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Costco seems to garner the most attention for its flashy bakery desserts and food court menu nowadays. But if you stay tuned in to Costco’s thriving online community, you’ll find that the retailer also offers some high-quality basic pantry staples that customers rave about both for their convenience and versatility.
The canned Kirkland Signature Chicken Breast is a shining example of a beloved multifunctional Costco item. Though the product isn’t new, a customer highlighted it this week by asking Redditors for inspiration on how to use the protein–and the suggestions quickly piled up. The customer’s post has racked up nearly 300 comments from members who raved that the canned chicken is not only great for a quick protein fix but also makes for a myriad of tasty, creative meals.
“It’s excellent, plain or dressed up, straight out of the can or turned into chicken salad. Fancier ideas have not occurred to me,” one customer wrote.
“I always have this in my pantry! Perfect for chicken tortilla soup, buffalo chicken dip, chicken salad. It’s great for any kind of soup that calls for chicken because it’s so soft and tender,” another said.
Chicken tacos, casseroles, curries, and pastas are only a drop in the bucket of the dozens of other suggested uses for this chameleon of a Costco product. The overriding takeaway was that the Kirkland canned chicken is a great substitute in many recipes that call for freshly cooked chicken, especially in those instances when you don’t have fresh poultry or don’t want to put too much effort into your meal.
“These things got me through college. I would constantly eat chicken quesadillas, sandwiches, and put it on all my salads,” one customer commented. “Sadly, I ate way too much of it in college and have absolutely no interest [in] eating any more of it. With that said, it’s fantastic for being canned chicken.”
Even Costco has taken notice of its customers’ love for this canned chicken, which was apparently on the rise last year. In its earnings calls for the fourth quarter of 2022, Costco CFO Richard Galanti noted that buyers had been seeing “increased penetration of canned chicken and tuna.”
Costco sells six-packs of these 12.5-ounce cans of chicken. The packs are listed at $15.99 online, though Costco items are usually cheaper at its brick-and-mortar warehouses.
Costco’s Kirkland brand walnuts are another basic pantry staple that customers appreciate for its many uses, as well as the price. Customers also raved about the product on Reddit earlier month, saying the walnuts were great for snacking straight out of the bag or for adding into a range of meals and desserts, like salads, yogurt, oatmeal, and brownies.
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Zoe Strozewski
