Eight Costco Prepared Meals for Quick and Easy Weeknight Dinners
Check out my favorite Costco prepared meals that will help you get dinner on the table during busy weeknights!
Costco prepared meals to the rescue! 🙌
Ever get overwhelmed with meal planning and grocery shopping? 🙋♀️ Inevitably, life can sometimes get crazy hectic. The high-quality prepared meals at Costco are worth keeping a yearly membership alone, in my opinion. This list includes my most recent new favorite gyro kit, which you must try!
I cook a lot at home in both my personal and professional life, but sometimes, I get meal burnout.
In most cases, heading to the prepared food section at Costco is less expensive than grabbing takeout, and it tastes more like home cooking, too. Having one or two of these family-style meals on hand for when I’m too tired or too busy to cook can be such a lifesaver!
Note that prices can vary by location. We verified many of these prices recently, but it’s possible they aren’t the same as your local Costco.
Costco is my happy place.
I’m a big Costco fan in general and am always impressed with their quality groceries and prepared foods. It’s honestly exciting when I discover new meals my family will eat and love without complaints.
In fact, it’s almost kind of hard for me to narrow down my Costco-prepared meal favorites, so today I’m sharing seven – plus a bonus single-serve option we are loving right now.
Also, keep in mind that some of these pre-made Costco meals would be so wonderful and thoughtful to bring to someone who is sick or experiencing a loss. ❤️ For instance, the pot pie is nice in that it has a disposable pan already, so you wouldn’t need to collect it back.
Even if you don’t live in the same area as your loved ones, you can order these online for Same-Day Delivery to provide them with a “homemade” meal while being apart! Your college-age kiddos might love a delivery like that. 😉
Here are the top 8 Costco prepared meals you should add to your shopping list in 2024:
1. Beef and Lamb Gyro Kit
Total Price: $19.86 ($6.49/lb)
This kit tastes fantastic and comes with everything you’ll need to make six generous-sized gyros! You must heat up the pre-cooked lamb and beef mixture on a skillet and compile a gyro with all the provided toppings. You’ll notice immediately that it includes a large portion of meat for around $20!
The kit includes six soft pitas, tzatziki sauce, chopped onion, cucumbers, tomatoes, romaine lettuce, and feta cheese! It pairs well with Costco’s prepared orzo salad on the side. We were super impressed with this delicious gyro kit and have since purchased it again a couple more times. My teenagers love this, and it feeds my family of 4 perfectly.
2. Grilled Chicken Street Taco Kit
Total Price: $15.48 ($5.49/lb)
Who doesn’t love taco night?! This taco kit makes it so easy as it includes everything needed, including 12 tortillas, seasoned grilled chicken, shredded cheese, cabbage, lime wedges, salsa, and cilantro lime cream.
To prepare it, I simply warm up the chicken in a pan on the stove and heat the tortillas on my griddle.
I love that these street tacos are easy to fix with pre-portioned ingredients. The tender chicken pieces are seasoned yet not too spicy for kids. I feel like it’s a generous amount of food that feeds four and is definitely a winner!
3. Chicken Pot Pie with Rotisserie Chicken
Total Price: $26.40 ($4.99/lb)
This creamy pot pie can feed an army and yet tastes gourmet and grown-up at the same time. It has tender roasted chicken with lots of flavorful, fresh veggies and a perfectly browned crust that is to die for! You can tell this pot pie has the quality ingredients Costco is known for, and the leftovers taste just as great when warmed up the next day.
If you’re needing to dig into a warm comforting meal with minimal effort, this is a definite favorite!
4. Enchilada Bake with Rotisserie Chicken
Total Price: $23.60 ($5.99/lb)
Here’s how to get the taste of yummy homemade red enchiladas without all the work involved! We first spotted this as a newer option about a year ago, and we’ve really enjoyed it a few times so far.
This cheesy enchilada bake is very much like a creamy, cheesy casserole-type meal that features corn tortillas, red sauce, onion, corn, bell peppers, beans, lots of cheese, and pieces of Costco’s famous rotisserie chicken that we all know and love.
It gets nice and bubbly and warm in the oven, and I love that there are no dishes to wash afterward! This is a great lazy meal when you don’t want to cook.
The enchilada bake has lots of southwest flavors going on and is on the spicy side, which my family loves. It definitely has a little bite to it though. If you don’t enjoy spicy food or can’t eat it, maybe skip this option, but man we think it’s YUMMY!
