9 Frozen Steak Dinners, Ranked Worst To Best

TV dinners have come a long way. The Swanson brothers had no idea what they were setting into motion with that first turkey and stuffing meal in 1953. Believe it or not, those early renditions weren't even designed for the microwave — ovens were the go-to, since microwaves hadn't yet become a common household item. Fast forward to today, and frozen dinner brands span the entire freezer aisle (and then some). Some are health-focused, while others are products of well-known restaurant chains. And a growing number now feature premium ingredients, like steak. It's that last category we're honing in on today.

I recently loaded up on nine steak-filled frozen dinners from brands like Lean Cuisine, Stouffer's, and even Benihana. And when I say steak, I mean steak of all kinds. You'll see Salisbury thrown in, shredded beef steak, and garlic-coated cubes. The supporting sides and ingredients are even more diverse, spanning Americanized comfort foods to Mexican and Asian cuisines. I zapped each dinner in the microwave, gave them a try, and ranked them from my least favorite to my favorite.

My criteria for ranking centered around finding quality beef. I didn't expect to find steakhouse standards, but it had to be tender, well-cooked, and readily available (which was harder to come by since brands love to skimp). It wasn't all gravy from there either. I looked for steak-worthy sides and cohesiveness amongst all ingredients. Those are the makings of a satisfying and successful modern-day TV dinner.

Boston Market specializes in homestyle comfort food in its restaurants and its retail products. Chicken pot pie, rotisserie chicken, meatloaf, and turkey are all on the menu, and Salisbury steak fits seamlessly into this lineup.

Now, let's just get this out of the way first: Salisbury steak is not your typical steak. Don't expect a cut of sirloin or even something like flank steak. It's more like a glorified hamburger patty. Boston Market's is actually made with beef and pork, and has those sear marks on it, like it was pulled fresh from the grill. For a meat patty, it doesn't taste bad. It's juicy with a decent texture. I also appreciate that there are two pieces hiding in the sauce for protein and sustenance. The problem is that the meat isn't complemented well. The surrounding "savory" gravy is thick yet nearly flavorless, like a diluted beef gravy. Then, you dip into the three-cheese rotelle pasta side dish and realize it has even less appeal than the gravy. The noodles are dismally mushy, and they fail to be tasty or cheesy.

This is the epitome of an old-school TV dinner. And I would have been all for the nostalgia and retro vibes if the meal had any taste at all. It's like Boston Market brought back the classic look but left all the flavor in the '50s. For these reasons, the Salisbury Steak dinner wound up at the bottom of my rankings.

With a name like Healthy Choice, it better be packed with some nutritional value. Luckily, this steak meal is — at least to some extent. The entire thing boasts 230 calories with 15 grams of protein. Sodium is the only eyebrow-raiser at 450 milligrams (which is actually fairly low compared to other frozen foods).

So it passes the nutrition check. But, in my opinion, it doesn't pass the taste check. The meal is comprised of steak chunks in a balsamic garlic sauce, green beans, and garlic mashed potatoes. The meat is more steak-like than Salisbury, though it's still closer to something like a chuck roast or beef stew cut. It's also not abundant (I counted just eight small pieces), and its taste is just okay. Garlic seems to be missing, and the balsamic gives the dish more of a strange tang than anything else. Throw in some green beans that are extra squeaky and crunchy, plus some gummy mashed potatoes that are only a small step up from astronaut food, and you have quite the disappointing spread.

Between this and Boston Market's Salisbury steak, Healthy Choice does come out in front. The beef itself tastes higher quality, and the nutrition label speaks for itself. However, if it wants to stand out among other freezer aisle steak dinners, it needs to bring better sides and a heap more flavor to the table.

I love Marie Callender's pies — both the sweet and savory variations. Her steak dinner could use some work, though. This Marie Callender's meal follows a similar formula to the previous pick from Healthy Choice (funny since they both fall under the Conagra Brands umbrella), and does it just slightly better.

You have another small batch of beef steak hunks swimming in a dark gravy. Green beans are the veggie of choice, presenting a standard from-frozen texture and flavor. Lastly, there's the obligatory starch. What elevates Marie's above Healthy Choice is the specific choice of potato and a better-tasting gravy. This meal ditches the dehydrated mashed potatoes for a more enticing helping of roasted potatoes. They join the meat on one side of the microwaveable tray, and both are smothered in a beef gravy. As a mixture of beef tallow, burgundy wine, butter, tomato paste, crimini mushrooms, and other flavorings, it's soupy yet soaks into the beef and potatoes, making each a touch more chewable.

