Costco's Korean Chicken Dumplings Have People Excited

Until the end of February, you can buy BiBiGo's chicken and vegetable dumplings on sale from Costco. On the @costcodeals Instagram account, they announced that the previously $11.99 box of 36 fully cooked dumplings are now on sale for only $7.49. Everyone who commented on the news professed love for the product, though one commenter noted that despite the fact the dumplings never appear on the plate as they do in the picture, they taste really good.

The appreciation for these dumplings has been long-lasting, as they appeared on a 2019 Business Insider list of Costco's best appetizers. "Reminiscent of frozen xiao long bao, these dumplings have a pleasant mouthful of flavorful broth inside them along with the filling," Business Insider said. Some, like a food blog called GrubPug, are ambivalent about the taste of these dumplings, but there were dumpling fans who disagreed in their own comments section: "These are so wonderful when friends come over unexpectedly. I only wish they would include more dipping sauce. It is just never enough." (Each box only comes with six dipping sauce packets.)

Almost across the board, then, it seems that people grow excited over the appearance of BiBiGo's Korean chicken and vegetable dumplings at Costco.

While many commenters on the @costcodeals Instagram post gave rave reviews from "These are really good and they are great for a quick meal," to "These are amazing," there's one thing to note about this microwavable snack. One unambiguously negative mention of BiBiGo products was made by Eat This, Not That! in an article about dumplings you should eat and ones that you shouldn't. BibiGo's pork and vegetable dumpling fall squarely into the "Not That!" category. While the ingredients appear broadly healthy, it boasts a high fat, calorie, and sodium content.

Comparing the nutrition labels of the pork dumplings with the chicken dumplings as given by BiBiGo on their website, the chicken dumplings are relatively healthier in that their 250 calories and 7 grams of fat per dumpling is substantially smaller than the pork's 370 calories and 19 grams of fat per dumpling. However, both break 500 milligrams of sodium, with 570 mg in the chicken and 620 mg in the pork. These represent about one-fourth of your daily recommended sodium intake, per the American Heart Association. 

Given that caveat, these Korean-inspired dumplings full of juicy chicken, cabbage, onions, and mushrooms still seem to be a runaway hit with Costco shoppers. Grab some this month for a total of $4.50 in savings.