Costco P.F. Chang's Kung Pao Tempura Shrimp
P.F. Chang’s Kung Pao Tempura Shrimp at Costco
Costco sells a 30 ounce box of P.F. Chang’s Kung Pao Tempura Shrimp for $13.49. The Kung Pao Shrimp can be found in Costco’s frozen food area near other items such as the Wild Argentine Red Shrimp, Coconut Shrimp, and the Garlic Butter Shrimp.
The package of Kung Pao shrimp from Costco includes approximately 49 Crispy tempura battered shrimp with a sweet and spicy Kung Pao Sauce. P.F. Chang’s gives this item a 3 out of 5 spice level.
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Costco Cost Comparison - P.F. Chang’s Kung Pao Tempura Shrimp
How Much does P.F. Chang's Kung Pao Shrimp Cost at Costco?
Costco sells P.F. Chang’s Kung Pao shrimp for a very reasonable $13.49.
This breaks down to $6.95 a pound which seems like a very fair price for shrimp considering that Costco sells 2 pounds of plain raw shrimp for $14.99.
Sauce Overload?
My major problem with the frozen Kung Pao Shrimp price is how much sauce is included in the packaging. Of the 30 ounces listed on the box, about 9.5 ounces will be from the Kung Pao Sauce. This leaves 20.5 ounces or 1.28 pounds of breaded shrimp.
By including a hefty amount of sauce in the packaging, P.F. Chang’s can reduce the amount of shrimp that is included while still listing a solid 30 ounces on the packaging.
I used to be a big fan of receiving large amounts of sauce because that is what usually will bring the flavor, but now I’ve realized that companies are including a copious amount of sauce to reduce the actual food contents.
Costco vs the Competition
It doesn’t appear that P.F. Chang’s sells their Kung Pao Tempura Shrimp anywhere else aside from Costco. Other large retailers will have other P.F. Chang frozen home menu products but not this exact kung pao shrimp.
At the time of this posting, P.F. Chang doesn’t even list the Kung Pao Shrimp on their home menu website.
P.F. Chang’s Kung Pao Shrimp Taste Test
I opted to cook the Kung Pao Shrimp using the recommended air fryer instructions. The shrimp was sufficiently crispy and cooked all the way through.
Plenty of Kung Pao Sauce
I already mentioned that they include two 4.75 ounce bags of sauce in the package and that each of the sauce packets is meant for half a bag of shrimp.
The shrimp needed about 4.25 ounces of sauce to be covered appropriately, so they didn’t necessarily “pad” the weight of the package.
After saucing, each shrimp was appropriately coated and covered. The sauce looked very much like the box, but was lacking in the red pepper flakes.
There were only a few noticeable flakes throughout the entire sauce packet.
Not Spicy!
The packaging rates the spice level a 3 out of 5, but after eating the shrimp, I would consider the spice level to be closer to a 1 or maybe a 1.5.
This dish isn’t spicy, and George likes his PF Chang’s Kung Pao Shrimp spicy!
Note: If not eaten immediately after saucing, the batter on the kung pao shrimp will start to absorb some of the sauce and become soggy.
Heavily Salted!
I’m very glad I ate the kung pao shrimp with a bowl of Bibigo’s sticky white rice, because the shrimp is extremely salty.
On my very first bite, even with all the sauce, breading, and rice I thought the shrimp was way overly salted.
It is prominent and noticeable and the salt level is right on the edge of inedible. It’s not quite at the point where you can’t eat the shrimp, but it is very close. The saltiness dominates the taste buds and detracts from the entire meal.
The quality of the shrimp was acceptable. I didn’t put too much thought to it because all I could think about was the saltiness, but the actual shrimp didn’t make or break the meal.
P.F. Chang’s Kung Pao Shrimp from Costco Cooking/Heating Instructions
There are two different methods listed on the packaging on how to heat these Costco Kung Pao Shrimps.
The first method is to heat one full bag in the oven and the other is to use the air fryer for half a bag.
Conventional Oven - Full Bag
- Adjust oven racks to the upper and lower third of the oven. Preheat oven to 450°F. Line two baking sheets with foil and spray with cooking spray.
- Divide the Costco Kung shrimp evenly between the two baking sheets in a single layer. Cook 14 to 16 minutes, turning shrimp and rotating pans halfway through cooking, until crispy and golden brown.
- Check that food is cooked thoroughly. Careful, Its Hot! Toss in sauce and serve immediately.
For half Bag, use one baking sheet and cook in center of oven.
Air Fryer Cooking Method - Half Bag
- Spray bottom of fryer basket or rack with cooking spray and add shrimp.
- Cook at 400°F for 10 to 13 minutes, turning or shaking halfway through cooking.
- Toss in sauce and serve immediately.
Kung Pao Shrimp Nutritional Information
How Many Calories in PF Chang's Kung Pao Shrimp from Costco
One serving of Kung Pao Shrimp from P.F. Chang’s is going to be 7 shrimp and 2 tbsp of sauce (125 grams or 4.4 ounces total) and will contain 160 calories. Those 160 calories will include 5 grams of fat, 16 grams of carbs, and 11 grams of protein.
Factoring it all in, this isn’t bad for a frozen food item. I’m pleasantly surprised with how low calorie this meal is.
Very High in Sodium!
The big killer here unfortunately is going to be the sodium. There is a whopping 1,110 mg per serving or 48% of the recommended daily value. This is up there as one of the highest sodium content items that I have seen at Costco.
I ate about 2 servings which means that I consumed nearly 100% of my daily recommended sodium intake in just one meal. This might explain why the food is so salty! P.F Chang’s, you need to do better.
Final Thoughts
Costco’s P.F. Chang’s Kung Pao Tempura Shrimp was doing so well until it was time to actually taste the shrimp. The flavors were ok, but the shrimp was just way too salty and would be borderline inedible if the shrimp isn’t eaten with some plain white rice.
If the saltiness and the sodium can be managed, this would be a great product at a fair price. Until then, the food is good, but its hard for me to recommend something that is this salty.
Purchase at your own risk.
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Greg Larkin is the founder and managing editor of Costco Food Database, the premiere site for honest takes on all things Costco food. A self-proclaimed Costco super-fan since childhood, Greg turned his obsession in a mission to properly rate and review all of Costco’s delicious buys. When he’s not busy navigating Costco aisles, you can find Greg smoking Kirkland Signature meats, meal prepping, or perfecting his homemade jerky recipes.