Frozen Mexican Food at Aldi
EDITOR’S NOTE: Updated May 22, 2018, to reflect product changes.
You can buy all kinds of ingredients to make fresh Mexican food at Aldi. The store has a robust selection of corn and flour tortillas, chips, taco shells, beans, jarred and fresh salsas, guacamole, and taco seasoning along with plenty of fresh produce such as tomatoes, avocados, and cilantro for making tacos, quesadillas, or even taco soup.
If you don’t have the time to make it fresh, though, you can pick up some easy Mexican food in the freezer section at Aldi. The store seems to be constantly tweaking its frozen Mexican food selection. During the past year, Aldi stopped selling house-brand Casa Mamita bean and cheese and beef and bean burritos and began selling only El Monterey Beef and Bean Burritos, a brand which I also have seen for sale in my local traditional grocery store. They recently Aldi dropped the El Monterey burritos and started selling the Casa Mamita burritos again (much to the delight of my daughter who only likes bean and cheese burritos).
Here’s what Aldi stocks at the time of publication:
Casa Mamita Beef Taquitos
These beef taquitos are rolled in corn tortillas and come 20 to a box, with three taquitos amounting to one serving. These are pretty good. I baked ours, and they came out crisp. They have a sauce filling with noticeable bits of shredded beef. The corn tortillas have good flavor and remind me just a little bit of eating a Dorito, but not quite. I often prefer the flavor of corn tortillas over flour tortillas, so I liked these best among Aldi’s taquito offerings.
They can be prepared in a conventional oven, microwave, or pan or deep fryer. To bake, place frozen taquitos on a baking sheet in the center of the oven and baked for 10-15 minutes at 400 degrees or until crispy. Let stand 1 minute before serving.
To microwave, place three taquitos on a plate and microwave on high for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Let stand 1 minute before serving. If preparing six taquitos, increase the heating time to 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 minutes.
To prepare in a pan or deep fryer, preheat oil to 350 degrees. Place the product in the hot oil and cook for 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Let stand 1 minute before serving.
Casa Mamita Chicken & Cheese Taquitos
These chicken and cheese taquitos are rolled in flour tortillas, are made with real cheese, and come 15 to a box. They are larger than the above-mentioned beef taquitos, with two taquitos amounting to one serving. I baked these like I did the Beef Taquitos, but I didn’t think these were as flavorful as the Beef Taquitos, and they seemed to be filled mostly with sauce and not as much chicken. My husband and daughter liked them, though, and they are bigger fans of flour tortillas. It depends on whether you’re more a fan of flour tortillas or corn tortillas.
By the way, both varieties of taquitos travel well in a thermos in my daughter’s lunch box. I bake them, cut them in half so they fit, and stand them on end in the thermos.
They can be prepared in a conventional oven, microwave, or pan or deep fryer. To bake, place frozen taquitos on a baking sheet in the center of the oven and baked for 10-15 minutes at 400 degrees or until crispy. Let stand 1 minute before serving.
To microwave, place 2 taquitos on a plate and microwave on high for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. When preparing six taquitos, increase the heating time to 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 minutes.
To prepare in a pan or deep fryer, preheat oil to 350 degrees. Place the product in the hot oil and cook for 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Let stand 1 minute before serving.
Casa Mamita Bean & Cheese Burritos
These come 8 to a bag, and one burrito is one serving. They are medium heat, although we think they really are mild and not spicy. They also seem to be more beans than cheese, but my family likes them. My daughter frequently takes one in her thermos to school for lunch. (Yes, there’s a Mexican food theme going on here.) An Aldi shift manager recently told me Aldi’s frozen burritos taste almost like restaurant burritos if you spread a little butter on top to crisp them up while they bake in the oven.
They can be prepared in a conventional oven or in the microwave. To bake, place desired number of burritos on a baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes if frozen or 20 minutes if thawed.
To microwave, place a frozen burrito on a plate and heat on full power for 40 seconds, then turn over and heat for an additional 40 seconds. If the burrito is thawed, microwave for 30 seconds, then turn over and heat for an additional 30 seconds. I usually sprinkle a little shredded cheese on the burrito after flipping it and before heating it for the additional time. These are also good if you add other burrito toppings like sour cream, salsa, or guacamole after cooking.
Casa Mamita Beef & Bean Burritos
Just like the Bean & Cheese Burritos, Aldi’s Beef & Bean Burritos come 8 to a bag, and one burrito is one serving. The first three ingredients are water, beef, and pinto beans. These also are medium heat, but they aren’t that spicy. They have a slightly stronger flavor and smell compared to the Bean & Cheese Burritos.
They can be prepared in a conventional oven or in the microwave. To bake, place desired number of burritos on a baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes if frozen or 20 minutes if thawed.
