Frozen meals have been a convenient food option for decades, beloved by busy professionals and bustling families alike. Of course, these meals have changed drastically since they were first offered — not only are there now healthier options, but most taste really good. Unfortunately, some modern frozen meals still fall far short of their homemade counterparts, and some aren’t palatable at all.
There are several reasons a frozen meal may pale in comparison to its competition or be downright inedible. Common issues include unexpected textures, poor seasoning, or an artificial taste reminiscent of cardboard or chemicals. Sometimes, the meals themselves aren’t awful, but the portion sizes are stingy and your hunger is far from satiated when you’re done. But which frozen meals rank supreme among those you want to avoid at all costs? Usually, it’s a matter of trial and error to determine these. Thankfully, I tried them so you don’t have to and put together this list of the 13 worst frozen meals you’ll find on store shelves. Skip over these when looking for next week’s convenient meal options.
Read more: We Tasted And Ranked 9 Canned Chicken Noodle Soups
On-Cor Breaded Chicken Parmigiana With Tomato Sauce
Box of On-Cor Chicken Parmigiana Patties frozen meal – On-Cor
Admittedly, the picture on the box of On-Cor Breaded Chicken Parmigiana with Tomato Sauce didn’t look overly appealing to begin with, so I had low expectations. However, my family loves homemade chicken parmigiana, so I tried it anyway. Somehow, it still managed to miss the mark with the bar already set so low.
The cheese in this frozen meal is bland and doesn’t taste quite right — there’s a very weak cheese taste with heavy overtones of chemicals. The breading from the chicken patties shared this strange flavor and left a weird taste in my mouth. Unseasoned tomato sauce is drenched over the cheese-filled chicken, which wasn’t terrible in its own right but left me distinctly underwhelmed. Plus, this package says there are six servings in each box, with one chicken patty constituting a full serving. I don’t believe this box could ever feed six people, even if you made sides to go with it — and doesn’t additional cooking defeat the purpose of frozen meals?
Hungry-Man Boneless Fried Chicken
Box of Hungry-Man Boneless Fried Chicken frozen meal – Hungry-Man
I’ve never been a big fan of the Hungry-Man meals, but my partner really likes them. Keeping his recommendation in mind, I decided to try the Boneless Fried Chicken meal. Unfortunately, it turned out to be one of the worst frozen meals I’d ever had.
The meal started off strong with soggy chicken — and fried chicken should be crispy when prepared to the package’s instructions. Plus, it’s more like a flat patty than the piece of boneless fried chicken shown on the box. Looking at the box and back at my meal made me feel frustratingly deceived. The sides weren’t as bad as the main course, but they were still lacking. The mashed potatoes were mediocre and had a texture that felt too chunky. The corn was good, but it wasn’t well-seasoned, so I had to add salt and pepper to make it edible. I couldn’t even get myself to taste the desert. Brownies are supposed to be a solid, not a liquid — this one was really gross and runny.
Great Value Beef Shepherd’s Pie
Box of Great Value Beef Shepherd’s Pie frozen meal – Walmart
I usually love Walmart brand food items — in fact, some Great Value canned foods are always stocked in my pantry. Unfortunately, this Beef Shepherd’s Pie disappointed so badly it will never grace my freezer again.
Starting with the topping, it’s super crumbling and doesn’t hold its shape whatsoever. Instead of getting a nice, firm piece of topping with each bite, I had little crumbs falling off my fork on the way to my mouth. But the worst part was that the ground beef was mushy and provided an awful textural experience that honestly made me lose my appetite. My final problem with this shepherd’s pie was that the package says it has five servings. But, this whole meal just barely fed myself and my partner. I think feeding three people would be a stretch, and I’m glad I served this on a night the kids weren’t home. If you’re expecting to feed your family of four with this, you’ll be sorely disappointed.
Stouffer’s Beef Enchiladas
Box of Stouffer’s Beef Enchiladas frozen meal – Stouffer’s
The one positive remark I have about the Stouffer’s Beef Enchiladas is that it’s a nice size for a family of four. Unfortunately, I found it basically inedible, so it doesn’t matter how much food they provide.
