When I read that Costco was launching Chick-fil-A copycat nuggets, I was irrationally excited. After all, I love Costco products and Chick-fil-A makes some of the best chicken nuggets in the world.
So, with Costco's Lightly Breaded Chicken Breast Chunk nuggets out in the wild, do they compare to Chick-fil-A nuggets? I cooked Costco's new nuggets and compared them against Chick-fil-A side-by-side. Read this full review to see whether Costco's new nuggets could be a new staple meal for you and your family.
The Background On Costco's “Copycat” Chick-fil-A Nuggets
©MomsWhoThink /Eric Bleeker
Cotco's new chicken nuggets are sold under the name “Lightly Breaded Chicken Breast Chunks.” They've become a popular item on Instagram because of their similarity to Chick-fil-A nuggets. Costco has had breaded chicken products in the past from the brand ‘Just Bare,' but the Kirkland Signature version only started showing up later in the summer of 2023.
- 4-serving meals starting at $3.77 per serving (up to 25% cheaper than HelloFresh).
- Incredible variety with 10+ weekly meal options, delivered directly to you.
- Easy to prepare meals ready in 30-minutes or less.
Nutritional Facts: How Healthy Are Costco's Lightly Breaded Chicken Breast Chunks?
The most important nutritional facts for Costco's Lightly Breaded Chicken Breast Chunks are:
- Serving Size: 3 ounces (84g)
- Calories: 140
- Total Fat: 5g
- Sodium: 530 mg (23% of daily value)
- Carbohydrates: 9g
- Added Sugars: 1g
- Protein: 16g
Overall, they're very healthy! While 9 grams of carbohydrates might be on the high side if you're on a low-carbohydrate diet, overall most of the calories still come from fat and protein. In addition, there aren't sugars added to make the nuggets taste better. One final positive is that these nuggets only use chickens raised with no antibiotics, added hormones, or steroids.
The most glaring nutritional negative with Costco's new nuggets is their sodium content. If you're having three servings worth (about 9 ounces), that will be 69% of your daily value of sodium. If you're avoiding high-sodium foods, you'll want to avoid these nuggets.
Taste Test: Costco Chicken Nuggets vs. Chick-fil-A
©MomsWhoThink /Eric Bleeker
Now, the Internet is buzzing about these chicken nuggets because they're compared to Chick-fil-A's famous chicken nuggets. That got me very interested in how the two nuggets would compare in a head-to-head taste test!
- 4-serving meals starting at $3.77 per serving (up to 25% cheaper than HelloFresh).
- Incredible variety with 10+ weekly meal options, delivered directly to you.
- Easy to prepare meals ready in 30-minutes or less.
I purchased an 8-piece breaded nugget from Chick-fil-A and compared it to Costco's Lightly Breaded Chicken Breast Chunks. Here's my summary of each:
- Chick-fil-A Nuggets: Had less chicken and more breading. One positive is that the Chick-fil-A nuggets were also more flavorful thanks to a healthier helping of spices used in their breading.
- Costco Chicken Nuggets: Didn't have as much flavor, but the chicken inside was very moist and of high quality.
One note, I'd really recommend cooking Costco's chicken nuggets in an air fryer. They won't take more than 10 minutes, but the air fryer gives them an excellent crispy outside while maintaining a moist interior.
Overall, I personally preferred Chick-fil-A's nuggets because of the added flavor from the spices in their breading. However, I actually did think the chicken quality in Costco's nuggets was better. If you prefer a lower amount of breading relative to chicken, my guess is you'll actually think Costco's nuggets are better than what you'll find at Chick-fil-A!
How Good Of a Value are Costco's Nuggets?
I paid $13.99 for a 64-ounce bag of Costco's chicken nuggets. For comparison, an 8-count of Chick-fil-A nuggets is about 4 ounces. So, each bag of Costco Lightly Breaded Chicken Chunks has 16 times as much food as an 8-count Chick-fil-A nugget.
How good of a deal does that make Costco nuggets? Well, an 8-count nugget at my local Chick-fil-A costs $5.19, or about $1.30 per ounce. By comparison, Costco nuggets are $.22 per ounce.
In short, they're a tremendous bargain, especially if you're feeding a family.
Final Thoughts on Costco's Chicken Breast Chunks
©MomsWhoThink /Eric Bleeker
Overall, I'm very impressed with Costco's Lightly Breaded Chicken Breast Chunks. If you're a fan of the ‘Just Bare' chicken tenders or nuggets sold at Costco, I can confidently say you'll enjoy this product.
- 4-serving meals starting at $3.77 per serving (up to 25% cheaper than HelloFresh).
- Incredible variety with 10+ weekly meal options, delivered directly to you.
- Easy to prepare meals ready in 30-minutes or less.
On a scale of 1-10, I'd give Costco's Chicken Breast Chunks an 8.5. They're a tremendous value. My only downsides would be I wish the bag was resealable and I wish they had a little more flavor. Of course, if you're using a dipping sauce the amount of flavor may not matter as much.
One other consideration could be how much your family enjoys Chick-fil-A's nuggets. My kids tried the Costco nuggets and ate them, but would still prefer more kid-focused nuggets (Dino Nuggets). If your kids are fans of Chick-fil-A nuggets, it's a near certainty they'll love this product.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©MomsWhoThink /Eric Bleeker .