These Costco Chicken Nuggets Used To Be A Fan Favorite, But Something Changed

Every once in a while, fan-favorite foods get a facelift. Maybe it's new packaging or a new recipe formula, but customers tend to notice — for better or worse. At Costco, its Kirkland Signature store brand sells Lightly Breaded Chicken Breast Chunks made from boneless, skinless chicken breast. The nuggets are breaded and fully cooked before they're packaged, frozen, and sold. They used to be a well-loved frozen food, but fans think something has changed with the chicken's flavor and texture, and it's led to negative reviews.

While some Kirkland Signature products are must-buys when you visit, customers are calling the chicken chunks "way too salty," with one review even noting that the sodium content online doesn't match the sodium content on the bag in real life. "The picture here indicates that there is 530 milligrams [of] sodium per serving, but my bag actually says 750 milligrams," someone wrote about the product on Costco's website. "They are so salty they are almost inedible." Of the fewer than 20 online reviews, at least six mention the chicken bites being far too salty.

Interestingly, the salt problem seems to have impacted other similar Kirkland Signature products. In a Reddit thread on the r/Costco forum, another user mentioned that Kirkland Signature's breaded chicken breast fillets are overly salty, too. "Salt bombs," is how one person referred to them, with another user echoing the accusation. "These and the [nuggets] were so salty we couldn't finish them," they wrote.

While there doesn't appear to be any confirmation from Costco that the breaded chicken's recipe has changed, in one Costco website review, a user mentioned buying the chicken for years only to discover the packaging on their most recent bag was different. They also noted a textural change, stating, "The chicken did not get crispy in the air fryer. It just got greasy and the breading got soggy." 

On the r/Costco Reddit, users have also noted the meat's textural change. "I've noticed they have gotten much tougher/grainy as of late," one person wrote, adding that they believe it has to do with the chicken's recipe changing to include more rib meat, though this hasn't been confirmed. Another user presented a different theory, also unconfirmed, suggesting that "we're just growing [chickens] way too fast, and their freakishly unhealthy bodies produce bad chicken when it comes time to cook."

On top of the salt and texture changes, one website review mentioned that the price has increased since the last time they purchased the item. Kirkland products still make a ton of money from Costco shoppers, but for those looking for an alternative brand, users on both Costco's website and in the Reddit thread mentioned that Just Bare chicken is a good option.