7 Best Frozen Meals Under $5 We’ve Tried in Our Taste Tests

Frozen meals have come a long way from the days of Salisbury steak and even Kid Cuisine. But they’ve still managed to maintain a low price tag. Even some of the best frozen meals we’ve tasted in our taste tests fall under that $5 mark!

We sorted through all of our frozen meal rankings to find the best of the best that came in under $5. We were looking for actual meals—not sides or starters, but a self-contained meal that required no additional purchases. And we found seven great options. Here are the best cheap frozen meals you can buy.

Best Lasagna

Stouffer’s Vegetable Lasagna

Instacart

This was the best frozen veggie lasagna we tasted in our frozen lasagna taste test and it can be yours for just under $5. It’s a good deal for such a soul-satisfying meal. The alfredo sauce is so creamy and savory. The cheese has a great stretch to it. It’s packed with veggies. And there are just enough breadcrumbs to add crunch without drying everything out. 

Read the full ranking of the best frozen lasagna

Credit: Ryan Martin / Instacart

Rating:

7/10

Sporks

Best Breakfast Bowl

Great Value Sausage & Gravy Breakfast Bowl

Walmart

We’re pretty big fans of Great Value products at Sporked. Often, this Walmart brand makes stuff that tastes even better than name brand stuff. And that’s definitely the case when it comes to frozen breakfast bowls. This mix of potatoes, scrambled eggs, sausage, cheese, and salty, peppery gravy is one of the best tasting frozen meals we’ve ever tried. 

Read the full ranking of the best frozen breakfast bowls

Credit: Merc / Walmart

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Best Lean Cuisine

Lean Cuisine Salisbury Steak with Macaroni and Cheese

Instacart

For just $5 you get meat, mushroom gravy, and mac and cheese in this Lean Cuisine frozen meal. It tastes like the best cafeteria meal you’ve ever had—but a lot less caloric. The steak is a decent quality and the gravy is rich. The mac and cheese is gooey and perfect for mixing with any extra gravy. If you’re in the market for some cheap frozen meals that are low-cal, buy a few of these. 

Read the full ranking of the best Lean Cuisine frozen meals

Credit: Merc / Instacart

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Best Indian Meal

Trader Joe’s Chicken Tikka Masala

Trader Joe’s

While plenty of Trader Joe’s frozen Indian meals fit the bill of being some of the best frozen meals under $5, this one is a real standout and a real meal. You get perfect rice alongside a hearty serving of saucy chicken tikka masala. The chicken is probably some of the best chicken in a frozen meal that we’ve ever had. 

Read the full ranking of Trader Joe’s Indian food

Credit: Merc / Trader Joe’s

Rating:

9.5/10

Sporks

Best High Protein

Zatarain’s Blackened Chicken Alfredo

Walmart

Not only did this frozen meal earn the top spot in our high protein frozen meals taste test, but it also costs just over $4. That’s a lot of quality for a little scratch. It tastes like really good mac and cheese with a kick from the blackened chicken. It’s definitely one of the best frozen meals you can get for less than a Lincoln. 

Read the full ranking of the best frozen high protein meals

Credit: Merc / Wamart

Rating:

9.5/10

Sporks

Best Chicken Pot Pie

Marie Callender’s Chicken Corn Chowder Pot Pie

Ralphs

Our number one favorite frozen chicken pot pie can be purchased for less than $4 in some stores. That’s so cheap considering how extremely good this pot pie is. It has all the classic pot pie components—flaky crust, gooey filling, tender chunks of chicken—plus bacon and sweet corn. Yum. 

Read the full ranking of the best frozen chicken pot pies

Credit: Liv Averett / Ralphs

Rating:

10/10

Sporks

Best Turkey Dinner

Stouffer’s Roast Turkey

Target

Stouffer’s frozen turkey dinner includes white meat medallions in a luxurious gravy, along with moist stuffing and mashed potatoes. It’s a classic frozen meal executed really well. The gravy is savory. The potatoes are buttery. And the turkey is really tender and not dry at all. While this still qualifies as a very sad holiday meal, it’s one of the best tasting frozen meals you can buy for a weekday dinner—and it costs less than $4. 

Read the full ranking of the best frozen turkey dinners

Credit: Merc / Target

Rating:

10/10

Sporks