I buy Kirkland Signature Ground Turkey at Costco quite often, but ground chicken isn’t something I typically use in my recipes. When I spotted Erie Meats Lean Ground Chicken in the freezer section, I was intrigued by the convenient packaging, four small 500-gram tubes that are easy to portion and store. But how does this ground chicken compare for everyday meals? Find out if I’d buy Erie Meats Lean Ground Chicken again for chili, tacos, and bowls in my full review below!
Location in Store
This is located in the freezer section of Costco, near the Yorkshire Valley Farms Chicken Breasts and the Hampton House Popcorn Chicken. The item number is 2007888.
Taste
I cooked the Costco Erie Meats Lean Ground Chicken to use in a batch of chili, but I tasted some on its own before adding it to the pot. By itself, I found the chicken to be quite bland with a slightly rubbery texture. The overall quality didn’t seem particularly impressive when eaten on its own.
One thing I did notice while cooking it in the pan was how little grease and water it released. I didn’t need to drain the chicken at all, which suggests that it lives up to its description as lean ground chicken.
The flavor and texture improved considerably once I added it to my chili. The chicken worked well with the other ingredients and seasonings, and the finished chili tasted great. Based on my experience, I would recommend using Costco Erie Meats Lean Ground Chicken in strongly flavored recipes such as chili, casseroles, pasta sauces, or other dishes where it can absorb the flavors of the recipe.
If you’re looking for lean ground chicken at Costco, this may be a better choice for cooking into recipes than eating on its own.
Cost
The bag contains four separate 500-gram tubes and costs $14.99 Canadian, which seems pretty reasonable to me. That said, the relatively low price may reflect the quality of the chicken.
Convenience
The Costco Erie Meats Lean Ground Chicken needs to be kept frozen until you’re ready to thaw it for use. When I purchased it, the best-before date was approximately eight months away, giving it a fairly long freezer life.
Ground chicken is also a versatile ingredient and can be used as a substitute for ground turkey in many recipes, and even ground beef in some dishes. Because this particular ground chicken is bland on its own, I recommend using it in recipes with plenty of other ingredients and seasonings to add flavor. It works particularly well in dishes such as chili, casseroles, pasta sauces, and other hearty recipes where the chicken can absorb the flavors of the other ingredients.
Nutrition
Calories
A ½-cup (100-gram) serving of Costco Erie Meats Lean Ground Chicken contains 200 calories, 14 grams of fat, 0 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fibre, 0 grams of sugar, 19 grams of protein, and 75 milligrams of sodium.
For a product labelled “lean,” 14 grams of fat per 100 grams is a fairly substantial amount. On the other hand, it provides a good 19 grams of protein per serving and contains no carbohydrates.
Ingredients
The ingredients list is short and sweet with only one ingredient, chicken, which is how it should be. The ingredients label says the ground chicken may contain egg but otherwise it’s soy-free, dairy-free and gluten-free.
Scoring
Taste: 6/10
Cost: 9/10
Convenience: 3/10
Nutrition: 9/10 (It doesn’t say what parts of the chicken are used and the fat content is a bit high).
Overall
Give it a try!
As I’ve mentioned throughout the post, this ground chicken isn’t great on its own, but it fares much better when added to recipes. I probably wouldn’t buy it again and will stick with my Kirkland Signature Ground Turkey instead.
Have you tried the Costco Erie Meats Lean Ground Chicken? What did you think of it?
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).
