High protein, low calorie, ready-to-eat Costco chicken breast bites!
I’m reviewing the Costco Fresh Additions Fully Cooked Chicken Breast Bites. I got these from Costco because they look like a really convenient snack or lunch option. I usually cook chicken breasts for the week as part of my meal prep, but sometimes it’s nice to have something like this in the fridge for those times when you need something quick and don’t have anything already ready.
Similar convenient items from Costco are the Pinty’s Buffalo Chicken Flings, Dom Reserve Singles Steelhead Salmon Poke, Connie’s Kitchen Burgers, Costco Spudler’s Breakfast Hash and the Fontaine Sante Mini Hummus.
Location in Store
You can find the Costco Fresh Additions Fully Cooked Chicken Breast Bites in the refrigerated deli section, by the fresh pasta and refrigerated appetizers. The item number is 5051501.
Taste
These are not as good as baked chicken breast at home. They taste a little processed. They’re salty, moist, seasoned well and flavorful. I love that some pieces have a strong grilled/smoky flavor. You can eat the chicken breast bites completely plain and they’re not tasteless or dry like chicken breast can be sometimes.
I did find many pieces of gristle and a few very rubbery, tough pieces in my packs. I’m glad I tried these, but when it comes to taste, I prefer less gristle and less processed-tasting chicken. When I bake chicken at home I can also control how much salt I use, so if I’m watching my sodium I use less salt. If you’re too busy to cook your own chicken these are a great second choice!
Cost
There are 10 individual 100-gram packs of chicken that are all joined together to make one large pack. I paid $19.49 for the chicken breast bites.
Convenience
These are SO convenient for lunch or a snack on the go or even if you live alone and want to have some chicken in a wrap or salad for lunch or dinner. The best before date is about three weeks from the date we purchased the chicken bites and they need to be kept refrigerated.
I like adding these to salad, eating them with avocado or pairing them with pasta.
Nutrition
Calories
Each pack contains 100 grams of chicken and there are 150 calories, four grams of fat, 24 grams of protein, 470 milligrams of sodium, zero grams of sugar, zero grams of fibre and three grams of carbohydrates in the serving of chicken. These are a little high in sodium, but they’re high in protein and low in carbohydrates.
Ingredients
I don’t love the addition of canola oil, but that’s to be expected when it comes to packaged products like these. Otherwise the ingredients list isn’t too bad at all, with chicken and seasoning as the main ingredients. They’re also gluten-free.
Scoring
Taste: 7/10
Cost: 7/10
Convenience: 10/10
Nutrition: 9/10
Overall
Give it a try.
These are perfect for times when you need a high protein, low calorie, reasonably healthy snack. If you’re too busy to cook your own chicken these are a great second choice!
Have you tried these fully cooked chicken breast bites? What do you think of them?
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).
I bought one pack last week, and I have been eating them for lunch but I thought they’re too salty!! I don’t think I will be buying them anymore However, the Steak bites are not as salty as chicken.
Good for denture wearers. There is a smell upon opening however it doesn’t smell like rotten chicken. Let some cooked chicken rot and compare. They are extremely tender and now and then have some fat but overall a fatty product is not the norm. Been purchasing for a couple years. Sometimes i don’t want to cook or even eat and it’s a great meal in itself.
I buy these regularly, never an issue, they freeze and thaw well, my hubby loves them in his lunch. I hope Costco carries these for as long as possible.
Aw man. I just bought these and was curious of the reviews. Others have had such bad experiences (rotten smell, raw pieces, etc.)
I like the convenience of them. Trying to eat healthy without putting too much effort in cooking, but also working on a budget (can’t afford the already prepared meals right now).
That said – I didn’t mind it. The first pack had somewhat of an artificial smell but nothing off-putting. The chicken heated fine. Very salty and suspiciously tender which makes me wonder what they injected the chicken with to make it moist. I like the packaging and that it’s already portioned out.
If I had all the time in the world to marinate and grill, then I would do it. Even buying a rotisserie chicken and shredding it myself can be a hassle. For now, these packs will have to be my go-to until the next Costco find.
Super salty and smell gross… taste is not great either. Despite the convenience factor, I won’t buy them again.
I have been buying them for couple years now . This batch that I bought couple weeks ago and they’ll expire on September 2nd smells like rotten chicken .. so gross ! Not gonna buy them again
Can you freeze the individual packets and if so, for how long?
I’ve never tried freezing them! I’d reach out to the company and ask.
Bought some about a week ago at Katy, TX costco off Grand Parkway. Opened several packs to share and they really stunk bad. Dumped them all. Didn’t bother to return. Won’t buy again. (Historically was always good the many times I bought the product.)
I just opened a pack that i bought last week. The rotten smell was so bad, I nearly threw up. Tossed them all on the garbage, took the garbage out, sanitized the air. Never buying again
OMG!! Same here ! So gross … unfortunately my fiancé didn’t care and still ate it .. I almost threw up . Never buying it again . Hope he doesn’t get sick
We buy these regularly, and love them. They are consistently tender and tasty. Much better than the “hand pulled” rotisserie chicken, which is consistently full of fat and skin. These are so good, I fully expect Costco to discontinue them soon, as they do with many popular products.
This chicken did not enhance my salad. In fact, it took away from the normally great taste. I do not recommend.
I love them convenience for bariatric meals , I add Buffalo sauce and perfect
I loved these convenient chicken packs until a friend told me they were infused with a noxious gas to keep them fresh longer. Is this true. what is the preservative?
Meat are usually packaged two ways, in a vacuum with no atmosphere, or with a modified atmosphere that does not contain oxygen. There are many types of gases that can be used, one of them includes carbon monoxide. While this sounds bad, the amount in it is not enough to cause harm to humans, and it dissipates faster than you can breathe it in, i.e this was tested prior to be allowed on meat. Your friend was wrong about the gas keeping the meat fresh. The purpose of modified atmosphere packaging is not to keep the meat fresh but to keep them from discoloring and developing off flavors from oxygen, they will still experience bacteria spoilage so the expiration date should still be considered which is why this product is refrigerated. The long shelf life is most likely because it was cooked and processed ascetically, the pH of the product is low, and the high salt content.
We found a piece of uncooked chicken in one of the packs! Last time I will buy this product again! Raw chicken is BAD!
Liked the tru grill (brand) product we first found and bought at Costco better, but they no longer stock it.
The tru grill chicken brand was great. These were nothing to write home about. pretty tasteless. I will not buy again. convenience is no substitute for taste.
I am curious how do these pre cooked sealed chicken bites last for weeks? I purchased some and the expiry date was about 3 weeks, but when I vacuum seal my own pre cooked chicken at home it’s only recommended to keep for 3-5 days? What are they adding to keep it from spoiling?
Right? I also wonder that, all I can think of is the vinegar and preservatives.
It’s typically nitrogren and or other gasses that do no degrade the food.
I freeze my packets because there’s too many for me to use in 7-10 days. After defrosting the chicken smells of sulfur but tastes ok. Anyone else have this experience? LMK. Thanks!
The price of these packs has gone from $12 to $19. The last two we bought were so loaded with gristle and bone chunks, (yes bone chunks) that we threw the last few out. When I buy fresh boneless chicken breast, I have never encountered gristle or bone pieces, so I have some serious concerns about whether these are actually chicken breast pieces. Convenient, yes, but we will no longer purchase this expensive substandard product. I trust Costco products and this one is certainly a disappointment!