11 Seriously Cheap Sauces Worth Buying At Aldi

A sauce may not be the flashiest part of the meal — not the starring actor, as it were — but it plays a supporting role so important that without it the whole production would flop. If you can't be a Cordon Bleu-level saucier, the next best thing is to be a smart sauce shopper who can select the premade one that will best enhance your meal. Aldi, as always, is a great place to start, especially if you're not working with a Michelin star budget.

Aldi's staple items are usually quite good, making it a fine place to stock the pantry with serviceable salsas and pretty good pancake syrup, but we're going to be focusing on a selection of special sauces that have earned rave reviews. Some of these items may remind you of name-brand products or even fast food favorites, but a glance at the price tags will reassure you that all of them are Aldi store brands. As such, they're considerably more budget-friendly than their inspirations.

Aldi's all about generics, but it does stock a certain number of popular brands. At times, it's been known to carry Bachan's Japanese Barbecue Sauce, the condiment beloved by Reddit. Bachan's isn't in stock at present, but that's okay since Reddit has now discovered that Burman's Japanese Style BBQ Sauce is similarly flavorful at less than half the price. Burman's Korean Style BBQ Sauce is also excellent, with one r/aldi user saying, "I love this sauce so much." Meanwhile, Tangy Citrus Asian BBQ Sauce fans suggest it goes well with salmon and carne asada.

Purchase 12-ounce bottles of Burman's Japanese Style BBQ Sauce and other Burman's barbecue sauces at Aldi for $3.29.

Aldi's wing sauce selection demonstrates another interesting example of the chain competing with itself. While it carries three different flavors of Buffalo Wild Wings brand sauces, each one also has a Burman's clone. Redditors have said that Burman's Asian Kick Wing Sauce, Burman's Parmesan Garlic Wing Sauce, and Burman's Medium Buffalo Wing Sauce are all comparable to their name brand counterparts, but they cost about $1.50 less per bottle.

Purchase 12-ounce bottles of Burman's Parmesan Garlic Wing Sauce and other Burman's wing sauces at Aldi for $2.35.

Hershey's Syrup may not yet have been adopted as a generic term like Jell-O or Kleenex, but it's well on the way, and it definitely sets the expectation by which all other chocolate syrups are judged. So, how does Aldi's Berryhill Chocolate Syrup measure up? Surprisingly well, actually. According to a Reddit user who admits to going through an ungodly amount per week, "Its thicker than Hershey's. It's about half the price of Hershey's. It tastes about the same." Others, too, proclaim their love for this store-brand ice cream topping, making it well worth the extremely low price.

Purchase a 24-ounce bottle of Berryhill Chocolate Syrup at Aldi for $2.85.

Chick-fil-A sauce is a mysterious mélange of barbecue sauce and honey mustard that's available at some supermarkets, but not at Aldi. Instead, Aldi has Burman's Chicken Dipping Sauce, which is clearly intended to serve the same purpose. According to one Redditor, "We got some and my son loves the sauce. My son says it reminds him of Chick fil A sauce." Another concurred, saying, "My kids are picky about sauces and liked it a lot." If you pair this condiment with a bag of Kirkwood Breaded Chicken Fillets or Kirkwood Chicken Nuggets, you can satisfy your Chick-fil-A craving for a fraction of the price.

Purchase a 16-ounce bottle of Burman's Chicken Dipping Sauce at Aldi for $3.19.

Traditionally, aioli is a sauce made with olive oil and garlic and very little else. In modern parlance, however, the term is used to refer to any kind of flavored, fancy mayo. Admittedly, Burman's Sriracha Aioli Spread falls into the latter category, but at least sriracha (a sauce named after a real place in Thailand) is garlic-based. Etymological arguments aside, the main thing you need to know about this sauce is that it's good. One r/aldi user enthused, "I absolutely love the Sriracha Aioli! It goes so well on so many things." Another comment endorsed using it on eggs and hash browns.

