We bought the Costco Chicken Salad, ready to eat from the deli case, and thought it was okay but it isn’t something that we will buy again. The meal is Item Number 37719 and it is located in the refrigerated deli counter with the other prepared meals.
There are four reasons why this chicken salad was not a hit at our house:
- Contains Onions
- Too Sweet
- Container is Too Large
- Not a Value
The issue with the container size is that the chicken salad does not freeze well (the mayo dressings separates) so if you have to use it all within a few days.
Keep reading for ingredients, serving suggestions, recipe hacks, calories and alternatives to consider.
Ingredients
There are a lot of ingredients in this meal, probably more than there should be. The general ingredient list is:
- Rotisserie Chicken Breast Meat
- Dressing (soybean oil, sour cream)
- Water
- Egg Yolks
- Eggs
- Sugar
- Lactic acid
- Parsely
- Celery
- Onions
- Vinegar
- Plus a LOT of chemical names (phosphates, chlorides, sorbates, etc)
The amount of onions is enough to give some flavor and crunch so you will definitely notice them. If you are someone who hates onion in your chicken salad then you should skip this product.
Serving Ideas
We like to make wraps with the salad and it is pretty easy. Put down a toasted tortilla and line it with lettuce leaves. Add the chicken salad on top of the lettuce, roll the tortilla and serve.
The lettuce leave keep the dressing from soaking through the tortilla and making it soggy.
You can also:
- Serve the salad as a sandwich using Costco’s Artisan Rolls or Butter Croissants.
- Serve inside a hollowed out tomato
- Spread onto crackers for an appetizer
- Serve inside a bread bowl
If you want to jazz up the chicken salad then you could fold in some:
- Sliced Grapes
- Diced Apples
- Chopped Nuts (walnuts, pecans)
Costco Chicken Salad Wraps
Ingredients
- 1 container Costco Chicken Salad
- 1 head Iceberg Lettuce
- 1 package Flour Tortillas (burrito size)
Instructions
- Toast the tortillas in a cast iron pan to warm then remove and cover.
- Separate the head of lettuce to get large whole leaves.
- Doctor up the chicken salad, if desired, with diced apples, sliced grapes and walnuts.
- Place two large lettuce leaves onto each tortilla.
- Scoop 1/2 cup of the chicken salad on top of the lettuce leaves.
- Roll up the tortilla and serve.
Calories
One serving of the chicken salad, about 100g, has the following nutritional information:
- Calories = 240
- Fat =15 g
- Cholesterol = 45 mg
- Sodium = 405 mg
- Carbohydrates = 6 g
- Protein = 24g
Price
The chicken salad is Item Number 37719 and currently costs $6.99 per pound. There are typically about 2.25 pounds of food per container which means the full tub will cost around $16.
I am not a big fan of paying $7 a pound for chicken and mayonnaise and believe you can make your own for a lot less money by starting with a jar of Hellman’s Mayo and a $4.99 rotisserie chicken.
Alternatives to Costco’s Chicken Salad
There are four alternatives to buying the Costco chicken salad that you can use.
- Rotisserie Chicken
- Chicken Breast Meat
- Canned Chicken
- Cape Cod Chicken Salad
These options are either less expensive, taste better, or allow you to modify the recipe to your preferences.
Rotisserie Chicken Option
You can buy a rotisserie chicken at Costco for $4.99. Buy the chicken, shred the meat by hand and mix with as much mayonnaise as you like.
This will give you at least two pounds of chicken salad and it will have a nice contrast of white and dark meat.
Add as much celery or onions as you like (or none at all) along with some salt and pepper and you will be good to go!
Shredded Chicken Breast Meat Option
Costco sells a three pound package of fully cooked shredded chicken breast in the same deli cooler as the chicken salad. The package of chicken meat typically costs around $18.
You can use the shredded chicken breast to make just as much chicken salad as you like and you can freeze the unused chicken meat for later.
You will be able to customize your recipe with anything you like including classics like grapes and walnuts.
Canned Chicken Option
If you need a meal solution for just two people then you can buy the four pack of Kirkland Canned Chicken Breast and use one can to make a small batch of chicken salad.
When you make up small batches you don’t need to worry about freezing leftovers and you wont waste money on chicken salad that expires before you can finish it all.
Cape Cod Chicken Salad Option
The refrigerated deli case usually has a chicken salad option from the Cape Cod brand.
The Cape Cod Chicken Salad is loaded with cranberries and pecans and a lot of people say this is the best chicken salad they have ever tried.