8 Aldi Mexican Foods, Ranked Worst To Best

Aldi is home to a wide array of delicious, reasonably-priced foods. From convenient boxed side dishes you should always have on hand to indulgent pre-packaged bakery treats that deserve a recurring spot in your pantry, Aldi has it all. One of my favorite things about this private-label grocery store is its extensive offering of global foods that are sometimes hard to find at other grocers. Greek, German, Italian, and Polish foods are all represented in the store — and, of course, there is a wide range of Aldi Mexican foods available. But, are those Mexican foods actually good, or are they cheap imitations of authentic dishes unworthy of anyone who has sampled the real deal?

As an avid lover of authentic Mexican food, I've often asked myself that question. Thankfully, I was given the opportunity to answer it by taking eight Aldi Mexican foods for a test drive. And, report back here so you don't have to suffer through any trial and error, of course. I tried each item exactly as-is, cooked according to the package's instructions, for the fairest review. The Mexican foods were ranked based on taste, smell, and texture, using decades of relevant experience. You can find my full methodology in the next section. Now, ready to discover which Aldi Mexican foods are worth your hard-earned grocery money? Let's get into it.

I chose Mexican foods for this list based on their availability at my local Aldi in Vineland, New Jersey. Of the relevant foods available, I chose to include only those that might be considered a whole meal, rather than individual ingredients (like rice, beans, salsa, and similar). Each item was eaten as-is, without alterations, for the fairest possible assessment, and was judged based on its taste, texture, and smell.

To make my judgments, I relied primarily on more than 15 years of experience in the food industry, as well as on my personal background, making various Mexican dishes at home for my family. Of the years I spent in the food industry, one was spent working at a Mexican restaurant, while another four were spent at an eatery that featured weekly Mexican nights. A personal love of these foods and previous experience creating rankings for the Daily Meal also contributed — this includes similar Aldi-based articles like this one highlighting the best Aldi spices and this one ranking Aldi Emporium Selection cheeses. Although personal preference played a role in this ranking, I aimed to be as unbiased as possible in assessing product quality.

Pork carnitas are one of my favorite foods, and they're my go-to order at my local Mexican food truck. I also make them at home sometimes, but it takes a while, and that isn't always practical. I was hoping that these Park Street Deli Pork Carnitas would turn out really well, so I could indulge in this favorite on busy nights when I didn't feel like going out for food. But, my experience here couldn't have gone worse — which you can probably guess since it was ranked lowest.

When I looked at the package of uncooked meat, I felt a little hesitant because it didn't look appetizing. But things started going wrong when I heated this up in the microwave according to the package instructions. A smell like canned dog food permeated my kitchen, which made me wrinkle my nose. Since the smell of my food is so important to me, I would have never eaten this if it weren't for this taste test. But I did persevere, only for my taste buds to be met with the overwhelming taste of dog food and stale vomit. It was so bad that I dry-heaved over my trash can for a moment.

Avoid this at all costs. I don't know what's wrong with it, but this is the single most disgusting food I've had from Aldi, and you couldn't pay me enough to purchase it again.

It's a shame that the last two places are both taken up by Park Street Deli products, since I'm a big fan of a lot of other items in the line — for example, the Jalapeño Cream Cheese Dip With Pretzels ranked second in our round-up of the best spicy Aldi snacks and I think the Cucumber Dill Tzatziki Dip is one of the best Greek Aldi foods. Alas, I'm not so thrilled with the Mexican meal options.

This one didn't make me dry heave over my trash can, so it's certainly a step up from the abhorrent carnitas. Still, it had a weird smell I can't quite describe, and the package had so much liquid that it looked more like soup than fajita meat. After my horrible previous experience, I was already hesitant to take a taste, and these qualities only made me more so. Unfortunately, this wasn't one of those unique situations where I pushed through the taste test only to be amazed. Instead, I found that these chicken pieces taste overwhelmingly like cheap canned chili, paired with a soggy texture that made my face wrinkle in disgust.

Don't get this. If you need something quick and easy, choose a higher-ranking option on this list or maybe even opt for one of the well-ranked Mama Cozzi's frozen pizzas. If you're craving chicken fajitas, make them at home and save yourself the disappointment.

As much as I love Mexican food, the selection at Aldi left me feeling underwhelmed, and even downright disappointed. In fact, we won't even get to products that I wholeheartedly recommend until the top three — while every spot up to the fifth (or next section) is just truly awful, in my opinion.

I cooked these Casa Mamita Beef and Bean Burritos in the oven according to the package instructions. There were also instructions for the microwave, which is where I'd normally cook them, but I wanted to make this for supper one night for the family, and the oven was easier for bulk cooking. Unfortunately, this method produced overly dry burritos that were so crispy along the edges that they were hard to eat. Since that's my experience here, these burritos rank lower, but I do want to note that they did much better in my ranking of Aldi frozen pre-made meals when microwaved. The exterior is disappointing, but the interior is nice, with chunks of bean and beef throughout the smoother refried beans. It's just a shame I struggled to eat it.

