I love a good bowl of chili in the winter and the chili my mom makes is my absolute favorite. When I saw the Costco Kirkland Signature Beef Chili I wanted to try it to review! How does this compare to homemade chili? Does it have a robust, beefy, rich flavor? Read on to find out!
I’ve only ever tried one other chili from Costco: the Anne’s Table Chili Con Carne.
Location in Store
This chili can be found in the refrigerated pre-made meal section and the item number is 24299 in Canada and 50748 in the United States.
Taste
This isn’t the greatest chili I’ve had but it’s okay! It’s a plain, very salty, basic chili. There’s a lot of beef which is nice, it’s definitely hearty but there isn’t a ton of other ingredients other than beef.
I notice there are fewer beans than a lot of chilis that I’m used to. The texture of the chili is also thinner or soupier than a lot of chili I’m used to. The overall flavor is mainly salt and tomato but there’s a slight hint of heat that lingers on your tongue after a few bites. It’s a pretty typical, standard chili.
The cheese on top is kind of strange because no matter how you heat it, it will melt and become stringy and you can’t really taste it.
Cost
When I had the chili in Canada in 2020 I paid $13.71 Canadian. Recently in 2024 I paid $13.96 USD in Hawaii. The cost of the chili depends on the weight but it has definitely gone up since 2020.
There’s enough chili in the container for two massive bowls plus some leftover.
Convenience
The preparation instructions recommend you heat the chili in a pot over medium heat until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. I prepared the chili both in a pot and by microwaving it and it tasted the same using either method.
The chili is already fully cooked so you’re just reheating it. The best-before date is three days from the date it was packaged. This is a quick and convenient dinner or could be a lunch. It can easily be frozen.
Nutrition
Calories
A 302-gram serving contains 380 calories, 17 grams of fat, 1600 milligrams of sodium, 26 grams of carbohydrates, seven grams of fiber, seven grams of sugar and 29 grams of protein. This definitely isn’t low in fat or calories and is really high in sodium! I do like how much protein it has though.
Ingredients
Making homemade chili will save you from all the unnecessary, unhealthy ingredients in this Kirkland Signature Beef Chili. Ingredients like hydrolyzed vegetable protein, sugar, corn syrup, natural flavors as well as additives.
This chili contains milk and soy but is gluten-free. It may contain tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, egg, fish, shellfish, crustaceans and sesame due to being produced in a facility that produces food with these ingredients.
Scoring
Taste: 6.5/10
Cost: 6/10
Convenience: 10/10
Nutrition: 3/10
Overall
Walk on by!
I think there are better pre-made meals at Costco you can purchase. There really wasn’t anything I disliked about this chili it just wasn’t amazing and I can’t see myself wanting to purchase it again in the future.
Have you tried the Costco Kirkland Signature Beef Chili? What did you think of it? Leave a comment below!
Please note that this review was not paid for or sponsored by any third party. This product was purchased by Costcuisine for the purpose of producing this review. The opinions in this review are strictly those of Costcuisine. Costcuisine is not affiliated with Costco or any of its suppliers. In the event that Costcuisine receives compensation for a post from the manufacturer of a product or some other third party, the arrangement will be clearly disclosed (including where the manufacturer of a product provides Costcuisine with a free sample of the product).
Reading all the comments, I was surprised to see how many folks like it!! After seeing your review and the ingredients, I think it sounds like crap and would definitely not buy it. Why is there sugar and corn starch in it? Make a big batch and freeze some…. easy peasy and waaay healthier too! 😁
Under the Nutrition header, you list carbohydrates twice with two different figures, with nothing listed for protein. I’m assuming one of those is protein?
Yes! Thanks so much. I fixed it.
It was difficult to taste any of the flavors due to the overwhelming saltiness. 1410 mg per serving? That’s enough salt for 3 days for me. I am sad that the other ingredients are disguised by this unnecessary sodium overkill.
I certainly don’t consider myself a chili “snob”, but I enjoy good chili. I’ve seen people review this chili from bland to excellent so now that it’s back in stores I decided to try it for myself.
Long story short – I really enjoyed it. I wouldn’t say that it was “bland” as spiciness is certainly a subjective term. I’ve had spicy chili that still tasted like crap because everything else was problematic, and the spiciness can’t overcome that. In other chili’s I’ve learned to add some additional Cayenne Pepper or Chili Power to suit my own taste. What I really care about is consistency, convenience, general overall flavor, and ingredients. By those standards, this is really good chili. I’d give it a 9/10.
