Costco Shoppers Rave Over This Frozen Seafood With 'The Perfect Amount Of Breading'

Customers can typically count on Costco for high-quality products. Howevrer, any brand is bound to have the occasional dud, and despite the stringent vetting process that the retailer uses for its Kirkland brand, some Costco products are overrated. Sometimes, it's difficult to figure out whether a product is worth your money.

Kirkland's Panko Shrimp already has two strikes against it. Frozen food can be hit or miss, and frozen seafood is especially iffy. Is the retailer giant's shrimp worth your money and freezer space?

According to Reddit, the answer is a definitive, near-unanimous yes. Customers on r/Costco rave about the shrimp — and commiserate over the sorry state of other store-bought options. "It's better than any other store-bought shrimp I've had," one Redditor enthused. "I can't stand when there's too much breading," wrote another, who described the shrimp as a 10/10. "This had the perfect crisp almost crunch."

Fried shrimp are often served as an appetizer, but fans say the Costco version is worthy of a main meal. "Started as an app, turned into reheating the oven to cook the rest of the box," one Costco shopper told Reddit. While the packaging recommends the oven method, many fans recommend crisping the Costco favorite in an air fryer.   

Some Redditors compared Kirkland's Panko Shrimp to another popular Costco item, the frozen Tempura Shrimp. The consensus? Both are good, but the Tempura Shrimp is slightly heavier. "I make six and after 3 or 4, I get a greasy full feeling. The Panko are lighter," explained one Redditor. "The Tempura shrimp is like 90% breading," griped another before praising the Panko Shrimp: "If I ordered breaded shrimp at a bar and got that, I would rave about how good it was."

The Tempura Shrimp comes with a sweet, premade, soy-based dipping sauce and comes in boxes of 30. The Panko Shrimp are sauce-free — though the breading has flavor from garlic, onion, and paprika. There are 40 to 50 pieces per box. 

The lack of dipping sauce may seem like a downside, but it just means you have the opportunity to customize. Commenters shared recipes for easy DIY dipping sauces. "I make a sauce with mayo, a little ketchup, lemon juice, and Old Bay," recommended one. 

No Costco membership? You can always try making your own panko shrimp at home: Just fry your shrimp at the right temperature and don't make the mistake of forgetting to season the breading. It may be messier and more time-consuming, but it'll still scratch that fried shrimp itch.