I don't recommend these burritos when made in the oven. But, for absolute fairness, you may like these just fine if you choose to microwave them.

I didn't have high expectations for these burritos when I bought them, because I haven't had a single good experience with Aldi's Whole and Simple brand. In fact, this is the brand behind one of Aldi's worst meal bowls (in my humble opinion). But, of course, like everything else, I tried to go into this taste test without preconceptions. Unfortunately, it didn't matter because these turned out to be equally as awful as everything else I've had from the brand.

The Whole and Simple Chicken, Cilantro, and Lime Burritos smelled a little weird when they were cooking in the microwave. It was almost like artificial citrus with the faintest hint of burning plastic. When they were done, the tortilla was a bit too hard, and the brown rice inside was still crunchy, which was disappointing. The taste was predominantly earthy, with starchy notes, but the chicken inside tasted fake, and there were streaks of artificialness throughout to ruin the experience.

I can't recommend these, and wouldn't eat them even if they were offered to me by someone else. I suggest you skip these in lieu of a better ranking option.

The Casa Mamita Mini Chicken Tacos are the first Aldi Mexican food that I didn't severely dislike. While they aren't delicious by any means, they aren't terrible, either — rather, they're a very mediocre product that might do for lunch or supper in a pinch if it's all you had in your freezer.

There wasn't a strong, defining smell while these were cooking. Like most of the products on this list, there were instructions for both oven and microwave cooking, and I chose the microwave for convenience. The very first thing I noticed was that the crunchy tortilla here was actually appropriately soft rather than too hard, like many of the lower-ranking products on this list. When I took my first bite, I was greeted by a mild savory flavor from the chicken and fillings, wrapped in starchy overtones. Although not bad, there isn't much to remark about, and I would have liked a little bit more robust taste.

I personally won't be purchasing these again out of personal preference. Although you may like these fine, if you prefer chicken tacos, I recommend a similar yet much better-ranked option on this list instead.

I've always vastly preferred chimichangas over burritos. If you're not sure of the differences between the two, that's okay because nobody in my family was either. To summarize, a burrito is usually made from a folded flour tortilla that's been stuffed and is usually larger in size. On the other hand, the smaller-sized chimichanga is basically a deep-fried burrito that's fully sealed rather than only wrapped. Often, the latter is served smothered in a special sauce or cheese, though that wasn't the case with this pre-made option.

The Casa Mamita Beef and Cheese Chimichangas had a very light, fried-food smell while cooking, which was done in the oven according to the package instructions. When it came out, I noticed the tortilla wasn't overcooked around the edges but had a really nice texture, a bit crispy yet still soft enough to eat without difficulty. The flavor profile was robustly savory, with moderate notes of creamy cheese and a very light spice level.

Overall, I don't really have anything bad to say about these chimichangas, and will likely purchase them again. If you're a fan of Mexican dishes, you'll probably enjoy this. The only reason they ranked lower was personal preference.

To be perfectly honest, I'm not usually a huge fan of chicken taquitos. This is just a personal preference towards beef products (tacos, taquitos, quesadillas, etc.). With that being said, I have to admit that I was blown away by how good these Casa Mamita Chicken and Cheese Taquitos were — to the point where they've earned a rotating, recurring spot in my freezer.

Since there are multiple cooking methods printed on the package, you should know I made these in the microwave. Previously, I'd had variations of these taquitos in the oven, and the edges came out too crispy for me, but there were no such issues with this cooking method. No real smell awaited me, but the flavor profile was a moderate savory chicken paired with adequate Mexican seasonings and heavy notes of creamy cheese. I like how portable these are. Just grab a few and wrap the bottoms in a napkin so you can eat while on the go.

Besides wishing they were beef, I don't have any major complaints about these. If you enjoy taquitos, you'll like these just fine. The only reason these ranked lower is that I like the top option more.

After this taste test, the Casa Mamita Mini Beef Tacos are the one item that earned a permanent spot in my freezer. Thanks to their delicious taste, reasonable portability, and super-convenient cooking methods, I think these are a perfect snack option.

I made these in the microwave, although they can be heated up in the oven. There was a savory beef smell overlapping a hallmark fried-food scent as these were cooking, and the texture was perfect when they came out — firm and a little crispy, but also soft enough that there were no jagged bits to attack my gums. The taste was predominantly well-seasoned taco meat, paired with hints of creamy cheese and moderate notes of starchy goodness. Since they're so small, I ate four as a snack before I was satisfied, and I imagine you'd need as many as eight for a meal. I also imagine they'd be quite good paired with rice and beans or a side salad.

I have only good things to say about these Casa Mamita Mini Beef Tacos, and I highly recommend you grab a box for yourself on your next Aldi shopping trip. Once you do, you'll have zero doubts as to why they were ranked as the top Aldi Mexican food.