Costco Cilantro Lime Shrimp - A Hidden Gem? (Kirkland Signature)
Kirkland Signature Cilantro Lime Shrimp at Costco
Costco sells their Kirkland Signature Cilantro Lime Shrimp for $10.99/lb. The Cilantro Lime Shrimp can be found in the prepared foods area of the warehouse near other items such as the tuna poke, meatloaf, and the street tacos with cilantro lime crema salsa.
The Cilantro Lime Shrimp is sold in approximately 1.5 pound packages and my package of shrimp costs $15.83.
Costco also sells a shrimp ceviche grab and go meal.
Fully Prepared Shrimp
There are some foods in the prepared meal section that you have to cook and others are ready to be eaten as is. This Cilantro Lime Shrimp is fully cooked, deveined, marinated, and ready to go.
The shrimp can be eaten cold straight from the packaging or it can be combined with other ingredients to make a meal.
What's in the Cilantro Lime Shrimp?
I would have assumed Cilantro and lime were enough to really flavor the shrimp, but there is actually quite a bit more added to the shrimp. I’m not going to go over all of the ingredients, but in addition to cilantro and the lime sauce, there is fish sauce, shrimp base (cooked shrimp, salt, butter, potato flour, natural flavors, whey powder, paprika), garlic, sesame seeds, onion and addition seasonings.
There is definitely a lot going in this shrimp and it’s a little disappointing that this couldn’t just be made with simple and clean ingredients.
Cilantro Lime Shrimp Costco Comparison
The Cilantro Lime Shrimp at Costco sells for $10.99/pound or about $15-$17 per package. I was able to snag a package of the shrimp when it went on sale with a flat $3 off, bringing the price down to $12.83.
After the discount, my price per pound was $8.55. This is a great price for marinated shrimp
Costco vs The Competition
This is a Costco deli food and appears to be a Kirkland Signature unique item. It doesn’t seem that any other major retailers such as Sam’s Club, Target, or Whole Foods sell a deli prepared cilantro lime shrimp.
Costco Cilantro Lime Shrimp - Taste Test
First Impressions
The shrimp look great. They are already cooked and you can tell they are covered in so much yummy goodness. There is the lime juice which gives the shrimp a nice sheen in addition to the plethora of cilantro pieces, red bell peppers, and garlic. You can be certain this shrimp is going to be well flavored.
Fully Cooked Shrimp
This shrimp is fully prepared and cooked. This means the cilantro lime shrimp has had the head removed and has been deveined and peeled.
The shrimp is also pre-cooked and ready to be eaten. It is cooked very well and the shrimp is still super juicy and tender.
Flavor
The cilantro lime shrimp not only look good, but also taste amazing. I ate the first few cold and directly from the container and they were fantastic.
The cilantro and lime flavors were there, but not overpowering and they actually blended in quite nicely with the other seasonings that were used.
I enjoyed eating the shrimp, and I was even surprised with how hard it was to stop snacking on these. They are very good and very easy to eat as a simple finger food.
Serving Suggestions
I did snack on a few more of the cilantro lime shrimp than I intended to, but I did also use the shrimp for quick and tasty shrimp tacos as well as on a homemade salad.
The tacos were light and refreshing and paired well with some guacamole. The tacos took just a few minutes to prep and made for a healthy and delicious taco.
Another meal I made was a healthy shrimp salad. Shrimp is a great lean protein that can help keep calories down while still packing in a bunch of flavor.
The cilantro lime flavors of the shrimp are versatile and can be used in a lot of different types of salads.
DIY Cilantro Lime Shrimp
The $10.99 a pound price tag on Costco’s Cilantro Lime Shrimp isn’t ridiculous, but you can save a few bucks by purchasing the shrimp yourself and adding in a few simple ingredients. Depending on the size of the shrimp, the lowest it goes for at Costco is about $8 per pound.
To make your at home version of Costco’s cilantro lime shrimp, you are going to need shrimp, lime juice, cilantro, garlic, olive oil, and salt and pepper.
The shrimp is not hard to make, but depending on the shrimp you purchase you will have to peel and devein the shrimp which is a necessary, but annoying step.
After the shrimp have been cleaned you cook the shrimp on a medium hot skillet for about 90 seconds per side or until fully cooked through. Once they are cooked, simply put them in a bowl and mix in with the cilantro, lime, garlic, salt and pepper.
The end result will be an amazing tasting Cilantro Lime Shrimp Costco clone.
Nutritional Information
One major drawback to Costco’s prepared meals is that the nutritional information and calorie count is not readily accessible.
I did do some digging online and according to Eat This Much, each 4 ounce portion of Cilantro Lime Shrimp will contain 112 calories. Those 112 calories will be made from 1.2 grams of fat and 23.6 grams of protein.
You can never really be 100% certain unless you are getting the nutritional information from the manufacturer, but this is pretty close to the nutritional profile of shrimp. This may not be fully accurate, but it will be pretty darn close.
Either way, the cilantro shrimp is going to have an exceptional nutritional profile and will be a great addition to almost any meal or diet. There is as little fat as can be, and the shrimp are packed with protein. Great stuff!
Costco Cilantro Lime Shrimp Review
Product Name: Kirkland Signature Cilantro Lime Shrimp
Product Description:
Price: ~$16
Quantity: 1.5 Pounds
Location Within Costco: Deli Area - Prepared Foods
Price Per Pound: $10.99
Summary
The Costco Cilantro Lime shrimp is good and dare I even say addicting. They are filled with flavor, and once you start eating them, it becomes hard to stop.
The price is fair, and the nutritional profile is excellent. I highly recommend giving the cilantro lime shrimp a shot.
Overall
-
Value - 8/10
8/10
-
Convenience - 10/10
10/10
-
Taste - 8/10
8/10
-
Nutrition - 10/10
10/10
-
CFDB Score - 8/10
8/10
Pros
- Very tasty
- Convenient
- Versatile
- Great nutritional profile
Cons
- Not the cleanest ingredient list
- Review Methodology
