The Best And Worst Ground Meats At Aldi, Ranked

Aldi is beloved around the world for its extraordinarily low prices, and there is no exception when it comes to the store's deep variety of ground meat selections. Its fresh (and frozen) options in this category offer not only a wide variety of ground beef with different fat ratios and grades, but also other delectable meats — such as chicken, turkey, and pork — all at prices that are sometimes hard to believe.

While Americans often think of ground beef mainly as the foundation for burgers — especially in the summer — it can also be used in a variety of other ways, including meatballs, meatloaf, and a seemingly endless number of loose-meat recipes. (Though to be clear, ground beef is not strictly the same as beef mince.)

For this comparison, we wanted to look at Aldi's wide range of ground meat products — not only for their usefulness in burger-making but across the spectrum of recipes — as well as other aspects like ease of use, quality-to-price ratio, and price compared to other nearby grocery stores. Prices are accurate as of writing, but may vary depending on the location. All that said, let's take a look at our ranking of the best and worst within the Aldi ground meat canon.

The absolute least expensive of all the ground meats we could find at our local Aldi, this frozen Kirkwood ground turkey is priced at $2.19 for one pound. Served in the wrapped cylindrical log, amusingly called a chub, this is an extreme budget buy, even compared to other choices at the store. The downside is, of course, that it starts frozen, thus additional time must be allotted to defrost the meat before cooking.

The crux, unfortunately, is that this one places last on our list because it has a somewhat funky aftertaste that makes it borderline unpalatable. While it is unclear whether this is just lower-quality meat (likely, considering the cost) or if this flavor is a result of the freezing, packaging, or storage process, the bottom line is that, while eminently affordable, the resulting off-flavor makes it a total pass. (My dog, it is worth noting, did seem to enjoy the leftovers.)

While ground beef that is lower in fat can sometimes be viewed as a healthier alternative to the standard 80/20 blend, in reality, fat plays a vital role in both the beef's texture and its flavor. As such, any excessively lean beef — such as this 93/7 blend, as well as Aldi's even leaner 96/4 grind — can be a challenge to work with, and to extract the most flavor from. When making a burger with extra-lean ground beef, for example, it lacks the deep, rich flavor that a burger from 80/20 blend might offer, and also comes across as slightly chewy.

It nonetheless offers a clean beef flavor that is relatively pleasant, though it also seems like it will work better in preparations where it is either braised in liquid or cooked in fat. In other words, for meatballs cooked in sauce, loose meat for tacos or stir-fry, and other recipes of that nature. This beef is certainly not bad, but considering there is a premium cost for these lower-fat grinds — and, in reality, they don't taste as good — there are generally better options (unless, of course, one is on a strict low-fat diet). Still, Aldi's $7.29-per-pound price offers a nice discount compared to nearby Giant's $8.59 per pound for the same grind.

At just $3.69, this ground chicken is a staggering value compared to similar stores in the same town as the Aldi where I shopped. At the Wegmans just across the street, for example, 1 pound of store-brand ground chicken cost $5.39, while at a Giant down the road, a pound of Perdue ground chicken was going for $5.19. It's also a solidly versatile ground meat, usable in a wide variety of preparations.

Though leaner than most beef or pork options at Aldi, this chicken stays reasonably moist after cooking and has a relatively clean chicken flavor, though there is a slightly off-putting gamy note on the finish, which pushes this down the list. It's still chicken, obviously, so it's never going to hit the palate in a bold way, but it is pleasant enough. That said, this is probably better off used in preparations where additional spices or sauce are used, like tacos or chicken parmesan meatballs. All that said, this Kirkwood ground chicken is a good buy for the price.

Despite being on the leaner side, even for turkey, this meat has a nice balance of flavor, and remains moist after cooking, which is somewhat surprising considering even higher-fat ground turkey is notorious for dry blandness (more on that later). This makes it especially versatile in the kitchen, working particularly well in recipes that incorporate additional flavor — like most ground poultry — and making it a good option for healthy protein-and-grain bowls.

