7 Frozen IKEA Foods To Buy, And 3 To Avoid

When most of us hear "IKEA" and "food" in the same sentence, our minds jump to those gravy-soaked Swedish meatballs. Maybe, just maybe, visions of hot dogs and frozen yogurt from the bistro surface. But tucked away near the checkout lines, there's an entirely different kind of IKEA eats hiding in the food market.

To me, this area of the store feels less like a traditional market and more like a play grocery store at a children's museum. I'm not sure if it's the minimalistic labels or the minimalist options sitting neatly on shelves, but it feels pristine — perhaps that's just the Scandinavian way. The good news, though, is that it's real food, and much of it is surprisingly tasty. The market is home to shelf-stable items ranging from sauces to sweets. But what we're here to talk about is the frozen foods, which come in different formats. Mashed potatoes sit next to Swedish pancakes, pies, and vegetable medallions. And of course, there's the myriad of meatballs — yes, including the originals that made IKEA food famous in the first place.

If you have any apprehension about purchasing groceries from a furniture store, I'm here to say there's more to love in this lineup than you might think. Consider this your guide on which frozen IKEA foods to buy and what to leave on the shelves, coming from someone who put them to the test.

I know, I know. IKEA's cafeteria meatballs are iconic, and I'm not discounting that whatsoever. At the beginning, end, or even the middle of a shopping trip, they're the perfect meal to keep you full and fueled for navigating the maze of ready-to-assemble furniture and staged showrooms.

However, after trying their frozen counterpart, I'm starting to wonder if all the magic is confined to the store rather than the balls themselves. When they're not swimming in Swedish gravy or served with a side of lingonberry jam and cart-filling adrenaline, they start to lose their luster. Following their quick warm-up in the oven, each meatball came out extra small and extra salty. Sure, they're mildly savory, juicy, and the combination of pork and beef is never off-putting, but they don't live up to their reputation. The name on the bag says "Huvudroll," which translates to "main role" in Swedish. But they are not giving off main character energy. Even just as frozen meatballs go, they're mediocre at best — not to mention pricey compared to other brands.

It's important to note that you can also buy a mix for the gravy and the jam at the market, and I would recommend doing so if you're picking these up. Or, you can skip these altogether and opt for the next product, which I found to be far more satisfying.

Unlike the classic Swedish meatballs, chicken meatballs are not an IKEA mainstay. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen them listed on my local cafeteria's menu. But I have heard tales that they roll up next to the classics from time to time. The freezer chests downstairs, though, tell a completely different story. Yellow bags of chicken meatballs are just as abundant as the red ones filled with beef and pork, as though the two have always been presented side by side and share the same level of food hall stardom. They even come at the exact same price.

However, in an unexpected turn of events, the underdog chicken meatballs ended up on top. Bigger and better, that's all you need to know. They may look more similar to a potato ball or something else entirely meatless. But it's what's inside these larger chicken meatballs that counts. Umami notes are still the main flavor that exudes from the tender meat, yet the balls are smoother, less salty, and less oily than their beef and pork buddies. As they're lightly seasoned with a few spices, including onion powder, salt, pepper, and ground ginger, I wasn't left desperately wanting for a ladleful of gravy either.

If you only have enough room for one bag of meatballs left in your cart after your retail smorgasbord, go with the chicken. You won't regret it.

Last kind of ball-shaped frozen food, I promise. IKEA doesn't leave the vegetarians and plant-based people out. It also presents us with veggie balls alongside its original and chicken offerings. Now, these aren't to be confused with the plant balls — another entirely different product that I tried but failed to find during my trip. Those are more so plant-based balls trying to look and act just like meat (like a member of the Impossible Foods line), whereas these are made to taste like what they're actually filled with: vegetables.

I was skeptical at first, given their rough shape and apparent greasiness. (Full transparency: I'm also not the most devout supporter of veggie alternatives.) But this is a bag worth stocking in your freezer. These veggie balls are the distant cousin of falafel — essentially a less heavy, more vegetable-forward version of the Middle Eastern staple. Chickpeas are a main ingredient, accompanied by strong tastes of peas, corn, and onion. A quick mix of spices and herbs, including sage and parsley, helps them give the meat options a run for their money flavor-wise. They're far from bland, plenty moist, and aren't nearly as earthy as I originally feared.

I'm not sure they could act as the centerpiece of a meal, but they can definitely be a unique side dish. Slap them on a plate with some rice, extra veggies, and another protein source such as edamame or tofu, and you have a satisfactory vegetarian meal.

