“We have the meats!” Oh wait, that’s Arby’s not Costco. But I’m here to tell ya that Costco has the meats too. But as you can tell from the picture below, Costco meats aren’t always cheap but they are definitely high quality. But if you know what you’re doing you can save money at Costco and even pay less than some grocery stores and butcher shops. Let’s break it all down so you can save on your next trip to the warehouse club…

First off let’s breakdown the meat section at Costco by answering a few questions…

Is Costco Meat Good Quality?

The beef, chicken, and fish sold at Costco does tend to be of higher quality then what you’ll find at many of your local grocery stores.

This is especially true when you look at the Prime cuts that Costco sells.

Their Prime section in general tends to have excellent marbling and delicious flavor.

PRO TIP: ASK ABOUT BUYING A “CASE” OF ROTISSERIE CHICKENS

If you have the freezer space, some Costco locations sell a case of 10 uncooked rotisserie chickens for only $49. I’ve personally seen it twice at different Costco locations and I wished I had pulled the trigger but didn’t really have the freezer space at the time. Ask the folks stocking the rotisserie chicken area and they’ll let you know if it’s available.

Where Does Kirkland Meat Come From?

It really depends on the cut of meat and where it is sourced.

While Costco tries to buy from U.S. suppliers, often times they are forced to buy their organic beef from Australia and Canada.

With that said, they get most of their pork from JBS Swift USA and their chicken from farms that they actually own.

See Also: 7 Genius Costco Bakery Hacks That Will Save You Money and Time

What Meats are Sold at Costco?

Costco sells all the usual suspects:

• Beef
• Chicken
• Pork
• Fish: Salmon, cod, tilapia, tuna, rockfish, and even walleye from time to time.
• Shellfish: Crab, oysters, scallops, and shrimp.

You’ll even find lamb and ground bison at most Costco locations.

Are Costco Meat Prices Competitive?

Costco tends to run on the more expensive side.

This is especially true when compared to supermarket specials and coupons that often undercut Costco pricing significantly.

But when comparing the Costco price to your local butcher shop, Costco will usually win.

See Also: Costco Liquor: 4 Things You Gotta Know Before You Buy

Now on to some highly clever tips to help you save some money…

5 Costco “Meat Hacks” That Will Help You Save

Bulk Buying Secret

I’ve talked about this hack before.

Many Costco locations sell bulk meat in cryovac bags and these bags come at a steep discount.

Could be a case of rib eyes, case of tri-tips, case of crab legs, etc.

BUT…according to one employee, you’ll get “3 or so times the meat for the same price.”

And the best part is that the cryovac bags let you freeze the meat for a REALLY long time.

You usually can’t find these bags on the sales floor so be sure to ask a meat department employee about it and they’ll happily let you know your options.

Ask About Special “Butcher” Discounts

According to a Costco meat cutter that I talked with recently, they often receive large shipments of a particular cut that they know they CANNOT sell by the sell-by date.

So he said to always ask about these “overbuys” and you can often get a really sweet deal.

He said the savings is often in to the 30-40% off range.

See Also: How to Essentially Get a $60 Costco Membership for Free

Cool Hack for Buying Salmon at Costco

As any salmon fan can attest, wild salmon taste WAY better than farmed salmon.

Plus farmed salmon is often grown in poor conditions, unless it’s from Norway where their farming standards are far superior compared to other countries.

But often times wild salmon is actually CHEAPER than farmed at Costco.

I recently saw wild Sockeye Salmon priced at $7.99 pound and the farmed variety was $9.99.

Moral of the story, always look around at Costco to see what salmon they have stocked as they often DON’T put the wild salmon next to the farmed.

Ask For Special Cuts

I was recently at my local Costco and someone near me asked the meat cutter if they could cut a flank steak into 1 inch cubes for them and they said “Of course!”.

Turns out shoppers do this all the time and will ask for some steaks cut in half (length-wise) or even pork chops cut extra thin.

Might not save you money but will surely save you time if your recipe calls for a certain type of cut.

Ask For a 10 lb. Chub of Ground Beef

This tip comes from the folks at The Family Handyman and it involves buying ground beef in a long 10 pound tube called a “Chub”.

Ask for it by name in the Costco meat section and they’ll hook you up. Although I noticed recently that my Costco now has them for sale right next to the regular ground beef packages.

The clear plastic chub packaging is much cheaper and requires less labor to produce. So many Costco locations will happily pass the savings along to you and give you a nice discount to take 10 pounds home with you.

The chubs are typically a leaner 90/10 ground beef mix but they are excellent for chili, casseroles, and even burgers if you like them a little less fatty. Break the chub up and freeze it in usable portions.

As for the savings, you’ll save about $0.70/lb compared to the regular ground beef packages at Costco.

If you have the freezer space, you’ll want to check out the chub on your next Costco visit.

Ask the Reader: Do you buy your meat from Costco? What tips do you have to share, let me know.

By Kyle James

Kyle James( Owner/Founder )

I started Rather-Be-Shopping.com in 2000 and have become a consumer expert and advocate writing about out-of-the-box ways to save at stores like Amazon, Walmart, Target and Costco to name a few. I’ve been featured on FOX News, Good Morning America, and the NY Times talking about my savings tips. (Learn more)