10 Must-Try Mexican Foods You Can Find At Costco

Costco is a big place, and there's a lot of food there. That may sound like the most obvious statement in the world, but it's important to remember that it's not just the place you go to stock up on its must-try food staples that everyone should have in their fridge. It's also a supermarket that stocks an impressive selection of cuisines from around the world, and dishes and foods that have way more cultural and culinary specificity than you might think. It has a particularly vibrant selection of Mexican foods, which go way beyond the classics that you'd expect to find in other stores — and a lot of them are pretty darn good.

Sure, Costco stocks salsa and guacamole just like every other retailer, but it goes one step beyond that. Under its rows of halogen lights, it also has options like mole sauce, mazapan candy, and tres leches cake, all of which hit the spot with customers. Its prepared foods selection also has some delicious Mexican options, with its street tacos a real winner for dinner. Don't miss these essential Mexican foods next time you're shopping at Costco.

In our opinion, you can tell a lot about a supermarket by its own-brand guacamole. When the guac a retailer makes is a disaster, you can pretty much guarantee that its other Mexican items aren't gonna be that great either. Luckily, Costco doesn't have that same problem: Its Kirkland Organic Chunky Guacamole is a real winner. Store-bought guac can be notoriously difficult to nail, but somehow Costco does it, with customers praising the guacamole as standing head and shoulders above the rest. "It's the best store bought guacamole I have ever found," said a satisfied customer on Reddit – that's praise if we ever heard it.

It's fair to say that calling its guacamole "chunky" may be a bit of a stretch, however. People who buy this guac have pointed out it has a smoother consistency than it lets on. But that doesn't stop people from loving it. "I would say it's between smooth and chunky. I didn't even know it was labeled chunky. It is without a doubt the best premade guac I have had," stated another shopper on Reddit. Plus, we love how it comes in little on-the-go cups, so you don't have to open up a huge tub to enjoy it.

Few things hit the spot like carnitas, but it's hard to deny that it takes a long time to make from scratch. Simmering your pork and spices until it's fall-apart tender can take the better part of a day, and a lot of us don't have the ability to think that far ahead when we want pork tacos. Luckily, Del Real Foods Carnitas gives you the ability to prepare that glorious pork filling in just moments. Sold at Costco in large 40-ounce packs, it's the perfect option if you're hosting a taco party for your friends, and it takes just seven minutes to heat up in the microwave.

This product is near-universally praised by Costco customers, who have pointed out their surprise at how good the carnitas taste. As well as tacos, they're a great choice for enchiladas, and you can even serve them next to some plain white rice. People are particularly big fans of how much you can jazz them up, too: By adding onions, spices, and stock, you can give them even more flavor and simmer them down to a jammy, luscious consistency.

Not sure what to cook for your family for dinner? Well, you don't need to cook anything — just pick up a pack of Kirkland Signature Chicken Street Tacos. This prepared option from Costco allows you to feed your loved ones restaurant-quality tacos (you know, depending on the restaurant), without restaurant-quality prices, with Costco customers stating that not only are they better than Taco Bell, but they're cheaper too. In every pack you get a stack of tacos, grilled seasoned chicken, shredded cheese, a cilantro-lime crema, and a tomato salsa. It's an all-in-one meal that takes no thought to prepare.

In typical Costco fashion, the portions here are pretty generous. The Chicken Street Tacos will feed a family of four — you might still have leftovers for lunch the next day. They can also be jazzed up quickly with some extra peppers and beans, which adds a touch more nutrition and stretches them out further. "I buy these every chance I get," said one happy customer on Reddit, just one of many who have praised these tacos for their affordability and flavor. Praise doesn't come much higher than that.

Canned mole sauce is a little hit and miss: Like any canned or jarred sauce, it can often feel as though it lacks complexity and relies on overt sweetness or saltiness in place of any subtle flavors. In the case of Dona Maria Mole Sauce, however, that's thankfully not the case. You can grab a four-count of 8.25-ounce jars of this sauce at Costco and stock up on a quality condiment that can be used to top chicken, flavor brisket, or give a kick to chili.

People who have tried this mole sauce have praised its balance of sweetness and spiciness, and its ability to slot into meals without overpowering the whole thing. It adds a delicious warmth to dishes while not creating too much spice, so it's perfect for folks who like their food on the milder side. As a bonus, each jar is more of a stylish glass that can be repurposed as a drinking vessel. As you get four in each Costco purchase, you can soon have an entirely new set of glassware without spending any extra money.

We're always down for tracking new candy options at Costco, and this mazapan is one of our favorite finds. Available at Costco, de la Rosa Mexican Peanut Candy gives you 40 individual pieces of peanut mazapan in one box. As each candy is individually wrapped, it's ideal for decanting into a big jar on your countertop, and grabbing pieces as you walk past (although make sure to keep it out of reach of your kids; this stuff is pretty delicious).

