The Aldi Freezer Find That Transforms Butter Chicken Into A Bite-Sized Snack

Butter chicken is a classic dish in Indian cuisine, thanks in part to the extensive traditional process of making it, which can include marinating overnight. It yields great flavor, but the time investment can be a lot for some. This has helped make frozen butter chicken entrees a popular compromise between flavor and effort, but one Aldi freezer find takes that to the next level.

Aldi's Journey to India Butter Chicken Mini Naanpanadas are a bite-sized treat that almost couldn't be easier to cook, or more delicious to eat. As the name suggests, they're a bit like miniature empanadas — a Spanish food — so it may not be the most culturally authentic presentation of butter chicken, but the naan-like pastry helps it keep one foot in tradition. A tamarind dipping sauce adds further notes of authenticity.

When cooked in an air fryer, the naan pastry crisps up to a delicious golden brown. Underneath that crust, each bite contains a generous portion of butter chicken — the 10.2-ounce box claims it has three servings, but some find that they're rich and filling enough to be four servings per box. Regardless, customers have also noted that they're so tasty it's easy to eat an entire box at once.

At just $4.99 per box, it's a good thing that Aldi's Journey to India Butter Chicken mini naanpanadas are affordable enough to stock up on multiple boxes at once. It's unclear if the naanpanadas contain asafoetida, the Indian seasoning key to traditional butter chicken, but in any case, they're a hit with customers.

However, unlike making your own butter chicken at home — either traditionally or with an Instant Pot — the Journey to India naanpanadas can be difficult to find. On Reddit, one customer said, "I feel like I've gone a full year without seeing them in the store." These comments go back years, with Aldi fans noting how delicious and rare these treats are.

As with other seasonal and limited-time Aldi items, you can check the weekly Aldi Finds to see if they'll be in a store near you — comments on Reddit indicate that they recently returned to the freezer aisles. Vegetarians aren't totally left out in the cold, either: the Journey to India brand also sells similarly delicious chickpea curry naanpanadas.