Costco Shoppers Are Revealing Their Favorite Meal Hacks That Will Save Your Wallet And Require Almost No Effort
If you’ve ever roamed the aisles of Costco, you know it’s basically the mecca of bulk deals and convenience foods. Sometimes, after a long day of adulting (or just existing), the last thing you want to do is cook a meal from scratch. So, when all else fails, you can always turn to the wholesale wonder for a lazy yet satisfying feast.
In an attempt to figure out which easy Costco meals are fan favorites, I headed over to the r/Costco subreddit — home to the most honest, no-nonsense opinions on the internet — and found a few threads where people shared their go-to lazy Costco dinner ideas. Get ready to fill up your cart and avoid doing real cooking all at once. Because isn’t that what lazy meals are all about?
1."My easiest is the orange chicken, sticky rice, and frozen green beans (all from Costco!). Also, I will do the frozen edamame because my kids (two and six) love it."
2."Costco Italian sandwich: place an open-faced artisan roll on a baking sheet with basil pesto, salami, ham, prosciutto, and mozzarella balls. Toast until the cheese is melted. Add a slice of tomato and drizzle with red wine vinegar and balsamic vinegar. This sandwich cures seasonal depression."
3."Lazy man enchiladas: rotisserie chicken, cheese, tortillas, and salsa (it has to be a salsa you like). Shred your chicken, chop it up a bit, put cheese and salsa in there, then fill your enchiladas with that mixture. Put the rest of the salsa on top with more cheese and bake."
4."Bibigo microwave rice, shredded rotisserie, and Bachan's Japanese BBQ sauce make a great Asian-style BBQ chicken bowl. You can do the same with ground beef for a beef bowl."
5."Salmon, rice, and asparagus. Put the salmon and asparagus in the air fryer and the rice in a rice cooker. It's healthy, delicious, and easy."
6."The pre-cooked chicken patties from Amylu: throw them in a frying pan to heat them up, then on a bun. Add a veggie of your choice."
7."The chicken tikka masala is good. Warm it on the stovetop, and serve it over rice. We sauté some diced bell peppers and add a little extra heavy cream, garam masala, turmeric, cumin, and cayenne to the chicken mix for some extra flavor. You can get the naan dippers to go with it as well."
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8."Get the tortilla-crusted tilapia and throw them in the air fryer. They make wonderful fish tacos. Put whatever toppings you want! They pair really well with the lime crème sauce."
9."We make 'cheater chicken parm.' It requires breaded chicken of your choice (we use the Tyson panko breaded tenders), five cheese tortellini, and marinara sauce. Cook everything according to package directions; cut the chicken into bite-size pieces, throw some cooked tortellini on a plate with a handful of chicken pieces, and cover in marinara sauce. If you feel fancy, you can add tomatoes and extra cheese."
10."A feta cheese block, cherry tomatoes, and pasta. The TikTok recipe is viral for a reason and a staple in our house."
11."Kirkland lightly breaded chicken breast chunks, PuraVida fire roasted root veggies, and Sweet Baby Ray's."
12."Chicken, two packs of the French country loaves, and maybe some tomatoes or a bag of salad. Freeze one of the loaves for next time. You can make sandwiches, but just the bread (with butter or chicken juices), chicken, and tomatoes is a perfect meal."
13."Kielbasa, chopped bell pepper, and red onions. Toss in olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika, and lay on a foil-lined baking sheet. Put into a 425ºF oven for 15 minutes or so to roast. Add the kielbasa when five or so minutes are remaining. Once done, chop kielbasa, and you're good to go. We'll sometimes do the pierogies with the kielbasa instead. Boil the perogies and sauté with butter in a pan. You can also sauté some diced yellow onion and serve with sour cream."
14."Baked sweet potato (or any other kind of potato) topped with Amy's chili and avocado. You can add more toppings if you have/want them (cheese, Greek yogurt, jalapeños, etc.)."
15."Rotisserie chicken and Rao's marinara, pesto sauce, or jarred curry sauce. Shred the chicken, heat it up in one of the sauces, and serve over pasta or rice. Serve with raw mini carrots, or slice and add carrots to the sauce of your choice."
16."We like the Rana chicken and pasta kits. I buy a bag of fresh spinach, broccoli, and sometimes the little tomatoes and throw in the sauce the last minute of microwaving."
17."The ramen bowls in the freezer section (fresh, not deep-fried, rehydrated noodles). If I'm really hungry, I'll bake or air fry a couple of the Kirkland tempura shrimp for 10 minutes (also in the freezer section) to have on the side."
18."Definitely the shrimp cocktail over spring mix with diced apple cubes and some Kirkland Signature balsamic vinegar. I love that as a quick healthy lunch!"
19."The rotisserie chicken is the ultimate. It's a whole, cooked chicken sold for less than the same amount of raw meat, saving you time and money. It can be put into almost any chicken dish (I use it for chile verde, pasta, soups, tamales, etc.). You can just carve it up with the skin on, roast it a little more in the oven (I do, like, 10 minutes at 375ºF), and serve it with a salad and baguette or maybe rice. Boom, that's a sit-down quality dinner for your family that took maybe 20 minutes to make. I also love using the carcass for stock!"
20."I always have a bag of frozen tortellini and a jug of minced garlic on hand. Cook the tortellini, then throw some butter and garlic in the pot to make a sauce while the pasta drains. It's my go-to easy meal. Sometimes, I'll have a sauce on hand like pesto or marinara, but if I don't have a jar opened, I go with butter and garlic. I also keep frozen shrimp on hand, which is nice because you can defrost shrimp quickly if you want protein."
21."In a large pot, add one jar of Rao's, one jar of water, and one bag of whatever frozen or fresh veg sounds good. Add some Better Than Bouillon (beef or chicken) and any other spices you want. Let this cook for about 10 minutes. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed. Add two cans of beans or one cup of dried lentils. If you're using dried lentils, cook them for 10 minutes. If you're using canned beans, cook until the beans are warm (about five minutes). Add more water if needed, bring to a boil, and add the pasta. Cook the pasta slightly longer than you would in water — it generally takes me 12 minutes instead of nine for whole-grain pasta. Serve with a dash of parmesan."
22."Get a rotisserie chicken and a pack of King's Hawaiian buns. Remove as much meat as you can from the chicken, dice it, and throw it in a bowl. Sauté some red onions until cooked and add to the chicken, then add salt, a drizzle of olive oil, and some balsamic vinegar. Stir the whole thing up and make sandwiches. They are even better the next day."
There you have it: Costco meals that are big on flavor but small on effort. Whether you’re brand new to the world of bulk buying or you have your membership card memorized, these lazy meal ideas can truly make your dinner prep a cinch. Because sometimes you just want something delicious without all the fuss. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to grab a rotisserie chicken and a tub of spinach artichoke dip — for, you know, “research.” Bon appétit and happy Costco shopping!
Are there any "lazy" Costco meals you rely on? Tell us about them in the comments!
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.
