Grab a cart, because Costco’s food court just got a permanent new member — and it’s not the calzone. After months of quiet testing at select warehouses, Costco’s Kirkland Chicken Tenders have officially rolled out nationwide, and shoppers are treating the news like a national holiday. Five crispy chicken breast strips, one very generous dipping sauce, one $6.99 price tag. The internet has thoughts, and most of them are extremely enthusiastic.
Wait, Costco Has Chicken Tenders Now?
Yes, and they’ve apparently been worth the wait. Each order comes with five golden, breaded chicken breast tenders plus a dipping sauce that multiple shoppers say tastes suspiciously like Chick-fil-A’s. Instagrammer Costco Savvy said there was “no way” she was leaving the warehouse without trying them, and she’s far from alone — reviewers are calling the tenders “thick and meaty” with “light breading” and “great seasoning,” which, for a food court known mostly for hot dogs and pizza, is a genuinely big swing.
The $6.99 Order Everyone’s Obsessing Over
Costco shoppers don’t hand out praise lightly, so when reviewer TastesLovely waited 20 minutes for her order (demand was clearly real) and still walked away happy, it meant something.
“Thick and meaty, light breading, great seasoning… the dipping sauce is VERY good and tastes like Chick-fil-A sauce.”
Shoppers keep circling back to the size of the tenders too, with one commenter writing, “those chicken tenders look huge lol,” and another noting the portion is “enough for everyone.” For $6.99, that’s a lot of protein for a food-court run that used to just mean a hot dog and a soda.
Okay, But What About the Calorie Count?
Not everyone is popping confetti. The tenders are reportedly clocking in around 1,640 calories per order (yes, the whole basket, sauce included), and that number has sparked some genuine debate online. A few longtime food court fans are also side-eyeing the tenders for allegedly nudging out the calzone at certain locations — a swap some shoppers are not ready to forgive. Still, for a filling, shareable, high-protein option that costs less than most fast-food combo meals, plenty of Costco regulars seem willing to make peace with the calorie math.
How It Stacks Up Against Other Food Court Legends
The tenders are entering a crowded field. Costco’s food court already has a cult following thanks to secret-menu mashups like the infamous “Forbidden Glizzy”, and the warehouse’s chicken lineup has been on a roll lately between the tenders and the newly discounted Kirkland chicken street tacos. If you’re more of a stock-up-and-cook-at-home shopper, don’t sleep on what a single Costco rotisserie chicken can turn into for the rest of the week either. Basically, if you’re hungry and you’re at Costco right now, chicken is having a full moment.
Should You Try Them?
If you’ve got a Costco run planned this week, it might be worth timing it around lunch. Between the size of the tenders, the sauce that’s already earning Chick-fil-A comparisons, and a price tag under seven bucks, this is shaping up to be one of the food court’s bigger wins in years. Just maybe split the basket — or don’t, we’re not judging.
Have you tried the new Costco chicken tenders yet? Let us know what you thought in the comments, and check back for more Costco food court intel as it drops.
Photo credits: Image 1 via The Kitchn. Image 2 via Irish Star.
