The best Knorr sides are flavorful—full stop. That’s all you need to look for to distinguish the best Knorr sides from the rest of the pack. On one side, you have Knorr rice sides, which range from Spanish and Mexican rice to their infamous Broccoli Cheddar rice. On the other, you’ll find fan-favorite Knorr pasta sides like Parmesan, Alfredo, and, well…Broccoli Cheddar. What can I say? People really like Knorr’s Broccoli Cheddar sides. But did they make it into our top five favorites? Keep reading to find out.
Knorr Instant Sides have long been a pantry staple, beloved for their convenience, affordability, and comforting familiarity—especially among busy families and college students. With just a bit of water, milk, or butter, you can whip up a quick side dish in minutes, which has made them a go-to solution for hectic weeknights or nostalgic comfort meals. Still, despite their popularity, I found that most of these instant sides don’t quite deliver the flavor punch you’d expect. And that’s okay—you just need to keep your spice rack and hot sauces within reach. These are seriously cheap and could easily feed an entire family on a budget. So really, I get it!
After tasting my way through as many varieties as I could find, these were the five best Knorr Sides worth buying. Let us know if we missed your favorite…or you think I’m horribly wrong and need to revisit this ranking.
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- Knorr Mexican Rice
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There’s a distinct taco-seasoning flavor to this Knorr rice side that doesn’t necessarily make it bad, but definitely isn’t for everyone. Still, we preferred the bolder flavors in Knorr’s Mexican rice to their much blander Spanish rice. It’s slightly spicier, with a hint of jalapeño pepper, but the main flavor here is bell pepper. I do think there are better boxed Mexican rices from our official ranking, but I appreciate what it’s trying to do. If you’re looking for a milder rice and pasta mix that you can doctor yourself, you might like this!
Credit: Merc / Walmart
- Knorr Rice Sides Cheddar Broccoli
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Look, people love Knorr’s Broccoli Cheddar Rice, which means I went into my taste test with high expectations. Here’s the positive: It’s slightly cheesier than Knorr’s Broccoli Cheddar pasta, and the mix of long grain rice and vermicelli is quite tender and crowd-pleasing. Too many Knorr rice sides have a mildly unpleasant perfume finish on them (especially if they have the “chicken-flavor” label), but these simply taste cheesy. I wish I could taste the broccoli more, but that’s where adding your own cooked broccoli comes in. I totally see the appeal!
Credit: Merc / Walmart
- Knorr Pasta Sides Stroganoff
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This fettuccine stroganoff was such a pleasant surprise. The sauce is a nice, savory mushroom gravy, and the short, flat fettuccine noodles work very nicely with this kind of dish. Really, all you have to do is add two cups of seared sliced mushrooms and some black pepper, and you’ve got a pretty delicious meal on your hands. This is a great starting point—and personally, I know I’ll be buying this again!
Credit: Merc / Walmart
- Knorr Pasta Sides Alfredo Fettuccine
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This alfredo fettuccine mix is basically a slightly creamier version of Knorr’s parmesan flavor (perhaps the most popular of the Knorr pasta sides, and our current #1). And yes, it’s true: You can definitely find a better alfredo sauce out there, but for the price, this is pretty good. It’s cheesy, slightly salty, and addictive. At Walmart, one pack sells for $1.34, and one batch yields at least enough for two. Fair warning: You may need to adjust your water levels. All of the Knorr pasta sides I cooked for this taste test came out slightly too watery—even if I let it stand for 10+ minutes. I’m not sure why they suggest that amount of water in the directions, but my suspicion is that it reduces the total sodium content. Just something to keep in mind!
Credit: Merc / Walmart
- Knorr Pasta Sides Parmesan
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Knorr’s Parmesan Pasta combines short fettuccine noodles with a creamy, thin parmesan sauce that isn’t too heavy but also delivers on our most important, coveted quality: flavor. That strong parmesan is unmistakable. The parsley is a nice touch, too—but you can definitely add more on your own. This is simple yet highly satisfying. I completely understand why people swear by this stuff. It’s a godsend for big families—and a godsend for me, a parmesan enthusiast who’s always shopping on a budget.
Credit: Merc / Walmart
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Other Knorr Sides We Tried: Knorr Pasta Sides Cheddar Broccoli Fusilli, Knorr Pasta Sides Chicken Fettuccine, Knorr Pasta Sides Creamy Garlic, Knorr Pasta Sides Buffalo Chicken, Knorr Rice Sides Spanish Rice, Knorr Rice Sides Chicken Long Grain Rice And Vermicelli Pasta Blend, Knorr Rice Sides Herb & Butter Long Grain Rice And Vermicelli Pasta Blend, Knorr Pasta Sides Teriyaki Noodles, Knorr Rice Sides Chicken Fried Rice With Long Grain Rice And Vermicelli Pasta
The cheddar broccoli pasta with a packet of tuna is one of my favorite struggle meals tbh
In my college days, these were a go to cheap meal – I always added frozen vegetables to add a little more to them. They aren’t the most delish things in the world, but still a suitable meal on a budget.