9 Ground Meat Options From Aldi, Ranked Worst To Best

With popular grocery store foods continuing to cost more, many households are looking for ways to cut a few dollars off their weekly shopping bills — and this is why so many people have turned to Aldi, a grocery chain dedicated to providing the best value at the lowest price. Its products can also be hit or miss in terms of quality, though, so your first purchase of any item can be a gamble. For instance, while some of its frozen shrimp are good enough to be restaurant quality, one of their Simply Nature pasta options is the worst we've ever tried.

The good news is, if you're looking for a way to slash costs on your weekly shopping trip, Aldi ground meats are an excellent place to start. Even better, you don't have to suffer through that first purchase gamble because I had the opportunity to try nine options and rank them from worst to best. While the lowest-ranked Aldi ground meats should be skipped, the higher-ranked ones are things you won't want to miss out on. Let's get into it.

I want to preface this lower ranking by saying I only eat lamb occasionally and, as odd as it sounds, this was too lamby for me. It's not as mild in taste or smell as other brands I've tried, and that was a deal breaker for me. That being said, if you're a big fan of lamb, you may enjoy this. But if you're not big on it or only occasionally partake in specific dishes (like me), I can't recommend it. Although it's affordable when compared to options offered by other stores, at almost six dollars a package, it's one of the most expensive ground meat offerings on this list.

When I first started cooking this lamb, it had a sweet gamey smell that was really strong and off-putting. It quickly filled my kitchen, but unlike other smells, this one felt heavy and I had to open my kitchen windows to get rid of it. This smell was indicative of the taste, which was what I was expecting, just much more robust. Despite not enjoying the first bites on its own, I did push forward and try using it for a gyro toast recipe I've made a few times — this involved layering seasoned lamb meat, tomatoes, and onions over toast with homemade tzatziki sauce. Once the taste and smell were balanced with other foods in a complete dish, it did mellow out a bit. However, it's still just not my preference.

To be honest, I wasn't a huge fan of the Kirkwood Fresh 93% Lean Ground Turkey. I expected it to be very neutral tasting because turkey doesn't have a strong flavor profile like other meats. Plus, this was mostly lean and I know a lot of the flavor of meats comes from the fat. While not my usual preference, I was ready to look past that — but the meat didn't cook well, either. I found it challenging to break apart during cooking for my initial taste test, and was rewarded with a very dry, flavorless bowl of ground meat.

After that initial test, I grabbed what I'd reserved and combined it with ground beef to make a meatloaf. Despite being combined, this turkey meat didn't hold together well and the meatloaf ended up crumbly despite being a recipe I've successfully used dozens of times. This is really a shame because at less than five dollars a package for a decent serving size, the pricing was fantastic and I wanted to enjoy it. Unfortunately, I can't recommend this.

Although this is the lowest ranking of four distinct ground sausage options, it wasn't bad — the taste was incredibly light for the type of meat it is. Instead of tasting like Italian pork sausage, it was more like the ghost of sausage past. Thankfully, that overly tame taste can work well for many dishes, so this wasn't a dealbreaker. My only true issue was that it rendered such a lot of grease during cooking, to the point where it popped everywhere unexpectedly. Definitely be aware of this if you choose to buy the Italian pork sausage from Appleton Farms.

Before using it in a dish, I added some salt and pepper to create a little more dimension to the flavor profile, which is something I don't usually have to do with sausage. Then, I added it to a homemade tomato sauce, where the mild flavor of the meat allowed the earthy, citrusy tastes to really shine through. Overall, this option is fine, but there's better ground sausage meat on this list which I like much more. However, because it's just under three dollars per package, this could be an excellent choice when you need to stretch your grocery budget.

I'm not usually a big fan of ground chicken, preferring shredded options for most of my dishes. However, this was just over three dollars for a decent serving size, so I was intrigued based on the price alone. I began by cooking a small portion of the meat by itself, which turned out a little flavorless, but that's what I expect from ground chicken so I didn't think it was bad overall. Texturally, it was excellent and broke apart nicely.

After that first test, I split the remaining chicken into two dishes. First, I made an earthy gluten-free pasta dish, and then I made a hearty buffalo chicken dip. Both dishes came out fantastic, with the light profile of the chicken allowing the other flavors to really shine in a way that made both meals feel very balanced. While I wouldn't recommend eating this ground chicken alone, I highly recommend keeping some on hand for combined dishes where you want a balanced profile — especially since you really can't beat the price.

