Justine Sterling
What is the best frozen pizza? If we’re being honest, the best frozen pizza is whatever frozen pizza happens to be in your freezer when you’re desperately hungry and nothing is open for delivery.
But what about the best frozen pizza to buy in preparation for those moments. Over the course of many, many taste tests we’ve found the best frozen pizza brands making the best frozen pizzas, from the best veggie frozen pizza to the best frozen pepperoni pizza.
Frozen pizza is good now. Maybe it used to be cardboard covered in sweet marinara and a stretchy blanket of cheese (and, yes, you can still buy it like that), but the best frozen pizzas are topped with real mozzarella that gets gooey, savory marinara sauce, and actual, yeasty pizza dough that rises in the oven. The toppings aren’t simply limited to sad sausage crumbles. You can get real, thinly sliced pepperoni, or vegetables that actually taste like vegetables, or even pineapple that doesn’t immediately dissolve into a puddle. And you have choices when it comes to crust. You can get Detroit style frozen pizza! Thin crust frozen pizza! Cauliflower crust frozen pizza! The choices are really overwhelming.
Lucky for you, we’ve done a lot of tasting. We looked for gooey cheese, fresh toppings, and crispy-chewy crust you actually enjoy eating. At this point in the frozen pizza timeline, the best frozen pizza should be nearly as good as delivery or something you can make from scratch—but much cheaper and easier. Here’s the best rated frozen pizza you can buy at the grocery store.
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- Red Baron Deep Dish Supreme
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This is not the best frozen deep dish pizza—that honor belongs to Uno Pizzeria’s pepperoni pizza, and we’ll discuss it later. In fact, I don’t think this really qualifies as deep dish pizza at all. But it’s still one of the best individually sized frozen pizzas that we tried. The crust is buttery and chewy. The sauce is flavorful and zesty. The toppings are plentiful and perfectly seasoned. Buy a box of these cheap Red Baron frozen pizzas, they deserve a spot in your freezer.
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- Bagel Bites
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It’s hard to have an objective opinion about Bagel Bites. I grew up eating trayfuls of microwaved Bagel Bites as afternoon snacks. So, to me, these taste like carefree adolescence. The sauce is sweet (and a touch slimy), the cheese is mild at best (flavorless at worst), and the bagel itself is chewy. But it all comes together to taste like the essence of pizza thanks to a hefty hit of oregano. It’s super satisfying in the same way that the best pizza rolls are satisfying. Nuke up a box the next time you’re feeling snacky at 1 a.m.
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
- Annie’s Mini Pizza Bagels
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Bagel Bites super fans, please cover your ears: Annie’s makes better mini pizza bagels than Bagel Bites. Yes, Bagel Bites taste great—they taste like childhood in the ‘90s. But Annie’s Mini Pizza Bagels are better. They are extremely cheesy and you can actually taste the flavor of the cheese. The sauce is zingy and tomatoey and very savory. My only quibble is the lack of oregano, so you don’t get quite the same pizza-ness that you do from Bagel Bites. Even if you’re a Bagel Bites loyalist, I still think you should try these mini pizza bagels.
Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon
- Red Baron French Bread Singles Supreme Pizzas
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If you think the best frozen pizza comes on a loaf of bread, then Red Baron is the best frozen pizza brand for you. It tastes like real French bread—crusty and chewy and a little tangy. It’s topped with fennel-tinged sausage crumbles, crazy good pepperoni, and red and green peppers for good measure. This frozen French bread pizza is so good, it made a convert out of die-hard Stouffer’s fan, managing editor Gwynedd Stuart.
Read the full ranking of the best frozen French bread pizza
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- Trader Joe’s Organic Roasted Vegetable Pizza
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Trader Joe’s might not be the best frozen pizza brand if you’re looking for a classic cheese or pepperoni, but the store’s frozen veggie or vegan pizzas are incredible. This is the best frozen veggie pizza, hands-down. It comes topped with red onions, eggplant spears, zucchini, and bell peppers—along with little dabs of cheese sauce. Yum. The veggies stay fresh and aren’t watery at all. It’s quite a feat of frozen pizza science.