To microwave, place a frozen burrito on a plate and heat on full power for 40 seconds, then turn over and heat for an additional 40 seconds. If the burrito is thawed, microwave for 30 seconds, then turn over and heat for an additional 30 seconds. I usually sprinkle a little shredded cheese on the burrito after flipping it and before heating it for the additional time.
Again, after cooking, feel free to gussy up your burrito with sour cream, salsa, diced tomatoes, lettuce, or whatever you like.
Casa Mamita Steak & Cheese Chimichanga
These are sold one per package and make for a good quick, individually wrapped lunch you can take to work (if your work has kitchen facilities), and chimis are some of our favorite Mexican food from Aldi. They are filled with beef, cheese, diced green chile peppers, rice, and diced jalapenos. I mostly tasted the beef and cheesy sauce, and they are not overly spicy.
These chimichangas can be baked in a conventional oven or microwaved. To bake, preheat the oven to 375 degrees, remove chimichanga from the wrapper and place flap-side down on a baking sheet. Bake 20-25 minutes or until heated thoroughly. Let stand for 1 minute.
To microwave, open one end of the plastic wrapper and microwave on high for 45 seconds. Carefully flip chimichanga onto other side and cook on high for an additional 45 seconds or until heated thoroughly. Let stand for 1 minute. I usually microwave these, and I like to top them with shredded cheese and other taco toppings after cooking.
Casa Mamita Chicken & Cheese Chimichanga
These are just like the Steak & Cheese Chimichangas except they have chicken and cheese. Ingredients include chicken, cheddar cheese, green chili, rice, Monterey Jack cheese, jalapeno peppers, chili pepper, and crushed red peppers. They also are not too spicy.
These chimichangas can be baked in a conventional oven or microwaved. To bake, preheat the oven to 375 degrees, remove chimichanga from the wrapper and place flap-side down on a baking sheet. Bake 20-25 minutes or until heated thoroughly. Let stand for 1 minute.
To microwave, open one end of the plastic wrapper and microwave on high for 45 seconds. Carefully flip chimichanga onto other side and cook on high for an additional 45 seconds or until heated thoroughly. Let stand for 1 minute. I usually microwave these. Dress up your cooked chimi with salsa, sour cream, cheese, etc.
The Verdict:
If you don’t have time to make fresh Mexican food, Aldi has a decent selection of frozen burritos, chimichangas, and taquitos ready to heat and eat. We recommend them all if you’re wanting an easy meal, snack, something to pack in a thermos for school, or something to quickly heat for lunch in your workplace’s kitchen.
I bought a chicken and cheese chimichanga casa mamita yesterday put it in my husband lunch for today. It had nothing inside of it. Just the shell is all it was. never had it happen before. He had no lunch.
Bought bean and cheese burritos baked in oven unable to eat they were as hard as a rock.
Had a beef and bean burrito for lunch today or should I say beef and bean and gristly chunks burrito.
Burrito in air fryer?
“casa mamita beef and bean burritos”
“These also are medium heat, but they aren’t that spicy.”
>>> I beg to differ. I just ate one and felt like my mouth was on fire. Even now, after drinking soft drinks or what-have-you, the fire lingers on my lips. I don’t know what they did but i think they changed the way they make the Beef and Bean burrito and added Chile Peppers to it. It’s no longer “Medium”. Buyer Beware!
They need to stick elmonterey beef and cheese Taquitos they are the best brand by far. And they come out with just the right crisp. I refuse to buy any other brand. Tried them all. Come on aldi’s stock some elmonterey brand, other than that a pretty awesome store they have things u wouldn’t find in any other stores
I like their bean/cheese burrito. But I think they train chimps to do the packing. The burritos are thrown in the bag, and get frozen together if they happen to be perpendicular. So, now you have pallets of 4 burritos to heat.
Come on Aldi, you can package them in a row like El Monterey does.
We frequently have that same problem, with three to four burritos frozen stuck to each other. I microwave the stuck burritos for 20-30 seconds, just long enough to loosen them so I can pry them apart, and then cook what I need and put the rest back in the bag in the freezer.
I really like Patio brand hot frozen burritos. Why doesn’t Aldi carry these?????? They make chicken, medium, and hot burritos. I used to buy them at Leeker’s but they don’t carry them anymore. So sorry.
That would be a question to ask Aldi.
We haven’t been able to find the steak chimichangas in Pittsburgh, PA for several weeks now. Anyone know if this is a national shortage?
Bought a Beef Quesadillas with cheese. Had zero beef or cheese either one in the box just some sauce, Don’t waste your money
Twenty cents worth of ingredients I think
I wish Aldi would carry the Bue o brand cheese enchiladas with chili con Carne sauce. Walmart see. S to have stopped carrying them, but they are excellent and very tasty