This Is the One Item I Never Leave Aldi Without

Aldi is more than just a fan-favorite store amongst the Allrecipes community, it’s also my favorite store to shop at for all my everyday needs. Just a few years ago, it may have been trickier to buy all your groceries in one go at Aldi—but today the store is stocked with essentially everything you could want housed under Aldi’s award-winning private labels.

The store had humble beginnings in Germany but has since turned into one of the biggest grocery chains in the U.S. While Aldi consistently gets new, trending products every month, there’s one item I’ve been adding to my cart for years: the Red Bag Chicken.

I like to think that Aldi’s frozen breaded chicken fillets are one of the store’s best-kept secrets; however, with the nickname Red Bag Chicken, it’s clear they have a cult following. Despite the fact that fans everywhere love the chicken breasts as much as I do, there always seems to be ample stock when I head down Aldi’s frozen aisle—almost like the RBC is waiting for me.

What is Aldi's Red Bag Chicken?

Red Bag Chicken is simply frozen breaded chicken breasts that are fully prepared and ready to cook. The chicken is seasoned with sugar, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, barley flour, and chicken broth and when cooked is crispy on the outside and juicy and tender on the inside.

Many Aldi fans compare Red Bag Chicken to Chick-fil-A chicken, which makes it a popular choice if you want to make copycat Chick-fil-A sandwiches. But, RBC is great for so much more.

How To Use Red Bag Chicken

Because Aldi’s chicken fillets are fully cooked, all you have to do is reheat them. The packaging suggests about 40 minutes in the oven, but I like to cook them in the air fryer because it’s quicker and gets the chicken crispier.

As previously mentioned, most customers buy RBC to make copycat Chick-fil-A sandwiches. While I do enjoy a chicken sandwich with cheese, lettuce, tomato, and pickles on a brioche bun, that’s not my favorite way to use Aldi’s chicken. 

I constantly use RBC as a shortcut in recipes that call for chicken or in recipes where I want to add a little more protein. It’s a great “meal prep” staple to add to any salad or wrap because RBC is just as delicious served hot or cold.

I also like to use it as a quick fix in recipes that call for breaded chicken—like chicken Parmesan or chicken and waffles—no need to bread my own chicken when I have this in my freezer. Additionally, the chicken’s flavor is mild enough that it can take on the flavor profile of any sauce you put it in. So, even if you wanted to use it in a General Tso’s recipe or Nashville hot chicken recipe, you totally could. And, of course, you could just eat the chicken on its own with some of your favorite side dishes.

Red Bag Chicken’s versatility coupled with the fact that it only costs about $8 (depending on your store) for a 24-ounce bag makes this a must-add to your Aldi grocery list. Just, please don’t sell out my favorite item before I have a chance to stock back up!