You may love fast food for the taste or convenience, until you realize how quickly those "affordable" meals add up.
If you'd rather keep money in your pocket, Costco has your back. From breakfast bites that taste just like Starbucks to crispy fries that rival McDonald's, these products recreate drive-through faves without breaking the bank.
And with these 10 Costco shopping hacks, you get the best dupes for fast-food flavors, including the ultimate copycat.
Editor's note: Prices and availability are subject to change and may vary by location.
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Kirkland Signature Extra Crispy French Fries
Price: $7.71
These thin, crisp fries are the perfect dupe for the crisp on the outside, fluffy inside taste that McDonald's "World Famous Fries" are known for.
With five pounds of the KS fries on hand, you can throw a party without the wait at the McDonald's drive-thru. Reviewers love the savory flavor and recommend throwing them in the air fryer for the best results.
Ajinomoto Yakitori Chicken Fried Rice
Price: $17.01
Ajinomoto chicken fried rice comes in six nine-ounce pouches that reviewers say taste well-seasoned, with a good amount of chicken and vegetables. They also think it's more like a side dish than a main.
As such, it's the perfect dupe of Panda Express Fried Rice. Redditor dtx1984 actually prefers the Ajinomoto version, since it's "less greasy, more flavorful, and has a good amount of veggies!"
Kirkland Signature Pepperoni Pizza
Price: $16.33
If you're a fan of Domino's Pepperoni thin-crust pizza, this KS product is sure to satisfy at an unbeatable price. It comes in a four-pound box, which means each pizza can serve a movie night with leftovers to boot.
This pizza delivers a snappy, thin-crust bite that makes up for the hassle of using the oven instead of ordering out.
Kirkland Signature Lightly Breaded Chicken Chunks
Price: $18.15
Are Chick-fil-A Nuggets your guilty pleasure? If so, you'll be happy to know that shoppers who try the KS lightly breaded chicken chunks claim they're a bona fide stand-in for the meaty, lightly peppered breaded nuggets.
And at $4.53 per pound for a four-pound bag, these chicken chunks will satisfy your nuggie cravings way more affordably than paying $11 for eight nuggets at the fast food restaurant.
Kirkland Signature House Blend Coffee
Price: $20.42
For $20, you can purchase two and a half pounds of smooth, medium roast coffee, ready to brew at any time. That's a better deal than paying $19.28 for two pounds of Starbucks Pike Place Roast to get the same robust flavor.
And that's doing it on the cheap, since buying a cup of hot coffee at Starbucks will cost you more in the long term, especially if you like to add various toppings.
Kirkland Signature Egg Bites
Price: $14.52
Egg bites are a delicious way to start the morning, but these Costco bites are a little more. They're dupes of the Starbucks Bacon & Gruyere Egg Bites.
The format is the same: silky egg with bacon and cheese in bite-sized portions. While the Costco bites use Gouda instead of Gruyere, the result is similar enough to forgo the extra trip (and added expense) and pick up the KS 10-pack for your first meal of the day.
Kirkland Signature Beef Chili
Price: $19.97
Costco's ready-to-heat meals hook in many shoppers, and this beef-and-bean chili offers four hearty one-pound portions. The chili contains large beef pieces, but it's scarce in vegetables or beans.
That makes it a huge draw for fans of Wendy's chili. As Redditor delightful_caprese puts it: "It tastes like Wendy's chili to me, and I like Wendy's chili."
Kirkland Signature Breakfast Sandwich
Price: $18.72
If you enjoy more substantial breakfasts than egg bites, this one's for you. The KS breakfast sandwich matches another Starbucks offering: its double-smoked bacon, cheddar, and egg sandwich.
As for the taste, reviewers find it almost identical, except for the bacon, which is more plentiful in the Starbucks sandwich. Still, for $2.34 per sandwich at Costco vs. $6.13 per Starbucks sandwich, it's pretty easy to ignore this difference and pick up the affordable eight-count package at Costco.
Kirkland Signature Super Premium Vanilla Ice Cream
Price: $16.90
Soft-serve vanilla cones are the reason many people head to McDonald's for a meal. While you won't be handed a ready-to-go cone with the KS premium vanilla ice cream, you'll enjoy the same sweet, creamy vanilla taste.
With one gallon of ice cream in your freezer, you'll be ready for a sweet, nostalgic treat for days to come. Pick up some sugar cones or blend this treat into a shake, and you're all set.
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Kirkland Signature Lightly Breaded Chicken Breast Fillet
Price: $15.88
Finally, the fast-food dupe winner. This list wouldn't be complete without this KS pick. The three-pound bag has the secret ingredient for the ultimate Chick-fil-A dupe: well-seasoned, juicy chicken fillets with a peppery breadcrumb crust.
The fillets are the best part of Chick-fil-A's iconic original chicken sandwich. Just toast a brioche bun and add dill pickle chips, and you'll join the ranks of shoppers who consider this dupe "delicious, and highly recommended."
Bottom line
Costco's fast-food copycats lineup proves you don't need a drive-through to get your fix. With a few frozen items and maybe a bottle of Chick-fil-A sauce, you can recreate your favorite meal at home for a fraction of the cost.
Another great way to save more money at Costco is to watch for its warehouse savings deals, which include items like our ultimate chicken sandwich dupe. You'll thank us later.
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