Sunday, May 24, 2015

Chicken & Waffle Chicken Chunks - Aldi

Chicken & Waffle Chicken Chunks - Aldi
Chris B. over on Facebook nailed it! The photo I posted the other day was chicken and waffles! Well, not really, but it's chicken & waffle flavored, so that totally counts.

I posted this item on Instagram nearly a month ago, and I thought it was pretty interesting, but I didn't buy it. After a few more grocery runs I saw the supply dwindling, so I figured I better give these a try before they sold out. (If they're selling they must be good, right? I'm a sheeple.)

Visually, the packaging is...not great. It functions well, the product photo is appealing, the color choices work nicely together, but the text makes this look really cheap. If I simply cover the text on the front of the bag with my hand it looks so much better. These typeface choices are large, lazy, and default-looking, which really takes away from the stronger design elements. I'm being a little picky, and it's honestly not that bad, but I feel like they were so close to the design-finish-line, but instead of taking that final lap, they just gave up.

The instructions on the back of the bag are nothing special, this is the same as any other frozen meat product. Remove from bag, place in preheated oven, and cook until golden brown. (With a flip here and there for even browning.) Super easy.


As they cooked, my kitchen started to smell like chicken and maple syrup, which was pretty appealing, even though the maple aroma was more on the artificial squeeze-bottle side. I decided to try them dry at first to see how they tasted on their own. (Since the promo image shows them being dunked in syrup.)
Without any dipping sauces, these do have a decent dose of sweet syrupy flavoring. I was kind of impressed. All of the flavor seems to be in the breading, which has a slightly softer texture than other frozen chicken products, and the taste is sweet like pancake syrup. (Again, more artificial-butter-flavored syrup than the real deal.) I ate one nugget on it's own, and it tasted pretty darn good. The chicken was tender, the outside was soft and a little freezer-waffle-like, and there was definitely a sweet syrup flavoring. Not bad at all. The only issue I have is that this stuff is on the dry-side. I didn't over-cook these, but the breading being so soft and kind of spongy, along with the chicken breast meat, it was too dry for me. These definitely need some kind of dipping sauce. 
The packaging shows these being dunked in syrup, which is something I'm sure children would enjoy, but the breading is already so sweet. I was craving a little something spicy, so I grabbed my delicious Habanero-infused Honey from Mill Creek Apiary

I drizzled some onto the chicken nuggets, and it made a huge difference. On their own, I could see this being a great dinner item for young kids because they're small, sweet, and easy to eat. (I rhymed!) As an adult, these are too sweet for me, and a little dry, so the habanero honey added the sweetness of a syrup with some spicy heat similar to a hot sauce. The combination was so good! Hot sauce is something that a lot of people add to their chicken and waffles, and I can definitely see why. You get savory chicken, sweet syrup, and spicy peppers with a fluffy bread-like waffle texturing. What's not to like?


These were a special buy item, so I am not sure if or when it will be back on the shelves, but if I see them again I think I'll be repurchasing.
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2 comments:

  1. I feel obligated to buy these now! And I'm ok with that.

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  2. These chicken and waffles are so great smells great and taste like the smell 👌😍👌👌 💯

    ReplyDelete