5. Kirkland Signature Meat Frozen Lasagna 2-Pack
Price: $19.99 for 2
Okay, hear me out on this one. I am normally NOT a frozen meal fan, but there is something special about this lasagna! It has the perfect amount of meat, gooey cheese, and amazing flavor. I have tried lots of frozen lasagna in various grocery stores, including Trader Joe’s. This Costco one wins!!!
My kids go crazy for this yummy meal, and it’s so incredibly convenient to keep these in our deep freezer for a last-minute dinner! Paired with a simple salad, it’s a surprisingly delicious feast.
This lasagna takes a little over an hour to bake in the oven and comes out bubbly and delicious. This item can be found in the freezer section at Costco, while my other 4 faves are in the refrigerated section.
P.S: Speaking of Kirkland frozen products, they always seem high-quality and this one doesn’t disappoint! We also LOVE the Kirkland brand thin crust frozen pizza that comes in a 4-pack.
6. Beef Bulgogi Korean BBQ
Total Price: $22.58 ($6.99/lb)
Many of our readers have commented about how yummy the marinated Bulgogi beef is at Costco and all I have to say is they are not wrong! I was kind of skeptical, but this meal was super easy to pan fry and the results are delicious. It may not look that appealing in the container, but it turns out beautifully in the pan after just a few minutes. 🤩
I would say it’s a bit on the sweeter side as far as the sauce goes, and the thinly sliced beef is very good and satisfying. My husband and I added hot sauce, and the kids enjoyed it as is. It has Asian take-out food vibes, and I loved it!
I served mine alongside rice and veggies that I’ve steamed together at the same time using my rice cooker for a quick and comforting dinner my family all enjoyed. We will definitely pick this up again in the future!
7. Stuffed Peppers with Ground Beef and Rice
Total Price: $19.38 ($5.49/lb)
Stuffed peppers happen to be one of my favorite homemade meals, but it can be a bit labor-intensive to make from scratch. Picking up a pan of prepared bell peppers with ground beef, rice, and cheese couldn’t be easier. The result is a cheesy hearty meal the family loves.
The Kirkland Signature peppers no longer come in their own oven-safe pan, so you’ll have to use one of your casserole dishes, but now you can fib and say you made them yourself! 😂
8. Beef Ravioli Lasagna
Oh mannnnn this is so GOOD! My family loves a tasty lasagna, and this one hits every level! It has lots of cheese and a great-tasting sauce! It’s also really hearty with lots of ground beef. It goes right from the fridge to the oven and is baked and bubbling with melted cheese in 60 minutes!
The best part? There are no dishes to clean afterward. I will one hundred percent be buying again. It is a large serving, too. My husband took some leftovers to work today and says it was great. Costco for the win!
BONUS! Best Single-Serve Meal: Tokyo-Style Ramen with Chicken 6-Pack
Price: $14.49 for 6 bowls
Here’s a bonus recommendation if you haven’t tried them yet. I wanted to shout out these delicious ramen noodles bowls found in the frozen section! These are warm and delicious, especially if you need something quick! My kids enjoy popping them in the microwave during the day for a quick lunch, and I enjoy them with a little sriracha hot sauce.
These are quite an upgrade from the cheap square ramen soup packets. I love that they include some chicken and a few veggies, along with those crave-able soft noodles and broth.
These Costco-prepared meal recommendations are super helpful!
I could probably talk about Costco finds all day, but these are some of our go-to prepared foods that are both delicious and helpful to have around for last-minute meals. These are favorites that go beyond the popular rotisserie chicken that we all love. Enjoy!
The frozen ramen is my favorite. For seasonals they also had a good Indian chicken with cauliflower, though it’s not available at the moment.
Thanks for sharing Suzanne!
Great post! I love their meals. Their Mac & cheese and Alfredo chicken fettuccine are favorites in my house. 😊
Thanks so much for sharing! 🙌
We love their street tacos! They are so delicious and much healthier than fast food. Since we don’t mind leftovers, my husband and I can eat them for 3 nights, at a cost of $2.50 per serving! What a deal!❤️
Wow that’s so great. Yes, I agree leftovers are great on them! Thanks for sharing Mary Anne!
Do the chicken dishes contain white meat only?
I think the grilled chicken tacos are white meat maybe. The others I believe are from the whole rotisserie chickens, however that’s my best guess.
Most of the meals I have seen from Costco are white meat. If they aren’t white meat it usually says so.
Thank you! We have recently tried the enchiladas for the first time and they were delicious! I have been wanting to try some of their other pre-made meals so I will start with your suggestions.
Great! Thanks Ashley!
I also love their frozen lasagna. In fact I try not too get it too often because I can’t stop myself from overeating anytime we get it. It is hands-down the best lasagna I’ve ever had.
