Aldi's 6 Best Snacks To Cook In Your Air Fryer

You're craving a snack, but you want something a bit more elevated than a basic bag of chips or a few pieces of string cheese. This is when you might want to make a trip to Aldi. The grocery store is famous for its pantry staples, frozen foods, and super-affordable groceries, making stocking your fridge and pantry much more approachable, even on a budget. But it's also an excellent place to snag delicious snacks, whether you're looking for something salty, a spicy bite, or even some sweet chocolate candy. I happen to love snagging Aldi snacks to prepare in the air fryer. They're perfect for those days when you're craving a little midday app or need a pick-me-up that's a bit more substantial than your average snack food.

But which air fryer-friendly snacks should you try out the next time you go to Aldi? I've created a list of some of my favorites. These all crisp up nicely in the air fryer, but don't really constitute a meal on their own. They feature that salty, savory flavor profile that a lot of us look for in a good snack food, and with the help of an air fryer, you can make them in a matter of minutes. Let's take a closer look at Aldi's best air fryer snacks.

If you ask me, chicken nuggets are one of the most glorious snack foods of all time. Compared to a lot of other snacks on the market, they're relatively high in protein, helping you feel satiated after just a few nuggets. Ideally, they're crispy on the outside, but they still have a bouncy, juicy interior that hits all the right textural notes. And when it comes to Kirkwood Chicken Breast Nuggets, you're also getting a product that has plenty of seasoning in the breading, so you don't have to worry about getting a bland bite.

These nuggets cook quite easily in an air fryer. Pop them in for a few minutes, flipping them over once if you want to make sure that they get equally crispy on both sides. Pair with your favorite sauce (I like mayonnaise), and you have a delicious snack that can easily turn into a full-on meal if you enjoy the nuggets with a veggie side dish. Forget the fast food drive-thru — these are even tastier than most fast food chicken nuggets out there.

When I want a substantial snack that has even more flavor and tang than chicken nuggets, Buffalo wings are always a safe bet. But going out for Buffalo wings can be expensive, and making them from scratch feels like too much effort when I'm trying to snack instead of eating a whole meal. That's when Kirkwood Buffalo Style Chicken Wings come in clutch. Are they as good as freshly made chicken wings from your favorite wing place? Honestly, probably not. But for a frozen product, they're definitely solid, with a bold, tangy flavor that pairs especially well with blue cheese dressing.

Although you can technically cook these in the oven, using an air fryer creates a lovely, crisp texture. Admittedly, it dries the wings out a bit, but I kind of like the resulting slightly chewy texture. If you find they're not saucy enough for you, pick up some extra store-bought Buffalo sauce to give them an extra dash of moisture and tang. Alternatively, you can always whip up some homemade Buffalo sauce from scratch.

Most of the time when I order Chinese-American food, I snag an order of egg rolls. Personally, I always like the kind that's filled with pork, since I think they often have more flavor than chicken or vegetarian varieties. But considering that it's not super financially responsible to order takeout all the time, it's nice to be able to prepare frozen egg rolls at home. Luckily, Aldi really delivers with its Fusia Asian Inspirations Pork Egg Rolls. Technically, you could eat them on the side of a meal, but I think they make for an excellent snack when a bowl of yogurt isn't going to do the trick.

Traditionally, egg rolls are deep-fried, but you don't have to turn your kitchen into a frying station to get these egg rolls as crispy as can be. Just put them in your air fryer — they don't take long to cook — and you'll soon have a plate of crispy egg rolls you can indulge in any time you crave them.

What better snack is there than french fries? Yes, it's basic, but that's why I love them — you really can't go wrong with crispy potatoes. This is another one of those snack foods you can make from scratch, but it is sort of time-consuming to do so. That may not be a problem when you're cooking a whole meal, but when you just want to snack on some fries, it's not ideal. It's no surprise, though, that Aldi has you covered on that front. The chain's Season's Choice Seasoned French Fries aren't anything wildly interesting or unexpected, but they don't need to be. They're just basic, well-seasoned fries that make for an ideal snack.

Generally speaking, I think that frozen fries taste best when they're cooked in an air fryer. They get crispy, no oil required. Personally, I like to add a little bit of salt to these once they come out of the air fryer, but beyond that, all you need is a dipping sauce to make this product into a top-notch air fryer snack.

Mozzarella sticks are absolutely an elite snack, but if you're like me, they're not something that you'd actually make for yourself from scratch. Sure, I sometimes order them when I'm at a divey kind of place that serves bar food, but I'd never really thought to enjoy them at home until I came across Appetitos Mozzarella Sticks at Aldi. Honestly, I think these are some pretty solid mozz sticks, and I appreciate that they actually come with marinara dipping sauce, so you don't have to buy any on the side.

However, it's incredibly important to get a good crisp on mozzarella sticks, or else they're liable to turn mushy and gooey in the worst possible way. That's why I think it's essential to cook them in an air fryer. This cooking process gives you the nice external crunch you're looking for while keeping the inside of the snack nice and melty.

There are a lot of Momma Cozzi's products I don't particularly like at Aldi, but the brand's Garlic Texas Toast is not one of them. These thick slabs of toast are absolutely slathered with an ultra-flavorful garlic spread that's not for the faint of heart. You don't need to add any garlic to these slices — they're more than garlicky enough all on their own. I actually think they make a delicious base for a decadent sandwich, but you can also enjoy them all on their own for snacking.

Although you may not immediately think to cook your frozen Texas toast in an air fryer, hear me out when I say this is actually the best method for preparing it. Cooking Texas toast in an oven can sometimes result in a soggy texture, particularly in the middle of the toast, but air frying it gives the slice a really nice crisp throughout. Plus, the edges get nice and crunchy, creating an even more exciting texture. Finish off your Texas toast with a light spread of marinara sauce if you really want to go all out.

I selected these specific Aldi products for this roundup based on personal experience. All of the products listed here taste good on their own, regardless of cooking method, but they also work particularly well in an air fryer because of the crispy, sometimes crunchy texture that an air fryer imparts. I focused on more substantial, savory snacks that can be eaten on their own, no other ingredients required (although I included ideas to enhance these products with extra ingredients).