6 Costco Dips To Buy And 5 To Avoid

Costco is the land of opportunity for groceries, clothing, and beyond, which you can get in bulk. One such item that you can get a super-sized Costco version of is dip — as in salsa, hummus, guacamole, and so forth. Whether it's a tub that could feed 30 or a mega-pack of individual containers, Costco is very reliable when it comes to all your dip needs. It offers an impressive variety of different dip types that you really can't find anywhere else.

Of course, as any Costco shopper knows, it can be hard to pinpoint exactly what's worth getting when you step into a warehouse — and that's where this nifty guide comes into play. If you've ever perused the Costco dip aisle but left empty-handed because you aren't sure what's worth buying or skipping, then this guide will help narrow down the options to pinpoint which dips are truly worth your time. 

As a Costco frequenter (and general dip lover), I'm confident I can suggest which of the following dips are worth buying or avoiding. While this largely comes down to personal preference, I also put a lot of thought, consideration, and straight-up taste testing into this assessment. The following dips fall into roughly similar price areas and, in true Costco style, come with quite a bit of product. Consequently, these recommendations are mainly based on the quality and versatility of a given dip, and whether I think they're genuinely better than a similar product you could simply find elsewhere.

It's hard to find a more crowd-pleasing dip than good old spinach artichoke dip, and I'd be lying if I said that homemade versions aren't almost always superior to store-bought ones. The reality is, though, that when you're looking to feed a crowd and don't want to have to cook every last dish — including the snacks, dips, and appetizers — then that's when store-bought will do just fine, so long as the product is actually good. And, fortunately, in the case of Costco's spinach artichoke dip, it's definitely good.

The key to a good spinach artichoke dip, in my humble opinion, comes down to the balance between ultra-savory elements (like the cheese) and the contrasting fresher elements, like the spinach and artichokes. I want to taste the slight brininess of the artichokes, and in this dip, I certainly did.

Of course, I can't deny that creaminess was the top flavor component at play, but those notes of artichoke really did stand out, making for one truly tasty and well-rounded dip. Although I sampled the dip cold (and it was tasty this way), I'd imagine it be even better warmed up — paired with tortilla chips, pita crisps, crostini, crudites, or basically any type of dipper out there, because another benefit here is how sheerly versatile such a dip is.

A good hummus is basically a year-round refrigerator staple in my book, so I was definitely interested in giving Costco's pine nut hummus a spin. Surprisingly, I'd never tried this hummus before (possibly because the tub-size hummus might be a bit much for a single person), but unfortunately, I can't say I'd repurchase it after giving it a swing.

My biggest complaint about this Kirkland hummus comes down to an overwhelming lack of flavor, and even the smattering of pine nuts on top couldn't salvage this very bland, boring hummus. I get that plain hummus is only going to taste so unique or exciting, but this one didn't even necessarily taste like chickpeas to me. I paired it with a pita cracker, and the cracker itself — a plain, unflavored pita cracker, mind you — was shining more in the flavor department than the hummus.

I think that had there been a more specific flavor profile really at play here, be it the chickpeas shining through more, notes of tahini, a hint of garlic, or even the pine nuts doing a little more heavy lifting, this hummus could have been a different story. But as-is, this is not one Costco dip I'd keep stocked in my fridge — if you do want to find that go-to hummus, though, check out our ranking of store-bought hummus brands for a more definitive guide.

Store-bought queso, in my opinion, can be perhaps the most hit-or-miss of all the types of dips out there. There's certainly no shortage of options of shelf-stable queso options out there, but if you want something a little tastier and a little higher quality, then the refrigerated section is the best bet. Costco got the cue with its refrigerated queso options, starting with this Queso Mama white queso with chorizo.

I'm not sure if I've ever had a chorizo queso outside of a restaurant setting, but after learning that store-bought chorizo queso is indeed an option thanks to Costco, I can't get enough. Obviously, you have to enjoy both white queso and specifically meaty, savory, subtly spicy chorizo to get behind this product, but if you do like those things, then I don't think you'll be disappointed here.

This was one dip that I found myself immediately wanting to go back to, and that's coming from someone who is often skeptical of store-bought dips. The white queso base had a nice cheesiness to it (without teetering into that fake, Velveeta-like flavor that so many quesos do), while the chorizo added that special oomph to really dial up the savory and spicy factor. 

