Specially Selected Top Crusted Flounder

EDITOR’S NOTE: We most recently reviewed these in 2025. Aldi is selling identical top crusted flounder the week of February 25th, 2026, for the same price of $6.99 for 12.5 ounces. 

Aldi carries an array of everyday fish selections, ranging from salmon to tilapia to shrimp to cod. The grocer also rolls out certain limited-edition seafood options, including Specially Selected Top Crusted Flounder.

This top crusted flounder tends to show up during Lent. Aldi has been selling it annually for years. We first wrote about it in 2017, in the early days of Aldi Reviewer.

This flounder is available in three varieties: tortilla, macadamia nut, and coconut. I picked up all three to try.

This fish comes in a box in the Aldi Find freezer aisle. These are Aldi Finds, which means they’re in stores for just a short time. Each store gets one shipment, and after that sells out, you’ll probably have to wait until Lent next year to buy it again. Aldi does not offer online ordering if these are sold out at your local store.

We buy Aldi products using our own funds. I paid $6.99 for each 12.5-ounce box in March of 2025. Aldi sold it again in 2026 for the same price. That’s around 56 cents per ounce. Inside each box are about four skinless fish fillets with a bready coating. That comes out to around $1.75 per serving.

The box features a seal indicating it contains “certified sustainable seafood.” The box also indicates the fish is wild caught. For those interested, the fish’s scientific name is Limanda aspera, found in the Northeast Pacific and caught using the trawl method.

These fillets are thin, and portion sizes are not that large. Some people might prefer to eat two fillets in one sitting, or you’ll at least want to serve some side dishes to round out the meal.

The boxes have directions for baking in a conventional oven or air frying. The fish should be cooked to an internal temperature of 155 degrees. I’ve both baked and air fried these, and they come out crispy.

To bake, place the oven rack in the top third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place frozen fish in a single layer on a shallow baking pan that is lined with foil or lightly sprayed. Bake for 16-18 minutes. Then, turn on the broiler and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes until golden brown and crispy.

(I tried baking some of this flounder, and I had moderate issues with it sticking to my oiled pan. If I’m not cooking large amounts, I prefer cooking this in the air fryer because it seems to stick less.)

To air fry, place frozen fish in the air fryer basket. Air fry at 400 degrees for 12-14 minutes. The instructions add that for best results, flip halfway through.

(Note: when I flipped it according to the directions, some of the topping would come off and get stuck to the air fryer basket, so I don’t flip the fish anymore when air frying it.)

Here’s more info on each flavor variety.

Specially Selected Tortilla Top Crusted Flounder:

The tortilla crusted flounder is mildly spicy, due to the chipotle and jalapeno peppers it contains. It’s fine but not my favorite among the different varieties, mostly because it doesn’t have a lot of flavor other than mild spice.

If you’re looking out for allergens, the tortilla crusted flounder has fish (flounder), wheat, soy, and milk.

One fillet of the tortilla flounder has 120 calories, 7 grams of total fat (8% DV), 1 gram of saturated fat (6% DV), 420 mg of sodium (18% DV), 7 grams of total carbohydrates (3% DV), no dietary fiber or sugars, and 9 grams of protein.

Specially Selected Macadamia Nut Top Crusted Flounder:

I like the macadamia flounder. It’s plenty crispy, with scattered small pieces of nuts, and it is lightly sweet in spots but not overly sweet. It does have a small amount of sugar, along with pineapple, green onion, and, interestingly, maple syrup.

If you’re looking out for allergens, the macadamia nut crusted flounder has fish (flounder), wheat, soy, eggs, and tree nuts (macadamia nuts).

One fillet of the macadamia nut flounder has 130 calories, 6 grams of total fat (8% DV), 1 gram of saturated fat (5% DV), 410 mg of sodium (18% DV), 9 grams of total carbohydrates (3% DV), no dietary fiber, 3 grams of total sugars, 2 grams of added sugars (4% DV), and 9 grams of protein.

Specially Selected Coconut Top Crusted Flounder:

This is another good option among the various top crusted flounder varieties, with a light-tasting and flavorful crispy topping. The topping includes mango, pineapple, and cilantro. (If you’re someone who doesn’t like cilantro, I don’t think it has a very noticeable cilantro flavor, if at all.)

If you’re looking out for allergens, the coconut crusted flounder has fish (flounder), wheat, soy, eggs, and tree nuts (coconut).

One fillet of the coconut flounder has 130 calories, 6 grams of total fat (8% DV), 2 grams of saturated fat (11% DV), 210 mg of sodium (9% DV), 9 grams of total carbohydrates (3% DV), less than 1 gram of dietary fiber (2% DV), 2 grams of total sugars, 1 gram of added sugars (2% DV), and 9 grams of protein.

The Verdict:

Aldi’s Special Buy Specially Selected Top Crusted Flounder is a tasty choice if you’re trying to eat more fish. These have good flavor and don’t have a strong “fishy” taste. We like the macadamia nut and coconut varieties best.

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