Every Kind Of Aldi Frozen Chicken, Ranked

If you follow any Aldi groups on Facebook, you've probably noticed that this grocery store isn't your usual supermarket. In fact, it's been named the most popular grocery store in America. It also has a unique following of fans who know the ins and outs of the company and are willing to share all the details on sales, items, and where to find their nearest Aldi stores. Aldi's many frozen chicken options are at the center of many posts in these groups, from versatile boneless and skinless breasts and thighs to quick-cook meal staples, like chicken breast patties and nuggets.

Avid fans of Aldi have likely tried every frozen chicken product the store offers. But if you're newer to the Aldi scene and want to know where to start, this ranked guide highlights some of the company's absolute best offerings — and a few you might want to steer clear of and look for an alternative product instead.

As frequent Aldi shoppers — and grocery shoppers in general — we know that every product has its bad days. Manufacturers can run into problems that affect a whole shipment of products, leading to a less-than-desirable experience for customers. But, when inconsistencies frequently happen with one product, we tend to move on to something else instead.

That's the case with Kirkwood's frozen chicken wings. While it's totally possible to get a good bag here and there, we've ended up with more disappointing bags. It seems like many other Aldi customers have similar experiences. For instance, one Twitter user writes, "More than half of my bag of Kirkwood frozen chicken wings were from tiny little baby chicks, not full grown chickens," showing a photo of a wing that's just about two inches long. Another person shares on Twitter that the wings in their bag were full of feathers.

However, it seems that other happy Aldi wing buyers typically overlook the inconsistencies and have good results making their wings in an air fryer. If you're okay with picking off some feathers and having wings of different sizes, try picking up one of the many sauces Aldi offers, slathering up the wings, and tossing them in the air fryer for a crispy, flavorful meal.

We definitely don't expect gourmet quality food to come from any kind of frozen chicken breast patties, and that's certainly not what they're usually intended for. That's why we typically buy Kirkwood's version of this frozen chicken only when we need a simple lunch or dinner backup idea for an extremely busy day. They are affordable compared to brands in other grocery stores, and they can be a convenient addition to the freezer when needing something quick to grab.

But, they're definitely not a first-choice item for us and many other Aldi shoppers. Some Aldi fans turn them into copycat Chic-Fil-A or KFC sandwiches, but for the most part, these aren't the number one chicken item on many shoppers' lists. Instead, lots of Aldi fans praise a different kind of frozen chicken patty: the Mediterranean-style chicken patties in a blue box. These patties have amassed a large following since their introduction to the freezer aisle, with shoppers often sprucing them up with other Mediterranean ingredients, like tzatziki, artichokes, or Greek yogurt.

If you're a fan of battered chicken, you might assume you'd love the Kirkwood Honey-Battered Breast Tenders in the yellow bag at Aldi. These tenders use white meat and rib meat chicken and are breaded with a sweetened honey batter. On the picture, they look delicious. And, when you make them, they actually come out just like the picture.

The problem is with their taste and texture. These tenders can be overly sweet for some, which could be a turnoff for those looking for the more savory flavors of traditional breaded tenders or nuggets. These tenders can also be less than palatable for people with texture aversions. Even when cooked in the oven or air fryer to crisp them up, they have somewhat of a spongey texture inside. One person on Reddit describes it well: "The honey battered tenders are good, but they leave me with a weird mouth feel. It's not an oily feel, just...off?"

Still, plenty of Aldi lovers experiment with these tenders, typically using them as an ingredient in Asian-inspired meals, like sweet and sour chicken, chicken fried rice, or chicken, rice, and broccoli. Perhaps when they're transformed from their original state into something new, they're a bit more palatable.

We certainly love a versatile food product that we can use in multiple meals. That's definitely what the frozen Kirkwood boneless and skinless chicken tenderloins from Aldi bring to the table. Once they're thawed out, you can grill them, pan-fry them, put them in the oven, or pop them in the air fryer for a range of meals. Personally, we love using them for grilled chicken salads, breaded chicken strips, or chicken pasta dishes.

These chicken tenderloins are stocked in our freezers and the freezers of many Aldi shoppers often. But we'd be remiss to not point out one particular problem that pops up in almost every bag: the dreaded tendons. When you buy any brand of chicken tenderloins, there's a chance that you'll find a tendon here and there. The tendon is a white, tough, string-like piece that hangs off the meat. On a chicken, it attaches muscle to bone. It's not uncommon to find them on any chicken tenderloins you buy, but they're frequent occurrences in Aldi's brand of frozen tenderloins, sometimes found on every piece in the bag. Unfortunately, you can't pull or cut them off until the tenders thaw out, which can be a problem if you're cooking straight from frozen.

