Air fryers turn most Costco frozen appetizers into something better than what comes out of the oven. We ranked 20 of the warehouse’s best freezer-aisle picks strictly by air-fryer performance — crispness, crunch, juiciness retention, and how much better they are vs. baking or microwaving. Here’s the full lineup, ranked from #20 to #1.
Contents
- 1 1. Cuisine Adventures Spanakopita (Spinach & Feta Phyllo Triangles)
- 2 2. Kirkland Signature Tempura Shrimp
- 3 3. Feel Good Foods Crispy Jalapeno Bites
- 4 4. Partini Spinach & Artichoke Bites
- 5 5. Brazi Bites Brazilian Cheese Bread (Cheddar & Parmesan)
- 6 6. Petite Cuisine Mozzarella Sticks
- 7 7. Bibigo Mini Wontons (Chicken & Cilantro)
- 8 8. Kirkland Signature Extra Crispy French Fries
- 9 9. Delimex Beef & Cheese Mini Tacos
- 10 10. Foster Farms Take Out Crispy Chicken Wings
- 11 11. Pilgrim’s Garlic Parmesan Wings
- 12 12. Kirkland Signature Lightly Breaded Chicken Chunks
- 13 13. Bistro 28 Pretzel Bites
- 14 14. Royal Asia Coconut Shrimp (with Thai Chili Sauce)
- 15 15. Summ! Pork Lumpia (Filipino-Style Spring Rolls)
- 16 16. Hebrew National Franks in a Blanket
- 17 17. Cuisine Adventures Puff Pastry Bites (Variety)
- 18 18. Ling Ling Chicken & Vegetable Potstickers
- 19 19. Phillips Mini Crab Cakes
- 20 20. Furlani Signature Garlic Toast (Thick Slices)
- 21 The bottom line
1. Cuisine Adventures Spanakopita (Spinach & Feta Phyllo Triangles)
Size & Price: ~48-piece tray, $14-19
Air Fryer Setup: 350F / 9 min from frozen, single layer, no oil spray
Why it wins in the basket: Phyllo is the single dough that benefits MOST from an air fryer. Hot circulating air shatters each layer into bakery-grade flakes; the oven steams the bottom soggy. This is the closest a frozen app gets to fresh-from-a-Greek-bakery.
Best Dip: Tzatziki or plain Greek yogurt with lemon and dill
Verdict: MUST-BUY
2. Kirkland Signature Tempura Shrimp
Size & Price: 30-count box, ~$17-19
Air Fryer Setup: 370F / 8 min, flip at 4 min
Why it wins in the basket: Light tempura batter goes shatteringly crisp in 8 minutes while the shrimp stays plump and snappy. Oven leaves the bottoms pale; microwave is a disaster. Comes with soy-based dipping sauce.
Best Dip: Included soy-ginger sauce, or sriracha-mayo
Verdict: MUST-BUY
3. Feel Good Foods Crispy Jalapeno Bites
Size & Price: ~30-count, $13-15
Air Fryer Setup: 375F / 7 min from frozen
Why it wins in the basket: Gluten-free rice-flour coating crisps faster and cleaner than wheat breading. Cream cheese + cheddar core gets molten without leaking. Oven needs 18+ minutes for the same crunch.
Best Dip: Ranch or chipotle aioli
Verdict: MUST-BUY
4. Partini Spinach & Artichoke Bites
Size & Price: 40-count, $12.99-14.99
Air Fryer Setup: 375F / 6 min from frozen, no oil
Why it wins in the basket: The breakout 2025 launch nobody’s stopped talking about. Air fryer takes them from frozen to crackly-shelled / molten-creamy in SIX minutes flat. Oven takes 18. This is the speed king of the list.
Best Dip: Marinara or a side of ranch
Verdict: MUST-BUY
5. Brazi Bites Brazilian Cheese Bread (Cheddar & Parmesan)
Size & Price: ~24 oz bag, $9-11
Air Fryer Setup: 375F / 8-10 min from frozen, shake at 5 min
Why it wins in the basket: Tapioca-flour pao de queijo only gets its signature shattery crust + stretchy-cheese interior when you blast it with dry air. Oven gives you a uniform soft puff; air fryer gives you the Sao Paulo padaria version.
