Best microwave meals (full list)

As foodies, we all understand the passion and love it takes to prepare a massive five-star meal. And whether it be for ourselves or for loved ones, we can all appreciate a wonderful home-cooked meal.

And don’t even get me started on the many epic restaurants we all love and adore. But what about when you don’t have time? Well, that’s why today, we’ve decided to take a look at the best microwave meals.

1. Luvo Performance Kitchen Orange Mango Chicken

This Orange Mango Chicken dish from Performance Kitchen by Luvo provides organic ingredients and antibiotic-free chicken while packing in 13 grams of protein. Coming in at 250 calories and with less than 350mg of sodium, if you’re famished after a workout, you won’t have to feel guilty eating two of these.

2. Cuban Style Citrus Garlic Bowl

This Cuban-style citrus garlic bowl has so much flavor, you’ll want it for every meal!

Each bowl has 400 calories and 16 grams of protein that comes from super juicy chicken thighs and black beans, topped with a zesty garlic sauce. Yum!

3. Hungry Man Mexican Fiesta

Okay…so be warned, you’ll see a few Hungry Man options on this list, and for very good reason: They’re the perfect frozen dinner and they ain’t too small either. So if you have an appetite, which let’s be honest…you know you do, and you love a Mexican dish to write home about, then you’ll want to try this golden gem for sure.

4. Lean Cuisine Chicken Fettuccini

Now I know what you’re saying: “But Dom…you’ve written before that your father was a classically trained chef…your mom is a classically trained Italian home cook…how can you possibly eat a frozen Italian dinner such as this one?” To that I’d answer quite simply enough… “Because it’s done just right.” Plus, this one’s healthier than most, and sometimes that’s a good thing, dear readers.

4. Michelina’s Chicken Fried Rice

That Michelina sure knows how to make a frozen dinner, and like the aforementioned beef and broccoli entre, this Chinese cuisine classic is something that comes calling every now and again in the craving department. This product definitely answers that call quite nicely.

5. Stouffer’s Chicken Parmesan

Perhaps my absolutely favorite Italian dish; to me, Chicken Parmesan is the best and absolutely only perfect way to cook a chicken. Place it next to a helping of pasta or rice, and you have a dish that’ll satisfy your hunger and your need for something a tad more classic. This one is paired with pasta, which is definitely cool, and the cut of chicken is darn good.

6. Michelina’s Taco Bites

This one’s perfect while reading a book…perhaps a nice glass of your favorite cocktail with some jazz on the stereo. No? Maybe just me then. But if you love tacos, and are in the mood for some finger food, then this one’s for you.

7. Smart Ones Homestyle Beef Pot Roast

This is a truly tiny portion, so it’s not very filling, and frankly, it’s not very good, either. The meat tasted like beef bouillon-flavored tofu, and I could cut it with a spoon. The potatoes and vegetables were fine, but I wouldn’t call them particularly good either. 

8. Banquet Chicken Strips Meal

The portions look somewhat normal in the picture, but let me assure you: The macaroni and corn portions were small enough that I could have scooped them up in one tablespoon each. But let’s talk about the strangest chicken I’ve ever eaten.

The skin actually stayed crispy in the microwave, which I found somewhat miraculous, but the inside of the chicken strip had so much empty space in it that I had to include a picture. The taste wasn’t necessarily bad, but the texture was so, so questionable.

9. Smart Ones Slow-Roasted Turkey Breast

These was the strangest-tasting mashed potatoes I’ve ever had, but the texture wasn’t bad, and it was improved by the gravy, which was good. The turkey wasn’t awful, but it wasn’t good either — the freezing/microwaving process left it super watery. Would not buy again.

10. Marie Callender’s Meat Loaf & Gravy

Let’s address the elephant in the room: The difference between the picture on the box and how the meatloaf looks in real life is comical. Other than that, the only discernible taste it had was aggressively salty along with a tofu-life texture. The mashed potatoes had decent taste but were almost too thin to eat with a fork. Finally, the corn was perfectly normal.

11. Banquet Spaghetti & Meatballs

This spaghetti didn’t have anything particularly wrong with it — the meatballs were actually pretty good! — but it was astoundingly little quantity, and the sauce had no taste whatsoever. I could see herbs in the sauce, but I don’t think they were doing anything.

12. Marie Callender’s Fried Chicken Mac & Cheese Bowl

This would be ranked much worse if not for the macaroni, which was great. The chicken, on the other hand, was terrible — rubbery, tough, too salty, and with squishy skin. I’m glad it was easy to remove so that I could enjoy the mac & cheese.

13. Sweet Earth Vegan General Tso’s Tofu 

After trying (and loving!) their plant-based chicken strips, Sweet Earth’s General Tso’s Tofu was my intro to the brand’s frozen microwave meals.

And it remains a perennial favorite. The broccoli tastes fresh and includes an adequate portion, allowing me to check off a full serving of veggies for the day. Plus, I can typically stretch the sauce that comes in these microwave meals into a whole additional meal by adding a packet of Seeds of Change rice.