Looking for an Aldi frozen chicken that the kids will be sure to love? Try Kirkwood's popcorn chicken, which is in a yellow-golden bag, usually situated near the frozen nuggets. These little balls of white meat chicken taste very similar to the brand's chicken patties, just in smaller form. They're perfect for a quick finger-food lunch or dinner for kids who haven't developed finer taste buds yet. And plenty of adults love transforming them into KFC-inspired bowls with mashed potatoes, corn, gravy, popcorn chicken, and cheese.

On their own, they're a bit bland, though. So, as Aldi shoppers do best, many have found ways to incorporate these affordable bags of popcorn chicken into meals that give them a bit of a flavor boost. For example, one person commented on a Facebook post with their idea: "I toss mine in Orange sauce from Kikkoman served with rice." Another commenter on the same post says, "Stir fry it with ranch & Frank's red hot & use on chicken salads."

Frozen chicken nuggets are a favorite for many kids and adults. Even the pickiest eaters tend to find solace in a warm plate of chicken nuggets for lunch or dinner. Aldi's chicken nuggets from Kirkwood can be an affordable alternative to other brands you'll find at traditional grocery stores, and they don't taste too shabby considering their sometimes much lower price tag. In fact, one person posted on Facebook after trying them, "I rarely eat meat. But I had a craving for some chicken nuggets. Went to Aldi's and found these. Really good!!!"

Many commenters added their thoughts to the post, with several of them also chiming in that they, too, think Aldi's nuggets are a catch. Some even claim that they're the only nuggets their children will eat, which is quite a compliment for such a universally child-loved food. Still, many others are on the fence about the quality of these "shaped" nuggets, although we probably shouldn't expect a nutritional masterpiece from frozen chicken nuggets, right?

Kirkwood's blue bag of frozen breaded chicken strips is certainly a popular pick with Aldi enthusiasts. Fans use them in numerous ways, from making chicken wraps and subs to dipping them in white country gravy or tossing them in buffalo sauce for boneless buffalo bites. The best part about them, perhaps, is that they cook in just a matter of minutes, whether you toss them in the oven or cook them in the air fryer, and they'll be crisped and ready to eat for a quick, easy meal.

Our suggestion? After cooking the breaded chicken strips with whatever method you prefer, let them cool off for a couple of minutes. Then, cut them up and serve them over potatoes or rice drizzled with chicken gravy. They also work well as an Asian-inspired meal served with rice, mixed vegetables, and sweet and sour sauce. We also love them atop Caesar or house salad. There's simply no going wrong with this versatile option from Aldi.

Where there are regular chicken strips, a spicier version usually isn't too far behind. Such is the case for Kirkwood's frozen breaded chicken strips, which has a buffalo version that you can find in an easy-to-spot orange bag. These strips are similar in size and texture to the blue bag crispy strips version, but they are glazed with buffalo sauce for some extra heat. For spice lovers, they're an absolute must-try.

If there's one complaint we have about these buffalo chicken strips, it's that they might not give enough heat for some taste buds. Still, the flavor is delicious, and there's always room for you to add extra sauce if you'd like. Fans of the orange bag frequently pop the chicken in the air fryer for a few minutes to make buffalo chicken wraps or salads with ranch dressing. One commenter on a Facebook post explains their favorite recipe for these strips: "Cook the chicken in [the] oven or air fryer, then cut it up and add to [a] burrito-sized tortilla with lettuce, tomato, cheese, and ranch. After I wrap it, I spray a pan a bit, then toss it a couple times to make it a little crispy and melt the cheese."

If you're on the hunt for frozen chicken at Aldi that you can use in a virtually endless number of recipes, try Kirkwood's boneless and skinless chicken breasts or thighs. They're usually right next to each other on the frozen shelves and are clearly marked with different colors so you can quickly spot the difference.

One caveat of these bags of chicken is that the pieces can vary in size significantly, especially the breasts. If you're making a meal for a family and want everyone to have similar size pieces, you might need to double up two smaller breasts to make up for one of the larger ones you find in the bag.

