What To Keep In Mind Before Trying Costco's Massive Stir-Fry Kit

When you want a wholesome and filling dinner that offers bold flavors, stir fry is a great option. Costco, the warehouse retail chain where it seems bigger is always better, understands that not everyone has the time or energy to prep and cook the veggies, chicken, and noodles necessary for a weeknight stir fry feast. Accordingly, the store offers a sizable yakisoba stir fry kit complete with everything you need, including soy sauce. While members seem excited to try the kit, there are a few caveats to consider. For instance, you'll need a substantially sized pan to hold all the ingredients.

If you're using a wok, the preferred cooking implement for a genuine stir fry experience, it will need to be at least 7 quarts to accommodate four to six servings. If you're using a frying pan, it should measure at least 12 to 14 inches to hold all the ingredients. If you don't have a pan or wok that's the right size, you'll need to use multiple implements. In this case, it's best to split the kit into separate portions to ensure uniform application of soy sauce.

Stir fry just wouldn't be the same without soy sauce, but lots of Costco members, including some Redditors, feel the soy sauce that comes in the yakisoba stir fry kit is a touch too salty. While you can always limit how much you use as the kit comes with two containers, that might leave the ingredients without an even coating of sauce. Fortunately, there are a few ways you can reduce the saltiness of Costco soy sauce without using less.

Adding a few drops of water to the soy sauce is pretty easy but be sure to do so in small increments to avoid a thin viscosity and lack of flavor. You can also add other ingredients to the sauce, such as lime juice. Along with reducing the salty flavor, the acidity of the lime will also impart some tanginess into the sauce, which makes for a more complex flavor. Adding a touch of honey or mirin (a type of sweetened rice wine) is another tasty option, as their sweetness will pair beautifully with the savory umami nature of the soy sauce.

A YouTube review of Costco's yakisoba stir fry kit illustrates that the cooking time will be a little longer than what's expressed in the instructions, which lists five minutes at medium-high heat on the stovetop. According to the instructions, veggies and pre-cooked chicken are cooked for two minutes each, while the noodles only require one minute of cooking time. These times are supposed to help the food reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit, which is considered the safe minimum internal temperature when reheating leftover chicken. You can use a meat thermometer for accuracy.

Overall, the stir fry in the review was cooked on the stovetop for about six minutes beyond what the instructions listed. This extra time was to ensure the noodles were thoroughly heated, and the reviewer admitted that the dish could actually be cooked for even longer to ensure the vegetables were soft and toothsome (a TikToker tried to solve this conundrum by oven-roasting the veggies first). One issue was the size of the chicken and the vegetables, which may have been cooked faster if they were broken down into smaller pieces. Costco's stir fry kit does appear to be a convenient and tasty way to feed a family, but it might require a bit more prep work than is initially apparent.