Gwynedd Stuart
The best frozen meals are a shortcut to a full belly. Whether you’re looking for a quick breakfast, a frozen lunch you can grab on your way out the door, or a a big ol’ tray of food you can simply throw in the oven and then feed your whole family, the best frozen meals are there for you, just chilling in the freezer, waiting for their time to shine.
When it comes to quality and flavor, not all frozen meals are created equal. Sure, you could just grab the first frozen meatloaf you see and move on with your life, but we think you deserve better. That’s why we’ve rounded up all of the best frozen meals we’ve found in our many frozen food taste tests, from the best frozen dinners to feed a family to meals for one that make eating from a plastic tray a little more palatable.
Best Frozen Meals for One
- Great Value Sausage & Gravy Breakfast Bowl
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Frozen breakfast bowls are a brilliant invention. They’re like breakfast burritos, minus a tortilla that inevitably becomes rock solid after it’s been microwaved. If you’re looking for the best frozen meal to start the day, try this breakfast bowl from Walmart. While others can kind of dry out in the microwave, this one is covered in hot, salty country gravy, so it stays nice and moist. It’s not exactly a healthy frozen meal, but it’s sure to keep you full if you have a busy day ahead.
Read the full ranking of the best frozen breakfast bowls
Credit: Merc / Walmart
- Stouffer’s Classic Meatloaf
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Microwave meatloaf may never live up to a slab of the homemade stuff, but the best frozen meals at least vaguely resemble food that was actually cooked in a kitchen, and this is one of them. In so many frozen meatloaf meals, you get a small, flat disc of “meatloaf” that more closely resembles a hamburger patty. But Stouffer’s meatloaf is better—it’s well seasoned and tastes like meatloaf, not just a hunk of low-grade ground beef. This is one of the best frozen meals for one, but they also make a family-sized version if other people in your household need to eat, too.
Read the full ranking of the best frozen meatloaf
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- Stouffer’s Roast Turkey
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Turkey. Mashed potatoes. Some stuffing. Lots of gravy. What more could you want in one of the best frozen meals? Okay, that wasn’t a rhetorical question—we actually have an answer: Turkey that’s actually the consistency of turkey breast rather than a big ol’ slice of bologna. So many frozen turkey meals give you a glorified piece of deli meat drenched in gravy; Stouffer’s gives you medallions of meat that pull apart and actually taste good. Big diff. If you’re craving Thanksgiving dinner in August, this is the best frozen dinners to buy.
Read the full ranking of the best frozen turkey dinners
Credit: Merc / Target
- Stouffer’s Turkey Tetrazzini
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The overall best frozen meal from Stouffer’s actually is the Roast Turkey (see above), but the brand’s Turkey Tetrazzini is a close second, so we’re adding it to the list, too. This creamy noodle casserole is SO comforting and SO filling, but it’s not just creamy-salty like similar frozen meals. Chopped celery and browned breadcrumbs give it bite, and some sherry in the sauce gives it dimension. In general, we really love the quality of Stouffer’s compared to a lot of other single-serve frozen meals—and we love that they’re still dedicated to comfort classics like this one.
Read the full ranking of the best Stouffer’s frozen meals
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- Trader Joe’s Vegetable Pad Thai
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For the most part, frozen pad thai barely resembles the dish you know and love. Frequently, it’s weirdly tangy and loaded with things like limp carrot batons and mushy diced red peppers. Trader Joe’s managed to make something that almost approximates takeout and we applaud them! Their veggie pad thai has nice, crunchy bean sprouts and big pieces of tofu. If you’ve maxed out your DoorDash budget for the month, this is a good thing to have in the freezer.
Read the full ranking of the best frozen pad thai
Credit: Merc / Trader Joe’s
- Blake’s Shepherd’s Pie
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We taste tested every frozen shepherd’s pie we could find at the grocery store and they all had one thing in common: They aren’t shepherd’s pies! They’re made with beef, so really, they’re cottage pies. All that said, Blake’s makes the best-tasting version of a pie made with ground beef, veg, and a mashed potato topping. It’s so simple (really, it’s just beef, corn kernels, and mashed potatoes), but it’s pretty filling and satisfying, as the best frozen meals should be.
Read the full ranking of the best frozen shepherd’s pies
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- Trader Joe’s Broccoli & Cheddar Quiche
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You have your mini quiche and you have your pie-sized quiche, but this Trader Joe’s Broccoli & Cheddar Quiche is perfectly sized for one (or two if you’re just a little noshy). And, really, why aren’t we eating savory egg pie more often? This is a real treat-yourself sort of frozen meal. It’s super cheesy, but, hey, it’s also filled with broccoli, which we like to think offsets some of that decadence.
