Costco Panko Chicken Nugget + Easy Spicy Nugget Trick

Costco Panko Breaded Chicken Nuggets scaled

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Perdue Panko Breaded Nuggets at Costco

Costco sells a 5 pound bag of Perdue Panko Breaded Chicken Nuggets for $12.99. 

The chicken nuggets can be found in the frozen food aisle near other items such as the breaded chicken pattiesmozzarella stickschicken strips, and the orange chicken.

Costco-Chicken-Nuggets-Perdue

Not the first of Costco's panko breaded nuggets

This isn’t the first panko breaded nugget that has been offered by Costco. 

Costco has sold a panko chicken nugget bag from another large poultry producer in the past, but that item was extremely salty to me and made the chicken nuggets nearly inedible.

Costco Cost Comparison - Perdue Panko Chicken Nuggets

How much do Costco Panko Breaded Nuggets Cost?

Costco sells the 5 pound bag of Perdue Chicken Nuggets for $12.99 and that breaks down to $2.59 a pound. Each bag contains 80 chicken nuggets which cost about $0.16 a piece.

Is this a good price for chicken nuggets?

Yes, this is a fantastic price for these Perdue Panko Breaded Nuggets. 

They aren’t going to be the highest quality breading or chicken, but it’s a great economical way to cover some snacks or meals.

Frozen-Costco-Nuggets
Frozen Chicken Nuggets

Costco nuggets vs Sam's Club nuggets

Sam’s Club sells Tyson Chicken Nuggets (that way too salty brand) for $11.96 or $2.39 a pound. 

This beats Costco’s price but these nuggets aren’t panko breaded and they are way way way too salty.

Costco Chicken Nugget Taste Test

My absolute favorite method for cooking frozen food from Costco is the air fryer. 

Air fryers properly heat up the food and help create an extremely crispy/crunchy exterior.

Chicken-Nuggets-Costco

Breaded products like these chicken nuggets do very well in the air fryer and that is the only way I cook them.

Chicken Filling

At just $2.59 a pound, we have to really temper expectations with the quality of the nugget. The chicken, is of course, very low quality. The chicken is grounded up and heavily processed.

chicken-Nugget-Filling-Perdue-Panko-Nugget

The chicken in no way resembles the texture of a chicken breast or thigh. There are times when I can’t even tell where the breading ends and the chicken begins.

I feel very comfortable referring to the interior as filling rather than chicken.

Panko Breading

Thanks to the air fryer, the breading comes out very crispy. The breading isn’t made with typical panko bread crumbs that you would expect to see in a chicken katsu, tonkatsu, or a shrimp tempura, but nonetheless these still classify as panko breadcrumbs. 

Perdue-Panko-Breaded-Chicken-Nugget

The breading can get very crispy and this helps hide some of the low quality chicken. I wouldn’t call the breadcrumbs panko, but they get the job done and are sufficiently tasty. 

The breading is crispy when heated and it’s always nice to hear a crunch when biting through a golden brown chicken nugget. 

Flavor

The flavor of the nugget itself is just ok. It’s pretty good for $2.59 a pound standards, but it’s not going to be winning any awards. 

The chicken filling is rather juicy and flavorful, but at times the nugget as a whole can be salty. 

Perdue-Panko-Breaded-Nuggets

The saltiness can be overbearing at times, but not to the point of being inedible. One thing is for sure, the chicken nuggets will make you thirsty. 

There is also a distinct sweet taste in the nuggets that does feel out of place. I can’t pinpoint where the sweetness comes from, but I’m not a fan. It is an overarching flavor that is present in the nuggets. 

Overall

All of that being said, I don’t absolutely hate the nuggets. They are low quality, but you get what you pay for.

Panko-Breaded-Chicken-Nugget-Costco

The beauty of Costco is choice, and for those who are looking for quantity over quality, these chicken nuggets are a solid pick. 

If you want to check out other options, Costco offers better chicken nuggets with their nearly $5 a pound Just Bare Chicken Chunks.

Panko Chicken Nugget Flavor Hack (Spicy Chicken Nuggets)

Making Spicy Chicken Nuggets

Spicy Chicken Nuggets have taken the fast food world by storm, and many fast food restaurants now offer their own version of Spicy Chicken Nuggets.

Costco-Spicy-Chicken-Nugget

Costco doesn’t sell any spicy chicken nuggets, but it’s possible to flavor these panko breaded chicken nuggets with the hot sauce of your choosing.

Double Air Fry Method

I only use this method with the air fryer, but I’m sure it will also work with the microwave and the oven. 