Though Aldi is not always transparent about the supplier providing their store-branded items (and this may vary depending on when or where one shops), it definitely works with Shady Brook Farms to source some of its fresh ground turkey. Comparing the price of 93/7 ground turkey from that brand at a nearby ACME Markets store, then, shows a savings of more than $4 ($8.99 versus $4.69) by buying this item from Aldi, which is quite the steal.

"Grass-fed" is a tricky label for consumers to decipher. While there are some nutritional benefits associated with grass-fed beef compared to grain-fed, there is no longer a specific regulation on the term's use. This can be particularly troubling when products are labeled simply "grass-fed" as opposed to "100% grass-fed," as Aldi's is. The latter implies that the cattle were not fed grain at any stage of their lives. While the product is USDA-certified organic, Aldi doesn't appear to provide independent certification for its 100% grass-fed status. That doesn't mean it's inaccurate or that there's anything wrong with the product — it just means the claim is tough to verify.

Like the non-organic, non-grass-fed 93/7 grind, this one also has a decent protein flavor, but its lack of contrasting fat makes it less rich, less profound, and, frankly, less fun. (And all of that can be yours for a higher price!) For anyone seeking out a lower-fat beef, of course, this is an excellent option. And, per usual, Aldi comes in at a lower price than other nearby stores, selling 1 pound for $8.05, compared to $9.49 at Wegmans and the borderline-shocking $12.99 at ACME.

This sausage features a fennel-forward flavor along with Italian-style herbs and spices. There's a touch of funky gaminess towards the finish, though this is minimal enough that it adds rather than detracts from the overall experience. Texture-wise, it crisps up incredibly well, but can suffer from tough little knots of fat that occasionally pop up throughout the blend. From a versatility standpoint, of course, this one is more limited because of its strong "Italian" flavor, meaning it's a solid option for a variety of pasta dishes, but probably isn't something to be used for burgers, tacos, or stir-fry.

A loose pork sausage that the label states is "made with premium cuts of pork," whatever that means, this meat is previously frozen "for your protection." At just $3.55 per pound, it is one of the less expensive options on this list, and compares favorably to a pound of Hatfield's fresh, loose, mild Italian sausage at nearby Giant ($4.89) and Acme ($5.99), though both stores had it on sale for $3.99 at the time of this writing. In other words, it's still a solid deal, though not an amazing one. That said, for those on a tight budget it's hard to argue about the flavor-to-price ratio here.

Also offered in the frozen tube known as a chub, the odd thing about this particular item is that it costs more per pound ($6.95) than Aldi's fresh 80/20 ($5.99) or 85/15 ($6.29) ground beef, though the fresh stuff is only available in larger packages (usually around 2 pounds). So, unless one truly only needs a pound and cannot manage leftovers, or the packaging is particularly convenient, it's unclear why one would choose to buy this particular product instead of Aldi's wider variety of fresh ground beef.

Unlike the aforementioned turkey, this doesn't have any off or funky flavors. Instead, it just tastes like plain old ground beef. Though perhaps slightly less expressive than the fresh beef, it's a solid choice for anyone who finds this particular format to be convenient, or to keep in the freezer for those days when you just don't have the energy to go back to the store.

Any rating of ground beef options simply is incomplete without including the classic 80/20 beef blend, the established standard by which all other ground meat variations should be compared in my eyes. This is, simply put, the thing one should expect (with slight variations, of course) as a baseline if simply discussing burgers, meatloaf, meatballs, Bolognese, and many others.

Aldi's 80/20 ground beef is indeed solid, with a concentrated beefy flavor that isn't too overwhelming. This grind is a classic for a reason, arguably offering the perfect ratio of lean beef to fat. That being said, the value here isn't quite as colossal as with some of the other options on this list. Aldi charges $5.79 per pound for packages around 2 pounds, while Wegmans charges $6.49 for a single-pound package or $4.99 per pound for a family pack (5 to 6 pounds). So, in this case, while Aldi offers a good option at a solid price, it's certainly not worth going out of the way for.

At just $5.99 — and sometimes on sale for $4.99 — and lacking any kind of claim to being Japanese Wagyu, this beef is not specifically marketed as being from Japan's globally revered category of cattle. Instead, it is more likely American Wagyu, which is often created by cross-breeding American Angus cattle with Japanese Wagyu.