Overall, the dinner is still missing a robust taste, just like the past two offerings. I found myself reaching for the salt and pepper shakers just to give my taste buds something to work with. On top of that, the beef portion is modest at best — around seven tiny bits — so this feels less like a steak dinner and more like a potato-and-green-bean medley featuring beef. There's still plenty of room for improvement.

I think this is closer to what Boston Market was going for with its own Salisbury steak. Stouffer's gives the stick-to-your-ribs dish more body and life. Plus, it pairs it with a side that completes the meal rather than drags it down. This "steak" is made with 100% beef rather than throwing in pork, and it eats more like a sturdy meatloaf than a loosely-packed hamburger patty. I also like the gravy that it's dressed in. With a base of Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, molasses, onion, and mushrooms, it's dense and also savory. It's the first gravy in the taste test that tastes like more than just a thickened beef stock.

It should also come as no surprise that the macaroni and cheese portion of the meal holds its own. Stouffer's frozen mac and cheeses are just as iconic and prevalent as its frozen lasagnas. And even though it's in a support role here rather than the main attraction, it's still yummy. The thick elbow noodles are doused in a rich cheddar flavor. My only complaint would be an ever-so-slight chalky texture (sometimes that just comes with the territory of frozen foods). When it comes down to it, there are other dinners here that create better balance and more of a steak-centric appeal, but I don't mind this Stouffer's pick at all.

Calling this a "dinner" is a stretch. The entire package contains 190 calories, and it looks like it, too. The tray is tiny, clueing me in that I was sure to be hungry again, not even an hour after polishing it off. Even still, Lean Cuisine does cook up some high points. This is essentially an Asian-style beef and broccoli. Pay no mind to the mention of portabella in the title. The mushrooms are few and far between, and when you do come across them in the jumble, they're present in tiny bits rather than large slices like what is featured on the box. 

Beefsteak and broccoli take over instead, both with satisfying textures. The meat is as tender as it could possibly be in a frozen meal. Meanwhile, the broccoli florets add a hint of freshness and the lightest crunch — a much better pairing for steak than green beans, if you ask me. Everything is coated in a sauce that gives you just enough of a salty, umami-filled boost. Made of soy sauce, sherry wine, beef broth, mushrooms, garlic, onions, carrots, and celery, it has some surprising complexity to it.

This plate is better executed than the previous meals, with a sauce that keeps things interesting. It also wouldn't be difficult to serve it over some rice or toss it with some stir-fry noodles to create a heartier, more well-rounded meal.

I was excited to try this one, I'm not going to lie. It is a garlic and herb steak with sauce, potatoes, and butter seasoned broccoli. That sounds like a dish you would order at a high-end steakhouse, doesn't it? Plus, Evol Foods (also owned by Conagra Brands) is known for its premium ingredients and sustainability. It sounds like a win, win, win, and for the most part, it is. I just have a few minor critiques on the recipe.

The meal includes beefsteak, though its quality is obviously higher than the cuts used by other brands. It's extra juicy and beefy, much closer to that classic steak experience. The broccoli is tender — similar to the florets found in the previous Lean Cuisine, just cut down further. As for the potatoes, they serve their purpose. They're soft yet not too mushy and make the dinner more robust.

All of these ingredients make for a grown-up meal. It just needs more of a grown-up sauce to go with it. The garlic and herb promises are weighty. I expected butteriness and a chimichurri-like taste. What I got was what seemed like a blend of pure parsley. Garlic and other herbs like cilantro and oregano are muted, so the sauce isn't nearly as bold or aromatic as it could have been. Fix that problem, and a) the dish would live up to its steakhouse-inspired name and b) it would likely beat out a few other Mexican-style steak dishes in the taste test.

El Monterey puts its twist on steak dinners with a pair of cheesy enchiladas. If you're looking to get the most steak for your buck, this is the meal for you. Despite their deflated look coming out of the microwave, each tortilla roll-up is packed with shredded beef steak. It's dripping in savory juices and has a unique slow-cooked flavor that I didn't find in any other steak meal.

