Some days just call for chicken don't they.
With prices of takeaway and fast food rising like everything else, it's no surprise that supermarket nuggets and tenders are among the best sellers.
One product that's particularly popular is the mini fillet tenders in tempura batter.
Aldi and Lidl both sell the packs for £2.49, so we decided to see how they compare.
Now we know these two budget retailers are close competitors, so there are going to be similarities on many levels.
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The price is obviously the first, although Lidl gets one up on Aldi with a 305g pack over its 300g.
Both are also made with 100% British chicken fillet, but most people are aware that doesn't mean the whole thing is chicken, but rather the content of chicken used in them - which in both cases amounts to 63% - is chicken breast.
It's everything from flour, starch, rapeseed oil and goodness knows what else making up the rest, including the coating. Like many such snacks, I'm sure if you analysed them in too much detail, you'd probably never eat them, but they are tasty.
Cooking time
Aldi's take 15 minutes, while Lidl's say 18. The former makes a point of stating theirs are 'suitable for the air fryer', as opposed to the 'oven cook' instruction on Lidl's.
For ease I went with the air fryer for both - I've used it enough to know that Lidl's would cook fine in there too. Both were perfectly cooked in around 16 minutes at 200 degrees.
Appearance
They didn't look too dissimilar in the packets, but I have to say the batter on Aldi's looked more appealing as it's smoother with a richer colour against the duller lumpier looking Lidl ones.
Once cooked the same applied, with Aldi's looking much more succulent. Both lost a little bit of batter in the cooking process, sticking to the bottom of the air fryer, ain't that always the way.
Size / shape
You're pretty much getting five tenders in a pack, but whereas Aldi's are a consistent fillet shape, with the Lidl pack it was three fillet shaped ones - a fourth bit that looked like a giant nugget and the other a bit like a tiny flat chicken. It's not such a big deal, but it's enough to spark a family row if someone cops for the smallest piece.
Texture and taste
There's more of a breadcrumb type texture to the Lidl ones, hence their lumpy exterior. Aldi's were smoother, thinner, offering just the right amount of crispy coating you want.
The chicken itself was so tender too and the flavour much stronger than Lidl's blander fillets. We didn't dislike Lidl's, but on taste Aldi's were far superior.
Lidl might have 5g extra, but Aldi's top of the pecking order here.