The other thing to know here is that Wagyu is typically prized in whole cuts, since the marbling is what distinguishes it from other beef. Once the beef is ground, however, it basically just becomes ground beef with high fat content. Fat, of course, is flavor, so I was unsurprised to find that Aldi's ground Wagyu is rich and satisfying, especially when cooked in larger pieces — for example, burgers or meatballs.

Cooking the Wagyu as loose meat is a bit more complicated. While the excess fat helps crisp the meat in the pan and provides a luxurious mouthfeel, it can be difficult to work with because of said fat and can become a greasy final result if the cook is not careful. But overall, this is extremely tasty ground beef for the price.

This is a delicious ground turkey that remains moist after cooking — an especially impressive feat, considering turkey's notorious dryness — and has no off flavors. It is quite versatile in the kitchen, working in everything from stir-fry to meatballs, a ground turkey meatloaf, and burgers. Even just cooked as loose meat in a pan with a bit of oil, salt, and pepper, it's surprisingly delicious for a bird that isn't exactly known for its bold flavor. In fact, it was completely surprising that this one showed as well as it did; compared to beef, turkey is almost always less exciting. Nonetheless, this one acquitted itself incredibly well.

This is also an outstanding value, regularly priced at $10.95 for 3 pounds ($3.65 per pound), though we got it on sale for the astonishing price of $7.99 ($2.66 per pound!). This compares favorably to the similar 3-pound pack of Shady Brook Farms 85/15 ground turkey at nearby Giant ($13.99) or ACME ($16.99). The one drawback here is that the 85/15 option — which is notably moister than the 93/7 — only comes in a 3-pound pack, so those who don't need as much either need to freeze the leftover ground protein or settle for the 93/7 option.

Like the aforementioned 93/7 blend, this ground beef is also certified organic and labeled 100% grass fed. Because of the higher fat percentage, however, it has a richer and deeper flavor, offering all of that classic beefiness Americans love, while also bringing the benefits of being grass-fed and slightly lower in fat than some other beef options (15% versus 20% or higher). It makes excellent burgers and is versatile enough to work in just about any other ground meat preparation.

Not surprisingly, Aldi offers this organic, 100% grass-fed beef at the compelling price of $5.99 per pound, compared to $7.99 at the Wegmans across the way and $11.99 at the by-now-not-surprisingly overpriced ACME. As such, for anyone interested in the nutritional benefits of grass-fed beef without losing the rich beefy flavor we all know and love, this one is an absolute no-brainer to buy again and again.

To borrow one of the once-ubiquitous TV chef Emeril Lagasse's famous catchphrases: pork fat rules. This 80/20 blend is no exception. It is a richly flavored, clean and satisfying product, so endlessly savory and tasty. Though pork burgers aren't exactly common, this one can be used in a variety of ways, such as a base for meat sauce or meatballs, a decadent addition to a protein bowl, or in any Asian or Latin dishes that call for ground meat. The salty umami of soy sauce, as one example, is an excellent partner here.

Though pork in general tends to be less expensive than beef, this one still feels like a phenomenal value at $3.65 per pound, perhaps because it packs so much flavor. It's also a solid deal compared to nearby stores, which range from $4.99 to $5.99 per pound, but again, compared to the rest of the items on this list, it seems to also offer the most flavor per dollar. If you haven't tried ground pork before, here's your excuse to give it a go. (You'll thank me later.)

To determine the best ground meat options from Aldi, I headed to my local store and purchased one package each of most of the ground meat options they had available. For each one, I cooked it simply in a pan with some olive oil, salt, and pepper so I could sample it in its simplest state. I also then used it in another preparation that seemed to match the particular grind — for example, burgers, pasta, or a stir-fry. I evaluated each option not only on flavor, but also on quality-to-price ratio, ease of use, and versatility in the kitchen.

It is also worth noting that any prices quoted here are from my local Aldi (in suburban Philadelphia) and may vary by location or during sale periods. I also compared the prices with those at nearby supermarkets, which will, of course, vary throughout the country. Lastly, it's worth noting that while Aldi does sometimes offer ground lamb, that product was out of stock when this article was written, so I could not include it this time.