Thanks Joan! Yes, so good! Ha
I’d love to hear a review on Sams club meals as well, I don’t have a Costco near me.
Hi Polly! Here’s a post that may be helpful! https://hip2save.com/tips/sams-club-vs-costco-who-has-better-prepared-food/
Thank you!
You’re welcome!
Thanks for your feedback!
I actually prefer Sam’s enchiladas to Costco’s. They’re delicious but more basic, as in chicken, cheese, sauce and tortillas. Costco adds black olives and beans and they’re sauce (or something in there) is spicier. I don’t do spicy food and I have a thing against hot black olives. Haha
Crazy expensive for a family of more than 2. If you bought all of these you’d spend $97.28. I spend that for a week’s worth of groceries including household items. We’re a family of 4 with 2 endlessly hungry teen boys.
Yes I know the article isn’t suggesting you buy all of them and that it’s just recommendations. If you have the time, prep the same thing in advance and freeze it.
Hi! These are actually pretty large servings, not for just 2 people. I have a family of 4 as well, and we have leftovers on most of them. But yes, as always all ideas won’t work for every family 🙂
Yeah I’m always so tempted to get the tacos because of all the rave reviews. But every time I pick it up in the store I just feel like it is Only gonna feed but maybe 3 or 4 people…. And I think yeah if you’ve got teen boys they eat even more….. we have five in our family…. I’d rather make my chicken tacos in the instant pot, now that makes a lot and we eat on it for days and is quick and easy….. I think if I was going to buy a prepared meal I’d buy something that’s not easy for me to prepare at home at least
Would you share your recipe?
I add black beans to mine https://www.spendwithpennies.com/instant-pot-chicken-tacos/#wprm-recipe-container-136903
We are a family of 7 and I pick up the tacos plus a rotisserie chicken every-time I go. I supplement some of the cut of rotisserie chicken into the chicken mixture and it easily feeds all 7 of us (2 teen boys) most of the time with leftovers. I usually add extra cheese as well. For something already cooked and ready to go, you can’t beat it!
Our family of 6 (including teenagers) eats this for one meal.
Csandst1 I can feel your pain. I would need two of these meals to feed my 2 teen boys and husband, especially during basketball season.
Does the pot pie have celery? If so is it loaded with it? I can’t stand celery haha
Honestly, I don’t think it does!
I HATE celery and LOVE This pot pie. No celery 🙂
Love the Street Tacos, also. Another favorite is the new Ravioli Lasagna. No one in our family liked the Pot Pie, too salty.
Oh thanks for sharing! I’d like to try that lasagna!
My boys like the chicken fettuccine Alfredo and Mac and cheese. We’ve tried the pot pie twice and both times felt it was way too salty.
Thanks for adding your thoughts on that!
I have purchased pot pie and it was very salty!
Tip: if you have friends that are sick or have a new baby at home you can order these from Costco for same day delivery. It’s nice if you’re not in the same city and want to get them a “homemade” meal that they can eat now or freeze for later.
Oh I love that idea! Thanks for sharing Susan!
Thanks for this! I get the large pan of the Kirkland lasagna and the frozen cheese bread. It feeds our family of 9 very cheap.
Yum! Yes, and it tastes great! Thanks for sharing 👏
street tacos and pot pie are amazing!!!
Thanks Liz! I agree!
The sodium content in the ramen bowls is 77% I believe. I was going to get them but didn’t
Thanks for these posts. I love them, even though I’m vegetarian. Hope you can do a post with some options for us :).
You bet! Here are some other posts you might like: https://hip2save.com/recipes/meatless-monday-meals/ and this: https://hip2keto.com/category/keto-recipes/vegetarian/
Thank you! I’ll look these up. You guys are amazing!
Oh thanks! Costco has a yummy quinoa salad in the prepared section that I enjoy!
I love the quinoa salada paired with the frozen falafel from Trader Joe’s
I’ll look that up next time I’m there.
Lina, your posts (and smiles) are amazing; keep them coming!
Aw thanks so much for your encouraging words!
The stuffed peppers are good too!
Yes, honestly I could have put those on the list too! We love them also👏😍
Thank you so much! This is a great post – I love it. I’ll be doing a lot of cooking going into the holidays, so will need a break for sure some nights. Looking forward to trying these!
Oh nice! Thanks for the feedback!
LOVE the street tacos and the pot pie is our absolute favorite!!! I HATE celery and LOVE This pot pie. No celery :).
Thanks Kimberlyn!
