We know the drill. You start every week with the best intentions. You’re gonna spend Sunday planning your meals for the week and making pre-portioned healthy little lunches to bring to work. But then life intervenes—you submit to the siren song of the beach or a good book on the couch or a can’t-miss Sunday night TV show. Monday arrives and in the absence of those healthy little lunches you never made, you just need something you can nuke and eat and get through the rest of the day. That’s where the best frozen lunches come in. From lasagna to lo mein, we’ve tasted a lot of frozen meals here at Sporked, but not all of them are right for a quick midday meal. Here are the best frozen meals for lunch, listed from snacky to substantial.
The following article contains affiliate links that may generate a small commission to us when you make a purchase through the link. Learn more about how we work with affiliates here.
- Hot Pockets Premium Pepperoni Crispy Crust
-
Hot Pockets have become the butt of many jokes (thanks, Gaffigan), but if you keep it simple, you have to admit that these things kind of rule. Case in point: Pepperoni Crispy Crust Hot Pockets. The filling is just cheese, sauce, and pepperoni—a lot of pepperoni—but it makes a filling little meal inside a flaky crust that actually crisps up in the microwave. We tasted more than a dozen varieties of Hot Pockets, and this was the best. You can’t necessarily file these under healthy frozen meals, but these Hot Pockets are great if you’re on the hunt for quick frozen lunches. Just don’t burn your tongue.
Read the full ranking of the best Hot Pockets
Credit: Liv Averett / Vons
- Ramona’s Bean & Cheese Burritos
-
When you’re looking for the best frozen lunches, it’s hard to beat the filling simplicity of a good ol’ bean and cheese burrito. Unfortch, a lot of them just aren’t good. The beans are hard and mealy. They’re packed with unnecessary seasonings—like cumin—that overpower the naturally delicious flavor of the beans and cheese. But not Ramona’s Bean & Cheese burrito. The beans are so creamy (thanks, lard!) and the flavor is perfect—just beans and creamy, salty cheese. When it comes to easy frozen lunches, it doesn’t really get easier (or tastier) than this.
Read the full ranking of the best frozen bean and cheese burritos
Credit: Liv Averett / Vons
- Alpha Plant-Based Mexicali Burrito
-
When we set out to rank the best frozen beef burritos, we were super underwhelmed with a lot of the options. So many frozen beef burritos are oily and processed. The best frozen lunches don’t leave you burping for the rest of the day. That’s why we ended up loving this plant-based beef burrito. It’s flavorful and filling, but it isn’t loaded with grease that’ll weigh you down. Even if you’re not vegan or vegetarian, you should give this a shot.
Read the full ranking of the best frozen beef burritos
Credit: Merc / Alpha
- Tucson Tamale Green Chile & Cheese
-
If you’re used to tiny tamales, forget everything you know. These Tucson tamales make our list of the best frozen lunches because they’re meal sized, not snack sized. These burrito-sized tamales come individually wrapped so they’re easy to grab on the go and toss in the work freezer. Plus, they cook so nicely in the microwave. The masa is fluffy and the filling is creamy with just a touch of chile heat. If you think frozen burritos are borning, try one of these instead.
Read the full ranking of the best frozen tamales
Credit: Merc / Sprouts
- Stouffer’s Roast Turkey
-
There’s something very comforting about frozen lunches that channel a homemade holiday dinner. Will Stouffer’s Roast Turkey frozen meal rival the Thanksgiving spread at grandma’s house? Not quite, but it is the best frozen turkey meal we found in a taste test. The mashed potatoes are buttery and rich, and the turkey is actually moist (there’s a good amount of gravy in this meal, which helps). It’ll bring a little coziness and warmth to your decidedly not-cozy cubicle.
Read the full ranking of the best frozen turkey dinners
Credit: Merc / Target
- Amy’s Bowls Broccoli & Cheddar Bake
-
Amy’s has cracked the code to really good GF pasta, which is pretty impressive for a microwavable meal. This bowl of rotini, cheese, and broccoli is a damn delight. The cheese gets gooey and a little burnt around the edges, and there’s even a breadcrumb topping that somehow crisps in the microwave. This isn’t exactly a healthy frozen lunch, but it’s filling and hearty and you have to love that you’re eating something green, right?
Read the full ranking of the best gluten free frozen meals
Credit: Merc / Walmart
- P.F. Chang’s Spicy Sichuan Style Chicken
-
Not all of P.F. Chang’s frozen meals are good (miss us with that pad thai, dudes), but their Sichuan chicken meal is one of the best frozen lunches we’ve found. It’s got big pieces of chicken, chewy noodles, button mushrooms, and lots of flavor, but not so much that you feel like you’ve downed half a shaker of salt. The mushrooms give it so much umami, and you can actually taste a little bit of that Sichuan peppercorn flavor. Skip the pricey takeout and try this instead.
Read the full ranking of the best P.F. Chang’s frozen meals
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Blake’s Shepherd’s Pie
-
It’s not easy to find good frozen shepherd’s pie—we know. We tried. Blake’s shepherd’s pie (which is technically a cottage pie because it’s made with beef, not lamb) has its virtues—it’s meaty and rib sticking and simple. It’s really just beef, mashed potatoes, and corn, which makes it one of the best frozen lunches for picky eaters. This might be a little heavy for summertime, but when winter rolls around, this is one of the best frozen meals for lunch to have in the freezer. (Oh and it’s gluten free!)
Read the full ranking of the best frozen shepherd’s pies
Credit: Merc / Vons
- Trader Joe’s Broccoli & Cheddar Quiche
-
Mini quiche for lunch? How FRANCH of you! When it comes to fancy, filling frozen lunches, you can’t do better than this TJ’s frozen quiche. The crust is buttery and flaky, and the filling is cheesy and savory. This is a heavy lunch, but it’s perfect for those days when you skipped breakfast.
Read the full ranking of the best frozen quiche
Credit: Merc / Trader Joe’s
Best Hot Pockets
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
Best Bean & Cheese Burrito
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
Best Beef Burrito
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
Best Frozen Tamale
Rating:
8.5/10
Sporks
Best Turkey Meal
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
Best Gluten Free Frozen Lunch
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
Best P.F. Chang’s
Rating:
7.5/10
Sporks
Best Shepherd’s Pie
Rating:
7.5/10
Sporks
Best Individual Quiche
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
