The Costco Frozen Fried Chicken With A Deliciously Unique Breading

When shopping at Costco, most people know to grab the basics, like snacks, Nespresso pods, or even giant buckets of honey. But did you know you can also find great deals on frozen food? Costco sells a large, 3-pound bag of Real Good Foods Lightly Breaded Chicken Strips for around $17.69, though prices may vary.

One might get sticker shock at the thought of spending close to $18 on frozen chicken, but consider this: A 20-ounce bag of the same product costs $7.86 at Walmart. The Costco option works out to roughly 36 cents an ounce, while the Walmart version costs 39 cents an ounce. That may seem minor, but when you compare pound for pound, Costco's version is about $5.89 a pound, while Walmart's runs $6.29 a pound.

Furthermore, Real Good Foods chicken strips are gluten-free and keto-friendly, as the breading is made with chickpea flour rather than wheat flour. Chickpea flour, which is made from garbanzo beans ground into a powder-like substance, is high in protein and fiber, and chickpeas are also a great source of iron. Considering how versatile these chicken strips are — you can use them to top a salad, make a crunchy, sticky, spicy fried chicken sandwich, or simply eat them with your favorite type of french fries — the case for buying a larger quantity at Costco becomes much stronger.

With a mission to make frozen food using less sugar, fewer processed carbs, and fewer artificial ingredients, Real Good Foods launched in 2018 with a direct-to-consumer website. Since then, the brand has expanded from its original Chicken Crust Pizzas and Mini Enchiladas to a wide variety of offerings, including breakfast quesadillas, lasagna bowls, and even jars of grass-fed beef tallow.

Real Good Foods proves that a focus on nutrition doesn't have to mean a compromise on flavor. Most reviews of the brand online are positive, with Redditors saying the company's rotation of low-carb meals has become "freezer staples." Some customers love the bacon-wrapped chicken meals so much that they help each other sign up for text notifications to find out when the product is back in stock at their local grocery store.

Another quality people praise about Real Good Foods is how easy the meals are to prepare. Most of them, including the enchiladas, can be cooked in just a few minutes in the microwave. For the chicken strips specifically, many agree the best way to get the chickpea flour crust crispy is to lightly oil them before popping them in an air fryer at 330 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 to 12 minutes.