Whenever Aldi rotates different Asian dishes into the limited-edition Aldi Find freezers, I know they’re often worth trying. I’ve found interesting appetizer samplers, teriyaki chicken skillets, spring rolls, mini wontons, beef and broccoli, and more.
These are all sold under the Fusia Asian Inspirations brand. This isn’t a company. Instead, it’s the private label Aldi uses for Asian-inspired food.
One Fusia-branded product that shows up at Aldi from time to time is mandu. Mandu are a type of dumpling that originate in Korean cuisine. They might be steamed, boiled, pan fried, or deep fried. They were served in the Korean royal court but are now common in Korean supermarkets, restaurants, and places where you can buy snacks.
Mandu at Aldi are sold in two varieties: beef and chicken. I bought one of each to fry up at home. The packages describe these as “extra large size.”
Fusia Asian Inspirations Mandu Beef or Chicken Dumplings are Aldi Finds, which means they’re only in stores for a short time. Each store receives one shipment, and after that sells out, they’re gone unless Aldi decides to bring them back at a later time. Aldi does not offer online ordering for products that are sold out at your local store.
These cost $6.89 per package at the time of writing. The beef dumplings package is 20 ounces (about 34 cents per ounce), while the chicken dumplings package is 24 ounces (about 29 cents per ounce). There are about four 4-piece servings in the beef dumpling package, which is about $1.72 per serving. The chicken dumpling package contains about five 4-piece servings, which is about $1.38 per serving.
If you’re looking out for allergens, both varieties contain soy, wheat, and sesame.
These also contain a few processed ingredients such as carrageenan and smoke flavor.
Ready to serve after pan frying. Beef on the left, chicken on the right.
The packages have directions for pan frying these. Pour 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil into a nonstick pan. Place four frozen dumpling pieces onto the pan, with space between them. Heat on medium-high heat for 8 minutes, turning each side every 2-3 minutes, or until all sides are golden brown.
Our mandu were ready to eat after about 8-10 minutes in the frying pan. They were lightly crisp on the outside, and the insides were filled with tender meat, veggies, and glass noodles or cellophane noodles (they’re called bean thread in the ingredients lists on the packages). Both the beef and chicken flavors are savory and delicious, and it was hard to eat only a few. My family likes potstickers from Aldi, and these are similar, but they take the flavor up several notches.
Unlike some other types of dumplings Aldi sells, these don’t include any sauce packets, but we didn’t feel the need to serve these with soy sauce or any other types of dipping sauces because they are already very moist and flavorful on their own. They can be a little drippy, so bite into them carefully and keep some napkins on hand.
Keep reading for more information about each variety.
Fusia Asian Inspirations Mandu Beef Dumplings:
The package describes these as “filled with fire-grilled, Korean BBQ style beef patty and vegetables.”
Beef mandu dumplings nutrition information and ingredients. (Click to enlarge.)
These have their share of calories, fat (including some trans fat), sodium, and a bit of added sugar. One four-piece serving has 280 calories, 9 grams of total fat (12% DV), 3.5 grams of saturated fat (18% DV), 0.5 grams of trans fat, 660 mg of sodium (29% DV), 34 grams of total carbohydrates (12% DV), 1 gram of dietary fiber (4% DV), 5 grams of total sugars, 4 grams of added sugars (8% DV), and 15 grams of protein.
Fusia Asian Inspirations Mandu Chicken Dumplings:
The package describes these as “filled with juicy chicken and vegetables.”
Chicken mandu dumplings nutrition information and ingredients. (Click to enlarge.)
These have a fair amount of calories, fat (no trans fat), sodium, and added sugar. They do have less fat than the beef variety. One four-piece serving has 220 calories, 5 grams of total fat (6% DV), 1 gram of saturated fat (5% DV), 640 mg of sodium (28% DV), 32 grams of total carbohydrates (12% DV), 1 gram of dietary fiber (4% DV), 6 grams of total sugars, 4 grams of added sugars (8% DV), and 11 grams of protein.
The Verdict:
Fusia Asian Inspirations Mandu Dumplings come in beef and chicken varieties. They’re easy to pan fry from frozen in less than 10 minutes, and they taste great. The outsides crisp up nicely in the pan, and they’re loaded with meat, veggies, and glass noodles. If you like potstickers or other types of Asian-inspired dumplings, you’ll probably like these. I’ll be buying a couple more bags to stock in my deep freezer if these are still in the Aldi Find freezers during my next Aldi run.
