Best Frozen Meals at Dollar Tree, According to a Team of Taste Testers

You never know what you’re going to find at Dollar Tree. Like many dollar stores, the massive discount chain frequently sells overstock from other retailers at bargain-basement prices—check out the food section and you might find a weird energy drink that just didn’t catch on or a seasonal cereal that didn’t sell as well as the manufacturer anticipated (looking at you, Pumpkin Spice Frosted Flakes).

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I’m not totally sure how Dollar Tree curates its selection of frozen meals, but there seems to be a little more stability in that department, meaning there are certain things the store always carries regardless of what did or didn’t sell at another store.

I loaded my (virtual) shopping cart with all the frozen meals—all of them $4 or under—and then taste tested them alongside my colleagues. From microwavable sandwiches you can spruce up for lunch to Banquet bowls that work as a quick dinner, here are six meals to look out for the next time you’re stocking your freezer at Dollar Tree.

Dollar Tree!

Banquet Mega Bowls Chicken Fried Beef Steak Bowl ($3)

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If I’d been making this list without my colleagues’ input, this Banquet Mega Bowl would have ranked way higher. The chopped-and-reformed steak fritters taste exactly like country fried steak from a diner in the South. The white gravy is peppery (if otherwise flavorless) and the whole thing goes down real smooth. This is a guilty pleasure meal for me, but I can feel less guilty when it only costs $3, I guess.

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

6/10

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hungry man boneless fried chicken review

Dollar Tree!

Hungry Man Boneless Fried Chicken ($4)

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There are Hungry Man meals we prefer to this one, but in the absence of other options, this is big, filling, and pretty tasty. The chicken comes battered rather than breaded, so it’s almost like chickeny fish and chips. This would be way better if you cooked it in the oven, but in the interest of time we cooked it in the microwave…and it was still pretty okay! The batter looks pale and it’s not crisp in the least, but the chicken patties (which are fat like breasts) are big, juicy, and well seasoned. You also get plenty of corn, a brownie, and mashed potatoes. These are HUGE meals for $4.

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

6.5/10

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Dollar Tree!

Fast Bites Cheeseburger ($1.50)

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This microwavable hamburger—which you microwave in the plastic wrapper, bun, meat, and all—reminds me so much of a Boca burger, probably because the patty is made out of beef, water, and texture protein, aka soy. It’s very much like the school cafeteria burgers from when we were kids. The best thing about these Fast Bites sandwiches (there’s another on this list, don’t worry) is that the bun stays squishy rather than seizing up and turning to stone the instant you put it on a plate. This burger is totally fine on its own, but it’s going to be even better if you dress it up with toppings, like mayo or burger sauce and fresh veggies. That’s a nice lil lunch.

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

6.5/10

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Dollar Tree!

Fast Bites BBQ Pork Rib Sandwich ($1.50)

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This round McRib dupe needs a little sprucing, but it’s good as is, too. As I mentioned above, Fast Bites is doing something to their buns to make sure they don’t harden once they’ve cooled. It’s probably chemicals and it probably makes them hard to digest (I definitely had a lump in my stomach after this taste test and it had Fast Bites bun written all over it), but it’s preferable to a hard bun! The rib patty actually tastes good too, not weird or gamey. It’s very lightly coated in BBQ sauce, which is probably for the best so the bun doesn’t get soggy, but I’d g’head and add more BBQ sauce, yellow mustard, and some pickle chips to this sucker. Maybe even a slice of American cheese, too. You bought lunch for $1.50—LIVE A LITTLE.

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

7/10

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Dollar Tree!

Michelina’s Beef & Broccoli ($1.25)

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We all made fun of this Dollar Tree frozen meal before we tasted it. The pasta resembles spaghetti, not Asian noodles by any stretch. The beef comes as little chunks rather than strips—they’re like little meatballs or like little chunks of ground beef that would be on a pizza. Shockingly, this whole thing is good! The sauce is tangy and tastes like sesame oil, the broccoli is cut in nice small pieces rather than being huge and watery, and the little meatball bits really soak up the sauce and taste great. We were stunned. And this was the cheapest thing we bought at just $1.25.

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

8/10

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banquet mega bowls country fried chicken review

Dollar Tree!

Banquet Mega Bowls Country Fried Chicken ($3)

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Well, we’re suckers for gravy and this Banquet Bowl is so dang drenched with gravy that it instantly won us over. It’s a brown savory gravy that’s drizzled over a good amount of corn and nice creamy mashed potatoes, and little chicken morsels. The chicken is overcooked in the middle, but as a whole this meal is filling, salty, and tastes great. If you like KFC bowls but don’t want to spend beaucoup bucks on DoorDash, you’ll like this.

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

9/10

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