The Mac and cheese at Costco has changed. First of all they no longer package this item in an oven ready container. An extra step is needed to scoop the contents into your personal oven ready container. In addition, the cheese in this item does not taste like real cheese, more like cheese you would find in a boxed Mac and cheese. I served this item with our July 4th meal and after a few bites hardly anyone finished their serving. Not even my two granddaughters who are Mac and cheese junkies. Item does not taste the way it used to, I will not buy this item from Costco again.
Does anyone know if the pot pie will freeze well? I’d like to get it for a thanksgiving week meal but buy in advance. Thanks for the info.
Yes, I think it would do well!
I freeze them every time I get them because if not, you have to use them right away or they go bad. They have always kept well in the freezer for us. Hope that helps. 🙂
Thanks for sharing that tip! So helpful.
My fav so far is the Chicken Street Tacos! Mac n cheese is creamy and cheesy, just had my family put in the Stuffed Bell Peppers for dinner tonight since I was working at the hospital – awesome!
Oh perfect! Thanks for sharing!
Ok also our family has discovered that the Costco Chicken Salad (made with rotisserie chicken meat) is AMAZING!!! It’s an oil based chicken salad and it is great on sandwiches, with chips or just straight out of the container with a fork! I highly recommend it to anyone! I am not a big chicken salad person but this is wildly exceptional and has become a regular Costco staple for our family! 🙂
Yum! Yes we like it too! Thanks for sharing!
Best chicken salad ever!!!
We had the pot pie for dinner last night and it was delicious as always. Family of 4 including a teen boy and 12 year old girl with more than 1/2 left over. Only downside is it takes almost 2 hours to bake.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this option!
We bought the marinated beef bulgogi, raw and just cook in a pan and serve with rice.
SO GOOD!
I want to try this!! I hear it’s yummy!!!
I am so jealous. I wish my family wasn’t so picky or had things they can’t eat due to Crohns or just being challenged. Everything has at least one item my family can’t or won’t eat. You all are so lucky. I have bought ready made food once or twice but the kids and I had to get all of the peas out or all the red or green pepper out etc just so that one of my brothers would eat it. LOL
If you like Chickfila chicken nuggets then go buy the Just Bare lightly breaded chicken breast chunks from Costco.
They taste just like the nuggets from chickfila. I worked for chickfila for almost 10 years and I can say without a shadow of a doubt, these are the closest tasting to their nuggets.
Yes agree so good! We enjoy making them in the air fryer and my teens can feed themselves! LOL
I can never seem to find these in my Costco
Does Costco have any good new membership deals right now? Reading this post makes me want to get a membership again.
Here you go! https://hip2save.com/tips/costco-membership-deal/
This summer, my Costco had a shrimp scampi prepared meal and it was SO good. My entire family devoured it. I haven’t seen it since. The manager told me it should be back this fall as it’s considered a holiday item? If you see it, buy it!
ohhh I would love to try that! Thanks Jennifer!
The Costco Rotisserie chicken also has chemicals injected (for flavor ) that cause inflammation … so if you are sensitive ( or Keto) this isn’t a clean choice
We don’t have a Costco nearby but Sam’s club also carries these exact same meals & we love them.
Great to know! Thanks for telling us about that, Ang!
Random thought…could you guys consider a sidebar, a different color or something with todays favorite posts, or most trending posts? When I scroll through (as I imagine most people do), I stop at the post I remember seeing last. So I realized I was missing a ton of posts! For example, this Costco post was done earlier today, but now it’s back in the #1 position…I nearly missed the EcoTools and Grow Bags post because I thought nothing new had been added since my last visit. I hope what I am saying makes sense…thanks for all your awesome efforts!
You’re so welcome! Thank YOU for the request and the feedback! I have passed this along to the team!
Can you do this for Sam’s Club? Thanks
Yes stay tuned!
In addition to the rotisserie chicken, we love the salmon with basil butter!
Thanks David! I need to try that!
So we were just about to heat up our Mexican chicken tacos tonight. It’s so easy and yummy. We usually buy on Sundays so that we don’t have to think about Monday meal !!!
Oh I love that idea! And I think it’s national taco day so hooray! LOL
Another prepared meal that lasts me for two meals is the Turkey croissant sandwich a with Caesar salad. comes with condiments and dressing in separate containers!👍
I love their bulgogi – tastes just like any Korean restaurant! Their chicken noodle soup always helped during the winter months. And something we always keep stocked in our freezers is the shrimp wonton noodle soup.
Oh yummy! Thanks for sharing!
Y’all know that those Rotisserie chix are left over Rotisserie chix that didnt get sold. Right?
That’s great! I love they are also fighting food waste.
What is your source?