The authentic flavors didn't stop with the meat either. Each enchilada is wrapped in a corn tortilla, which shockingly holds up well in the microwave. They didn't become hard and crunchy at the ends, and conversely, didn't succumb to sogginess. You also get lots of Monterey Jack cheese, and it mixes with a chipotle puree to form somewhat of a smoky, piquant queso. Warning: There is definitely some heat incorporated into this dish from a mix of chipotle peppers, guajillo chili peppers, chili powder, paprika, and other spices.

If there's one weak link, it's the side of Spanish-style rice. It fattens up the meal, making it look more complete, but the taste is dry and bland. I could have done without, and instead spruced up the enchiladas with a dollop of sour cream or maybe even a spoonful of fresh pico de gallo. Then it would feel more restaurant-worthy and closer to my top two steak picks in terms of standout flavor.

This bowl smelled fantastic coming out of the microwave, and tasted even better. It's like a Chipotle dupe that you can make in minutes at home. Okay, it may not be quite on that level, but it does have a lot of similar qualities, starting with the steak itself.

The hot sauce brand Tapatio brings in real prime rib beef steak, and it makes a big difference. It's rich with a light chew, and there's actually enough of it to go around (something only these last two Mexican dinners have been able to accomplish). Mixed with cilantro and lime juice, the rice is also a Chipotle taste-alike. Then, on top of it, you have a sampling of red and yellow peppers, poblano peppers, and onions, adding in a satisfying rainbow of tastes. The best flavor comes from the Tapatio-based green tomatillo sauce. It seeps into every bite with that classic hot sauce spice mixed with the tang of tomatillos and a citrusy zest. Tapatio is far from my favorite hot sauce brand, but this blend is quite palatable.

Even compared to El Monterey's enchiladas, this is the most full-flavored steak dinner yet. All the ingredients worked together, and there were no big flaws like a bland side of rice or a tasteless helping of mashed potatoes. It's rarely cohesive for a frozen meal, and it ended up as one of my favorites, second only to a completely different kind of culinary take on steak.

I've learned that just because it's a restaurant brand frozen meal doesn't mean it's necessarily going to be restaurant quality. Case in point, those P.F. Chang's dishes never taste the same as they do in-house. It's also difficult to emulate a hibachi dish in a microwaveable dinner. So, I kept my expectations low for this one.

And yet, despite all odds, Benihana managed to win me over. The thin Japanese-style noodles warm up to the perfect springy texture, faring better than most of the rice I encountered. They make for a steady base and help to soak up the yakisoba stir-fry sauce, which here includes soy sauce, tomato puree, sesame oil, and miso paste. Veggies like carrots, red bell pepper, and zucchini are not overly bountiful, but I like the color and varying flavors they bring. What impressed me the most, though, was the steak. It's a seasoned and seared beef steak cut into about 10 smaller cubes, yet somehow it ends up tasting like sirloin steak mixed with fatty beef tips. It almost reminded me of pork belly, just in beef form. It's exceptionally tender, savory, and my favorite type of steak in the taste test.

Based on pure steak quality alone, I probably would have named Benihana the winner. But the brand also backs up the beef with a chef-inspired combo of tasty noodles and tender veggies, all covered in a zippy and umami-filled sauce. It's a full meal and my favorite frozen steak dinner.

Going into this taste test, I originally thought I would wind up with nine different meals featuring some form of steak and potatoes. But these selections branch out into a broad spectrum of sides, sauces, and global flavors. Of course, some combinations were more well-thought-out than others.

As I ranked, I started with the most important ingredient: the steak. Since this ranking is about steak, the meat needed to be included in a fairly significant capacity (aka more than just a handful of tiny bites). I didn't immediately write off the more ground-beef-style Salisbury steaks, but they generally lacked the flavor and texture of other cuts. Others were rich, juicy, and impressively tender–honestly, more so than I expected from not only frozen but also microwaved steak.

After the steak was sorted, I considered its chums in the tray. Sides varied heavily, so I looked for veggies that were tender and still had some freshness. For starches like potatoes or mac and cheese, I looked for texture and flavor. Then, for carbs like rice or noodles, I just asked that they weren't too soggy, but that they soaked in some of the juices and flavors. Lastly, I evaluated overall cohesiveness. It was important for the sauce or gravy of choice and all the ingredients to work well together, and, most importantly, complement the steak. My favorite picks did just that while also adding their own flair.