The $10 Costco Grocery I’ll Always Keep In My Pantry (It Upgrades Dinner!)

published Feb 19, 2024
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Freezing winter weather has me searching for heat in any place I can. Despite its wide-open doors, Costco is toasty and warm inside. As one of the warehouse’s biggest fans — I’ve been a member for over 12 years and am very familiar with the pros and cons of a Costco membership — I know that Costco’s shelves are filled with cozy blankets, comforting casseroles, and ready-to-heat beverages. 

Another way I want to stay warm this season is by filling my plate with spicy food. So it should come as no surprise that the item that caught my eye at Costco this month is the one ingredient I can’t live without this time of year: a value pack of Frank’s RedHot Sauce. This red-hot condiment is coming home from Costco with me, and here’s why it should make it into your cart too.

Credit: Patty Catalano

What’s So Great About Frank’s RedHot Sauce?

While there are thousands of hot sauces on the market, when I think of the classic hot sauce flavor for serving on chicken wings and in dips it has to be Frank’s. The company even claims its hot sauce was the secret ingredient of the original Buffalo wings recipe. 

Frank’s RedHot sauce might not be the spiciest hot sauce you can buy, but that’s actually a big part of why this sauce is so versatile. Frank’s RedHot is, at its heart, a cayenne pepper sauce with a Scoville Heat Unit score of just 450 (other hot sauces reach into the thousands), so the spice doesn’t overpower the flavor. 

While you can find Frank’s RedHot at most grocery stores, at Costco it’s less than $10 for two (25-ounce) bottles. I’d pay close to that amount for just a single — slightly smaller — bottle at my local grocer. I consider this Costco buy a bargain.

Credit: Faith Durand

What’s the Best Way to Use Frank’s RedHot Sauce?

The first thing you should make with Frank’s RedHot sauce are Buffalo wings, of course. But the classic bar appetizer isn’t the only way to enjoy this spicy sauce. 

Toss shredded, cooked chicken with the sauce and use it to make Buffalo-stuffed sweet potatoes or roll up in a tortilla into a Buffalo chicken wrap. Serve the sauce to a crowd in the ultimate Buffalo chicken dip, Buffalo-style Chex Mix, or crispy, baked Buffalo mac and cheese

Frank’s RedHot isn’t just for meat-lovers, either: Make crispy air fryer Buffalo cauliflower or a Buffalo cauliflower bowl with creamy avocado and green tahini

Find it in stores: Frank’s RedHot Sauce, $9.69 for 2 (25-ounce) bottles

What Costco finds are you buying this month? Tell us about it in the comments below.

This post originally appeared on The Kitchn. See it there: The $10 Costco Grocery I’ll Stock In My Pantry Forever (It Upgrades Dinner!)