I'm no stranger to store-bought salsas, having done rankings on both Trader Joe's jarred salsas and Target's Good & Gather jarred salsas, so I was definitely interested to see what Costco's salsa offering might bring to the table. And, ultimately ... it didn't bring much. Don't get me wrong — there was nothing overtly offensive or terrible about this salsa, but it was so incredibly mediocre that I found myself immediately wondering what I might possibly do with the entire jug of leftovers (still haven't figured that out).

As for what made this salsa so mediocre, it all comes down to the lack of complexity. Sure, the salsa tasted fresh enough and tomato-forward, but even despite specks of cilantro apparent throughout, there really wasn't much of an herby flavor at play. I was hoping for a hint of spice to make things interesting or a pungent bite of an onion to save the day, but those notes simply weren't coming through.

Ultimately, like I said, I can't sit here and say this is a bad product, but I can't in good faith recommend committing oneself to such a large container of disappointment. Unless you've got a big family that happens to particularly love bland salsa, then this Costco dip is a skip.

Having tried the Queso Mama white queso with chorizo first, I was worried that the Queso Mama white queso with diced green chiles might pale in comparison. To my slight surprise and pleasure, though, I thoroughly enjoyed this queso (nearly as much as I did the chorizo one), and it's definitely a great option for those queso-loving vegetarians who want to get in on the fun.

Similar to the chorizo one, this queso proved itself to have a very strong base, offering those savory, cheesy, creamy, and melty notes without being overly intense or leaning too far into that fake cheese flavor territory. The green chiles added a nice amount of complexity, with pops of acidity and subtle spice making each bite interesting. Although the chiles added a little bit of spicy, I definitely wouldn't classify this dip as spicy, so it's also a good option for those who want a dip that will cater to large demographics (those with lower spice tolerances, kids, vegetarians, and anyone who loves a good, cheesy dip). 

I'm typically all for sweet-savory-spicy food combinations, so I was pretty excited to try Costco's pineapple habanero dip and spread. The first conundrum I faced was figuring out what type of sampling vessel to pair it with. While a tortilla chip didn't seem quite right, neither did a cracker or piece of bread, and I ultimately opted for a tortilla chip. I also struggled to figure out what this dip tasted like; was it was more a sweet dip with savory-spicy notes, or a savory dip with sweet-spicy notes? For what it's worth, I still haven't quite figured it out.

To be clear, I wasn't repulsed by this dip. It had some nice notes and was very creamy, but more than anything, it was very, very sweet. At the same time, the base of the dip was very creamy but in a more savory way — like a cream cheese dip — and it almost clashed with those pineapple notes instead of working in harmony. As for any habanero notes, those were completely lost in sweet translation, so I'm not sure that calling this a pineapple habanero dip is entirely accurate.

More than anything, I can't think of a good way to pair this product, whether you use it as a dip or spread. It wasn't amazing with a tortilla chip, and the packaging suggested spreading it onto a turkey sandwich, which doesn't sound too appealing in my book, either. With an overly-sweet flavor and lack of versatility makes, this dip is a skip for me.

I remember buying Costco's street corn dip tub many years back, and ever since then, it's been a relatively steady staple in my refrigerator. Considering how super-sized it is, I don't buy it incredibly often, but it's always a fun snack I look forward to having when the occasion arises — so, needless to say, I was pretty stoked to purchase it and give it a swing once again for this article.

And, fortunately, this street corn dip was just as good this time around as it has been in the past. There's something about that combination of rich, creamy, and subtly spiced dip base that pairs so well with pops of sweet corn, and this dip nails that delicate balance. Too much corn and the dip would be too sweet, but too little and it wouldn't have that quintessential corn flavor that truly makes or breaks the dip.

The corn amount is just right in this dip, along with the general creaminess and notes of spice that keep things interesting. Put a tub of this street corn dip out at your next backyard BBQ or family gathering, and don't be too surprised when you don't end up with any leftovers.

Guacamole is one of those unique dips that, despite its simplicity, never seems to translate well to pre-made, store-bought formats. Perhaps it's actually that bare-bones nature and simplicity that makes it so hard to translate guacamole into a fridge-stable, longer-lasting dip — the freshness is key to the dip, and without it, you simply don't have a good guacamole.

Unfortunately, a lack of freshness was definitely an issue with Kirkland's chunky guacamole, which comes in single-serve containers as opposed to one big tub (so at least the dip gets a few convenience points). The flavor just wasn't on par with classic guacamole, and in fact, it didn't taste all that much like avocado, either. It sort of had a generally savory, earthy flavor profile with a strong acid note, which I wasn't a huge fan of. Also, I'm not sure if I'd classify this is a "chunky" guacamole — there were slight chunks in there, but in my book, a chunky guac has hearty chunks of onion and tomato throughout.

