The Frozen Aldi Ingredient That’s So Good, It Has Its Own Facebook Group

A bag of frozen, breaded chicken breasts never used to top my grocery list. But things changed this summer … when I bought one very specific (red) bag at Aldi. See, I had been hearing that Aldi sells the three components you need to make to make an even less expensive copycat Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich. One of these ingredients is, you guessed it, is a bag of frozen, breaded chicken. (You can read my full review here, but I’ll just tell you that I loved this sandwich.) And since that sandwich trial, my husband and I have been keeping a regular supply of this chicken in our freezer at all times.

The bag in question? It’s over in the freezer section (clearly) and it’s the Kirkwood chicken fillets. Make sure it’s red bag — the other colors are either not breaded or, say, barbecue-flavored. (Fun fact: The bag is affectionately known among Aldi fans as RBC — short for Red Bag Chicken — and it even has its own facebook group with more than 10,000 members.) The breaded chicken is $5.99 for 24 ounces for five or six pieces of chicken. Got it? Let’s move on.

Now I’d like to take a second to talk about this cross-section above. These fillets are beefy (can chicken be beefy?). And after months of eating them, I’m happy to report that I still haven’t had a single “bouncy” bite. (If you’ve ever had a piece of bouncy chicken, you know what I’m talking about.) The chicken is also juicy, and the breading is always perfectly even and not too thick.

You may be wondering how I use these, aside from making copycat Chick-fil-A sandwiches. (I’m definitely still making lots of chicken sandwiches.) In a pinch, I’ve used them as a cheat for chicken parm (just add sauce, cheese, and pasta!). I’ve also sliced them up to add protein to a salad or fold into wraps. I’ve eaten them dunked in honey mustard (giant chicken nuggets!) and I’ve turned them into oversized boneless Buffalo wings for the return of football on television.

I will note that these are only kind of a shortcut. While you don’t have to whisk eggs or dredge the chicken yourself, these pieces do need to bake in the oven for 20 minutes per side at 400°F (You can also air fry them at just 10 minutes each side if you want, but I find that the oven does get them properly crispy) so that’s 40 minutes plus the time it takes for the oven to preheat. And then you usually need to let them cool for a bit before you can bite into one. That time, though? Well, it’s worth it!

Have you tried this chicken at Aldi? What’d you think?