I spotted a twin pack of Aidells Chicken Teriyaki and Pineapple Meatballs at Costco and tossed them in my shopping cart. I love a good meatball as much as the next guy and Aidells has been at the forefront of making chicken sausages for a long time.
My quick review is that the sweetness was overwhelming and made the meatballs inedible for me. On the flip side my son enjoyed them so the flavor does appeal to some people.
These refrigerated meatballs are fully cooked and easily reheated in the microwave.
Calories and Nutrition
You get 46 ounces (2.87 pounds) of meatballs that are split between two plastic packages. One serving is four meatballs and there are about 15 servings overall.
The nutritional facts for a single serving are:
- Calories: 150
- Fat: 8g (12% DV)
- Cholesterol: 55mg (18% DV)
- Sodium: 700mg (29% DV)
- Carbohydrates: 7g (2% DV)
- Protein: 14g
Ingredient List
The meatballs have the following ingredients:
- Chicken
- Dried pineapple
- Sugar
- Vinegar
- Soy sauce powder
- Salt
- Garlic
- Dehydrated miso
- Ginger
Taste Test
One of the serving suggestions on the box was to simmer the meatballs with Udon noodles and veggies. I didn’t have veggies or Udon noodles but I did have a package of Ramen noodles!
I made the Ramen and, when the noodles were just starting to soften up, dropped in a handful of the meatballs.
I took a bite into the meatball and immediately disliked the product.
The sweetness of the pineapple and sugar was completely overwhelming. I could not taste any chicken flavor, just pineapple and teriyaki. These meatballs appear to have been designed to be a sweetness delivery device.
Even if I could have gotten past the flavor, the spongy texture of the meatballs made me extremely aware that I was eating a highly processed product.
I simply could not eat these. I ate the Ramen noodles and gave the remaining meatballs to my pups.
I sent the rest of the meatballs over to my kids for them to eat at their house. My son had the opposite experience from me and really enjoyed the meatballs.
If you are looking for a seriously tasty alternative then check out the Amylu Hot Honey Chicken Meatballs at Costco.
Costco Value
I bought the two pack of these meatballs at Costco for $13.99 which works out to a cost of $4.86 per pound.
You can buy a single 12 ounce package of these meatballs at Kroger’s for $5.79 which works out to a cost of $7.72 per pound.
This means that you will save $2.86 per pound (37%) by purchasing the two pack of meatballs at Costco.
I agree!
This were GROSS!
I didn’t look at the flavor when I bought them – I just saw chicken meatball.
Because…teriyaki pineapple is not a flavor of meatball… like…what would this go with? More sweet soy sauce?
Live and learn : )
i agree that these meatballs are way too sweet! The seasoning is overpowering. I fed them to the neighborhood stray dog before realizing they probably had garlic or onion in them, which are toxic to dogs! Poor thing ate 13 of the meatballs; I hope it won’t kill him. We haven’t seen the dog in several days and wonder if he’s too sick to come around.
I wish the people who came up with the seasoning would remember that the seasonings are supposed to enhance the natural flavor of the meat, not overwhelm it!