Ultimately, if you're used to the overly-acidic and generally bland flavor profile that pre-packaged, single-serve guacamole has to offer, then you might enjoy Costco's take on it (or at least be able to tolerate it). For me, guacamole is one of those dips that I simply can't buy store-bought, as freshness is just too essential.

If you've ever enjoyed a plateful of chicken enchiladas and wished you could transform it into dip format, then you sure are in luck with Costco's green chile chicken enchilada dip. This creamy, savory, meaty dip is surprisingly complex in flavor, offering up just the right flavor notes and an interesting texture to make for a dip worth buying.

Starting off with the flavor, I was a big fan of the creamy dip base, which leant itself well to a variety of more complex flavors. Some particular notes that stood out were those of cilantro, the green chiles themselves (which provided a little pop of acid and spice, but nothing crazy), and the meaty chicken. All together, these ingredients and flavors made for a pretty tasty dip — not necessarily one that I'd say tasted like an enchilada, but the general inspiration was certainly there.

This dip also sort of reminded me of Buffalo chicken dip minus the Buffalo sauce, but with that generally creamy profile and pops of chicken and spice. So if Buffalo chicken dip is a go-to in your household, then this green chile chicken enchilada dip might make for the perfect companion (or way to switch things up). 

If there's one thing I typically like more than a regular dip, it's a layered dip. You get all of the goodness of a classic dip at four, five, or even six times over, with various flavor profiles and textures coming together in one cohesive bite. Of course, a good layered dip is contingent on sound execution and a meticulous balance between the layers. And in the case of Costco's black bean and cotija cheese six-layer dip, the balance just wasn't there.

I tried to make sure I got each of the six layers on my chip — guacamole, refried beans, salsa, sour cream, and a couple of cheeses — with my first bite. Despite the promise of a plethora of flavor profiles at once, all I could really taste was one-note sour cream. I tried again, really making sure I got each and every layer on the chip, but once again, I was just tasting sour cream. Even just looking at the dip, you can tell that the top creamy layer really dominates the rest of the dip, and unfortunately, that translates to the flavor of the dip, too.

Ultimately, I don't necessarily think that this dip is bad, but I think it's a weak execution of six-layer dip. All of the flavors melded together into one overly-creamy bite, and even the two ingredients specifically mentioned in the product name — black beans and cotija cheese — didn't stand out at all. 

Rounding out this list of Costco dips is a classic: tzatziki. The ever-popular Greek dip, at its best, offers up a creamy, yogurt-forward flavor with pops of bright acidity, garlic, and importantly, fresh herbs like dill (or sometimes even parsley or mint). It's one of the few dips out there that has potential to be refreshing, and as an added bonus, a good tzatziki pairs well with just about any savory food out there.

I was a bit surprised at how much I enjoyed Costco's tzatziki offering, because often, tzatziki is one of those dips best enjoyed fresh. And, it's true, nothing beats fresh tzatziki, but this store-bought dip still had some really nice flavors to offer. I was impressed at how much the dill shined through in this dip, and to me, that's the most important part of a good tzatziki.

Of course, the dip was also plenty creamy, and it had a nice pop of lemon-forward acidity that helped cut through all that creaminess. I paired the tzatziki with pita crisps while sampling, but this is the type of dip/spread where you really can't go wrong with the pairing options — veggies, crackers, tortilla chips, pita bread, a mezze spread, or grilled skewers and souvlaki would all make for great pairings here.

When sampling these Costco dips, I tried most of them cold and straight from the package. Some specified they could be served hot or cold, while the queso options were the only ones that I specifically heated up out of necessity. I opted to try everything (minus the queso) cold for the sake of fairness because I'd imagine that's how most people would approach these dips — just pop them open and start snacking.

As for what I sampled with each dip, most of them paired well enough with a simple tortilla chip. I made a pita crisp exception for two of the dips, tzatziki and hummus, because pita made a little more sense than a tortilla chip. Ultimately, I paired each dip with a dipper that I thought would best allow the dip itself to shine.

When it came to determining which dip was worth buying or avoiding, it came down to the quality of the dip, flavor (which is subjective, but I tried to explain flavor descriptions and my reasoning in each slide), and whether the dip lived up to its name/what it was supposed to entail.