14 Absolute Best High-Protein Frozen Dinners

Though it's strange to say a certain macronutrient is "trending," people seem keen on hitting their protein goals as of late. With new protein-rich products popping up across the food industry, it's clear that this macronutrient matters to many consumers. However, not everyone has the time and energy to devote to cooking high-protein meals every single day. That's where frozen dinners come in handy. In order to decide which frozen meals are worth buying, I sampled some popular options and narrowed them down to this list of the best-tasting ones.

While most meals contain at least some protein, I was specifically looking for those that had 22 grams or more per serving. After compiling a list of options, I prepared and tasted each meal to determine which ones were truly worth buying.

The Real Good Foods chicken enchiladas boasted one of the highest per-serving protein contents I could find in a frozen dinner. The two-enchiladas meal has 31 grams of protein. Each enchilada is filled with chicken and Monterey Jack cheese, then smothered in a tomatillo sauce. The unique thing about this dish is that the tortillas are made from chicken and cheese, rather than corn or flour. This additional chicken element is a surprising but creative way to pack in more protein. 

I found the enchiladas to be delicious, moist, and filling. I'm a huge fan of the tang offered by green sauce or salsa verde, but this one was not particularly spicy. That being said, there's no reason why you can't add hot sauce if you prefer. This was my first time trying this brand, and after this experience, I'll definitely be back for more.

Lo mein is a staple part of any Chinese takeout meal. The egg noodle-based dish often features meat and vegetables. It isn't usually something I think of when I'm looking for protein-rich meals, but thankfully this version from P.F. Chang's not only packs in a ton of protein, but it also tastes like the takeout you get from your favorite Chinese restaurant.

1 cup of cooked lo mein has 23 grams of protein, which is more than enough to keep you satisfied. It's savory, full of tender chicken, and has tons of crunchy vegetables. If you are feeling hungry, the whole package has 53 grams of protein – making it the highest protein meal on the list. That being said, even if you just choose to have one serving, it'll surely keep you full and help you hit your protein goals.

Devour is a new brand to me in the world of frozen meals, so I was excited to see what it had to offer. This meal is small but mighty; each package has 22 grams of protein. It features chicken, smoked sausage, and bacon paired with potatoes, corn, and red peppers, smothered in barbecue sauce. My meal had a generous portion of all the ingredients, especially the chicken and sausage.

This may have been my first time trying this brand, but it won't be my last. I was a huge fan of the flavor combination presented in this dinner. The savory meats and smoky sausage paired well with the subtly spicy barbecue sauce and sweet corn and peppers. If you wanted to have this meal for breakfast instead of lunch or dinner, I would recommend adding a fried egg for added protein. However you eat it, it's a great meal with a decent amount of protein.

I have many fond memories from my childhood of going out to TGI Fridays for dinner with my family, settling into a booth with a miniature TV and becoming engrossed in Cartoon Network while enjoying a meal. I haven't been to a TGI Fridays in years — mainly because I know I can get some of the things I always enjoyed at my local supermarket in the freezer section. Recently, I stumbled upon the pulled pork mac and cheese when looking into its more protein-rich options.

The TGI Friday pulled pork mac and cheese frozen meal is exactly as described. The cheese is mild and creamy and coats the perfectly-cooked noodles well, while the pulled pork is abundant and covered in a sauce that's sweet and peppery, but not too spicy. At 28 grams of protein, it's an indulgent meal that still helps you hit your protein goals.

The Tapatío chicken enchiladas frozen dinner contains two corn tortillas filled with shredded chicken and cheese, topped with a red enchilada sauce — all with 27 grams of protein. If you're a fan of Tapatío hot sauce, you'll love seeing its signature flavor in this meal. I'm a huge fan of Mexican food, so I was excited to see how much protein this product contained. 

Unlike the enchiladas from Real Good Foods, these were smothered in a standard red sauce. The meal was also made with standard corn tortillas as opposed to a protein-rich substitution. At first, I was worried these were going to lack spice, but I was pleasantly mistaken. The flavor of the Tapatío hot sauce offered a slow, buildable burn that became more intense with each bite. The package labels them as having "medium" heat, and I would be inclined to agree. I also loved the corn tortillas; they paired well with the spicy sauce.

If you don't live near Trader Joe's and are looking for a quick and easy frozen Indian meal, look no further than Sukhi's. Though the brand carries many meals and sizes, this chicken tikka masala entrée, which comes with naan and rice, has 33 grams of protein total.

The meal itself is delicious and one I plan to return to. The tikka masala sauce is bright and fragrant, with a delectable cardamom aroma. It's spicy, but not dramatically so, and very filling. My favorite part of this meal is the naan, which is the perfect vehicle for eating the chicken and rice. Though I haven't tried a ton of different frozen chicken tikka masala meals, I can confidently say this is one of my favorites so far.

Though nothing will ever compare to the Swedish meatballs from IKEA's food court, a Stouffer's frozen dinner is the next best thing. Each package contains meatballs, fettuccine, and a sour cream-based sauce. The entire meal has 27 grams of protein, which can likely be attributed to the number of meatballs in the dish.

As far as taste goes, it's a pretty standard dish of Swedish meatballs. The meatballs are savory, the noodles are buttery, and the sour cream sauce has a subtle tanginess that complements the other components well. Although it's a frozen dinner, it boasts an impressive flavor — and one that's not overpowering or overly salty. It's easy to cook, filling, and there's a good ratio of noodles to sauce and meatballs. I would definitely recommend the Swedish meatballs for anyone who wants comfort food, but still needs to hit their protein goals. 

