Are the Costco food court chicken tenders good? Price, portions and how healthy they are

C ostco ’s food court has a new crowd-pleaser, and on price alone, it is easy to see the appeal. The warehouse chain has added chicken tenders to food courts around the country after testing them in select markets earlier this year.

The $6.99 order includes five large breaded chicken breast strips and a dipping sauce, making it one of the more substantial meals on the menu. The catch is the calorie count.

A full order comes in at about 1,640 calories, turning what looks like a relatively simple chicken meal into one of the heavier options available at Costco ’s food court. That has not stopped shoppers from trying it.

Early reactions have focused heavily on portion size, with some customers praising the value and arguing that five large strips for under $7 compare favorably with fast-food chicken meals.

What do Costco’s chicken tenders taste like?

Reviews have been mixed. Some shoppers have described the strips as crispy, meaty and filling, while others have complained that the chicken can be salty, dry or overly breaded.

The dipping sauce has attracted almost as much attention as the tenders themselves.

Costco food blogger Lucas Gomes , known online as The Kirkland King, said the sauce does not taste like the familiar version served at Chick-fil-A.

“This sauce does not taste like Chick-fil-A sauce,” Gomes said. “I don’t know what this mystery sauce is, but it’s good.”

Others have compared the flavor more closely to a tangy or zesty honey mustard. That means the experience may depend as much on personal preference as on price.

Shoppers looking for a large, inexpensive meal may be impressed, while those expecting premium chicken could come away less enthusiastic.

How healthy are Costco’s chicken tenders?

This is where the meal becomes harder to recommend as an everyday option.

At roughly 1,640 calories for the full order with sauce, the tenders can account for a significant share of an adult’s daily calorie intake.

The high total doesn't automatically make the meal “unhealthy,” since individual nutritional needs vary, but it does make portion control important.

Splitting the tenders with someone else, saving part of the order for later or using less sauce would reduce the calorie load considerably.

The strips are also more expensive than Costco ’s signature $1.50 hot dog and soda combo, though still relatively cheap compared with many restaurant chicken meals.

Costco has made several changes to its food court menu in recent years, including replacing the churro with a large chocolate chip cookie and introducing new sandwiches.

The new tenders fit neatly into that strategy of oversized, inexpensive and designed to generate conversation. Whether they are “good” depends on what matters most.

If the priority is value and portion size, they are easy to understand. If the priority is nutrition, the 1,640-calorie total is the part shoppers should pay the closest attention to.