Will it win a chili cookoff as is? Probably not, but who cares? That’s not what I expect from it or buy it for. Does it provide a hearty and tasty platform where I can add spices to my own personal preferences that make a really satisfying meal? Absolutely.
For me – this is a winner and I’m happy to make space for it in my fridge.
Exactly! I couldn’t have said it any better! Thanks for the review.
I recently tried Costco’s chili myself although the US variation I purchased in Florida is slightly different as there is no corn & it has shredded cheese on top which I greatly appreciated. I will agree with you, the flavor is quite bland but I found when I add exactly one packet of KFC hot sauce to an average to slightly greedy sized portion, It doesn’t make it spicy but gives it exactly the flavor it needs to turn out absolutely delicious. I enjoyed this chili with crumbled up saltine crackers and ate on it for three days. Not the best chili in the world but with the help of a hot sauce packet it does turn into some pretty damn good chili!
Me and my husband are both from Texas and we absolutely love Kirkland’s brand chili. I give it a 10 out 10. My grandkids love it as well. It is definitely a hit in our household. I love it so much that I was angry when I found out that it was a seasonal item and I had to wait until October 2023 to purchase it again. Try adding a few Doritoes to it and it’s even better.
I’m so glad I read your comment because I had been in Costco last month (August) looking for this chili and they would only say they “didn’t offer it now”. I assumed maybe they discontinued it like they’ve been discontinuing a number of things we liked in the past year or so.
I’m happy to hear it will be back soon, then! I will check in with them next week when we’re into October! I’m definitely going to stock up on the chili!
It’s good, not great chili, but super convenient. To make it great, I top it with minced round onions, diced tomatoes & shredded cheddar cheese after its reheated. And a little Tabasco for a spicy kick.
to the chili i topped it with dollops of cornbread then baked.
awesome combination! 👍🏼
I live alone, and I have to be careful not buying too much at Costco (big portions),but I bought this and ate a third of it and put the rest in the freezer portioned out for future meals
This chili is superb. Very meaty, lots of beans that are well cooked and stewed tomatoes. I don’t like breakfast food, so this is my breakfast. Starts my day of by awakening my mouth with richness and a little. Heat. Yum.
My mother and I love this chili. First of all the convenience when you have to work during the week and you don’t feel like cooking you just grab a couple of bowls, pop it in the microwave, warm it up and there you go the cost of the chili itself in my opinion. It is a tad bit high, but again the convenience makes it worth paying the money. Now the taste in my opinion is superb. The flavor is on point with just the right amount of spiciness. There is a lot of protein in the chili ground beef, pinto beans kidney beans it’s not oily. In my opinion it’s just right. I would rate Costco’s chili at least an 8/10.
I love this chili!!!
It has just a touch of heat but packed with flavor.
No corn and a huge amount of meat.
Definitely worth having.
I tasted this at the warehouse and thought it was good- bought it and it is very disappointing. I was searching to see if I need to add more tomatoes, sugar? I want to use it- but?..
Chili was delicious. Why is it so difficult to post the serving size, and nutritional values?
Hi Bill! I’m not sure I understand your comment, do you mean Costco posting it on their packaging?
I purchases the chilli and found it to be excellent. I did add a little hot sauce.
I have to say that I found the chili delicious. I added some red pepper flakes and a little tabasco and it was very good. Saves a lot of time cooking. Add your preferred spice blend and heat it and it is wonderful.
Bought chili at Costco in Strongsville, Ohio. No corn, all beef and I have to say, absolutely delicious.
Awesome! Glad you enjoyed your meal.
Me too I was disappointed when I went to get more and was told it was seasonal, can’t wait till it’s back
Thanks for the review. I’ve purchased this Chile twice and believe for the taste/convenience factor is represents decent value. ‘Freezibility’ is a definite plus.
thank you for the info , I bought it already and was looking how to cook it .thanks for the effort
Thanks for doing this. I was wondering about whether it was a good or a good deal or not. I believe they make these products to use up meat that didn’t sell that day. Perhaps they just dumped a bunch of products together, which may be why its blah tasting.