5 Best-Tasting Frozen Dinners, According to Chefs

Chefs are just like us. They eat fried chicken sandwiches, they love Philly cheesesteaks, and they even enjoy chain restaurant appetizers from time to time (call it a guilty pleasure). Most especially, though? It's our shared affinity for an occasional frozen dinner.

Sure, the freezer aisle isn't exactly a beacon of health. Many frozen dinners are loaded with sodium and lacking in healthy fruits and vegetables. But with healthier options from revered grocery retailers like Costco and Trader Joe's, consumers are clearly living in the golden age of ready-to-heat cookery.

We spoke with several respected chefs about their favorites from the supermarket freezer. From healthier-than-expected frozen pizza to comforting Salisbury steak, here are six frozen dinners that chefs not only eat but actually love.

Tillamook Crispy Stone-Fired Pizza

For chef and cookbook author Gaby Dalkin, Tillamook's frozen pizzas are at once wholesome, comforting, and convenient. "Part of being a mom is knowing how to keep a stocked freezer and being able to feed a gaggle of children at a moment's notice," explains Dalkin, author of 2024's What's Gaby Cooking: Grilling All the Things. "I keep the Tillamook frozen pizzas and mac & cheese in my freezer at all times for moments like this. We've got incredible options with the best cheese on Earth in less than 15 minutes." Her favorites? The Three Cheese and Cheesy Uncured Pepperoni are two regulars in her freezer.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

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Ajinomoto Gyoza Dumplings

Frozen dumplings are the go-to for David Jackman, chef-owner of Cincinnati's newly opened Wildweed. "We have some pretty great Asian markets, and it's an easy meal that can stretch pretty far," notes the chef. "If you buy a few varieties, it makes a late night dim sum dinner pretty easy." In terms of which brands he prefers, Jackman shouts out both Assi and Ajinomoto.

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Hungry-Man Salisbury Steak

In terms of pure nostalgia, it doesn't get much more comforting than Hungry-Man Frozen Dinners. Among the most iconic and enduring fixtures in the freezer aisle, they're a timeworn classic for chefs like Alyssa Osinga of The Butcher's Cellar in Waco, Texas. "For me, a nostalgic frozen dinner is the Hungry-Man Dinner, but my ultimate favorite is the Salisbury Steak," says Osinga. "My mother didn't eat meat, so when I could have it, it was through frozen dinners growing up." The Salisbury Steak Dinner, she recounts, includes mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, Salisbury steak, and a chocolate brownie. "You get a little bit of everything you could want as a child when picking something easy but delicious for a frozen meal."

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Trader Joe's Fried Rice

Trader Joe's is well-regarded for its freezer aisle bounty, criss-crossing the globe from Greek-style spanikopita to Indian-inspired samosas. For chef Mark Bolchoz, it's all about the fried rice. "When I want to cook something quick (and easy), the Trader Joe's fried rice is great," says Bolchoz, culinary director of Italian concepts for Indigo Road Hospitality Group in Charleston, S.C. "It's a weeknight crutch at our house since it's already put together in the bag. We just take it out, cook it in the pan, and get a good crisp on it. It's money."

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Amy's Pizza

When they're not making their own pizza at Tre Luna Bar & Kitchen in Hoover, Ala., Brian and Erin Mooney have a soft spot for frozen pizza at home. "We have always loved Amy's Pizza," says Erin. "When Brian and I met in South Florida, the first Whole Foods I walked into had an amazing pizza section. The margherita pizza from Amy's Pizza became a staple for our weekly dinners." The tradition has stayed with the couple, and through their children's lives. "All three of my kids crave it, as it reminds them of home! It has perfect flavor, and organic ingredients, and is super easy to make. We will always be a fan of this pizza!"