5 Costco Prepared Meals That Are Ready In 10 Minutes Or Less

Costco's deli and freezer sections offer a huge variety of convenient, easy-to-prepare meals that are perfect for nights you don't feel like cooking. While some, like the fan-favorite meatloaf meal that shoppers can't get enough of, take 40 to 50 minutes to heat up in the oven, others can be ready in 10 minutes or less. And after a busy workday, battling traffic on the way home, and tackling a list of household chores, it's nice to know you won't have to spend an hour standing over the stove making a meal.

Costco's prepared meals offer convenience, as you won't need to shop for multiple ingredients, chop and dice them, or dirty multiple pots and pans. Their large portion sizes make them a great value as well, as you can easily stretch some into more than one meal. Best of all, they actually taste good, so you won't feel like you have to sacrifice quality and flavor for convenience.

To create today's list, we first checked the cooking or preparation instructions on each product's label to make sure it could be ready in 10 minutes or less, as well as customer tips for heating and serving. We also looked customer tips for heating and serving, read customer reviews, and considered portion size, value, and price. And although Costco's selection of prepared meals varies from store to store and season to season, we made an effort to include options that are available year-round at a large number of warehouse locations across the country. In the end, we found five delicious Costco prepared foods worth buying for a busy week.

If you love chicken alfredo but typically don't have time to make it, this Kirkland pasta dish is Costco's creamiest hidden gem. Each package offers around four pounds of penne pasta mixed with chicken breast chunks, fresh alfredo sauce, and shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheese topped with parsley. The per-pound cost is about $4.50 to $4.79, bringing each package to a little over $20.

To heat the dish, the cooking instructions recommend using the oven; however, customers say that they've had better luck using a saucepan. This allows you to portion out as much of the pasta as you'll eat in one meal and heat it all the way through without worrying about the penne becoming hard and crunchy or mushy and gummy. Add the pasta to a nonstick pan, and cook it for around six to eight minutes over medium-high heat while stirring frequently. 

In a Reddit post asking for customers' thoughts on Kirkland Signature's Chicken Alfredo, one person says they love it, adding, "It tastes homemade and they don't skimp on the chicken." While the dish already includes parmesan cheese, garlic, cream, and butter, Costco members have a few other ingredient suggestions for adding even more flavor, nutrition, and value to this easy-to-make meal. One person on Reddit says, "I add about a half cup of milk before I cook it and it turns out way better." Others suggest adding broccoli or peas and Italian seasoning or Old Bay to turn it into a Costco meal that just might outshine your grandmother's cooking.

We named this chili one of the best Costco prepared foods to buy because of its smoky flavor, hearty portion size, and affordable price. A 4-pound package contains around eight servings and costs approximately $4.87 per pound, or a little under $20 total. The savory dish is made from ground beef, kidney and pinto beans, onions, and green peppers simmered in a rich, seasoned tomato sauce. It's topped with shredded cheddar cheese and parsley.

Because it's fully cooked, you just need to heat and serve. The heating instructions on the label recommend that you add your desired amount of chili to a sauce pot and cook it over medium heat until it reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit, which may take around eight to 10 minutes. You can also microwave it in a covered container for about five or six minutes. This chili comes highly recommended from Costco members, one of whom declared on Reddit that it's "the second best deli entree after the chicken pot pie." Another said, "I love the taste. Big chunky bits of meat. Not too spicy, just right," while one person admitted, "It won fourth place at my work [chili] cook-off."

Customers say it's good on its own but has a mild flavor that can be improved with added seasonings, hot sauce, sour cream, and tortilla chips. Shoppers also say it freezes well if you divide portions up into freezer-safe, airtight containers. They recommend serving it with cornbread or using it for nachos or chili dogs.

This meal kit includes all of the ingredients you need to make 12 chicken street tacos. It's ideal for a weeknight meal for a busy family and also one of the best Costco prepared meals for a single person. It comes with fully cooked diced chicken breast, corn tortillas, shredded cheese, cabbage slaw, lime wedges, salsa, and a cilantro lime crema. The chicken is pre-seasoned with paprika and other spices, and customers say that both the chicken and salsa are fairly mild. Each kit costs around $5 to $6 a pound, or approximately $16 to $17 per package, making this a prepared meal that's both high in protein and cheaper than homemade. 

It only takes around 10 minutes to turn the kit into a meal. You can reheat the chicken and warm the tortillas in the microwave or in a pan and then assemble each taco easily with the provided toppings. However, most shoppers caution against using the microwave as the chicken can turn out rubbery or dry, and the tortillas will get crumbly. Shoppers give this meal kit two enthusiastic thumbs up, with one person on Reddit saying, "I love them. Super convenient. About 4-5 servings in a [package]." In another post, a Costco member says, "chicken tacos are probably my all-time fav to pick up for an easy, cheap, and tasty dinner." In response to another Redditor, who was skeptical of the value of this meal kit, a shopper says, "It's the ease for me. And they taste good. What's not to love?"

These shredded chicken quesadillas can be enjoyed on their own, dressed up to appeal to different palates, or served with other simple dishes like soup, beans, or rice to turn them into a full meal. The kit comes with six to eight folded flour tortillas stuffed with pre-cooked chipotle chicken and shredded cheese as well as three small containers of salsa, guacamole, and sour cream. Each kit is around $6 to $6.59 per pound, or roughly $15 per package.

Heating instructions recommend adding an ounce of oil to a nonstick frying pan and cooking each quesadilla for around two and a half minutes on each side or until the cheese inside has melted and the exterior of the tortilla is light brown and crispy. You can also heat them up in your air fryer, brushing the outside of each tortilla with a bit of oil first.

In a Reddit post in which a shopper celebrates the return of the quesadillas to their local Costco warehouse, a commenter responded, "oh thank god. These were such a weekday dinner time saver that every[one] here loves." Another person added, "my husband and I each got 3 lunches out of a kit that was $16.99. Seems like a steal to me!" In a different post another Costco shopper reveals that the quesadillas have even become a weekly tradition for their family.

The Kirkland Signature Yakisoba Stir Fry is an underrated Costco deli item you shouldn't skip. Each package contains approximately eight servings for around $6 to $6.50 per pound, or a little over $20 per package. The meal kit includes large chunks of seasoned and precooked chicken thigh meat, yakisoba noodles, two containers of stir fry sauce, and a medley of fresh vegetables like broccoli, bell peppers, carrots, onions, and snap peas. The cooking instructions direct you to heat two ounces of oil in a large pan or wok over medium-high heat, stir fry the veggies first for a couple of minutes, and then add the chicken. After another two minutes, add the noodles and sauce and cook for around one minute more for a total prep time of five minutes. Some people do recommend about eight to 10 minutes total to ensure everything is heated through.

This meal is regularly recommended to Costco members looking for a fast, easy, and delicious weeknight dinner. Shoppers say that it's tasty and convenient, although opinions are mixed on the sauce. As one Redditor says, "the chicken is really good, it's been marinated and has good grilled flavor. And the overall convenience is great, however I found the sauce to be incredibly salty." There is an easy fix, however: swapping out the sauce with a different option. In a different Reddit post, a person says, "shoutout to the user who suggested swapping the sauce it comes with and using Bachan's Japanese Barbecue Sauce! This meal is a STAPLE in our house and you just made it 10x better!"