10 Costco Frozen Meals Even Loyal Members Pass On

One of the top Costco membership perks is the incredible selection of frozen foods, but not all of them live up to the hype. Whether it's the high cost or lack of taste or nutritional value, some frozen meals leave much to be desired.

Costco's freezer aisle is stocked with big multipacks, so it helps to know what other shoppers think before you commit to a bulk-size package. Knowing the price per serving can also help you decide what's worth it.

Here are 10 frozen meals at Costco worth skipping.

Editor's note: Prices and availability are subject to change and may vary by location.

Price: $15.88

Jimmy Dean is known for their variety of breakfast protein options. Their turkey sausage, egg white, and cheese whole grain English muffins may be convenient, but people say no method of prep makes these taste good.

The bread is oddly soggy and the meat is rubbery, and it's just not good.

The Costco box comes with 12 individually wrapped sandwiches, or about $1.32 each. Each one is fully cooked, made with cage-free egg whites and American cheese, and has 16 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber. You can heat them in the microwave or the oven, so they're designed for quick weekday breakfasts.

Price: $14.63

Corn dogs are universally loved for their nostalgic and playful existence at fairs, carnivals, and outdoor events, so a 28-pack of jumbo ones may sound like heaven — but you'd be wrong.

While the chicken dog itself is quite juicy, the cornbread outer coating is spongy and dry, and has an unappealing grittiness to it making this one box you won't want to finish.

Each corn dog weighs 4 ounces, so the box holds 7 pounds in all, which works out to about 52 cents per corn dog. The fully cooked chicken franks are dipped in a honey cornmeal batter, and you can heat them in the oven or air fryer.

Price: $23.75

While fans used to love Kirkland's Italian Style Beef Meatballs, they aren't singing its praises so loudly now. The frozen meat — which was already tough to chew unless you deviated from the printed cooking instructions — seems more oily and wet than it used to be.

Customers who used to soak them to cook them correctly say it's almost impossible to do so now.

The 6-pound resealable bag holds about 140 fully cooked, all-beef meatballs, or roughly 17 cents each. You can bake them at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes or heat them in the microwave or air fryer. They also work in subs, pasta dishes, and slow-cooker recipes.

Price: $11.59

Costco customers massively prefer the Bibigo potstickers over the Ling Ling brand. The chicken is super sugary, the filling's texture has been compared to wet styrofoam, and the recipe has been consistently horrible over the years.

While some shoppers insist on cooking them differently than the packaging suggests for better texture, you can't make up for the taste — or lack thereof.

The chicken and vegetable potstickers come in a 4.2-pound resealable bag with about 60 pieces and five packets of dipping sauce. The filling includes cabbage, green onion, sesame, ginger, and garlic, and you can pan-fry, boil, or microwave them.

Price: $15.02

Kirkland Signature's cheesy, herbed Chicken Bakes are a big-time fan favorite at the food court, but, sadly, the frozen version tastes nothing like those and is void of the Caesar and Parmesan flavors fans love.

Unfortunately, the sodium content is also terrifying, with each chicken bake packing in a whopping 1,370 milligrams. The box contains six individually wrapped 8-ounce chicken bakes, or about $2.50 each. They're filled with chicken, mozzarella, provolone, and Parmesan cheeses, bacon, Caesar dressing, and green onions, and each one has 35 grams of protein. You can microwave them or bake them at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes for a crispier crust.

Price: $11.99

Costco is working to provide affordable, gluten-free crust options that taste better than other brands, however, the saturated fat and sodium values are alarmingly high.

Plus, cauliflower takes a lot of manipulation to taste like a true pizza crust, and this one still falls flat and oddly chewy.

Costco currently sells a Supreme version in a two-count box, which works out to about $6 per pizza. Each one is topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, pork pepperoni, seasoned sausage, red, yellow, and green bell peppers, and mushrooms. The crust is gluten-free, so it's an option for shoppers who avoid wheat.

Price: $17.93

While Ajinomoto Shoyu Ramen with Chicken was a bit of a fan favorite before, the recipe has since changed and left a bad taste in customers' mouths.

Where the chicken was sliced and tender before, it's now cut into cubes, feels rubbery, and is tougher to eat.

Costco sells the Tokyo Style Shoyu Ramen with Chicken in a six-pack of 9.45-ounce bowls, or about $2.99 per bowl. Each bowl comes with ramen noodles, white meat chicken, corn, carrots, green onions, and red bell peppers in a soy sauce broth. To prepare it, you add water to the fill line and microwave it for about four minutes.

Price: $10.99

If you're eating Stouffer's macaroni and cheese, it's probably for nostalgia — not the taste or nutritional value. Sure, 76 ounces of prepared pasta is a budget-friendly dream, but this option is astronomically high in sodium and has a gritty, floury texture to it.

The internet also acknowledges the taste isn't what it once was.

The party-size tray has about 10 servings, or roughly $1.10 per serving. It's made with elbow macaroni and real cheddar cheese with no artificial flavors or preservatives, and you can heat it in the oven or microwave. The large tray is sized for family dinners, potlucks, and holiday gatherings.

Price: $19.99

El Monterey Burritos are known for being protein-packed meal options on a budget. Unfortunately, their formerly beloved burritos shrank in size and are much less satisfying than they used to be.

Some customers even claim there is more tortilla than anything else — a massive downgrade on a once perfectly good product.

Costco's variety pack comes with 30 individually wrapped 5-ounce burritos, including 15 bean and cheese and 15 beef and bean, which works out to about 67 cents each. You can microwave them in one to two minutes or heat them in the oven or air fryer for a crispier tortilla.

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Price: $13.89

Surely, this isn't the first time you have heard that Smucker's Uncrustables aren't a great option for regular consumption. It takes almost the same amount of time to make a fresh peanut butter and jelly with more organic ingredients.

The formula has improved over the years, but there are still tons of people who complain about the texture and way-too-sweet jelly taste. 

Costco's box has 18 individually wrapped peanut butter and grape jelly sandwiches, or about 77 cents each. They're made without high fructose corn syrup, and you just thaw them for 30 to 60 minutes before eating. Each sandwich weighs 2.8 ounces.

While it can be easy to save on groceries at Costco, be sure to do your research before adding something new to your cart so you aren't disappointed that you wasted money on something you won't even finish.

Check the price per item, read the nutrition label, and look at recent member reviews before you buy. Costco's freezer section also has plenty of other options, so you can swap in a different brand or a fresh alternative. 

And if a purchase doesn't work out, Costco's membership satisfaction guarantee lets you return most products for a refund. Keep your receipt handy, or look up the purchase in your account.