One Of Costco's Best Seafood Items Comes From Kirkland Signature

Costco's massive warehouses are home to ... well, just about everything. Where else can you get groceries, tires, prescription contacts, and a food court hot dog in one trip? On your next visit, we implore you to turn your attention to seafood, as the Kirkland Signature Breaded Panko Shrimp is a timeless frozen food Costco shoppers swear by.

This Costco product received high marks from Mashed in a review of the best and worst Costco frozen seafood. In addition to being quick-baking and bite-sized, we loved them for their texture. "Each shrimp had a perfectly crisp exterior with an amazing crunch; I was honestly surprised at the quality, and they rivaled (or even surpassed) many similar dishes I've had at restaurants," our taste tester wrote. "The shrimp filling tasted fresh, juicy, and had the ideal springy texture." As long as you don't mind slight greasiness in the breading and tail-on shrimp, they're worth the buy.

The appetizer (or main, if you're feeling low maintenance) stars butterflied shrimp breaded with crunchy panko crumbs and seasoned flour that includes garlic, onion, paprika, salt, and wheat and yellow corn flour. The shrimp are baked fresh to retain flavor and quality, then frozen for customers to reheat at home. One shopper on Reddit alleged, "The panko shrimp is as big as a Chips Ahoy cookie and similar thickness as the shrimp tempura." So $20.42 for a 2.5-pound box is a steal.

Kirkland Signature is Costco's exclusive private label. More than 500 products span categories like food, clothing, beauty, and pets. Since 1995, members have joined for access to these items, which are approved by the CEO and held to meticulous quality standards. Not only are they cheaper than name-brand competitors, but Kirkland products are often a name brand in cheaper packaging.

There are several ways to prepare Kirkland's panko shrimp. The box instructions provide methods for conventional, household convection, and commercial convection ovens, plus advise against microwaving, and some fans recommend an air fryer. All methods call for preheating and baking the shrimp in a single layer, ideally flipping them about halfway through.

While many past customers swear by this shrimp, with one Redditor stating, "The panko shrimp is kind of like what you get in a shrimp basket, but much better. If I ordered breaded shrimp at a bar and got that, I would rave about how good it was." Other older reviews also raved about the shrimp, noting they heat up well in an air fryer. But despite past customers loving the panko shrimp, some believe this might be one of many Costco items that have fallen off in quality, citing an excess of breading and lower-tier shellfish. One Redditor noted, "The flavor of the breading wasn't the same and the quality of the shrimp was lacking. Has anyone else noticed this?"