Read the full ranking of the best frozen veggie pizza
Credit: Liv Averett
- Uno Pizzeria Primo Pepperoni
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Please take note: We are talking about frozen Uno Pizzeria Primo Pepperoni, not sausage. The sausage flavor can go kick rocks. But the pepperoni? It’s perfection. It’s hard to find frozen deep dish pizza if you’re not in the Chicagoland area. But I’ve been assured by former Chicagoan, Gwynedd, that this is a very good representation. The cheese is stretchy and sloppy. The sauce is straight up umami. And the pepperoni is tangy and just a little bit spicy. One piece of this frozen deep dish pizza will send you straight to bed in the best way possible.
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
- Screamin’ Sicilian Original Holy Pepperoni Frozen Pizza
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Take a peek into the window of this frozen pepperoni pizza’s packaging and you will see what you are in for: lots and lots and lots of savory, spicy pepperoni. That’s why it took the top spot in our best frozen pepperoni pizza taste test. It is all about those peps. It’s a pep squad. The sauce, crust, and cheese harken back to the pizzas from the arcade birthday parties of your past—but that’s not a bad thing. It all comes together to create one extremely satisfying bite and one of the best frozen pizzas out there.
Read the full ranking of the best frozen pepperoni pizza
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
- Mama Cozzi’s Cauliflower Pizza Pepperoni
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We previously ranked Banza as our number one best frozen gluten free pizza, but during our most recent taste test, this Aldi pizza ran away with that title. (It’s also the best frozen cauliflower crust pizza on this list.) The crispy, chewy crust is really satisfying—whether you’re gluten-free or not—and the cheese is so thick and gooey and there’s just so much of it. The pepperoni is thin and adds a touch of meaty spice. You really won’t miss the gluten with this frozen gluten free pizza.
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- DiGiorno Veggie Loaded Ultra Thin
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DiGiorno Ultra Thin pizzas are the best thin crust frozen pizzas—but their veggie offering is particularly delicious. The diced veggies, cheese, and sauce go all the way to the edge of the crust, which is crispy and crunchy. If you like Domino’s thin crust pizza, this is definitely the best frozen pizza for you.
Read the full ranking of the best thin crust frozen pizza
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- DiGiorno Crispy Pan Pepperoni Pizza
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This is not Detroit style pizza—nor does it claim to be. So don’t expect to find cheesy, buttery crust. This frozen pizza is all about a focaccia-style crust. It’s puffy, bready, chewy, and totally perfect for dipping into a side of ranch or marinara. The sauce is rich with tomato flavor and the cheese has a photo-worthy cheese pull. Gwynedd compared it to Pizza Hut pan pizza, which is pretty high praise. If that’s your platonic ideal of pizza, this is the best frozen pizza for you.
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- Freschetta Canadian Style Bacon & Pineapple
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Freschetta frozen pizza is known for its crust—it puffs up in the oven and tastes fresh baked. But Freschetta should also get some credit for making the best frozen Hawaiian pizza on the market. The ham slices are thick with a tasty rind—like some of the best Canadian bacon we’ve tasted. And the pineapple is just bright and fruity enough. It stays in its lane. It adds a tangy pop without bleeding into every bite. This will not make a convert out of you if you don’t like Hawaiian pizza to begin with, but if you’re a fan of the sweet and the savory, this is the best frozen pizza for your balanced tastes.
Credit: Ryan Martin / Walmart
- Freschetta Five Cheese
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So many frozen pizzas have a sweet sauce. But not Freschetta. Freschetta’s tomato sauce is ultra savory and there is a lot of it. The crust bakes up fluffy and crusty. The cheese melts into a real topping—not just slightly melted shreds. And let’s talk more about that cheese. There are five different cheeses on this frozen pizza (mozzarella, asiago, parmesan, fontina, and provolone) and you can tell. You can taste the complexity. Even the crust is sprinkled with a couple of different cheeses (asiago and parmesan). It’s definitely the best frozen pizza for crust-hounds like myself who can’t wait to scoop up any crusts left behind and eat them like breadsticks.