Best Dip: Eat plain, or guava jam if you want to go full Brazilian
Verdict: MUST-BUY
6. Petite Cuisine Mozzarella Sticks
Size & Price: Two 5-lb bags, 82-92 sticks, ~$15
Air Fryer Setup: 370F / 7 min, line basket with parchment to catch leaks
Why it wins in the basket: Seasoned panko coat goes crackly in 7 minutes; oven needs 12+ and the cheese always blows out the side. Pro tip: don’t preheat too hot or the breading browns before the cheese melts.
Best Dip: Warm marinara
Verdict: BUY
7. Bibigo Mini Wontons (Chicken & Cilantro)
Size & Price: ~3 lb bag, $13-15
Air Fryer Setup: 390F / 12-14 min from frozen, single layer, flip at 7 min
Why it wins in the basket: The dough ribbons go shatteringly crisp on the edges while the filling stays juicy. Better crunch ceiling than pan-frying because no soggy bottom contact. The Bibigo spring rolls in the same family work too.
Best Dip: Soy + rice vinegar + chili crisp
Verdict: BUY
8. Kirkland Signature Extra Crispy French Fries
Size & Price: 4 lb bag, ~$9-11
Air Fryer Setup: 400F / 14-16 min, shake every 5 min
Why it wins in the basket: Pre-coated ‘extra crispy’ starch shell was engineered for hot dry air. Oven gives you limp middles; air fryer delivers genuine restaurant-style fry texture without 4 cups of oil.
Best Dip: Truffle aioli, garlic mayo, or just ketchup
Verdict: BUY
9. Delimex Beef & Cheese Mini Tacos
Size & Price: ~36 oz bag, ~$13
Air Fryer Setup: 400F / 6-8 min, shake at 4 min, no oil needed
Why it wins in the basket: Corn-flour shells already carry enough internal oil to crisp into bubbly, audibly crunchy mini tacos in 6 minutes. Microwave version is a steamed disappointment by comparison. Costco freezer-aisle staple year-round.
Best Dip: Salsa verde, queso, or sour cream
Verdict: BUY
10. Foster Farms Take Out Crispy Chicken Wings
Size & Price: 4 lb bag, ~$17.99
Air Fryer Setup: 390F / 16 min, flip at 8 min; toss in sauce AFTER
Why it wins in the basket: Wings are the textbook air-fryer category – rendered skin gets papery-crisp while meat stays juicy. Foster Farms’ pre-fried par-cook gives you a head start on color. Toss in sauce post-cook so the crunch survives.
Best Dip: Buffalo, garlic parm, or honey-Sriracha
Verdict: BUY
11. Pilgrim’s Garlic Parmesan Wings
Size & Price: ~4 lb bag, $17-19
Air Fryer Setup: 400F / 18-20 min, flip at 10 min
Why it wins in the basket: Pre-sauced wings are tricky – garlic parm doesn’t burn the way buffalo or BBQ would, so air fryer works without scorching. Skin stays crackly even with the cheese-butter coat. Lower than Foster Farms because the sauce softens slightly under heat.
Best Dip: Extra ranch or blue cheese
Verdict: BUY
12. Kirkland Signature Lightly Breaded Chicken Chunks
Size & Price: 4 lb bag, $18.15
Air Fryer Setup: 400F / 8-10 min, shake at 5 min
Why it wins in the basket: Light breading was practically designed for air fryers – 10 minutes from frozen gets you genuine crunch with juicy interiors. Note: some 2026 buyers have flagged a saltier reformulation, so consider unsalted dips.
Best Dip: Honey mustard or Chick-fil-A style sauce
Verdict: BUY (with note)
13. Bistro 28 Pretzel Bites
Size & Price: ~50 bites + dipping sauces, $13-15
Air Fryer Setup: 380F / 6 min, shake halfway
Why it wins in the basket: Pretzel exterior gets that proper Bavarian-style snap in 6 minutes; oven softens them. The honey-mustard and cheese-sauce cups warm up nicely while the bites cook.
