Don't worry, you can still fill your Costco cart with other stuff!
Here’s Why You Should Never Buy Kirkland Ground Beef at Costco
Published on Jun. 18, 2025
Costco is an amazing place to buy so many things, because they always manage to keep their prices low (it seems like sorcery, right?). But while there are a ton of things you should always buy at Costco, ground beef isn’t one of them. Now, this may come as a shock, because typically anything stamped with the Kirkland name is a great deal, but there are some solid reasons to give the ground beef a pass.
Keep in mind that this doesn’t apply to all the red meat at the big box store. In fact, Costco has great cuts of beef. We’re just gently suggesting you avoid the ground stuff, and we spoke to some culinary experts who explain why. Read on to find out why you may want to skip the ground beef on your next Costco run.
Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more Costco news, humor, travel, tech, cleaning and fun facts all week long.
Why shouldn’t you buy ground beef at Costco?
The biggest reason you shouldn’t buy ground beef at Costco is the lean-to-fat ratio of the Kirkland variety. When you see 85/15, 88/12 and 92/8 (as a few examples), those numbers really mean something, and it could impact the flavor intensity of your meal.
Kirkland ground beef is too lean for most chefs
When you look at Kirkland Signature Ground Beef in the meat section, you’ll find it’s 88% lean/12% fat. Normally, you might think, “less fat is better,” but that’s not the case in this scenario.
“I’m not a fan of anything leaner than 80/20,” says Kyle Taylor, founder and chef at He Cooks, a website where he shares recipes and travel guides. “The 88/12 blend is definitely too lean for how I cook, and 85/15 isn’t much better. Fat carries flavor and keeps the meat moist. Lean beef dries out fast and ends up tasting flat.”
Taylor also explains that even with the discrepancy between fat percentages, this isn’t “Diet Coke versus regular Coke.”
“Even ‘lean’ ground beef is still calorie-dense, so health shouldn’t be the driving factor here,” he says. “Beef is beef. If you’re going for flavor, go for fat. My preferred ratio is 70/30 for burgers, meatloaf and meatballs, and then 80/20 for sauces.”
The price on Costco’s ground beef isn’t that great
When you can get something for an unbeatable price, most of us will sacrifice a little flavor in exchange for savings. However, when you look at the price of Kirkland Signature Ground Beef at a Southern California Costco, it breaks down to about $6.21 per pound, which our experts say is too much.
“Though $6.21 per pound isn’t a terrible price for ground beef, depending on the quality and location, I’d usually look for something closer to $5 per pound at the 88/12 ratio in bulk,” says Marissa Stevens, recipe developer and culinary educator at Pinch and Swirl online.
You have to purchase it in bulk
One of the few downsides to Costco is that everything comes in bulk packaging. While this is a good thing most of the time (looking at you 64-pack of granola bars), it can be overwhelming when you’re talking about perishable food. A standard package of Kirkland Signature Ground Beef is roughly 6 pounds, so you’d better be making meatballs and hamburgers for a crowd, or enough bolognese to feed the neighbors.
This isn’t to say you can’t freeze what you aren’t immediately using; ground meat is safe to store in the freezer for up to four months. However, you’ll have to divvy it up yourself into your desired sizes and pack it in freezer bags. Or, if you’re lacking freezer space, you may want to seriously consider how quickly you can use that 6-pound package.
What type of ground beef is a better idea at Costco?
Interestingly, even Costco’s frozen ground beef, which comes in a package of five 1-pound portions, isn’t really a better deal. First of all, it’s even leaner (91%/9%) than the refrigerated bulk pack, and the price at the Costco near us is $6.91 per pound.
If you really must buy your ground beef at Costco, perhaps look to the organic variety. “Kirkland’s Organic Ground Beef (85/15 at $7.73 per pound), while a little more expensive than the Signature Ground Beef per pound, is even more reasonably priced relative to comparable substitutes, and is a better buy in my opinion,” says Brandon Dorsky, co-owner of Yeastie Boys Bagels. He might be on to something, as a single pound of 85/15 at our local grocery store is $8.99 a pound.
Is there ever a reason to buy lean ground beef?
You can probably find a reason to buy just about anything, but yes, there’s a time and a place for leaner ground beef. “If I am preparing food for an older crowd, or a crowd that is more concerned with their heart health, the lower fat content in Kirkland’s ground beef is preferable,” Dorsky says.
RELATED:
- 3 Brand-New Costco Foods You’ll Definitely Want to Add to Your Shopping List This Summer
- This Costco Favorite Has Returned to Stores—And Fans Are Thrilled
- Here’s Why You Should Skip Precut Fruit Trays at Costco
About the experts
|
Why trust us
At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.
Sources:
- Kyle Taylor, chef and creator of He Cooks
- Marissa Stevens, food blogger, recipe developer and founder of Pinch and Swirl
- Brandon Dorsky, co-owner of Yeastie Boys Bagels
- FoodSafety.gov: “Cold Food Storage Chart”