Read the full ranking of the best frozen quiche
Credit: Merc / Trader Joe’s
- Screamin’ Sicilian Meatball Stromboli
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We’ve taste tested every single variety of Hot Pocket (at least twice), but you won’t find any of them on this list. Why? Call me a glutton, but I don’t think a Hot Pocket constitutes a frozen meal. Hot Pockets are squarely in snack territory, imho. But if you want a pizza pocket situation that really eats like a meal, give this Screamin’ Sicilian Meatball Stromboli a shot. The crust is nicely seasoned with herbs and parm, and the fillings are lovely: tender meatballs, thinly sliced pepperoni, and LOTS of mozzarella cheese. This needs some pizza sauce for dunking, but what a fun, indulgent lunch.
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Bibigo Chicken Wonton Soup
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When we taste tested all of South Korean brand Bibigo’s frozen foods—dumplings! spring rolls! more dumplings!—this little bowl of wonton soup was our favorite find. It’s simultaneously really simple and like nothing else in the frozen aisle. The wontons are tender and packed with a savory, herbaceous filling, and the broth is clear, clean, and simple. Next time you’re sick, this is THE way to upgrade from your usual can of chicken noodle soup.
Read the full ranking of the best Bibigo products
Credit: Merc / Walmart
- Chef Ramsay Chicken Pot Pie
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If you’ve budgeted enough time to cook your lunch or dinner in the oven rather than the microwave, this is one of the best frozen meals to have in the freezer. It’s just filling and a top crust (unlike other frozen chicken pot pies, which have crust all around), but the crust is excellent. It’s buttery and flaky and it’s a great complement to the creamy filling. Of all the Gordan Ramsay frozen dinners we picked up from Walmart, this was the best frozen meal of them all.
Read the full ranking of Gordon Ramsay frozen dinners
Credit: Merc / Walmart
- P.F. Chang’s Spicy Sichuan Style Chicken
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It would be pretty chill to have the funds to order Chinese food from a restaurant every day, but that’s probably not sustainable for most of us. So, if you’re looking for Chinese food you can store in the freezer and simply heat up in the microwave, you could do a lot worse than this P.F. Chang’s frozen meal. The noodles are nice and chewy, and the button mushrooms contribute a lot of earthiness and umami to the savory sauce, which actually tastes a little bit like it has Sichuan peppercorns in the mix. This was the best frozen meal in P.F. Chang’s grocery store lineup, but their chicken lo mein is a close second if that’s more your style.
Read the full ranking of the best P.F. Chang’s frozen meals
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Purple Carrot Udon Noodle Bowl
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Purple Carrot got its start as a meal delivery service, but it’s since expanded into the grocery store with a line of plant based frozen meals. Real talk: We didn’t like most of them, but this udon bowl is a standout. The sauce is savory, the noodles are plump and chewy out of the microwave, and we love that it contains Gardein Be’f crumbles instead of just veggies. The edamame is a nice touch, too. When it comes to the best frozen meals, vegetarians often get left out in the cold, so we appreciate the effort from Purple Carrot.
Read the full ranking of the best Purple Carrot frozen meals
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- Zatarain’s Blackened Chicken Alfredo
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We lost our minds for this frozen dinner when we were taste testing high protein frozen meals. Seriously, Zatarain’s should have gotten into the frozen food game way sooner. The sauce is creamy and tastes like nutty, salty cheese. The chicken—which isn’t spongy like the chicken in a lot of frozen meals—is coated in blackening spices, which give the whole dish a nice little kick of heat. Honestly, we could have used a little more spice, but the best frozen meals shouldn’t necessarily send you sprinting to the fridge for a sip of milk.
Read the full ranking of the best high protein frozen meals
Credit: Merc / Walmart
- Amy’s Bowls Broccoli & Cheddar Bake
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If you’re GF, this is the best frozen meal you can have in the freezer for a quick, easy lunch or light dinner. And, yeah. It’s pasta. Somehow, Amy’s figured out not only how to make really good gluten free pasta, but how to make really good gluten free pasta that cooks well in the microwave. The cheese gets gooey and a little burnt around the edges, and there’s even a breadcrumb topping that somehow crisps in the microwave. And the broccoli will make you feel like you’re doing something good for yourself even though you’re eating a big ol’ bowl of mac and cheese for dinner.