If you love mazapan, this is the perfect product to buy in bulk: With each piece of candy costing roughly $0.22, it's a cost-effective way to stock up on your favorite sweet treat. If you haven't, then de la Rosa's product is a good place to start. Made from a combination of crushed peanuts and powdered sugar, mazapan can sometimes run the risk of tasting stale and vaguely dusty, but de la Rosa Mazapan Mexican Peanut Candy manages to avoid this. They have a super fresh taste straight out of the box, and provided that you don't leave them hanging around too long, they'll remain a vibrant little tasty snack.

Who doesn't love a mini taco? These snacks have a certain power that can't be underestimated. The problem is that when you buy mini tacos in stores, you're often left spending lots of money on a relatively small box and wishing you had bought them in bulk. Well, at Costco, you can — the store sells Don Miguel Mini Chicken & Cheese Tacos in a massive 72-count box, providing you with 3.15 pounds of snacky goodness you can stash in your freezer and warm up whenever it suits you.

These tacos definitely err on the side of snack instead of being substantial enough for a full meal, and it's fair to say you might want to jazz them up a little with some extra salsa or sour cream. However, once you've done that, you'll end up with a solid appetizer or mid-meal snack that cooks up easily in the air fryer. They also have the uncanny ability of crisping up on both sides without having to flip them midway through cooking, which we're a huge fan of. Perhaps most importantly, though, buying them in bulk allows each taco to cost mere pennies, making it an affordable option.

You can get a decent red salsa in loads of places, but finding quality green salsa is slightly more difficult. So when you do track down a good option, it makes sense to buy it in bulk — especially if you're going to need a lot of it. Del Sol Green Salsa is a great option for green salsa lovers who want a good amount of a great-tasting product from a reliable manufacturer ... without having to make it from scratch. At Costco, Del Sol Green Salsa comes in 6-ounce cans, so it's a product that's best-suited to using for nacho bars, buffets, or large barbecues. However, at approximately $7.60 per can, it evens out to a super reasonable price for every portion.

If you can't get through all of this salsa in one go, don't worry: You can decant it into containers and freeze it for later use. It'll last for a good while in your freezer, and will thaw wonderfully. It's just as good as a dip for chips as it is spooned onto fajitas or tacos.

Who doesn't love tres leches cake? Made (as the name suggests), with three different types of milk, it's a moist and indulgent affair that's somehow light enough to finish a meal without feeling as though it weighs you down. Store-bought tres leches cakes, however, can often come out weirdly dry, or else a little too overpowering in terms of their taste. Costco's Kirkland Signature Caramel Tres Leches Bar Cake does neither. Customers aren't shy about raving on this cake, with people taking to Reddit to sing its praises. "It's very moist and creamy," says one person. "Dangerously decadent. But at the same time kind of mild and not overwhelming, which is lethal."

Kirkland Signature Caramel Tres Leches Bar Cake also comes in the generous proportions that you'd expect from Costco products. With 16 servings per cake, it's the ideal choice for larger parties and feels fancy enough to serve at weddings or other important celebrations. Just make sure you don't eat too much of it in one go: With 16 grams of added sugar per portion, it's pretty sweet.

Man, precooked rice is hit and miss, huh? When it's good, it's a great accompaniment to any meal without having to cook anything; when it's bad, it's either chalky and dry or mushy and bland. If you're bulk-buying it, you'll want to make sure it's the good stuff — and Ritika's Organic Cilantro and Lime Rice is the real deal. Costco sells this precooked rice in six-count boxes, and each pouch is ready in just 90 seconds in the microwave. It's the kind of thing you can shove at the back of your pantry for months, and pull out at a moment's notice.

And luckily, it's pretty darn good. Ritika's is true to its word on the organic front and has a short list of organic ingredients that might suggest it's lacking flavor. However, that simple approach is paired with punchiness, with the cilantro and lime notes coming through beautifully. It has a delightful fluffiness and light texture that doesn't feel too bogged down in oil. It's a winner, folks!

One of the main problems with Costco food, and especially its desserts, is that it can be hard to find options that you don't have to eat in one go. We all love the retailer's massive cakes and apple pies, but unless you're catering for a large party, you may well find that you have to throw the rest out after a day or two. Thankfully, by purchasing Marie Morin Caramel Flans, you can avoid this waste. In each pack you get eight individually packaged flans, which come in attractive glass jars that you can repurpose for future use.

They're not just convenient and good-looking: Marie Morin Caramel Flans also taste great. While the caramel might be on the thinner side for some people, it has a rich, caramelized flavor that pairs excellently with the light, refreshing flan. Regular Costco customers are also fans of this product, and particularly of its portable nature: It's an ideal option to tuck into a lunchbox for a sweet treat. They feel classy but take no work — that's an ideal combination to us.