Otherwise, these frozen chicken bags can be helpful to have on hand without having to store a big bag of chicken in the refrigerator. Thaw these a day or two before you need to cook them. Or, cook them straight from frozen if you're cooking a meal in the slow cooker or pressure cooker.

Chicken cordon bleu is a breaded chicken breast that's stuffed with ham and cheese. Aldi sells these little bundles of yum as individually wrapped products in the frozen section. While they're a bit pricier than other forms of frozen chicken, they could serve as a tasty treat for the family sometimes. Because of its savory stuffing, chicken cordon bleu is rather filling, so you won't need more than a side dish or two to round out a meal.

Every once in a while, Aldi also has other versions of stuffed chicken breast similar to chicken cordon bleu, like broccoli cheddar or creamy jalapeno. If you find them, grab them, because they usually don't last long.

Although these are intended to cook in the oven, you can also microwave or air-fry them for a quicker meal. Serve with chicken gravy for a flavor boost, or cut one up to serve over mashed potatoes or pasta.

As you can see by now, Aldi has plenty of frozen chicken products to buy, whether you want plain chicken breasts or various types of breaded chicken to switch things up. One of its more unique offerings is chicken fries, another Kirkwood favorite that Aldi's biggest fans post about a lot in Facebook groups. You can probably imagine that these small strips of chicken are popular finger foods for kids, as they're relatively similar to nuggets. But you might be surprised by how many adults love them, too (us included).

Kirkwood's chicken fries are great on their own or with your favorite dipping sauce, like ketchup, mustard, ranch, or buffalo sauce. If you can find it at your local Aldi store, we suggest grabbing a bottle of Burman's Chick'n Dipp'n sauce, which is a dupe of the famous Chic-Fil-A sauce that people love for sandwiches or chicken tenders. It pairs perfectly with these chicken fries, which make for a quick meal on a busy day. You can even stick them in the microwave for a few minutes if you're in a rush.

When you need chicken for salad or wraps but aren't in the mood to grill it up yourself, try a bag of Kirkwood's grilled chicken strips from the Aldi freezer aisle. They're super convenient to use when you're in a pinch because they microwave or pan-fry in about 2-3 minutes from frozen. We love using them for burrito bowls, chicken quesadillas, and chicken alfredo. One person in an Aldi Facebook group post mentions that they thaw them first, put the chicken strips on skewers, and then grill them to make kebobs. Others use them as the star of casseroles, chicken nachos, grain bowls, and fajitas. Really, the options are endless with this frozen chicken.

One note of warning: These taste quite salty already, so be careful about seasoning them with extra salt until you've tasted them. In fact, many people prefer them without any seasoning at all, especially if they're using them with a dressed salad or saucy wrap.

When we crave parmesan chicken but don't have the time to make it from scratch, there's one bag of Aldi frozen chicken we reach for: Kirkwood's parmesan chicken in the green bag. This chicken is basically a large chicken tender that's breaded in a parmesan herb-crusted seasoning and frozen until you're ready to use it. They cook in the oven in about 20 minutes right from the freezer, giving plenty of time to make pasta and sauce to go with it.

If you're making traditional parmesan chicken, simply add your sauce and cheese to the tenders about halfway through the cooking time. Otherwise, you can do what many Aldi fans do and enjoy them plain. They have lots of flavor in the breading, so they don't need any additions. Still, there are plenty of ways to get creative with them, like chopping a tender to add to a salad or wrap, mixing a sliced tender with pasta, or adding one to a bun for a chicken sandwich.

People who hang around Aldi fan groups on Reddit or Facebook know all about the famous Kirkwood breaded chicken fillets, more commonly referred to as "red bag chicken." Many Aldi shoppers pick up one or two of these red bags every time they visit Aldi, resulting in a surprisingly massive following for a bag of frozen chicken. But, we admit, they're absolutely worth the hype.

The famous red bag chicken is nothing more than breaded chicken fillets. However, they're seasoned well, and when cooked in the oven or air fryer, they have an excellent amount of crispy breading. There are so many ways to use them, too, which is why they're so handy to keep forever stocked in the freezer.

In an article for Insider, writer Lara Walsh tested the chicken to see if it was worth all its praise. Walsh's thoughts? Not only did she think the chicken was reminiscent of Chic-Fil-A's breaded chicken, but she also tells fans to "run, not walk, to pick up a bag (or three)" the next time they're at an Aldi.