The 6 Best Frozen Chinese Meals to Buy Because Takeout Is Just Too Damn Expensive

You’re hungry for Chinese food but you don’t want to cook and your local takeout spot is closed or you don’t want to pay a ton of cash or you’re just plain lazy. What do you do?! You head to the freezer, of course, where you’ve stashed the best frozen Chinese meals available at the grocery store, according to this very article. 

What do we mean when we say Chinese frozen meals

We’re not talking about frozen dumplings or frozen egg rolls or even frozen fried rice. You can check out those individual rankings if that’s what you’re looking for, or browse our aggregated list of the very best frozen Chinese food we’ve tasted. When we say Chinese frozen meals, we’re talking about frozen Chinese entrees—things you can pop in the microwave and eat for dinner. Not appetizers. Not sides. Full meals. 

How we picked the best frozen Chinese meals

We combed through past rankings, looking for things like the best frozen orange chicken and the best frozen Chinese meals from P.F. Chang’s. And we also sourced some Chinese frozen meals we’d never tasted before. Are we missing something you’ve been looking for? Drop your request in the comments and we’ll seek it out when we update this article. 

Open up your drawer of extra chopsticks from previous takeout orders and add these Chinese frozen meals to your grocery list. 

Best Frozen Chinese Meals, Ranked

Best Frozen Sweet & Sour Chicken

Tai Pei Sweet & Sour Chicken

Sold in an ice cream-esque tub, this frozen sweet and sour chicken goes hard on the pineapple flavor. It’s very very very pineapple-y. But it still manages to be not too sweet. It comes premixed with fried rice, mixed vegetables, and chunks of chicken that tastes good but are so soft you barely need to chew. It’s in no way authentic, but it scratches a shlocky takeout itch.

Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart

Best Frozen Gluten Free Chinese

Amy’s Chinese Noodles & Veggies in a Cashew Cream Sauce

Okay, this is definitely the least authentic of all the inauthentic Chinese frozen entrees on this list. But it says it’s Chinese on the package. At least, it says the noodles are Chinese. Regardless, this frozen vegan meal tastes good. The lo mein-ish noodles come out of the microwave springy (and surprisingly gluten free), the tofu chunks are nicely firm, and the cashew cream sauce almost tastes like the sauce that comes on sesame noodles. Super satisfying and packed with vegetables—broccoli, edamame, mushrooms, and possibly too many carrots. 

Read the full ranking of the best Amy’s frozen meals

Credit: Merc / Instacart

Best Frozen Orange Chicken Bowl

Trader Joe’s Mandarin Style Orange Chicken Bowl

The sauce is bright and zippy and not crazy sweet. The chicken is tender enough—it’s not crispy but the batter isn’t too thick. It’s like leftover Chinese food that’s been in the fridge. And the brown rice is good. Is it life changing? Nope! But is it one of the best frozen Chinese meals we tasted? You’re darn tootin’.

Credit: Liv Averett

Best Spicy Noodle Bowl

Mings Spicy Dan Dan Noodles

This frozen meal from Ming Tsai isn’t quite like the dan dan noodles you get from a local takeout spot (that said, I feel like every American-Chinese restaurant I order dan dan noodles from never makes them the same way twice). But we still couldn’t stop eating it. It’s truly spicy in that tingly Sichuan-style way. And there’s plenty of crumbled chicken to fill you up. If you don’t have a Trader Joe’s near you, this is one of the best frozen Chinese meals to grab for an office lunch.

Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart

Best P.F. Chang’s Meal

P.F. Chang’s Spicy Sichuan Style Chicken

No, it’s not authentic Sichuan (or Szechuan) chicken. But it does actually have that signature ma la flavor. It’s spicy and tingly! The mix of chicken, lo mein noodles, and vegetables (mushrooms, red peppers, scallions) is super satisfying with a punch of umami flavor. If you’re a P.F. Chang’s fan, then this is one of the best Chinese frozen dinners to buy. 

Read the full ranking of the best P.F. Chang’s frozen meals

Credit: Liv Averett / Kroger

Best Frozen Kung Pao Chicken

Trader Joe’s Kung Pao Chicken

If you’re stocking your fridge with Chinese frozen meals to feed a family, make sure there’s space for Trader Joe’s frozen kung pao chicken. The bag is filled with chicken, vegetables, and packets of sauce—plus peanuts for topping. It’s probably better if you cook it in a wok or pan—but we cooked ours in the microwave. And it was still delicious. It’s saucy and savory and a bit spicy. Good stuff, Trader Joe’s.

Credit: Liv Averett / Trader Joe’s