These Japanese-Style Dumplings Are Costco's Best (And Second Cheapest!) Option

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Frozen dumplings can be a great fallback meal option to keep in the freezer, but as anyone who believes this has likely discovered, many brands are rather bland. For what's supposed to be an affordable frozen food, it's frustrating to have to buy the top-shelf option for even middling flavor. But at Costco, this dynamic is flipped on its head: Ajinomoto Pork & Chicken Japanese Style Gyoza are both the best and second-cheapest frozen dumplings. 

These Japanese-style dumplings develop an excellent, golden brown crisp with just 12 minutes in a hot pan (per the box). According to our taste tester, who ranked frozen dumplings from Costco, one crunchy bite of the thin-yet-sturdy wrapper gives way to a soft and richly flavorful blend of pork, chicken, cabbage, chives, and garlic. With so many ingredients in a relatively small package, it's a surprisingly potent flavor bomb.

The savory meats are nicely complemented by their aromatic accompaniments, as well as the included dipping sauce. The sauce adds just enough acidity, umami, and saltiness to enhance the dumplings without overpowering them. Depending on your local Costco's prices, expect to pay about $11 for 60 of these dangerously delicious dumplings. You won't find a better deal than that.

Ajinomoto's dumplings topped our ranking by quite a bit. These, along with Laoban-brand soup dumplings in second place, were miles ahead of the competition — surprising us at how much flavor can be found in a store-bought frozen dumpling. While you probably could get more out of a homemade dumpling, the economics don't make much sense, because stuffed dumplings are one of the foods that are actually not cheaper to make yourself. Assuming you don't already have essentials like ground meat and wonton wrappers, you'll spend more on raw ingredients than the price of one bag of dumplings. To say nothing of what your time is worth to you: folding a batch of dumplings by hand takes a lot longer than air frying a few frozen ones. 

While they include a nicely-balanced dipping sauce, there's no reason to not add a little variety. Costco carries a Kewpie sesame dressing that would be an excellently creamy, nutty alternative to the included sauce. Or for a bolder flavor, check Costco for Bachan's Japanese Barbecue Sauce, a sweet-savory blend that tastes like a mix of barbecue and soy sauce.