The strangest start to mashed potatoes I've ever seen. I'm not so sure what I expected, to be honest. For the potatoes to come in one congealed lump, maybe? But what I didn't anticipate was a boatload of dense cylindrical pieces to come tumbling out of the bag. They reminded me a lot of Korean tteokbokki – a much different type of cuisine.

The cooking process is fairly straightforward — dump said starchy logs into a skillet and just let them essentially melt down into a mashed potato texture. Adding water or milk is advised for an "extra smooth product." I obliged with a few splashes of 1%, and after about 8 minutes on the stove, it started to resemble real taters.

I'm not going to say I necessarily dislike this frozen version of Swedish mashed potatoes. But they're only a small step up from the dehydrated astronaut food version. With a texture more gummy than smooth (even with the milk?!), something feels a tiny bit off about them. Plus, with only a touch of butterfat and white pepper to give them their flavor, they're about as bland as hospital food. I probably wouldn't pick these up again, but if you're going to do it, you need to commit to doctoring them up. Milk isn't going to cut it. Fold in butter, some Gruyère, roasted garlic, and herbs. Then they'll be worthy of a Scandinavian supper table.

In Swedish, Grönsakskaka translates directly to "vegetable cake." In the finer print on the box, these are also described as "potato, vegetable and cheese medallions." The latter sounds a bit more appetizing (something I would actually order off a menu rather than avoid at all costs), so let's go with that one. They cook from frozen in about 25 minutes in the oven, which is the longest prep time of any of these IKEA frozen items. But it's well worth the wait.

My mind immediately went to Starbucks egg bites or muffin tin frittata cups when I saw these yellowed pucks. And they're not too far off — just minus the egg part. They come loosely packed, so they all but fall apart as you fork that first bite, melting into a cheesy, vegetable-packed mess. Tender potatoes and broccoli bits are the core vegetables, supported by onion and leeks, and everything is washed in Emmentaler — a Swiss cheese known for its buttery character. I'm a fan of both the flavor and texture. If I could change one thing, though, it would be to cook them a little bit longer so that more of a crispy, browned crust forms at the top. Yum.

IKEA suggests serving the medallions with chicken, meat, or fish. But I see them more as a brunch side dish, topped with a poached egg and served with a bit of smoked salmon.

These are listed as both hash brown patties on the bag and as shredded potato pancakes on IKEA's website. So, which is it? Based on the ingredients and the look, I'd say they're much closer to a basic hash brown than something like a traditional potato pancake or latke. There's no flour, egg, or batter component holding it together, so the spuds are largely left to their own devices.

I was disappointed at first, hoping for something that went beyond a standard grocery store frozen hash brown. But they pulled me back in with their taste. They do seem to rise above your average hash brown, with a spark of onion-y flavor and an extra flattened profile that's conducive to a golden crust. I even cooked mine in the oven and was still rewarded with a steady crisp. So, I can't imagine what frying them in a pan would do. No floppiness here. Yet, you still get that starchy potato flavor and some softness at the center of the patty.

The price is also right for these morning-time potatoes. The bag rang up at $4.49, and it contained 10 total patties. While it doesn't compare to Aldi's deal of 20 patties for $5 and some change (nothing can beat a cost savings like that), this is still a comparable price to many other name brands.

Purely based on cost alone, I would dismiss these waffles. Don't let the adorable heart shape cloud your judgment. At a cost of $7.99 for this box of 12 tiny waffles, this isn't a good deal. You can snag a box of name-brand, full-sized Eggos for just a fraction of the price. And for store brand replicas that more often than not taste just as good, the discrepancy is even greater.

Now that I've said my pricing piece, though, the taste is nothing to scoff at. The hearts crisp up nicely after a few minutes in the toaster oven (a conventional oven works as well). The ridges brown just as you would want, yet they stay golden everywhere else. They are pretty similar to Eggo with a neutral eggy flavor. But they're not quite as buttery and rich. Additionally, at their core, they're a bit more sticky than they are fluffy, similar to the inside of a funnel cake. This could very well be an issue of slightly undercooking (it's hard to wait for waffles of any kind), but it's something that I clocked.

The only time I think I could justify this purchase is if you're in a pinch on Valentine's Day. Otherwise, I think you're better off putting that $8 toward another FEJKA fake plant or STOCKHOLM vase.

