One Of The Best Costco Prepared Meals Of 2026 Is Loaded With Its Famous Rotisserie Chicken

It's safe to say that Costco's rotisserie chicken is one of its most iconic offerings, mainly because it's been priced at $4.99 since it was first introduced in 1994, with only one brief exception. The chicken is the store's most famous loss leader: Costco makes a loss on the bird itself, but instead profits from the items people buy while they're already at the store picking up the chicken. Costco puts its rotisserie chicken to work in the deli section as well, in several of its prepared meals. For example, it's featured in the Kirkland Signature Greek Pasta Salad, which made our list of the top five hands-down best Costco prepared meals of 2026.

The salad is made with penne pasta, rotisserie chicken, Kalamata olives, feta cheese, artichokes, grape tomatoes, red onion, and Greek dressing. Fans of the iconic chicken will be happy to discover that the salad doesn't skimp on the meat chunks, which are large enough to offer a good bite. Despite its simplicity, the salad tastes flavorful, and the addition of the fresh tomatoes and onions provides a refreshing note. It's definitely one of the Costco prepared foods worth buying for a busy week, especially since the full container comes with about 104 grams of protein. The salad is priced at $4.99 per pound, and the entire package will cost you around $15.

Costco's Greek pasta salad featuring rotisserie chicken is not a novelty. It used to be a popular item at the deli, usually offered seasonally during the summer. It mysteriously disappeared off the shelves sometime in 2017, although it occasionally still popped up at some locations in the summer. But after years off the shelf, Costco's fan-favorite deli salad made an official comeback in August 2026. Given that the salad is still available in mid-September, it might just become part of the permanent lineup this time around.

The customers would certainly hope so, if online chatter is any indication. "I could eat this salad every day," reads a comment under an Instagram post announcing the salad's return. "Be still my heart," reacted another customer, while somebody shared, "We were obsessed with this back in the day." As people expressed their anticipation about the availability of the salad, one person even reported, "My Costco in Alaska had it yesterday, and we're always the last to get anything." So definitely keep an eye out for it if you're planning to try it.

It is worth noting, however, that not everybody is impressed with this Mediterranean dish. Those who won't be purchasing it have mainly pointed out that this kind of salad is pretty easy to make at home and likely a lot cheaper. But sometimes, paying a few extra dollars for the convenience is just worth it.