Read the full ranking of the best gluten free frozen meals
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- Kidfresh White Meat Chicken Nuggets & Buttered Pasta
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Are you older than, say, seven? Then you probably don’t need this frozen meal in your life. But if you’ve yet to progress to PG13 movies and chapter books—and happen to be a very picky eater—this is the best frozen meal for you. It has veggies hidden in both the nuggets and the buttered noodles, and both components actually taste great. This beat out Kid Cuisine!
Read the full ranking of the best frozen meals for kids
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
Best Breakfast Bowl
Rating:
9/10
Sporks
Best Frozen Meatloaf
Rating:
8.5/10
Sporks
Best Frozen Turkey Dinner
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
Best Stouffer’s Frozen Meal
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
Best Frozen Pad Thai
Rating:
9/10
Sporks
Best Shepherd’s Pie
Rating:
7.5/10
Sporks
Best Frozen Quiche
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
Best Frozen Pizza Pocket
Rating:
8.5/10
Sporks
Best Soup
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
Best Gordon Ramsay Meal
Rating:
9.5/10
Sporks
Best P.F. Chang’s Frozen Meal
Rating:
9.5/10
Sporks
Best Purple Carrot Frozen Meal
Rating:
8.5/10
Sporks
Best High Protein Meal
Rating:
10/10
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Best Gluten Free Meal
Rating:
10/10
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Best Frozen Meal for Kids
Rating:
9/10
Sporks
Best Frozen Meals for the Fam
- P.F. Chang’s Home Menu Orange Chicken
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P.F. Chang’s is famous for its orange chicken, and we were pretty stoked to discover that their frozen rendition is pretty faithful to the restaurant version. It’s less sweet than other brands of orange chicken, but we swear that’s a good thing. Without corn syrup taking the lead, other flavors—ginger, red chili paste, and oyster sauce—can really shine through. Toss some white rice in the rice cooker, and that’s dinner.
Read the full ranking of the best orange chicken
Credit: Merc / Target
- Rao’s Four Cheese Pasta Bake
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We’re freaks for Rao’s pasta sauces, so we were optimistic about the brand’s frozen meals. Surely the best one would involve their famous marinaras sauce—right? Wrong! This pasta bake—which is essentially a big ol’ tray of mac and cheese—was the best frozen meal in their lineup. Sporked editor-in-chief Justine Sterling described it as “cheesy and savory and creamy and yummy.” It was so good it made her say the F word aloud. This is a good frozen dinner, sure, but it makes a good side, too.
Read the full ranking of the best Rao’s frozen meals
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- Giovanni Rana Meat Lasagna
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Our team tried a lot of frozen lasagna in two separate taste tests, but our top pick has always remained the same. Giovanni Rana Meat Lasagna is a cut above the rest. One taste tester called it “everything frozen lasagna should be.” It’s rich, meaty, and cheesy. Really, really cheesy. You get ricotta, mascarpone, fontina, and a cheese sauce. Making lasagna is time consuming, especially at the end of a long day, unless your family is okay with eating dinner at 10 p.m. If they prefer to dine at a more reasonable hour and still get lasagna that tastes homemade, this is the best frozen meal to have stashed in the freezer.
Read the full ranking of the best frozen lasagna
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- Bertolli Shrimp Penne & Asparagus
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Bertolli skillet meals are actually pretty great. They’re fast, they’re easy, and they cut down on the dishes you have to do after dinner. This one in particular. Put away the colander. No need to de-vein those shrimp. Just dump this bag in a pan and let it sizzle. The sauce is chunky and authentic, almost like a homemade tomato-olive oil sauce, the asparagus has bite, and the shrimp don’t have that fishy funk.
Read the full ranking of the best Bertolli frozen meals
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- Trader Joe’s Chana Masala
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This chana masala is one of the best frozen meals at Trader Joe’s. And while it can certainly serve as a frozen meal for one, we suggest buying a few of Trader Joe’s Indian entrees and making it part of a full Indian feast, just like you’d order from a restaurant (in fact, our top three Indian dishes from this frozen food taste test are my go-to order: chana masala, saag paneer, and chicken tikka masala). As Justine said, this chana masala is so good because the ingredients are so good. The garbanzos are creamy and wonderful to eat, and the sauce is perfectly spiced.
Read the full ranking of the best Trader Joe’s Indian food
Credit: Merc
Best Orange Chicken
Rating:
8.5/10
Sporks
Best Rao’s Frozen Meal
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
Best Frozen Lasagna
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
Best Bertolli Skillet Meal
Rating:
9.5/10
Sporks
Best Trader Joe’s Indian Food
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
Jordan Myrick
Ariana Losch
Justine Sterling