If I can ever make an excuse to eat pasta while still hitting my macros, I will immediately take it. The Stouffer's chicken pesto rigatoni isn't the highest protein meal on this list, but it still comes in at 24 grams per container. The dish itself includes rigatoni, pesto sauce, and chunks of white meat chicken.

Each element of the dish on its own leaves a little something to be desired, but when mixed together, it makes for a tasty bite. The pesto sauce is a little creamy and has a nice earthy flavor. The noodles are buttery, and while the chicken is under-seasoned, it pairs perfectly with the other, more flavorful elements. It's also presumably the main source of protein in this dish. The meal isn't stingy in terms of the amount of chicken it offers, and I found it both delicious and filling.

Marie Callender's is a household name, so I was excited to see some of its higher protein options in my grocery store. I was drawn to this lasagna bowl for its generous portion size and 25 grams of protein per serving. I've had pretty good luck with Marie Callender's in the past, so I was curious to see how the pasta turned out.

Thankfully, this meal was a winner. It was quite filling and reminded me of childhood, though I can't quite pinpoint why. It may be that it tasted similar to a Hamburger Helper meal I had decades ago, but I can't be certain. Either way, the noodles were cooked well, and there was a generous portion of sauce and meat. The red sauce had a touch of sweetness to it, and the meat was a nice savory and hearty addition.

Marie Callender's chicken pot pies were something I lived off of when I was hired at my first job after graduating from college. They were the perfect meal to turn to when I wanted something filling, easy, and convenient. Although customers may be upset about the change in the original chicken pot pie recipe, the creamy Parmesan version still holds up. The pot pies are filled with white meat chicken, broccoli, red bell peppers, and the aforementioned creamy Parmesan sauce, delivering 27 grams of protein per pie.

I've always cooked mine in the microwave for the sake of convenience, however, the oven is the recommended method on the packaging. It leads to a crispier crust, which is what most people want when indulging in a pot pie. That being said, I personally enjoy the doughy, underbaked edges of the crust you get from microwaving them — but to each their own. Whether you cook your pot pie in the oven or the microwave, you're sure to have a delicious, protein-rich meal.

It's no surprise that Trader Joe's ranks highly among frozen dinner brands, thanks to the variety and quality of its meals. In my experience, it's hard to have a conversation about Trader Joe's frozen meals without mentioning the Indian food. Each meal is notoriously delicious and tastes similar to what you'd get at your favorite Indian restaurant.

Trader Joe's butter chicken is no different. Each meal, which contains 24 grams of protein, has pieces of chicken in a creamy tomato curry sauce, served with basmati rice. The sauce is buttery, aromatic, and decadent. On top of being delicious and full of protein, Trader Joe's products are consistently very affordable, making them, in my opinion, some of the best on the market. The butter chicken from Trader Joe's is one of those meals that's satisfying no matter how many times you've had it.

Trader Joe's sells multiple varieties of chicken sausage, including one with Italian flavoring, but it's so much more convenient to have it already added to a frozen dinner. With 22 grams of protein, each dinner contains exactly what the name suggests— farfalle pasta with a spicy red marinara sauce and Italian chicken sausage crumbles.

Despite what appears to be a small box, I noticed it was a little heavy. Trader Joe's packs a lot of food into a seemingly small container. The spice level is perfect and builds over time. Meanwhile, the sausage was seasoned well and added a great savory element to the dish. Overall, it was filling and genuinely delicious. It doesn't have the highest protein content on this list, 22 grams is still quite good. If you're a fan of Trader Joe's and are looking for a meal with protein, look no further than this spicy farfalle pasta.

Myles Comfort Foods is a brand that was new to me. I found its three mac and cheeses on sale at Whole Foods. The Buffalo chicken one appealed to me the most. It had the highest protein content of the three at 26 grams, and I love a good Buffalo sauce. And, I'm genuinely glad I found this product.

With the exception of the chicken pot pie, this is probably my favorite item on the list. The cheese is creamy and abundant, and the Buffalo chicken adds the perfect amount of spice. It's exactly what you want a Buffalo mac and cheese to be, with a generous serving of protein to go with it. I would recommend anyone who loves Buffalo sauce or mac and cheese, or wants to get extra protein in, to try it for themselves. 

Coming in at a respectable 25 grams of protein is this Philly steak and cheese mac and cheese from Myles Comfort Foods. This version is a play on a Philly cheesesteak with beef, veggies, and cheese sauce atop a bed of macaroni. It's a great option for anyone who wants a high-protein mac and cheese dinner that's not super spicy.

It's been a long time since I've had a Philly cheesesteak, but this meal brought me right back. The creamy, mild cheese envelops the noodles perfectly, and the chopped beef makes it a heartier, more filling meal. Even the added veggies gave a nice crunch, broke up the texture, and added a unique fresh element that's hard to find in a frozen meal.  Philly cheesesteak and mac and cheese fans alike will definitely enjoy this for lunch or dinner.

If 22 grams of protein seems arbitrary, that's because it kind of is. I began my search with any meals that had 20 grams or more of protein listed per serving, then looked at online reviews to see what the overall consensus was about the product. 

With dozens of products fitting under these parameters, I narrowed my search further to a slightly higher protein count before finally landing on this list of frozen dinners. Each meal was prepared as instructed by the packaging and consumed immediately. My overall review of each product was written immediately after consumption to ensure I didn't forget anything.

In deciding what to add to a "best of" list, it made the most sense to me to include products I would want to come back to again and again. I ended up including all of the meals I had originally sought out, knowing they would likely align with my personal preferences. Each of these meals is one I would purchase again because I genuinely enjoyed eating them. Ultimately taste is subjective, however, I hope that this list can offer some insight into where to look for some of the better-tasting high-protein frozen dinners.