My main issue was that this was surprisingly bland for a Mexican dish meant to be rich, a little spicy, and overall super flavorful. Each ingredient should add a unique flavor layer to the overarching taste profile. But, Stouffer’s variant had all the ingredients just kind of mushed together in a way that ends up tasting like mystery meat. The corn tortillas were also a letdown. In my experience, the tortillas in enchiladas should be moist and soft. But, these were soggy in most places to the point the texture made it a struggle to eat, while the very top edges were so crispy and dry that I had to pull them off to eat the rest.
Smart Ones Rigatoni Pasta Tomato Vodka Cream Sauce
Box of Smart Ones Mini Rigatoni frozen meal – Smart Ones
I was really excited to try this Rigatoni Pasta Tomato Vodka Cream Sauce because I enjoy a lot of meals by Smart Ones, and I especially love how healthy they are compared to some frozen meal alternatives. Unfortunately, this one fell way flat. The first problem was that I was still hungry when finished, so the portion size didn’t do it for me. I understand that many “healthy” frozen meal companies use smaller portions to reduce calories, but I’m usually full when I finish those. I ate a whole second meal after this.
I was able to eat the whole dish, which is better than most of the other frozen meals on this list. However, I would never willingly buy or eat it again. The pasta was kind of mushy, which made the meal’s texture off-putting. The sauce wasn’t disgusting, but it was mediocre. I added salt, pepper, and garlic to mine to elevate the taste, which helped marginally but not enough.
Bird’s Eye Voila! Skillet Meals Garlic Shrimp
Bag of Bird’s Eye Garlic Shrimp Skillet Meals – Bird’s Eye
This was another frozen meal I was excited for because Bird’s Eye is usually a great brand, in my opinion. But, I was left disappointed with their Voila! Skillet Meals Garlic Shrimp option for several reasons. After a few bites, I realized that the shrimp has an artificial aftertaste that was hard to get out of my mouth. It lingered, even after I had a drink and some gluten free bread. The garlic sauce tasted off, too. I can’t explain it exactly, but it was almost like old, burned butter that had been lightly flavored with unknown chemicals and old garlic. It tasted about as appetizing as it sounds.
Most frustratingly, the pasta and vegetables didn’t cook at the same time. I had to make the challenging choice between perfect pasta with still frozen vegetables or overdone pasta with perfect vegetables. Personally, I feel like that’s something that should have been considered in a stir-fry mix.
Banquet Salisbury Steak Meal
Box of Banquet Salisbury Steak frozen meal – Banquet
Okay, don’t come for me. I know a lot of people (myself included) grew up eating Banquet Salisbury Steak Meals and have many fond memories surrounding them. But, they don’t taste like nostalgia — eating them as an adult is pure disappointment.
The “steak” tastes artificial and heavy, like the mystery meat everyone hated in school. It also has a weird texture that’s a little bit slimy and somehow still grainy. Plus, if you cook the frozen meal according to the instructions, the potatoes are always cold in the middle — even remembering to stir them halfway through. The corn is actually really good, and the gravy has a nice consistency but is pretty seasonless. However, salt and pepper are an easy fix for that. Despite everything bad I have to say about this meal, I actually really like the cinnamon apple dessert. If they sold that alone, I’d definitely buy it and eat it again. But, I don’t share the same sentiment with the meal overall.
Healthy Choice Simply Steamers Meatball Marinara
Box of Healthy Choice Simply Steamers Meatball Marinara frozen meal – Healthy Choice
Let me start by saying I love that there are no artificial ingredients or high fructose corn syrup in this Simply Steamers Meatball Marinara by Healthy Choice. But, the marinara sauce is seasoned so weird. At first, I thought it was a personal pallet thing, but I had my whole family take a bite and they agreed. Great tomato sauce is crucial in pasta dishes, so this was a big letdown.
The pasta comes out a little mushy, like it’s been overcooked. An artificial taste from the meatballs permeated the dish and the spinach added no real flavor. Overall, this wasn’t the worst thing I’ve ever eaten, but it was definitely bad enough to make this list. Oh, and I was also hungry after eating this, so the portion size isn’t great. Realistically, it would take two full servings of this to fill me up (if I could force myself to eat it again).
Lean Cuisine Protein Kick Swedish Meatballs
Box of Lean Cuisine Swedish Meatballs frozen meal – Lean Cuisine
I love homemade Swedish Meatballs. The dense, meaty flavor profile is a little savory and surprisingly sweet with subtle spices adding warmth to the dish. Unfortunately, none of these mouthwatering traits came through in the Lean Cuisine Protein Kick Swedish Meatballs.