Purchase a 10-ounce bottle of Burman's Sriracha Aioli Spread for $2.75.

As one Aldi shopper proclaimed on the r/aldi subreddit, "Reason ten million to love Aldi ... the bootleg olive garden [sic] dressing." According to the accompanying photo, Tuscan Garden Restaurant Style Italian Salad Dressing is the dressing in question. Commenters agreed and suggested adding other Aldi products like bagged salad mix, pepperoncini, olives, and Mama Cozzi's Garlic Bread Sticks for an authentic Olive Garden experience.

Purchase a 16-ounce bottle of Tuscan Garden Restaurant Style Italian Salad Dressing for $2.15.

The basic Burman's brand ketchup may be one of Aldi's most underwhelming items, but its organic Simply Nature ketchup is an entirely different story. Redditors praise the product's flavor and are especially pleased by the fact it doesn't contain high fructose corn syrup. One person compared its taste to that of Simply Heinz but said they actually prefer the Aldi dupe.

Purchase a 20-ounce bottle of Simply Nature Organic Ketchup at Aldi for $2.39.

The classic Italian pesto is pesto alla Genovese made, with basil, garlic, olive oil, parmesan, and pine nuts. Aldi offers this type of pesto but doesn't stop there. The Priano lineup allows you to eat the rainbow with Calabrese Pesto which gets its pink color from red peppers, sunny yellow Lemon Pesto, and Rosso Pesto which is made red thanks to sun-dried tomatoes. The Reddit community has praised each flavor, with one person saying the calabrese made a great sandwich topping, while another title their post about the Genovese: "Best store bought pesto I've ever had!" Someone else pronounced the lemon pesto a success (though it has its detractors), while a fourth declared, "Rosso pesto is amazing!" Whichever one you pick, be sure to use it up quick since an open jar of pesto will only last a few days in the fridge before its flavor starts to deteriorate.

Purchase 6.7-ounce jars of Priano Alla Genovese Pesto Sauce and other Priano pestos at Aldi for $2.75.

Salad dressings found in the refrigerated section tend to be a bit more high-end than the shelf-stable ones since they're made with fresher ingredients. As for the Little Salad Bar Avocado Ranch Dressing, the ingredients include avocados, buttermilk, and yogurt; and rumor has it the dressing is made by Bolthouse Farms. Aldi doesn't carry Bolthouse Farms brand salad dressings, but stores that do often charge $1 more per bottle than the Little Salad Bar version.

Purchase an 11-ounce bottle of Little Salad Bar Avocado Ranch Dressing at Aldi for $3.55.

Aldi is a German chain that carries a number of European products, but it also offers a variety of Asian-inspired items. We've already covered Asian barbecue and wing sauces, so we'd be remiss not to mention the Burman's stir-fry sauces as well. These are available in three varieties: Orange, Teriyaki, and Sweet and Sour. All three sauces are popular with Aldi shoppers, with one r/aldi user opining, "The sweet and sour and the teriyaki are great!" Others recommend the orange sauce for DIY orange chicken.

Purchase 14.5-ounce bottles of Burman's Teriyaki and other stir-fry sauces at Aldi for $2.45.

Vodka sauce seems like a bit of an odd concept: Italian marinara sauce + Russian booze + whipped cream? Who could have dreamed up this kooky combination? Somehow, though, this synergistic sauce works perfectly, and Aldi's Specially Selected Vodka Pasta Sauce is actually one of the better jarred varieties out there. "This one is DIVINE. Was starting to give up spaghetti entirely because I lost my love for marinara but this brought it all back to me. Soooooo goooood," raved one Redditor. Meanwhile, another said, "I bought a ton of them because they are my favorite jar pasta sauce. I always have to add a ton of spice but not this jar!" Aldi shoppers say you can use it as a pizza sauce, a dip for mozzarella sticks, or a tasty soup base.

Purchase a 24-ounce bottle of Specially Selected Vodka Pasta Sauce at Aldi for $4.39.