Costco Sells This Fan-Favorite Food Court Item In Its Freezer Aisle (And It's Perfect For The Air Fryer)

If you're someone who frequents the Costco food court, then you're probably familiar with the chicken bake. It's a fan-favorite food court item — even after Costco reportedly reduced the size and quality of the dish, as many fans have complained about online. Still, the chicken bake is tasty enough that we placed it second in our ranking of the 15 best items at the Costco food court. Priced at $3.99, the chicken bake is a savory handheld pastry (similar to a Hot Pocket) that's filled with chicken, cheese, bacon, and Caesar dressing. Luckily for Costco shoppers, you don't have to wait in line at the food court each time you want to try one.

Costco sells boxes of its Kirkland Signature chicken bakes in the frozen aisle, so you can buy some to keep in your freezer for easy access. The packaging includes heating instructions for both the microwave and the toaster oven, but we think this item belongs on the list of foods you never thought to put in the air fryer, but should.

To prepare a chicken bake in the air fryer, cook it for about 15 to 18 minutes at 360 degrees Fahrenheit, flipping it halfway through. Since every air fryer is different, you may want to check on it before the time is up to make sure it doesn't burn — your specific air fryer may require less time. Once done, the chicken bake should be nice and crispy on the outside and hot and gooey on the inside.

You may be wondering how similar Costco's frozen chicken bakes are to the original food court item. Customers on Reddit have compared the two, noting some taste differences and pointing out that only the frozen version contains green onions. Some Costco fans also noted that the frozen version seems to have thicker breading and isn't quite as cheesy. One user wrote that "both [are] good in their own way," while another commenter expressed that they prefer the food court version.

While certain Costco fans take issue with the frozen chicken bake, many say that it's close enough to the real thing to get the job done, especially if you use the oven (or the air fryer) to achieve a super crispy exterior that you can't get from the microwave. You can also make up for any flavor discrepancies at home by dressing up your chicken bake with a delicious sauce. For example, try pairing it with a garlic aioli or a hot honey mustard.

As for the price difference, the box costs $15.49 and comes with six individual chicken bakes. This comes out to $2.58 per item, meaning it's over $1 cheaper than buying one at the food court. This lower price may compensate for the fact that you're not getting the item fresh and that it may not taste quite as good as the in-store version.