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- DiGiorno Stuffed Crust Five Cheese
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Craving stuffed crust pizza? Buy this instead of ordering. The crust is stuffed with mozzarella that really tastes like good, creamy, gooey mozzarella—not just slightly sweaty string cheese. And cheese on the pizza is super savory and satisfying thanks to the cheddar. This is the best frozen pizza for not just cheese lovers but cheese obsessives.
Read the full ranking of the best frozen cheese pizza
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
- Chicago’s Home Run Inn Cheese Classic Pizza
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After initially publishing this article, there was an outcry from you, dear readers. Apparently, we screwed up. We didn’t include Home Run Inn pizza. How dare we. Well, we are always open to recommendations from passionate eaters, so we cooked up a cheese pie. And? I am pleased to say that we were, indeed, wrong to miss this pie. It is almost like a savory tart. The tomato-rich sauce and crispy-gooey cheese blanket a flaky pastry-esque crust. You were all correct and I thank you for bringing this pizza into my life. If you’ve never had this before, do yourself a favor and try it. It’s the best frozen pizza to have if you’re looking for true decadence.
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- Motor City Detroit Style Supreme Deep Dish Pizza
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In my humble opinion, Detroit-style pizza is the best thing to happen to pizza since ranch dressing. With its high, doughy crust and cheesy, crispy edges, it provides a perfect base for a mound of toppings and is just plain satisfying in a way thin crust pizza never is. I was extremely dubious that a frozen pizza would come close to the real thing. But Motor City has cracked it. It was the top rated frozen pizza in our frozen Detroit style pizza taste test and it’s the best tasting frozen pizza overall after three separate tastings. Pillowy and doughy? Check. Cheesy, crispy edges? Check. Generous topping distribution? Check. I’ve thought about this pizza multiple times since we tasted it. I will buy it with my own cash, which I earned by tasting this, the best frozen pizza.
Read the full ranking of the best frozen Detroit style pizza
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
Best Personal Pan Pizza
Best Mini Pizza Bagels (Runner-Up)
Best Mini Pizza Bagels:
Best French Bread
Best Veggie
Best Frozen Deep Dish
Best Pepperoni
Best Gluten Free Crust
Best Thin Crust
Best Pan Pizza
Best Hawaiian
Best Cheesy Crust
Best Cheese
Best Indulgent
Best of the Best
Rhett & Link’s Pick
DiGiorno Original Rising Crust Four Cheese
In their blindfolded frozen pizza taste test on Good Mythical Morning, Rhett & Link both rated DiGiorno’s classic cheese pizza at the top, with Link giving it a nine out of 10 and Rhett giving it an eight. Both also guessed the brand correctly, citing its “signature dough” and “plumpification.”
Other frozen pizzas we tried: Newman’s Own Thin & Crispy Pepperoni, California Pizza Kitchen BBQ Chicken, Mama Cozzi Thin Crust, Jack’s Original Thin Crust Pepperoni Frozen Pizza, Red Baron, Marketside, One Bite 5 Cheese Stone Baked Pizza, Celeste Pepperoni, Microwave Pizza For One, Palermo’s Rising Crust Supreme Pizza, Quest Thin Crust Pizza Uncured Pepperoni, Tony’s Pizzeria Style Pizza, Mama Cozzi’s Rising Crust Pepperoni Pizza, Great Value Rising Crust Pepperoni Pizza, Tombstone Frozen Pepperoni Pizza, Sam’s Choice Rising Crust 7 Cheese Pizza Stuffed Crust, DiGiorno Original Rising Crust Four Cheese, Talia Di Napoli Gluten-Free Margherita, Surfer Boy, Palermo’s Rising Crust Hawaiian, Digiorno Hawaiian Style, Member’s Mark Mini Pizza Bagels, Rao’s Supreme, Red Barron BBQ Chicken, Surfer Boy, Uno Sausage, Red Barron Deep Dish Cheese, Pizza Cupcake, Trader Joe’s Pizza Bites, Tillamook BBQ Chicken
Best Ranch Dressings to Buy
A good ranch should strike the perfect balance of sweetness, tartness, and saltiness. What we found, however, is that there are many different interpretations of ranch dressing that range from incredibly delicious to truly heinous.