To make your own spicy chicken nuggets, cook the panko breaded nuggets in the air fryer until they are 75% done. (About 5 minutes)

Costco-Spicy-Chicken-Nuggets

Before they fully finish, pull the nuggets and coat them in the sauce of your choosing. Place them back in the air fryer for 2-3 minutes to allow the sauce to soak in and crisp up. 

The chicken nuggets will not be as crispy as if they had no sauce, but they are now flavored and much more delicious.

Flavored-Chicken-Nugget-Costco
From Top to Bottom: Buffalo, BBQ, Teriyaki

Experiment With Your Favorite Flavors

Spicy chicken nuggets are very popular, but you can add your other favorite flavors as well. I made a small batch of spicy chicken nuggets (buffalo), bbq chicken nuggets, and even teriyaki nuggets. 

The nuggets are much more flavorful and this adds quite a bit of versatility and customizability for these nuggets.

Panko Chicken Nugget Serving Suggestions

Salty But Salvageable

These nuggets are overly salty, and that can be a problem for some, especially if the nuggets are being eaten as is. 

To avoid a lot of the saltiness, the chicken nuggets can be eaten with side dishes. I like to chop up the chicken nuggets and mix them in a bowl of rice. This makes for a easy lunch that just takes a few minutes to prep.

Costco-Chicken-Nugget-with-Rice

Other great options to eat with these chicken nuggets are:

Panko-Chicken-Nugget-with-Rice-Costco

Dipping Sauces

The real fun with chicken nuggets is going to be dipping them. These nuggets are great for dipping and go well with a variety of sauces.

Costco-Chicken-Nugget
Sauces Left to Right: Ketchup, BBQ, Buffalo, Sriracha Mayo, Teriyaki

I’ve tried a few different sauces over the years for nuggets and some of my favorites are 

  • Buffalo
  • Ketchup
  • Honey Mustard
  • Sriracha Mayo
  • BBQ Sauce
  • Teriyaki
  • Ranch

Costco Panko Chicken Nugget Cooking INstructions

I always prefer to use the air fryer as I think that produces the crispiest and most tasty chicken nuggets, but the oven option is also viable. 

The microwave is the quickest option, but will also produce a soggy soft breading. 

Chicken-Nugget-Cooking-Instructions-2

Air Fryer

  • Preheat air fryer to 350°F.
  • Place a single evenly spaced layer of frozen nuggets in the basket.
  • Heat for at least 6 minutes or until internal product temperature reaches 165°F.
  • Let stand for 2 to 3 minutes before serving.

Oven Baked

  • Preheat oven to 425°F. Spray baking sheet with cooking spray.
  • Place frozen nuggets in a single layer on baking sheet.
  • Bake in oven for 14 to 16 minutes, flipping halfway through heating time.
  • Let stand for 2 to 3 minutes before serving.

Microwave

  • Place 6 chicken nuggets on a microwave safe plate.
  • Heat, uncovered, on High for 60 to 70 seconds turning halfway through heating time.
  • Let stand 3 to 3 minutes before serving. 

Perdue Panko Breaded Chicken Nugget Nutritional Information

How Many Calories in Costco Panko Breaded Nuggets?

One serving of panko breaded chicken nuggets is going to be 4 pieces or 3 ounces of nuggets. Each serving contains 180 calories with 9 grams of fat, 15 grams of carbs, and 13 grams of protein. 

Costco-Chicken-Nugget-Calories

Sodium Warning

Each serving of 4 chicken nuggets is going to contain 450 mg of sodium or 20% of the recommended daily value. This is definitely on the higher end for just 3 ounces of food.

I would have no trouble eating 3-4 servings of these nuggets and really racking up the sodium intake. 

Costco Food Database User Reviews

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Costco-Spicy-Chicken-Nuggets

Costco Spicy Chicken Nugget Hack

How to turn any of Costco's chicken nuggets into a delicious spicy chicken nugget.
No ratings yet
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 2 People
Calories 180 kcal

Equipment

  • Air Fryer

Ingredients
  

  • 8 oz Chicken Nuggets from Costco
  • 2 tbsp Buffalo or Hot Sauce

Instructions
 

  • Preheat air fryer to 350°F.
  • Place a single evenly spaced layer of frozen nuggets in the basket.
  • Heat for at least 4 minutes or until internal product temperature reaches 165°F.
  • Transfer partially cooked nuggets to a bowl and cover in buffalo or hot sauce
  • Place Chicken nuggets back in air fryer and cook for 2-3 more minutes until sauce has dried and crisped up

Nutrition

Serving: 4PiecesCalories: 180kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 13gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 1.5gTrans Fat: 0gCholesterol: 35mgSodium: 450mgFiber: 0gSugar: 1g
Keyword costco, costco chicken nuggets, costco spicy chicken nugget, spicy chicken nugget
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