10 Must-Try Fast Food Dupes At Aldi

With packaging and product names that are similar to many of the grocery store brands we all know and love, Aldi doesn't try to hide that many of its products are copycats. It also doesn't promise they will always be available. Stocking its shelves with limited offerings using a "just-in-time" inventory model, Aldi analyzes sales data to offer only what it's fairly certain it can sell in a given market. Not only does this cut down on waste, but it also keeps prices low and sets the stage for a shopping frenzy.

If you're already an Aldi fan, you probably know this German discount grocery chain has a major fan base, especially on social media, and there's a lot of information exchanged about popular brand knockoffs. But did you know Aldi also dabbles in fast food copycats? With a thrifty eye, a discerning palate, and a little creativity, Aldi connoisseurs on social media and Aldi experts at Chowhound put their heads together to come up with a list of 10 fast food dupes at Aldi you simply must try. We drew from personal experience and scoured Reddit, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram looking for foods that were highly regarded and user-approved.

Long the gold standard for burger accompaniment, McDonald's fries are blanched and fried in a beef-flavored oil blend that creates their unique flavor profile and sets the bar high for imitation. Earning the top spot on Chowhound's fast food french fries ranking, McDonald's fries have a golden, crispy exterior and a fluffy potato interior that really hit the spot when prepared and served properly. Too bad we can't whip some up right now in our own kitchens. Or can we?

For a tasty meal when a zip through the McDonald's drive-through is not in the cards, many Aldi shoppers swear by Season's Choice Extra Crispy Restaurant Fries to recreate the magic at home. "These look and taste JUST LIKE the Golden Arches fries!" one fan says on Facebook. "I air fried half the bag for 15 minutes at 375 [degrees Fahrenheit], gave them a little shake and added salt halfway through cooking. Perfection!" French fry enthusiasts on this and other threads affirm the similarity emphatically, but cooking time and temperature recommendations vary, so a little experimentation may be required to get this Aldi fast food dupe just right at home.

If your typical Chipotle order involves carnitas but you're tired of paying fast food prices for a spicy pork burrito bowl, Aldi shoppers say you can make one yourself using Park Street Deli Pork Carnitas. Marinated in a citrus blend, Aldi's alternative is slow cooked and ready to shred, making last-minute dinner prep a snap.

Although the seasoned pork comes in a microwavable pouch that heats up in just three minutes, many of those who've tried this Aldi fast food dupe suggest taking additional steps for a more authentic experience. "These are absolutely fire," one Redditor says. "I put the whole package in a pot, and heat it up with hot sauce (usually cholula) and lime juice."

A fresh-ingredient success story that delivered one of the first interactive customer models to the masses in the mid-'90s, Chipotle Mexican Grill also offers a full spread of embellishments to make your Carnitas Bowl complete. Not surprisingly, Aldi does too. For a Chipotle-inspired base, grab some Park Street Deli Cilantro Lime Rice and Pico de Gallo while you're shopping. Gordo's Original White Queso Dip at Aldi's is also a pretty solid dupe for Chipotle's creamy, white queso.

If the giant, neon-lit, 10-gallon hat calls to you often, you know Arby's puts a very particular spin on the roast beef sandwich. Arby's roast beef is marinated and slow-roasted in an oven bag for several hours and then sliced thin, piled on a sesame seed bun, and wrapped in foil to create a soft, steamy sandwich experience like few others. It's no surprise, then, that fans of this particular roast beef style might try to replicate the goodness in their own kitchens. And, of course, the Aldi community has ideas.

Though opinions on preparation differ, several Reddit posters agree, this Arby's dupe begins with Aldi's Deli Sliced Roast Beef. "Get the Aldi's brand roast beef in the clear bag," one poster says. "The 'deli' sliced stuff," another adds. While this particular Arby's emulator opted to toss the beef in a skillet, another Redditor suggests plunging it in water to create a more authentic fast food experience. "The trick to the roast beef is to have some salt water boiling. Dip each slice in the water for about 10-15 seconds. Tastes just like Arby's."

Since Arby's Classic Roast Beef is served on a toasted sesame seed bun, Chowhound recommends warming up some of Aldi's Specially Selected Sesame Seed Brioche Buns to duplicate Arby's buttery, nutty bread. Aldi also stocks Arby's Curly Fries at many locations, making for a no-brainer sidekick to your at-home Arby's masterpiece.

If you've never had a Starbuck's cheese danish with your morning macchiato, you're missing out. Flaky and buttery with a sweet, cream cheese center, this Starbucks offering is extremely popular. "I've never seen more people order a single food item in my life," says one Starbucks employee on Reddit.

If a Starbucks run is not a part of your morning routine and you'd like to enjoy this sweet treat on a more regular basis, there are plenty of copycat recipes on social media. But even better, there's a dupe at Aldi that customers say hits this one squarely on the head: the Specially Selected Cream Cheese Filled Croissants. "RUNNNNNN and grab these bad boys!" one poster says on Facebook. "They taste just like the cheese danish from Starbucks. Hubby and I are obsessed."

A commenter on the same thread claims you can get a package of four from Aldi for the price of one from Starbucks, and they're just as good, while another says: "I go to Starbucks way too much and can confirm that when the danishes are warmed up they taste exactly the same as the Starbucks ones."

Chick-fil-A is known for serving up some of the healthiest fast food chicken nuggets in the game and has a faithful following. Though its batter recipe is super secret and locked away in a corporate safe somewhere in Atlanta, Chick-fil-A claims its fried chicken menu items are all brined in pickle juice and pressure cooked in peanut oil to create the sweet, golden goodness we all know and love. But what if it's Sunday and you're craving an eight-count box of Chick-fil-A Nuggets? Aldi shoppers say the Kirkwood Crispy Chicken Nuggets make for a pretty good stunt double.

