Why Instagram Is Comparing Aldi's Chicken To McDonald's Chicken Selects

Many grocery chains have created a slew of copycat recipes to mimic popular menu items at fast food chains and restaurants. At Aldi, for example, a store already known for its better than average pricing, shoppers cannot get enough of its constant product innovation when it comes to replicating foods from other brands. Aldi's Girl Scout cookie copycats have gotten rave reviews from fans, and the chain has even tried its hand at a copycat Reese's Puffs cereal, albeit to a mixed response. More recently, many customers are lauding Aldi's version of McDonald's Chicken Selects.

Chicken Selects first came to McDonald's menus in 2002, per CNBC, and were breaded "strips of premium white meat chicken." Despite the fact that the entree was supremely beloved by customers, Business Insider reports that it was removed from the menu about a decade later due to "inadequate sales of the chicken tenders, which were more expensive than other menu items," among other reasons. But as demand and fan outcry continued, in 2017 McDonald's replaced the Selects with Buttermilk Crispy Tenders, a "new" product which was basically a revamped version of the former, in an attempt to put fans' minds at ease. This is how the story went in the U.S. Across the pond, however, Brits are still enjoying Chicken Selects, both from McDonald's and, now, it seems, at Aldi.

American diners may be jealous to learn that the McDonald's U.K. menu still lists Chicken Selects as one of its entrees, which Aldi U.K. seems to have copied with its latest product. A British Instagram account recently posted a photo of Aldi's new Crispy Chicken Strips and likened them to Chicken Selects, going so far as to say they heard the Aldi version might "give Chicken Selects a run for their money!" Similar to the Chicken Selects one might find at McDonald's, Aldi's version are "chicken breast strips in a breadcrumb coating" with customers' choice of dipping sauce: barbecue or sweet chili. And the branding is pretty similar, too. With an almost identical color palette and typeface to McDonald's packaging, it's hard not to compare the two before even digging in for a taste.

Many Instagram followers responded with notes of excitement, calling out that they "need to try these" and mentioning that their curiosity is at least partially peaked by the possibility that they might "taste like McDonald's." One fan mentioned her love of other products Aldi created that are in the same vein as Mcdonald's, saying "the nuggets and hashbrowns are next level so my hopes are hiiiiigh." In the meantime, followers will just have to wait until reviews are out.