10 Costco Chicken Problems Shoppers Say Are Getting Worse Right Now

Costco shoppers are nothing if not opinionated—as loyalists, they demand the very best from the very best of warehouse stores—and three days ago was no different, as a Reddit thread broke out about the quality of the chain's chicken. It generated 447 comments last we checked. "I'm done with the woody, stringy boneless chicken breasts!" u/suannes posted. "I've been hoping it was just an anomaly for the last year. But they are not changing. I hate the way they are stringy no matter how you cook them. Since I have bought them exclusively, I am wondering if this is true of Supermarket Breasts as well. Any opinions?" Boy were there. Read on to discover 10 Costco Chicken Problems Shoppers Say Are Getting Worse Right Now.

Woody and Stringy Texture Is Driving Shoppers Away

"I'm done with the woody, stringy boneless chicken breasts!" wrote u/suannes, kicking off a flood of agreement. u/BobbertAnonymous compared the texture to "biting into a bunch of rubber bands bound together." Others like u/cleaver_username called it "snappy chicken… so gross," and u/DetroitHyena said even organic packs from Costco are now affected, noting that every breast in one pack had either woody or spaghetti texture.

Oversized Chicken Breasts Are Hard to Cook and Unpleasant to Eat

u/Gen_Ecks explained that smaller 4 oz breasts are going to restaurants, leaving consumers with 10-12 oz "huge woody" breasts. "Yah idk who on earth wants these giant chicken breasts," echoed u/ForsakenRacism. u/MistahJasonPortman added they're "so annoying to cook" because "you have to either thaw/defrost them and cut them in half, or cook at a lower temp for longer."

Chicken Breasts Are Losing Their Flavor and Versatility

u/bex_nh lamented, "I'm trying to eat more lean protein and I just cannot stomach chicken breast anymore." u/Vivid-Individual5968 added, "It seems undercooked, but overcooked at the same time. Too chewy, but weird larger hunks somehow?"

Shoppers Are Switching to Thighs or Whole Chickens

"Chicken thighs are much tastier, try those!" said u/godofpumpkins. u/Mike15321 agreed: "They're so much more enjoyable and tasty." Many, like u/Magnus_and_Me, have moved to whole chickens, which they butcher themselves for better quality and value.

Cooking Fixes Are Not Always Enough

Some shoppers suggested sous vide (u/cartermatic, u/Finzi, u/Bwilden), pounding with a mallet (u/rotinipastasucks), or marinating in pickle juice (u/lorenzo2point5). But u/OsterizerGalaxieTen warned, "They're still not great," even with technique. u/suannes emphasized, "They are actually stringy and woody when raw as well."

Rotisserie Chicken Is a Common Replacement—But Not Perfect

Several users like u/Gen_Ecks and u/BowieOrBust praised the $5 rotisserie chicken as a fallback. But others raised concerns: u/Pale-Archer3849 said, "They're too salty," and u/hotviolets said the birds feel "mutant sad depressed." u/Rx-Banana-Intern even said the meat was "sticky" and unpleasant to chew.

Air-Chilled and Heritage Brands Are Worth the Extra Cost

Redditors repeatedly praised Bell & Evans, Rocky, Smart Chicken, and Wegmans organic. u/knotworkin explained that air-chilled chicken avoids the water bath and results in "more tender and juicy" meat. u/cleaver_username emphasized shopping for the smallest breasts without white streaks.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

Shoppers Blame Factory Farming and Breeding Practices

u/soitgoes_42 pointed to "decades of breeding to get a super large fast-growing chicken" as the cause of woody meat. u/QueerTree offered a detailed explanation tying it to Cornish Cross genetics and rapid muscle growth, concluding, "This is the result."

Costco's Packaging and Return Policies Frustrate Buyers

u/Specific-Building380 said the individually wrapped breasts are "so wasteful." Others like u/TheNozzler shared that they now return stringy chicken, though u/CookieButterLovers warned return policies vary by location.

Shoppers Want Costco to Fix It—But Don't Expect Change Soon

"I just want better," said u/suannes. u/nsj95 observed the issue has worsened since COVID. Still, as u/FlingFlamBlam wrote bluntly, "Woody chicken won't be going away… unless people start paying a premium for free range chicken or stop eating chicken altogether."