Best Dip: Included honey mustard + warmed cheese sauce
Verdict: BUY
14. Royal Asia Coconut Shrimp (with Thai Chili Sauce)
Size & Price: ~2 lb bag, $13-16
Air Fryer Setup: 390F / 8-10 min, flip at 5 min
Why it wins in the basket: Coconut flakes burn fast in an oven and steam in a microwave – the air fryer is the only home method that toasts them golden without scorching. Sweet Thai chili sauce in the bag is the dip.
Best Dip: Included Thai chili sauce
Verdict: BUY
15. Summ! Pork Lumpia (Filipino-Style Spring Rolls)
Size & Price: ~3 lb bag, $13-15
Air Fryer Setup: 390F / 10-12 min, flip at 6 min, light oil spray helps
Why it wins in the basket: Thin lumpia wrapper crisps up almost like deep-fried in the air fryer – the key is a quick spritz of oil to mimic the deep-fry sheen. Pork filling stays juicy.
Best Dip: Sweet chili sauce or banana ketchup
Verdict: BUY
16. Hebrew National Franks in a Blanket
Size & Price: ~36 oz tray, $14-16
Air Fryer Setup: 350F / 8-10 min, single layer
Why it wins in the basket: Puff pastry needs dry heat to fully laminate – air fryer delivers that bakery puff in under 10 minutes. Mini franks stay snappy without splitting the dough.
Best Dip: Yellow mustard or honey mustard
Verdict: BUY
17. Cuisine Adventures Puff Pastry Bites (Variety)
Size & Price: ~44 piece tray, $15-17
Air Fryer Setup: 350F / 8-10 min from frozen, single layer
Why it wins in the basket: Same logic as the spanakopita – laminated puff pastry lives or dies on dry-air contact. Variety pack includes spinach, mushroom, and brie fillings; all of them come out flakier than the oven version.
Best Dip: None needed, or a quick fig jam
Verdict: BUY
18. Ling Ling Chicken & Vegetable Potstickers
Size & Price: ~4.6 lb bag, $14-16
Air Fryer Setup: 375F / 10-12 min, flip at 6 min, light oil spray
Why it wins in the basket: Air fryer gives you crisp bottoms AND crisp tops – a result you literally cannot achieve in a pan without flipping each one. With a quick oil mist, the wrapper goes from doughy to genuinely crunchy.
Best Dip: Included soy-ginger packet + chili crisp
Verdict: BUY
19. Phillips Mini Crab Cakes
Size & Price: ~24 oz tray, $19-22
Air Fryer Setup: 375F / 10-12 min, flip at 6 min
Why it wins in the basket: Crab cakes are mid-pack on this list because the goal is moist interior, not maximum crunch. Air fryer gives you a golden exterior in 10 minutes without drying out the lump crab. Skip the pan-fry mess.
Best Dip: Remoulade or lemon-caper aioli
Verdict: BUY
20. Furlani Signature Garlic Toast (Thick Slices)
Size & Price: ~22 oz box, 8 slices, $5-7
Air Fryer Setup: 380F / 4-5 min, single layer, no flip needed
Why it wins in the basket: Bottom of the list not because it’s bad – because the crunch ceiling for a slab of bread is naturally lower than wings or phyllo. Still: air fryer beats oven for edge-crispness in less than 5 minutes and the butter doesn’t pool.
Best Dip: None – serve alongside pasta or soup
Verdict: BUY
The bottom line
Air fryers genuinely upgrade most Costco frozen appetizers, but the gap between the top 5 and the bottom 5 is wide. The #1-ranked picks (Spanakopita, Tempura Shrimp, Jalapeno Bites, Partini Bites, Brazi Bites) deliver a textural change so dramatic vs. the oven that they’re worth re-thinking your party-snack strategy around. Stock the basket, set the timer, and skip the deep fryer.
