9 Frozen Appetizers At Aldi, Ranked Worst To Best

Aldi's freezer section offers a wealth of excellent selections at affordable prices that make stocking up possible. The private label retailer's frozen pre-made meals offer something for everyone, ranging from gluten-free Asian delicacies to mouthwatering Italian pastas and beyond. Its frozen breakfast options include anything you could ever want for the first meal of your day, including pancakes, waffles, French toast, and sausage. Additionally, whether you're throwing a party or looking for something to graze on throughout the day, Aldi has an extensive selection of frozen appetizers that includes something for everyone. But, how can you tell which frozen appetizers are worth your hard-earned money?

Thankfully, you can skip the trial and error process usually required to determine which options are worth your time and which deserve to stay in the freezer — I was given an opportunity to try nine of Aldi's frozen appetizers for you, and ranked them from worst to best based on taste, texture, and smell. I'm uniquely qualified to do this thanks to more than 15 years experience in the food industry, decades of frozen appetizer consumership, and having created dozens of Daily Meal ranking articles previously. You can find my full methodology at the end of this article to learn more about my process. Let's get into it.

Much to my surprise, there wasn't a single frozen appetizer on this list I truly despised. This is rare — there are usually at least one or two options I can't stand and find a lot of fault with. That being said, there were definitely some appetizers I simply didn't like, including the Appetitos Cranberry and Feta Mini Puff Pastries.

To start on a positive note, I loved how beautifully these mini puff pastries colored to a nice, deep golden-brown during cooking. They were also incredibly easy to cook, and didn't take long in the oven at all. Their scent was also mouthwatering, featuring a sweet, tangy cranberry that dominates punctuated by a buttery starch. However, the taste was just okay. The pastry was flaky, but it predominately tasted like starch and didn't carry any of the buttery notes the smell suggested. The cranberry and feta combo was a little too tangy for my preference in a dessert, despite ample added sugars. Texturally, they were a little too hard on the bottom when cooked according to the package's instructions.

Although these mini pastries weren't bad per se, I found them mediocre overall and wouldn't purchase them again. Skip these and opt for a similar homemade dessert instead, such as these old-school breakfast pastries(which also make excellent appetizers).

These Kirkwood Chicken Parmesan Bites had excellent potential to be a fantastic snack item or even a whole meal, and I was hopeful since chicken Parm is one of my family's favorite meals. Starting off on a positive note, these bites were simple and quick to cook in the oven and came out a beautiful golden-brown color I found aesthetically appealing. Surprisingly, they didn't have a super-strong smell, and I thought they were a little small when compared to the other appetizers. However, both of these things could easily be overlooked.

Popping one of these into my mouth and biting down, my first burst of flavor was a starchy breading with a nice amount of Italian seasoning. This was quickly followed by a combination of mildly savory chicken and creamy cheese punctuated slightly with a sweet, earthy tomato sauce. My biggest complaint here is there wasn't a lot of tomato sauce — in fact, there was barely any. This threw the balance of the appetizer off a little and, while it didn't completely ruin the experience, it affected it enough to be ranked near the bottom of this list.

I probably won't purchase these again (I prefer other Aldi frozen appetizers significantly more). However, I would definitely eat these if served to me by someone else. Still, choose a higher ranking meat-based appetizer if you're looking for the best experience.

My family and I love mozzarella sticks — so much so, in fact, that I previously did a ranking of eight chain restaurant mozzarella sticks. As it so often happens, my intense love for this food also makes me a bit picky when it comes to them. While these Appetitos Mozzarella Cheese Sticks are overall fine, they lack a few of the qualities I look for in the best options.

For starters, the breading was okay; it browned nicely during cooking, but wasn't seasoned very well. There were a few hints of what might be Italian seasoning, but I would have preferred a slightly heavier hand. Also, the cheese melted, but didn't have that gooey pull. Instead, breaking apart the mozzarella sticks just broke the cheese. However, the combined flavor profile of milky cheese and starchy breading was generally nice.

Would I eat these again? Absolutely. Would I go out of my way to purchase them again? Absolutely not. These are an okay choice if you're really in a bind and need mozzarella sticks specifically, but I would opt for the similar (but higher-ranking) burrata bites or mac and cheese bites if I were you.

This marks the part of the list where we go from "mediocre" to "good." These Appetitos Burrata Bites were my first experience with this kind of appetizer. Before this, I'd never even heard of burrata bites, but the box made them sound like an upgraded version of mozzarella sticks so I was excited to give them a shot.

Although they weren't mind-blowing, they were quite tasty, and the idea behind them is great. Breading is wrapped around a layer of mozzarella cheese with seasoned ricotta in the middle. There wasn't a distinguishing smell while these were cooking, but they did brown nicely when made according to the package's instructions. This excellent browning was consistent among all Appetitos options on this list, so I feel confident saying it's something this Aldi private label does well.

I'll be honest: I wasn't sure how I felt on my first taste, but these burrata bites quickly grew on me. The ricotta and breading are nicely seasoned, featuring a balanced flavor profile of starchiness and mild milkiness. They're especially excellent when dipped in homemade marinara sauce. I might purchase these again as an alternative to the mozzarella cheese sticks, and I recommend them if you're looking to fill the same cheesy gap.

