Aldi's Frozen Chicken Favorite Just Got Bigger — But Some Customers Have Complaints

Aldi has really been messing with its frozen chicken lately, and not everyone is here for it. First the chain changed up its chicken nuggets, which left some people displeased. Now it's coming for the Kirkwood Breaded Chicken Breast Fillets, a grocery item with a cult following. Not only has the product officially been rebranded as "Red Bag Chicken" (formerly just a fan nickname), but the size of the package has changed and so has the price. Starting July 15, a 48-ounce package of Red Bag Chicken will be selling for $14.99, a figure that prompted one Instagram user to say, "The Red Bag chicken now being $15 is CRAZY WORK!"      

Several others also objected to the price being nearly double of what the bag used to sell for, but many rushed to the comment section to point out that the increase is due to the larger size of the bag. Previously, the Kirkwood Breaded Chicken Fillets were sold in 24-ounce packages for $7.99, which amounts to $0.33 per ounce. At the listed price of $14.99 for 48 ounces, the latest incarnation of Red Bag Chicken will be selling for $0.31 an ounce which amounts to $1 in savings for buying in bulk. Even so, not every Aldi shopper wants to purchase such a large bag, one guaranteed to take up a significant amount of freezer real estate. After realizing the bag was bigger, that same Instagram profile later commented, "If it's a 3 lb bag it makes sense cause it's double the price ... but sheesh, to see $15 is a shocker. To make my soul feel good, I still won't buy it!"

It's not clear if the 24-ounce option will remain in-stores, but what is it about the Red Bag Chicken that makes Aldi think everyone will want to buy twice as much? Well, the stuff does make for quick and easy chicken parmesan if you have jarred marinara on hand. Some people feel these fillets are similar to Chick-fil-A's, so they can also be used to make a fast food copycat. (Aldi's CFA clone Chicken Dipping Sauce is one of the seriously cheap sauces worth buying at Aldi.) Others praise the chicken's convenience and child-friendliness, like the Facebook user who said: "My kids do like the taste and they are a quick fix." Another enthused, "We put them in the air fryer and have wonderful sandwiches!"

Of course, not everyone's a fan. Frozen chicken patties may be convenient, but they're not as budget friendly as fresh chicken. Aldi's Kirkwood Boneless Skinless Thin Sliced Chicken Breasts sell for $3.99 per pound while Kirkwood Family Pack Chicken Breasts are just $2.29 per pound. Some also feel the product may be overrated. As one Facebook user characterized the fillets as "Too: Salty, sweet, soggy."

Needless to say, people who didn't care for Red Bag Chicken to begin with won't be won over by the increased package size, but will its fans be making the switch? Bulk buys have typically been associated more with Sam's Club and Costco than with a chain known for compact-sized stores. If Aldi's testing the market for larger-sized items, at least it's doing so with a fairly popular product.