Who Supplies Aldi-Brand Frozen Chicken Products?

Aldi slings boneless and skinless breasts, tenders, thighs, wings, nuggets, strips, patties, and breaded chicken under its private-label Kirkwood brand. There are plenty of options that range from heat-and-eat products to ingredients for homemade meals. But Kirkwood isn't a manufacturer — it's just a label the producer slaps on the chicken before it lands on shelves. Aldi, like most grocers, doesn't make public statements about where it sources private-label products. But dedicated shoppers and self-proclaimed employees have analyzed details and documents from the supply chain. They've worked out that the most well-known processor/manufacturer behind every kind of Aldi frozen chicken is Tyson Foods— though it's accompanied by a slew of smaller, regional poultry providers.

Tyson Foods is one of the world's largest poultry producers, and it's the biggest chicken processor in the United States. It partners with more than 11,000 different poultry and livestock farmers to source chicken and other products, meaning even if Tyson were the only manufacturer, the chicken still originates on many farms. Added to that, depending on where you're located, other suppliers contribute to the chicken on Aldi shelves as well. Those producers include Illinois-based Koch Foods (doing business as Aspen Foods) as well as Serenade Foods (that's a division of Maple Leaf Farms, Inc.) in Indiana.

The brands that supply Aldi with its frozen chicken products sell those items at other major grocery stores as well. Koch makes Walmart's Great Value brand of Buffalo wings, chicken strips, chicken tenders, and popcorn chicken. Serenade Foods spilled the beans on manufacturing for Walmart in a 2021 food recall announcement regarding pre-browned stuffed chicken products that also impacted Aldi. Tyson Foods-branded chicken is also stocked by all kinds of major grocers, from Walmart to regional stores like Hansen's IGA Market and H-E-B.

Sometimes, it doesn't matter that much where you get your frozen chicken. For instance, a 4-pound bag of Aldi's  Kirkwood Chicken Wings costs $11.59. The same-size bag of Great Value Chicken Wings is $11.67. But when it comes to Tyson frozen chicken products, you might get a better deal at Aldi. A 48-ounce bag of Kirkwood boneless, skinless chicken breasts costs $9.89 compared to $11.99 for a smaller 40-ounce bag of Tyson boneless, skinless chicken breasts at Target. 

That's good news for Aldi shoppers, who gush about all kinds of Kirkwood chicken products online. People love Aldi's Kirkwood chicken so much that they've given it a nickname: red bag chicken. It has its own Facebook group under that nickname, where fans swap opinions and recipes. There's a whole Reddit thread and at least one Facebook post dedicated to dropping red bag chicken into the air fryer for a shortcut to air fryer chicken breasts. That's just the beginning of how shoppers are using Kirkwood frozen chicken products — and saving a few pennies along the way.