I'm a big fan of loaded potato skins. I regularly order them while dining out or make them from scratch when dining in, so these Appetitos Loaded Potato Skins were one of this list's options I was most excited to try.

Once again, I noted a beautiful golden coloring and generous toppings before I took my first bite. There was also a light, savory potato scent while these were cooking, which I found pleasant. The crisp, starchy potato offers a balancing counterpoint to the rich, gooey cheese and crunchy, savory bacon bits. Both in texture and taste, these potatoes had a complex, layered profile I really enjoyed. The only thing that might make them better is topping them with a bit of sour cream.

While they aren't my favorite loaded potato skins, they're definitely in the top five. I will likely buy these again to switch things up from my top three Aldi frozen appetizers, to keep things fresh. If you're looking for solid frozen loaded potato skins, these are a great choice.

The Appetitos Mac and Cheese Bites are a solid appetizer choice if you're looking for something cheesy with good flavor at a great price point. They turned a nice light brown color during cooking, and the package's instructions were spot on (I love this because I often find cooking foods according to the printed instructions doesn't cook them enough or cooks them too much). There was also a nice, baked cheese smell as they cooked, which filled my kitchen when I opened the oven door. Since I value the smell of my food so highly, this was a big point in favor of these mac and cheese bites.

From the first bite, these had a robust flavor profile that was predominately starchy and richly cheesy, with faint notes of seasoning. I'm not sure what type of seasoning was used, but whatever it was, it complemented the appetizer nicely. There was also a beautiful textural complexity created by the crisp breading, soft macaroni, and gooey cheese. I'll probably purchase these again, although not as often as I will the top three ranked options. However, if you're looking for a non-spicy cheesy appetizer, this is your best option.

We reach the part of this ranking where the appetizers transition from "good" to "great" starting with the Bremer Cream Cheese Stuffed Jalapeños. If you're looking for the absolute best frozen appetizers to pick up on your next trip to Aldi, start taking notes.

Although I may sound like a broken record at this point, these turned a beautiful golden color in the oven (despite not being from the Appetitos brand, but rather Aldi's Bremer brand). These stuffed jalapeños also exuded a spicy starch smell that I personally found appealing. There was a nice textural complexity offered by the crispy breading, somewhat soft jalapeño, and the creamy cheese. A moderate spiciness was balanced by starchy notes and creamy tones interspersed with a faint sweetness.

Truthfully, I don't have anything negative to say about this frozen appetizer. The only reason it didn't rank higher was sheer personal preference. I will definitely purchase these again as part of my regular Aldi rotation. If you enjoy spicy foods and are looking for a solid frozen appetizer to keep in your freezer, these stuffed jalapeños are an excellent option.

Amongst the Aldi frozen appetizers on our list, these Fusia Pork Egg Rolls stand out as the most substantial option. A single egg roll could make an excellent appetizer, fantastic snack, or even a great side dish to a fried rice entree. While I've had a lot of frozen egg rolls over the years, this one is definitely the best I've had. It comes close to what you'd expect from your average Chinese restaurant.

As they were cooking, they had a mouthwateringly savory smell to them, which I loved. Taking my first bite, my mouth was greeted by a defining starchiness heavily accented by an intense earthiness and moderate savoriness. Texturally, this appetizer offered everything I was looking for: a flaky, crisp exterior lined with a softer interior wrapped around chewy vegetables and pork. Although excellent on their own, I'll try dipping these egg rolls in sweet and sour sauce next time. I will definitely purchase these pork egg rolls again, and highly recommend you grab yourself a box. They're guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser at your next party or family meal.

Choosing the top option from all these great frozen appetizers was incredibly hard. In fact, I think this was my most challenging ranking to complete. However, these Kirkwood Fully Cooked Chicken Fries deserve the top spot.

In nearly all aspects, these chicken fries are incredibly similar to chicken nuggets, except they're in a slightly more bite-friendly format and have a crispier outer layer. Their smell while cooking is deeply savory, which is fairly indicative of the taste. The savory, moist chicken is wrapped in a crispy, starchy breading; both are cooked to perfection when you follow the bag's instructions. They're fantastic alone or when dipped in your favorite ketchup, honey mustard, or barbecue sauce. They're also an appetizer that can do double duty as a meal when paired with french fries or tater tots.

I have absolutely nothing bad to say about these, and my entire family had only positive things to say when I offered them tastes. I will definitely keep a bag in my freezer at all times from now on, and can see myself eating these much more often than everything else on this list. Grab yourself a bag so you can taste just how amazing these chicken fries are for yourself. Once you do, you'll have zero doubts as to why they ranked as our top frozen appetizer at Aldi.

I chose frozen appetizers for inclusion in this ranking based on their availability to me at my local Aldi in Vineland, New Jersey, and selected an assortment to best represent the store's appetizer options. Each was eaten exactly as-is for the fairest assessment, and was judged primarily based on taste. However, smell and texture did play small roles, especially where either was particularly noteworthy.

To make my judgments, I primarily relied on more than 15 years of experience in the food industry, during which time I created countless appetizers of varying types. Previous consumership of appetizers and other Aldi products also contributed, as did prior articles created for Daily Meal (including this ranking of every Texas Roadhouse appetizer). Although personal preference played a small role in this ranking, I aimed to be as unbiased as possible about product quality.