Hebba Gouda
Jordan Myrick
Ariana Losch
Matt Crowley
Safeway’s Signature Select 5 cheese pizza is underrated. It is very good especially for the (often on sale) $4.99 price
Hot damn that home run inn reccomendation was killer. Followed the instructions but did it on a pizza steel with a lil onion powder, chili flakes and some parm looked a lil too well done imo but taste wise absolutely perfect. I burnt my tongue several times eating that first slice. The crust was so crisp and that I was intiially surprised pairs so well with that sauce that’s faintly reminiscent of those kid pizza places like Mr. Gatti’s Pizza that I used to get which is exactly what i was craving and wanting. The pepps on it were kinda mid tho so ill get the cheese next time
BS List!… Connie’s is the BEST!
I don’t understand. Why is Motor City Pizza Co on here and not Buddy’s Rendezvous frozen pizza? Almost offended, but it might be regional.
The motor City Detroit style pizzas are great. Here’s a hack I used to make them better every time.
Take the pizza out of its tray, drizzling some olive oil. Not too much. Then plop in some chunks of salted butter and set the pizza back on top of it.
Disclaimer that it was about $10 at Kroger, which seems wild to me when can get a takeout pizza for less… I very rarely order takeout pizza or buy frozen pizza, though. I usually make my own with the fresh dough from the grocery store, but the Rao’s was even better than the homemade. It was definitely worth the price and will likely become my go to over homemade.
Y’all need to try the Rao’s pizza. I tried it for the first time this past week (got the cheese) and it was wonderful. I love a freschetta, home run, and digiorno, but the Rao’s was far superior. Worth a try for anyone at home and for the sporked team if they do an updated test!!
yeah I came on here cuz I thought there’s no way Raos isn’t #1
Next time you all update this you should include the ones from Costco! Their Kirkland Signature Cauliflower Supreme pizza is wonderful! The Milton’s veggie cauliflower crust is also delicious! I’d love to see how the other options stack up!
Hey Kait! Milton’s came in at #2 in our frozen cauliflower crust pizza taste test: https://sporked.com/article/best-cauliflower-crust-pizza/
The Screamin’ Sicilian pizza got 10/10 on the best frozen pepp. pizza article but only 6/10 here. What’s that about??
Love that you guys revisited this and tried Home Run Inn, such a great frozen pie.
Just going to say Red Baron should have been considered. The only go to frozen pizza my family has ever gone to.
“We, along with actress and Mythical office manager, Jasmine Williams (@itsjasminew), to taste through way too many frozen pizzas (turns out there is an upper limit) to find the best.” is one of the most confusing sentences I’ve ever read, but it doesn’t matter, because I am too hungry for pizza now!
Have you ever tried tonys pizza? bc i think its my #1
This is helpful. Love crispy crust. If I can’t get any of these I make English Muffin pizza.
I’m a big fan of Screamin’ Sicilian’s buffalo chicken and bacon pizza. It may be the spiciest store frozen pizza there is.
Motor City pizza is very good. It’s better than most delivery and a lot cheaper especially if you get it at Costco.
I’ve tried screamin Sicilian twice, and I have deeply regretted it twice, not sure if I just got two bad pizzas but taste was horrible and far from nostalgic for me. Remember thinking how could a product like theirs actually be available to the public. I would have liked to see Tony’s in its place, which in my opinion is waves better.
digorno is trash. btw y’all must try the different varieties of kroger premium pizza. gourmet deliciousness.
Outsider frozen pizza makes a really good Detroit style pizza too. They might only be available in the midwest though.
Screamin’ Sicilian pizza is some of the best pizza out there for the price in my opinion!
