Kirkwood Fully Cooked Nuggets

EDITOR’S NOTE: Updated for 2026. 

Sure, Aldi has a lot of fancy options when it comes to frozen breaded chicken.

There’s the popular “red bag chicken” also known as Kirkwood Breaded Chicken Breast Fillets, which Aldi superfans claim are just like Chik-fil-A chicken sandwiches when paired with Aldi’s brioche buns.

There is also the “blue bag chicken” or Kirkwood Crispy Chicken Strips that are a dead ringer for what you might get at your favorite restaurant, and the “green bag chicken” or Kirkwood Parmesan Herb Encrusted Chicken Tenders make a memorable meal as well.

But sometimes you don’t want fancy chicken. Sometimes you just want some basic chicken nuggets, perhaps like what you used to eat when you were a kid. And you’re in luck, because Aldi sells those, too.

Kirkwood Nuggets cost $5.35 for a 29-ounce bag in 2026. That’s up from $3.49 for a 29-oz. bag when we first reviewed them in 2021. In 2026, that comes out to about 18 cents per ounce. With about 10 servings per package, that’s around 54 cents per ounce. We buy Aldi products for review with our own money.

These are a Regular Buy, which means they’re available at Aldi all year. You’ll find them in the Regular Buy freezer aisle with other types of breaded chicken and nuggets.

Nutrition Facts and Ingredients:

One 5-piece serving has 250 calories, 16 grams of total fat (21% DV), 3 grams of saturated fat (15% DV), 740 mg of sodium (32% DV), 15 grams of total carbohydrates (5% DV), 2 grams of dietary fiber (7% DV), 1 gram of total sugars, no added sugars, and 11 grams of protein.

The ingredients list is fairly lengthy, with the first few items being chicken breasts with rib meat and breading and batter.

If you’re watching out for allergens, these contain soy, wheat, and milk.

Heating Instructions:

The nuggets can be heated in a conventional oven (recommended on the package) or in a microwave.

To bake in the oven, preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Place half a bag of frozen nuggets on a baking sheet and bake for 12-14 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for 2-3 minutes before serving.

To microwave, arrange the frozen nuggets on a microwave-safe plate. The package says to heat 10 nuggets on high for 2 1/2  to 3 1/2 minutes. Let stand 1-2 minutes before serving.

While the package doesn’t have air frying instructions, I prefer to air fry these. I most recently air fried them at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes, flipping them halfway through.

Regardless of how you cook them, refrigerate any leftovers immediately.

Our Thoughts:

My kids like to heat these nuggets in the air fryer or microwave for a quick, easy lunch. After they’ve been heated, they also pack nicely into a thermos for school lunches.

They go well with a lot of dipping sauces from Aldi, including BBQ sauce or Ranch. They don’t taste anything like McDonald’s chicken nuggets (and who can really imitate those anyway?), and they are not my favorite grocery store chicken nuggets. However, my family eats them whenever I have them stocked in the freezer. They’re an inexpensive standby in our house when we want an easy meal.

The Verdict:

Kirkwood Fully Cooked Nuggets are your standard grocery store chicken nuggets made with white meat. They’re not the greatest chicken nuggets, but they’ll do. They heat easily in the oven or microwave and are nice to keep in the freezer for quick meals, especially if you’re feeding kids.