The texture of the dish reminds me of snail slime — it’s gooey, kind of sticky, and something you definitely don’t want near your mouth. Of course, I persevered so I could give the frozen meal a fair review, and was rewarded with very bland meatballs and texturally strange pasta that was almost slimy and soggy, but not quite. The seasoning profile is a little odd and didn’t taste like what I was expecting. It was much more umami and rich, with the taste closer to meatloaf and gravy than Swedish Meatballs. Adding salt didn’t help the way I was hoping, and I was left underwhelmed.
Pier 33 Gourmet Mussels In Butter Garlic Sauce
Box of Pier 33 Gourmet Mussels – Pier 33 Gourmet
To offer a full disclosure, I’m not a fan of frozen mussels to begin with, so I may be a little biased for this review of Pier 33 Gourmet Mussels in Butter Garlic Sauce. That being said, the texture of these isn’t the same as fresh mussels, and it’s so different that it’s off-putting. The garlic butter sauce is mediocre and needs a lot of salt to be palatable. I also added a few red pepper flakes and that helped me finish the meal, but I wouldn’t ever buy it again.
I would comment on the serving size because it feels more like a snack than a meal. However, the box specifically states that the mussels are meant to be served with accompaniments. It says to serve with bread if the mussels are an appetizer. I took the other suggestion and served over some gluten-free pasta to make it a meal, which made it an appropriate serving size. The box pictures pasta with the mussels, so I felt the imaging was a little misleading.
Signature Select Mix Match Italian Meatballs With Marinara Sauce
Box of Signature Select Italian Meatballs frozen meal – Acme Markets
Usually, Signature Select is a great store brand, and their Mix + Match series is a great idea. It allows you to purchase an entrée, a side, and a veggie to customize your frozen meal. Unfortunately, a few of these fall short and the Italian Meatballs with Marinara Sauce is among those.
The meatballs were bland and didn’t taste like much of anything on their own. They had a slightly off-putting texture, vaguely reminiscent of chewing on rubber. The sauce was subpar and strangely sticky. Although I’d expect flavorful Italian seasoning in a classic dish like this, it didn’t come through at all. Instead, the dish felt like a gooey mess that was overpowered by cheap fillers. I opted to use the Mix + Match Creamy Tomato Basil Pasta as my side and serve the meatballs over it. Honestly, this dish was fantastic, and I ended up eating the pasta sans meatballs after my initial taste test.
Signature Select Mix Match Chicken Marsala With Mushrooms
Box of Signature Select Chicken Marsala frozen meal – Acme Markets
Here’s another Signature Select Mix + Match line frozen meal you should pass on. I was first struck by how this Chicken Marsala with Mushrooms didn’t taste like what I’d expect from marsala. I expected a balance of earthy mushrooms and sweet, nutty undertones, layered over the meaty taste of chicken. Instead, the dish had an overpowering taste of mushrooms with no balancing counter notes. While I’m a big fan of mushrooms, that’s not what I was looking for in this dish.
The chicken came out tough and hard to eat when cooked according to the instructions. On its own, the meat didn’t have any real seasoning or taste, so it mostly tasted like mushroom-flavored rubber. The mushrooms themselves were fine, but I honestly didn’t even finish my food. I paired this chicken marsala with the Mix + Match Honey Glazed Carrots, which were surprisingly good and gave me some hope for this unique frozen meal line.
Marie Callender’s Tender Ginger Beef And Broccoli Bowl
Box of Marie Callender’s Beef and Broccoli Bowl – Marie Callender’s
My biggest complaint with Marie Callender’s Tender Ginger Beef and Broccoli Bowl is that there was almost no beef or broccoli. My bowl had a lot of rice and sauce, but I might have gotten a chunk of beef or a piece of broccoli every third or fourth spoonful. This made the dish feel unbalanced.
What “tender beef” did make it into my bowl tasted artificial and mushy, which was a real letdown because Marie Callender’s usually does a great job, in my opinion. The rice’s texture felt like it was overdone, which carried over to affect the taste, too. Also, there was too much sauce, causing the meal to feel like a soggy mess. The ginger doesn’t come through and the whole seasoning profile is seriously lacking. Not only was every ingredient a disappointment, but I was still hungry, too. While the bowl itself was a good size, the unbalanced proportions made it un-filling. Overall, this was one of the worst frozen meals I’ve had.
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