooking thoroughly but it won't create the savory exterior that is so delicious about egg bites, especially those loaded with bacon and gourmet cheese. That's where the air fryer saves the day. It keeps the exterior from getting mushy while heating the bites all the way through. They can stick to the basket, though, so it's best to use a liner to make everything easier. You can get a disposable paper liner for the fastest cleanup or a reusable silicone liner to keep things more eco-friendly.

The Petite Cuisine mozzarella sticks come in a crispy breading with plenty of hot melted mozzarella cheese inside. Each box comes with two resealable bags inside. They're connected by a perforated piece of plastic, so you'll need to tear them apart carefully (or better yet, use kitchen scissors to keep from accidentally puncturing or ripping either bag) for the easiest storage.

The air fryer is a good way to prep mozzarella sticks to avoid the oily and greasy deep frying method. You'll still get a similarly crunchy exterior and a thoroughly melted cheesy interior.

You can put the snacks right in the air fryer, but be sure to allow enough space around them to let the air circulate. Only prep one layer at a time for the best and crispiest results. It keeps the exterior breading crispy while the inside cheese gets gooey. You'll have a hard time distinguishing between these mozzarella sticks and those you would get as an appetizer at a restaurant. Add a little bit of marinara or pizza sauce for dipping and you'll be enjoying the perfect little bite of this popular appetizer.

The Ore-Ida french fries are a staple at Costco because they make such an easy addition to your meal. This version is a thin cut, which helps them stay crispy, but the insides are still soft and starchy. They come salt-free, but you can add a generous sprinkling of salt while they're still hot to make them closer to what you'd get from your favorite burger joint. They are relatively uniform in size, although you'll get a few extra long and a few extra short fries in any bag. This one is a whopping 6 pounds, so make some room in your freezer or invest in a chest freezer, which will come in handy if you're a frequent Costco shopper. 

Popping them in the air fryer makes this even easier and keeps them out of greasy oil like you might see if you buy fast food fries. You'll still get the same crispy exterior, though, and when you add salt, they really go up a notch. You can use them with your favorite ketchup brand to complete the snack.

The Caribbean Delights Jamaican spicy beef patties are super portable and combine flavorful meat with a flaky exterior crust. They're one of the smaller options when it comes to size, so you can hold a savory turnover in one hand and eat it as you go. Each one has a flavorful filling of

They come individually packaged in the box, with 10 turnovers per purchase. They're ready in the microwave in just 2 minutes, but the result is a little bit soggy on the outside. If you want to keep things crispier, the air fryer is the way to go. They're already fully cooked, so all you need to do is put them in the air fryer for around 7 minutes. You'll get a better crust.

They taste good on their own, but if you really want to make them next-level delicious, pick up a container of the Kirkland Signature Greek yogurt from Costco to make a dip. It adds a tangy and creamy element to each bite that will have you wondering how you enjoyed it without it.

We looked at some of the most popular choices in the Costco freezer case, especially those that are best when they have a little extra crunch on the outside. You can make a lot of dishes in the air fryer, of course, but the handy kitchen appliance really shines with traditionally fried foods. So we tended toward options like chicken nuggets, mozzarella sticks, and fries. The top considerations for these dishes were taste and texture. We looked for those that maintained a crispy exterior and piping hot inside that didn't dry out.

We also considered portability and convenience, two reasons that we often turn to frozen foods and definitely why we use the air fryer over other cooking methods. We wanted options that we could pop into the basket, cook quickly, and enjoy on the go. Food that we can use in a variety of ways, such as the chicken breast chunks, grabbed our attention and made it onto our list.