I like that this ground pork is free from antibiotics and that the Never Any! brand generally provides healthier meat options. While it may not have been my favorite pork or ground meat generally, this was a nice standard option with decent flavor. The base umami taste was very rich and defined, with subtle hints of sweetness throughout and a distinct but light spicy seasoning profile. This also contributed to the smell, which filled my kitchen with a warm, savory scent that wasn't too heavy. Texturally, this was very tender and broke apart well during cooking, while rendering an appropriate amount of fat. Plus, at just over three dollars a package, this felt like a great deal for a healthier meat option.

After my initial taste test, I used my reserved ground pork to make my own twist on classic Italian meatballs. I've always enjoyed the taste of sausage in my meatballs because I find it imparts a richer taste and more tender profile, and this pork worked really well here. Overall, this is a solid product, but I prefer other options. 

Although I generally prefer a higher fat content in my ground beef, this 90% ground sirloin is a fantastic high-quality option that smells nice during cooking and takes seasoning really well. During cooking, it broke up okay, although there were some larger chunks that required a bit more effort than fattier ground beef options. My first taste test provided a light umami profile with a mildly dry texture. While it wasn't awe-inspiring, it also wasn't bad.

Where this meat really shined was when I used it in a ground beef gravy and served it over mashed potatoes. It tasted fantastic and the whole family really enjoyed it. I also used a little to make a small serving of meat sauce, which was delicious. Based on quality alone, I'd wholeheartedly recommend this ground sirloin. However, at just over $15, it's also the costliest meat on this list and since I prefer other options that offer a lower price point, I personally won't likely buy it again.

I may not have been a fan of Appleton Farms' Italian version, but their premium pork sausage is honestly fantastic — at less than three dollars, I can confidently say I'll be purchasing this again and recommend you try it, too. My single word of warning is that this option has the same problem as the Italian version with excessive grease rendering during cooking. However, it was less of an issue here and I was personally willing to overlook that. Drain the grease from the sausage before incorporating it into anything and be cautious of popping during cooking.

During my initial taste test, this premium pork sausage offered a rich umami flavor profile with mildly sweet and spicy notes. Texturally, the meat is tender and juicy. Once my separate taste test was complete, I used the remaining sausage to create my own take on spicy biscuits and gravy. The sausage worked perfectly for this recipe, pairing nicely with the creamy gravy.

I was uncertain about this Mild Italian Sausage at first, but it turned out to be the best ground sausage on this list. When cooking, it gave off a mildly spicy, richly umami scent that filled my kitchen and made my mouth water. It broke apart well and browned nicely, which was very pleasant after struggling with some of the other options on this list. To round out all the other positives, this Italian sausage had a great taste, with fennel and standard seasonings adding their flavors to a predominately savory profile.

Costing a little more than three dollars per package, this ground meat provided enough for me to create a delicious stir-fry lunch for four people. I paired the ground sausage with rice, broccoli, fresh tomato, and sliced sweet peppers, seasoning with only the standard combination of salt, pepper, garlic, and onion powder. There's no doubt I'll be buying this sausage again and definitely recommend it.

There are a few meats I always keep in my freezer and 80/20 ground beef is one of them because it's a versatile, reliable option for lunch or supper. Unfortunately, I often pay as much as $20 a package at my normal grocery store — but this Aldi option was about ten dollars for only slightly less than my normal purchase, so I kept my fingers crossed it would hold up to my standards. I'm beyond happy to report that it did, and this Aldi 80/20 Ground Beef will be my new freezer mainstay.

My kitchen filled with a nice hearty smell reminiscent of hamburgers while cooking this, and it broke apart really well. The ground beef also cooked well, browning nicely, and didn't render too much grease. As part of a separate taste test, the meat had a really nice savoriness that represented exactly what I look for in ground beef. 

I took my reserved meat and combined it with the lean ground turkey on this list to make meatloaf. Although I wasn't impressed with the ground turkey, combining it with this beef helped give the meatloaf a flavor and structure closer to what I was looking for. Overall, I highly recommend this product and think it has the potential to create a wide range of delicious dishes. I personally plan on using it next time around in a classic all-American chili, paired with some homemade cast iron skillet cornbread.

I chose Aldi ground meats based on their availability at my local store in Vineland, New Jersey, and assessed each one based on the taste, how well it cooked, and the price versus quantity. How the ground meat tasted when used in a random dish for supper was also a consideration, and I noted the dish I made for each meat. I tasted each on its own before including it in a dish and only used the most basic, common seasonings for each specific meat type.

To make my judgments, I relied on more than fifteen years of experience in the food industry and decades of home cooking. When possible, I considered the taste of Aldi ground meats versus name-brand options I've tried throughout the years. My personal preference played a small role in this ranking — however, I strove to be as fair and unbiased as possible, which is why I only chose ground meats I knew I enjoyed eating.