We have tried the beef tenderloin nuggets that are seasoned and just cook. They were fantastic on the grill.
The chicken soup prepared was fabulous.
I’ve been wanting to try the chix tacos.
Need to compare the Sam’s Club and Costco chix salads as I eat Sam’s Clubs all the time.
YES! Let us know!
Love the street tacos too!
We like to get the macaroni and make Buffalo chicken from one of the rotisserie chickens and voila! Buffalo chicken mac & cheese!
How smart and yummy!
What happened to the ravioli lasagna? It was great and went there today and it was not available and they don’t know when it will be available. I didn’t realize it was not available all time and had a birthday dinner planned using that.
oh darn! ya it’s interesting how some meals are not there all the time. If you are interested I make lasagna sometimes using raviolis and it’s super easy to compile using a jar of sauce and cheeses. I bet the ravioli from costco would turn out yummy https://hip2save.com/recipes/easy-3-ingredient-ravioli-bake/
Hi! Do you know if any of these pre made meals frozen ahead of time? I am planning for the arrival of a new baby and these would be perfect if I could freeze them!
Ya great idea! I would say the peppers and the chicken pot pie would freeze perfectly!
Does Costco ever have shepherd’s PIE?
I saw it was available last year – just from Google, but unsure if it is still there or not. I would check your store and maybe ask customer service!
All of Costco food is delicious!!!!
Looks delicious. Half of my family is vegetarian so I wish there were some vegetarian options.
Vote for the Enchilada Bake! A dollop of sour cream on top is the best! The old man and I just had it last night! We’re very busy and I appreciate the Costco prefab love! On any given day, chicken tacos are so easy anyway, why not just hit the local grocer and get the ingredients yourself? In my personal opinion, the street tacos are ok, not wonderful, but will due on a busy Wednesday for sure.
I understand that these meals are meant to be bought and eaten for days when we have no time but in case anyone is interested in cooking the Costco taco meal, then make the chicken from this recipe and cut it up.
https://www.recipetineats.com/chicken-burrito/
Then its only a question of assembling the corn tortillas, chicken, coleslaw mix, salsa, cheese and lime. Even the cilantro lime salsa is a 5 min prep sauce.
Thanks Liz! I like that idea too.
Wondering if any of the prepared meals are gluten free?
Love Costco! They have lots of things for anyone who is eating keto or gluten free! I must say they stay on the trend for good healthy eating
We love the street tacos, chicken stir fry and the meatloaf! They are the perfect size for my family of 5. If it seems like an extra hungry day though I’ll make a quick thing of rice for a side with the tacos or the stir-fry. We usually make the meatloaf into sandwiches so there’s always leftovers of that.
Can these meals be frozen and used later?
Yes, any of the pasta-type meals would be okay to freeze. The chicken pot pie would be great frozen.
Being a member of a store that claims to have better deals should be just that and making easy to cook meals should come from a proven recipe that’s been tested longer then say, a few people in a room discussing a good meal and some of the prepared meals you can find in the refrigerated Area by/in the meat department Are very good deals and worth buying yet, almost every one needs to variations added. Like for instance the Stir Fry meal: It have very nice flavor for the pallet that has no clue to how real chenies food should taste, bu if you add some extra veggies and cook it in stages you come up with a dish worth buying. The chicken alfredo is a good dish if you want to eat chicken and penne in a almost tasteless white sauce then it’s perfect for you, “hint” add your spice before you begin to cook it, like some minced garlic. Almost any spice would make that dish better. I used to love the roll up’s but someone decided to switch up or to me down to a strawberry cream cheese and after that, I just pass on them all together. At the top of this long page I noticed they were proudly displaying their Enchilada Casserole. When I first saw that in the stores I didn’t see the casserole word and thought finally a real spanish dish but I was wrong. I ended up scooping off the top into a bowel, and as I went through layers, I trashed to tortilla’s and kept the stuffing and created a different dish. My wife who’s spanish would not even consider eating more then she had the first time I came home with it. Now we’re testing the Choice beef stew with vegetables. Or what I’ll be calling from now on “the toughest meat on the cow stew with almost no vegetables. Slow or fast cooking this stew didn’t help it at all, the stew meat they used was fatty and really hard to chew, and although there were plenty of potatoes, I found little or no carrots. I really good stew is more about the veggies but it’s always a bg plus to have meat that not gonna have to be cut in such small pieces that you can swallow them when you get tired of chewing them. So if you decide to go with the stew, add a ton more veggies, and cut them beef up into small pieces before you cook it. Maybe some celery, green beans, corn, and anything else you can find. Buyer beware.