No Red Baron or no Home Run Inn? LOL. Both are miles better than anything on this list. I expected better guys.
I really thought this whole list was so spot on. Couldn’t agree more. That being said I wonder if you guys ever got a hold of Walmart and or (if it’s even available to you Meijer) ready to bake pizzas? They’re not frozen but they’re packaged like a frozen pizza and a heck of a lot larger than a frozen pizza. They’re usually in the refrigerated section where all the Deli stuff might be. If you guys haven’t tried one of those you absolutely have to. Another quickie pizza game changer.
Where is the lists showing Rhett and Link’s rankings from GMM?
Y’all are sleeping on the Digiorno Crispy Crust! I tried the Motor City last night to see how it compares. Digiorno was absolutely better!
Jack’s Rising crust is so good! One of my favorite frozen pizzas.
Where’s the freschetta!? Freschetts Supreme is by far #1.
Sam’s choice stuffed crust chicken bacon ranch is even better imho. 🙂
Kroger® Hot Honey Pepperoni Pizza is splendid. Definitely in the pantheon of frozen pizza’s.
It’s a North East grocery store, but Wegmans rising crust frozen pizza, best bang for your buck! Highly recommend checking it out. Also, I am a bit of a foodie myself and pretty good with words. Let me know if you guys are looking for a southern jersey correspondent!
If your going to compare things with a broad subject like frozen pizza, you need to do it in sub categorys, comparing a thin crust to a detroit isn’t fair. You got Deep Dish, Detroit, Rising Crust, Thin Crust, Gluten Free.
Uhhh Totino’s Party Pizza didn’t make the list??!? It’s cheap, it’s saucy, it’s thin crunchy crust, it’s my top frozen pizza of choice. I like many of the pizzas in this list but like…you can’t beat the $2 delight of a Totino’s.
I miss when it was a dollar 🙁
I highly recommend the sams choice brand for pizza it’s much better than you would expect.
Its only in the midwest, but you need to try Jacks Rising Crust Pizza. It is far superior than any other frozen pizza. I would give it 11/10 sporks
Sam’s Choice and Tombstone are worlds better than DiGiorno. I don’t understand why people love that flavorless crust.
Home Run Inn is the best frozen pizza and it’s not even close. I like it better than most restaurant pizza.
Do they not have Red Baron in California? That should at least be on there instead of Jacks. Eating Jacks is the equivalent of eating cardboard with cheese and sauce on it.
Red Baron should be close to the top but didn’t even make the list and it’s always low priced. Oh and yes they have it in California.
The other flavors of Screamin Sicilian are much much better IMO. Also you should try out their dessert flavors!
dessert pizza is such a good idea for an article!!!!
DiGiorno bias for the win!
So California does not have aldis is this right from what the show and podcasts have said. We need to get these guys some aldis. Their pizza is fabulous as well as other off name brand.
California has Aldi all over the place. What we don’t have is Publix, which is a real bummer.
They have some in southern california. They are growing
I think you guys are missing out on the beauty that is Home Run Inn frozen pizzas. For the Midwest, it’s by far the best frozen pizza, and worth seeking out.
Home Run Inn is the best frozen pizza and it’s not even close. I like it better than most restaurant pizza.
I have to disagree with the placement of Jacks especially considering its affordability. It tastes better than Tombstone and even Digiorno in my opinion.
100%, it’s my go-to frozen pizza. It’s good and it’s cheap, which is what I look for in a frozen pizza. If I want anything more than that, then I’ll order from a restaurant.
It can be kind of hard to find, but take a look for theTHIN CRUST, SQUARE freschetta with pepperoni. Really kind of changes the game for frozen pizzas.
Could not agree more! Its almost criminal that Freschetta isn’t included! The square oven-baked crust is arguably better than the budget take-out options like Little Ceasars
I believe its only a Midwest or Wisconsin brand but id take a look into Brew Pub’s Lottza Mottza pizzas.
Yes! Lotza Mozza is shockingly good.
Lottza Mottza is the best!!