My Costco is selling two types of Kirkland Signature Frozen Burgers, Grass Fed and Sirloin, and both are pretty decent. If you are trying to choose between them then it is a toss up between the value of the Sirloin and the potential environmental benefits of the Grass Fed.
I have tried both and will suggest buying the Sirloin Burgers.
Keep reading and we will cover:
- Types of Kirkland Signature Frozen Burgers
- How to Cook the Frozen Burgers
- Calories per Patty
- Price of Frozen Burgers at Costco
Types of Kirkland Signature Frozen Burgers at Costco
The two types of Kirkland brand frozen beef burger patties sold at Costco are Sirloin and Grass Fed.
The Sirloin patties are an 85% Lean 15% Fat mix and come with 18 patties, 1/3 pound each, per bag. The Grass Fed patties are an 80% Lean 20% Fat mix and come with 15 patties, 1/3 pound each, per bag.
Grass Fed beef comes from cows that were raised and finished in open pastures. If beef is not labeled as Grass Fed then it more than likely came from cows that started on pasture but spent the last month or so of its life on a feed lot being fattened up with corn and other grains.
Grass fed beef is better for the environment than beef that comes from feedlots but the environmental issues are complicated. Grass fed beef is also touted as being healthier than feedlot beef as it contains a less total fat on a pound per pound basis and less saturated fats.
However, as we will see in the section on calories and nutrition, the health benefits of grass fed beef is lost in the Kirkland burgers.
Cooking Instructions
I like to cook the burgers on the grill or in a cast iron skillet on my stove top. Whichever way you decide to go it is recommended that you cook the burgers from frozen and do not thaw before cooking.
I start by putting a dab of butter in a cast iron pan and heating over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add the burger and cook for 4-5 minutes until juices start to form on the top.
Season the top of the burger with salt and pepper then flip and cook 4-5 more minutes until an internal temperature of 165F is reached.
One of my favorite tricks is to throw a bunch of sliced mushrooms in the pan with the burger and season them with some Worcestershire sauce. The mushrooms and burgers cook at about the same rate. You could also do this with some sliced onions if that is your jam.
When the burgers are just about finished I pile the sautéed mushrooms on top of the patty and add a slice of American cheese. I use the space that got freed up from the mushrooms to toast the burger bun.
The buns get nice and toasty and soak up any juices that got left behind by the burger and mushrooms!
I finish the mushroom cheeseburger by putting some mayo and slaw on the bottom bun and a big shot of barbecue sauce on the top bun.
This is a really easy way to make a quick meal. Just grab as many burgers as you want out of the freezer, toss them in a pan and ten minutes later you have a great meal in your hands!
Calories Per Burger Patty – Grass Fed vs Sirloin
Despite Grass Feed beef having a reputation as being a healthier option that is not the case with these frozen burgers.
The main health benefit of grass fed beef is that, on a per pound basis, it has less fat and fewer calories than feedlot beef. However, the grass fed burger patties at Costco are an 80/20 grind compared to the 85/15 grind for the Sirloin burgers. This means that the grass fed patties have significantly MORE fat and calories than the Sirloin burgers.
The nutritional labels for both types of frozen burgers are given side by side below. You can see that each burger type has:
- Grass Fed = 380 calories, 30 grams of fat, 26 grams of protein per burger
- Sirloin = 320 calories, 23 grams of fat, 28 grams of protein per burger
The frozen sirloin burgers have fewer calories, less fat and more protein than the grass fed burgers.
Price
The Grass Fed frozen burgers currently cost about $24 for a 5 pound bag of 15 patties. This is about $1.60 per patty.
The Sirloin frozen burgers currently cost about $26 for a 6 pound bag of 18 patties. This is about $1.50 per patty.
Not only are the sirloin burgers healthier than the grass fed burgers but they are also less expensive.
I don’t know about you but I am sticking with the sirloin burgers!!
So something to be aware of, it’s not so much that grass-fed beef had a lower fat amount, but more about ratio of omega 3 to 6. When a cow is allowed to finish with grass, the ratio is around 2(omega 6)/1(omega 3). Grain fed is around 9/1. It s a huge difference and the main reason I stick with grass fed/finished as much as possible. Also, in regard to fat content, every chef (myself included) will tell you that the perfect ratio of fat for a burger is 80/20. Anything less gets more chewy and less juicy. Food for thought.
Lastly, Love the site and thanks for all the reviews!
Thanks for swinging by and leaving a great comment!
Thanks for the review. Went for the sirloin burgers and was very pleased with the results. Great on a ciabatta roll.
As a person a a LCHF (Low Carb High Fat) diet, the 80-20 Grass Fed burgers are PERFECT for what I’m looking for!
Thank you for including specific information in your review such as the fact that the “100% Grass Fed” burgers are ALSO Grass Finished. I never take that for granted and always want to know that has been specified.
Do you happen to know WHERE the beef is sourced from? US? Australia? Brazil? I wish Costco included this information given that people who go out of their way (ant even pay extra) to buy Grass Fed Grass Finished beef are the kind of people who also like to know from where the beef is sourced!