"These Aldi CRISPY chicken nuggets are a 10/10 and taste the closest to Chick-fil-A that I've tried!" a fan says on Facebook. A Reddit commenter agrees, saying the copycat nuggets are "very tender and juicy [when] air fried." With a red and white serving box on the packaging that echoes Chick-fil-A's nugget container, Aldi advertises the similarity. It even stocks a knockoff Chick-fil-A sauce called Burman's Chicken Dipping Sauce, which customers say completes the dupe nicely.

People have strong opinions about macaroni and cheese, with preferences varying wildly on cheese sauce consistency, seasoning, and noodle shape (did you know that the shape of your pasta dictates how long you cook it?). But the Panera Bread Mac & Cheese is arguably well-loved by many, occupying a spot near the top of Chowhound's ranking of best and worst of fast food mac and cheese.

Though members of the Aldi Aisle of Shame Community suggest this product can be hard to come by, if your Aldi happens to stock Park Street Deli White Cheddar Mac & Cheese, you're in for a copycat treat. With a green label and lettering that are obvious nods to the Panera brand, Aldi's version features a shell pasta shape similar to Panera's signature pipette and a bechamel cheddar cheese sauce that's just as creamy.

"I saw this one and it looked like the Panera one so I tried it. Ohhhhh my gosh it's incredible. I've bought three containers already," an Aldi shopper says on Facebook. One commenter on that post confirms the similarity, saying, "I think it may have been the only white cheddar mac & cheese that I've ever had (and I've had a lot) that were even remotely similar. I'd 100% consider it a dupe!!"

Although the chicken fries at Burger King likely appeal to a slightly narrower market than its burger and onion ring offerings, they wouldn't be on the menu if customers didn't order them. Made with white meat chicken that's shaped long and thin for easy dipping in one of Burger King's many sauces, which we've ranked, the chicken fries combine the flavor of a nugget with the convenience of a bag of fries.

In acknowledgment of this menu item's popularity, Aldi gave us Kirkwood Chicken Fries. Well-received by fans of the fast food version, this Aldi dupe might just save you a trip to Burger King. "We swear these are better than Burger King's," one fan says on Facebook. Confirming the superiority of the Kirkwood version, a commenter on Facebook's Aldi Aisle of Shame Community says: "Out of all the chicken fries we've tried in the world these are my 18-year-old's fav."

Although the cooking directions say Kirkwood Chicken Fries are microwavable, those who've tried this dupe recommend heating them in the air fryer for the tastiest, most-authentic, knockoff BK chicken fries.

Though we don't associate fast food restaurants with a Michelin star culinary experience, there's something about a McDonald's cheeseburger that really hits when we need it to. Made from 100% pure beef, cooked on a griddle, and draped with American cheese, this iconic menu item has long been a reliable go-to for drive-through dinner.

Duplicating the McDonald's cheeseburger magic at home has been the elusive goal of many products in the freezer aisles of our local grocery stores, but Aldi loyalists seem to think the beloved German supermarket comes pretty close with its Cattlemen's Ranch Smashed Burgers. On Reddit, one fan of this dupe says: "We will grill them up and then make them later. When you microwave the patty with the pickles. It tastes just like a McDonald's hamburger. Same taste, 1/4 of the price."

Another commenter takes the dupe a step further, suggesting a few other items you can pick up at Aldi to mimic McDonald's, saying: "Got the Aldi smash burger patties (2 of them) and their brioche burger bun. Cut up finely chopped white onions, dill pickle slices, ketchup, mustard and 2 American cheese slices. Tastes just like McD double cheeseburger!"

Though not top of mind when considering your options for drive-through dessert, Taco Bell's Cinnamon Twists have a strong hold on many fans of this California-based American-Mexican fast food chain. "My wife loves them so much she rage drove to Taco Bell on her lunch break and damn near caused a scene when they weren't in her bag," one commenter says on Reddit.

Made with flour, oil, cinnamon, and sugar, among other ingredients, Taco Bell's Cinnamon Twists feature minimal ingredients and are apparently very easy to dupe if you want to enjoy their crispy, sugary goodness without making a run to the border. Posters on social media insist the Clancy's Cinnamon Churros sold at Aldi are a fast food dupe you simply must try.

"I just bought these and I need to say you better watch out. These are so good, taste just like the Taco Bell ones," an Aldi shopper notes on Facebook. "Look at this, guys," an enthusiastic YouTuber confirms while opening a bag of Clancy's. "These are the Taco Bell thingies ... You don't know how happy I am. This is a world changer."

While McDonald's hash browns are nothing particularly special from a culinary perspective, they do the trick for on-the-go breakfast lovers everywhere. With a balanced amount of salt and fat, they're crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside –- arguably the perfect complement to a McDonald's breakfast sandwich, which we've ranked for you. But what if you can't hit the drive-through on your way to work each morning? Or your fast food budget is being strained by your addiction?

Of course, Aldi has the answer with a spot-on dupe to McDonald's hash browns. Its Season's Choice Hash Browns seems to hit the nail pretty squarely on the head. Customers find this brand's frozen potato patties very similar in taste to McDonald's but at a significantly reduced price. "It's remarkable how much you can buy a 20-pack for compared to how much McDonald's charges for 1," an Aldi shopper says on Reddit.

Those who've experimented with making Season's Choice Hash Browns in their own kitchens suggest using your air fryer to mimic McDonald's hash browns' steamy centers and golden crust. "I put mine in for 350 [degrees Fahrenheit] for 20 minutes to get them super crispy," another Reddit user says.