Walmart & Costco Halal Meat in Calgary: What's Actually Certified

Yes, both sell halal meat in Calgary. But it comes in sealed packages, never from the meat counter. Costco lists its fresh Kirkland Signature chicken and Australian lamb as "Halal". On 9 October 2026 the East Hills warehouse had both in stock. Walmart's Calgary shelves carry Mina, Zabiha Halal and Solmaz, plus its own halal fresh beef. Neither store cuts to order, and the certifier changes from package to package. Here's what I found.

Is Costco chicken halal?

The fresh Kirkland Signature chicken is, by Costco's own word. On costco.ca, six fresh items say "Halal" (the whole-chicken page is one): whole chickens (three to a pack), 2.2 kg boneless skinless breasts, boneless skinless thighs, bone-in thighs, drumsticks and split wings. All six were listed in stock at the east Calgary warehouse, 75 East Hills Blvd SE, when I checked.

Costco's site doesn't say who certifies them. The package has to. Since 2016, federal rules say any halal claim on food must name who certified it (CFIA). Read it before you buy. Certifiers differ on things like hand or machine slaughter.

Just as useful: what Costco does not call halal. The frozen and seasoned Kirkland chicken makes no halal claim. That's the 2 kg seasoned breast bag, frozen breast fillets, lightly breaded chunks and seasoned wings. The packaged Seasoned Rotisserie Chicken, the Grilled Chipotle Chicken and the hot rotisserie chicken make no claim either. Treat them as not halal unless the label says otherwise.

Costco's other halal meat: lamb, turkey and beef

• Lamb. Kirkland Signature Australian lamb is listed as halal: loin chops, boneless leg and rack. All three were in stock in east Calgary.
• Ground turkey. The 3 kg Kirkland Signature extra lean ground turkey is listed as halal and was in stock.
• Ground beef. A 3 kg lean ground beef is listed as halal, but it was out of stock in east Calgary that day. The Kirkland beef patties, wieners, sausages and meatballs make no halal claim.
• Frozen. Zabiha Halal chicken strips, from Maple Lodge Farms' halal brand, were in stock. Online only, Costco also ships halal-labelled Australian wagyu patties and a halal Canadian beef burger pack.

Costco's business centre site lists the same breasts, drumsticks and thighs as halal in 2 to 3 kg bulk packs. That doesn't tell you what East Hills has that day. A US food site counts only the lamb legs and racks as halal, with no halal label on the packages. Trust the package in your own cart.

What Walmart carries in Calgary

Walmart has no halal programme of its own beyond one line of fresh beef, but its shelves carry the main Canadian halal brands. These were listed on walmart.ca for pickup at the Marlborough Supercentre on Memorial Drive NE in October 2026:

Halal brands at Walmart in Calgary, and who certifies them

Brand	On the shelf	Certifier
Mina Halal (Maple Leaf)	Fresh breasts, thighs, drumsticks and leg quarters; nuggets, strips	Halal Monitoring Authority (HMA), "Zabeeha by hand", per Maple Leaf
Zabiha Halal (Maple Lodge Farms)	Chicken wieners, bologna, smoked chicken breast, breakfast strips, nuggets, burgers	Read the label; Walmart's listing for the franks names CHFCA
Solmaz	Beef salami, beef bacon, pepperoni, smoked turkey and chicken	HMA, which lists Solmaz Foods among its certified deli makers
Your Fresh Market (Walmart)	Halal lean ground beef, stewing cubes, stir-fry strips, strip loin, beef shank	Not stated online; it must be on the label

Smaller lines turn up too: Marigold halal butter chicken and chicken tikka frozen entrées, Shahir halal pepperoni, and Baladi and Khaas halal yogurt. The deli and meat counters are not halal. Read the package, not the aisle sign.

Walmart's halal meat page also lists Mina lean ground chicken (454 g packs) and boneless skinless thighs and breasts. Its Zabiha Halal section adds Maple Lodge Farms chicken sausages to the wieners, nuggets and burgers. Stock varies by store, so check first. An undated trade report says Mina whole turkey reached big Ontario chains, Walmart included. Don't count on it in Calgary. For lamb, goat or a custom cut, go to a butcher.

https://www.instagram.com/shaganappimarket/p/DeDIhpiSnI8/

How to read the package in ten seconds

• Find the certifier's full name. The law wants it spelled out, not just a logo, though it can sit anywhere on the label. No name, no legal halal claim.
• Know which certifier you trust. HMA's standard calls for hand slaughter, for example. Some other certifiers accept machine slaughter. Who certifies halal food in Calgary explains the difference.
• Check every time. Suppliers change, and only the label tells you.

Buying sealed halal meat from a store that sells pork is a personal call. Fully halal vs halal options lays out both sides.

Halal meat near me: butchers close to both stores

A big-box store sells a fixed tray. A halal butcher cuts for the dish: curry cut, biryani cut, mince ground while you wait. They carry goat too. Looking for halal meat Calgary near me? Both stores sit close to a halal counter. For yyc halal meat Calgary shoppers, here are the closest yyc meat counters to each store.

• Near Costco East Hills: International Avenue is a straight run west along 17 Ave SE. Maher Halal Meat (4.8) and Safari Meat Market (4.7) sit in the same strip. Safari, at 5010 17 Ave SE, is a wholesaler that also sells retail. Village Pita Bakery on 28 St SE covers the bread and meat pies.
• Near Walmart Marlborough: Mashawi market & grill, across Memorial Drive, is an Iraqi butcher counter. Its grill will cook the same meat for you. A few minutes north are two of the city's top-rated counters: Damascus Butcher on Rundlehorn Dr NE (4.8) and Wild Rose Meats and More on 27 St NE (4.8).
• The one supermarket with a halal counter inside: Westgate Halal Meat and Deli runs the meat counter in the FreshCo on Saddletowne Circle NE. One trip covers both. Reviewers go for its halal beef bacon and marinated cuts. You choose a cut and pay at the front before it's cut.
• Northwest: YYC Halal Meats Fish & Grocery NW in Nolan Hill has a meat counter, a fish case and a full grocery aisle.
• South: Shaganappi Mediterranean Market on Macleod Trail SE pairs a halal meat counter with an imported Mediterranean grocery. Its meat pies are what people come back for.

https://www.instagram.com/villagepita_yyc/p/DK-2IrByzNK/

For more, see every halal grocer by distance, halal butchers in Calgary and halal butchers by neighbourhood.

The short version

Costco's fresh Kirkland chicken, Australian lamb and ground turkey are listed as halal. Its frozen, seasoned and rotisserie chicken are not. Walmart carries Mina (HMA), Solmaz (HMA), Zabiha Halal and its own halal beef. Read the certifier's name on every package. For goat or a custom cut, a halal butcher is minutes from both stores.