The Swedish pancakes (aka PANNKAKOR) immediately struck me as more of a Scandinavian novelty than the waffles. That means I'm willing to dish out a bit more for them simply because of the cultural curiosity factor. I've also never seen frozen pancakes quite like this, so consider my interest piqued even further.

They come already folded from a circle into a thick triangular shape, and you chuck them just like that onto a baking sheet to cook in the oven (the microwave method is also available, but I just so happened to have my oven up and running). Now, these are not the soft and fluffy pancakes we're used to here in the States. They're closer to what we know as crepes, and I'm certainly not complaining. They deliver a soft squish on the inside with the lightest of crisps around the edges. With a rich, buttermilk taste, they're indulgent enough to eat on their own but neutral enough to dress up with nearly any topping of your choice.

After that first bite, I was ready to smear on a coat of Nutella and throw in some banana slices while I was at it. But, then again, a walk on the savory side would work just as well. Imagine one stuffed with sautéed mushrooms, caramelized onions, and melted Swiss. With that mouthwatering image in mind, this may just be my favorite IKEA item thus far.

Save room for dessert, as IKEA has that covered as well. The store carries sweets and goodies galore, including a few frozen picks like this Blåbärspaj -– known to us as blueberry pie. It's more of a mini pie, measuring just about seven and a half inches in diameter, whereas standard pies weigh in at around nine. The box still says it includes five portions, though. I guess you can be the judge of that.

Blueberries are the bona fide star of the show here, as they should be. They peek out from beneath the crumble topping, some still intact and some not so much. But the important thing is that they all taste bright and juicy. The pie comes from the Swedish brand Frödinge, so the blueberries are likely sourced from somewhere in Sweden, but they remind me a great deal of the frozen berries from the U.S. brand Wyman's (the best kind of frozen blueberries).

With deliciously quality blueberries at the helm, the rest falls into place. It's actually rather light for a fruit pie. The crust is the opposite of dense and actually tastes more like a pie crust-sugar cookie hybrid with a touch of sweetness. I'm not even 100% sure what the bits on top are either, but I'm glad they're there. If I had to guess, I'd say it's gobs of uncooked dough that almost tastes like it has a light lemony zest to it. They make for the perfect finisher to this pie.

Did I say earlier that the Swedish pancakes were my favorite IKEA item? Well, consider PANNKAKOR officially dethroned. This gooey little confection is IKEA's take on a traditional Swedish Kladdkaka, and it's absolutely delicious.

It comes covered in powdered sugar and is quite thin. If you turned it on its side, you might lose track of it entirely. But it's what's on the inside that matters. The chocolatey core is sticky-sweet –– just indulgent enough without being cloying — and the texture is ultra-fudgy. It's the crossover between an undercooked chocolate brownie and a molten lava cake that you didn't know you needed, or even thought was possible. The instructions advise you to simply let it cool on the counter for a good 30 minutes before serving. But I think anyone would be remiss not to pop it in the microwave for just a few quick seconds to turn that ganache-like center into an oozing puddle of chocolate. Maybe even serve it à la mode to really give your taste buds a treat.

It feels perfectly suited for a traditional Swedish kafferep — essentially fika's more extravagant cousin, where coffee, cakes, and pastries are shared over lingering conversation. And even though fighting the IKEA crowds doesn't really fit into this way of life, this $5 cake can at least bring a slice of that cozy Swedish spirit home with you – along with your other decor and furniture finds.

These frozen foods take after IKEA's furniture, meaning there is some assembly required once you get them home. So, after picking out a solid haul, I cooked everything according to the instructions on the back of the bag or box. All of the items are fairly easy to make — easy enough for beginner-level chefs — some just take a little more time than others.

As I evaluated each one, I wasn't worried about prep. I was focused solely on the end result and, of course, whether the item was worth both its price tag and a trip to IKEA. Flavors and textures were huge here. By nature, many of these foods are fairly simple — meatballs, mashed potatoes, pancakes, and cake — so I really wasn't expecting anything over the top. I just wanted food items that delivered on exactly what they promised. Basics like meatballs that were juicy and chocolate cake that was moist and decadent were a given.

I was surprised by how much I ended up liking nearly everything I tried. Even the waffles, which landed in the "avoid" category, are really only there because of the price. And the meatballs and mashed potatoes aren't so far gone that they couldn't become tasty with a few accompaniments. So overall, good job, IKEA. I'll definitely be back for seconds.