Aldi has a variety of poultry options, from conventionally raised chicken to antibiotic-free turkeys to free range chicken. The conventionally raised chicken comes in a range of cuts, including whole birds, breasts, thighs, wings, and drumsticks. The drumsticks are a favorite in my house.
Kirkwood All Natural Chicken Drumsticks will vary in price depending on the size of the package you buy. I bought a fairly standard-sized 3.62-pound package with 10 drumsticks for $1.29 per pound for a total of $4.67. Sometimes Aldi sells larger family packs of chicken drumsticks, and I’ve purchased 5-pound packages that cost only 99 cents per pound (about $5 for a package). So keep an eye out for bulk-sized packages to save money, and you can always divide the chicken up when you get home and freeze half of it if the bulk package is too large for your family to eat all at once.
The drumsticks are USDA Grade A and contain up to 4% retained water. The only ingredient is chicken, and they contain no added salt, no artificial flavors, and no preservatives. The package states the chicken has no added hormones or steroids, but federal regulations prohibit their use in poultry.
These are a product of the U.S., but Aldi does not generally offer more detailed information about where its meat is raised. Its website states:
In accordance with US labeling requirements, products made outside of the US have their country of origin clearly stated on the packaging. Products with no listed country of origin are from the US, however, they may contain one or more components made, manufactured or produced outside of the US.
For more information about how Aldi sources its products, you can read our post here.
This is conventional grocery store chicken, so there’s nothing special about how it was raised, and it’s not free range.
Kirkwood Chicken Drumsticks nutrition information and ingredients. (Click to enlarge.)
One 4-oz. serving has 150 calories, 70 grams of total fat (9% DV), 2 grams of saturated fat (10% DV), 85 mg of sodium (4% DV), 0 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of sugar, and 21 grams of protein (42% DV).
I like to purchase whole pasture-raised chickens from a local farmer when I can, but Aldi’s chicken drumsticks are a convenient option when I want a lot of a certain cut of chicken — in this case, drumsticks. I can’t tell a difference between Aldi’s chicken and other traditional grocery store chicken options. My family likes when I use Aldi’s drumsticks to make oven-fried chicken or moist drumsticks.
The Verdict:
Aldi’s Kirkwood All Natural Chicken Drumsticks are comparable to other conventionally raised grocery store chicken options in terms of quality. They’re an economical choice and a main component of many favorite family recipes.
