The Viral Aldi Hack That Feeds A Family Of Three For $15

As grocery prices climb higher and higher, more people are having to buy groceries on a strict budget. This is especially true for households of more than two people, where the cost of food can rapidly balloon with each additional mouth to feed. Aldi has long been a great place to pick up ingredients for cheap, but one TikTok post from user @annamommax2 achieved a measure of virality for the surprising value it revealed.

Tacos are known to be a simple and affordable food, but you can get the same flavor out of more meals with taco soup. And Aldi's bargain business model means you can get all the goods for a little over $15.

This frugal shopping hack leans heavily on the canned goods aisle: It calls for tomato paste, diced tomatoes, kidney beans, mild chili beans, and two cans each of mixed vegetables and sweet corn. Combined with a taco seasoning packet, beef broth, and ground beef (lean or not), it becomes a hearty and filling meal for at least three people, if not more.

Some people might balk at the number of canned ingredients in this taco soup, but there are actually plenty of underrated canned foods you might want to eat more often. This includes canned tomatoes, which undergo slight heating during the canning process that actually improves their nutritional value. Plus, dicing fresh tomatoes is inconvenient and inconsistent enough that even restaurants and professional chefs often use the canned stuff.

As far as the meat goes, Aldi offers a range of ground proteins that could work. But when we ranked Aldi's ground meat offerings, one was the clear winner: its 80/20 ground beef. Named for its meat-to-fat ratio, this option adds a rich beefiness to your taco soup that other options just can't, including the leaner 93/7 ground beef.

Despite its popularity, @annamommax2's Aldi taco soup hack didn't come with an actual recipe. Our slightly more complex hearty taco soup recipe, however, can serve as a guideline for cooking the Aldi version. Just skip the fresh aromatics and optional toppings — or, if they're in the grocery budget after your Aldi savings, buy them anyway and zhush up your taco soup.