6 Frozen Fried Rice Brands, Ranked

After a long day, making a homecooked meal can feel as daunting as climbing a mountain. Sometimes you just want to turn off your brain, whip up something quick, and relax. That's where frozen meals come in, and one of the most filling options to go for is fried rice. With that in mind, I decided to try and rank frozen fried rice options from six different brands.

Frozen fried rice is the epitome of convenience, plus it's super customizable. Whether you opt to spruce it up with fresh scallions, top it with a fried egg, or toss in some leftover chicken, frozen fried rice can easily serve as a flavorful and substantial dinner. But with so many different brands in the game ranging from restaurant originals to supermarket private lines, it can be hard to decide which one to choose.

If you've found yourself standing in the frozen aisle for a few minutes too long, and going back and forth on whether you want to stick to what you know or try out a new brand that seems cool but might not be as good as your go-to? This article is for you. Here is my ranking of frozen fried rice from six different brands to help you find your next stay-at-home dinner.

Whole Foods has an extensive frozen food selection for its private label products, 365 Whole Foods, and I included two types of its frozen fried rice. Now, when it comes to fried rice, texture is key. Unfortunately, 365 Whole Foods fell flat with its fried rice options.

I tried both the chicken and vegetable fried rice varieties. For a vegetable variety, the vegetables themselves are what ranked this brand so low. The vegetable fried rice had bits of yellow onions, carrots, corn, red bell peppers, green peas, and scallions throughout. Both the carrots and bell peppers were completely mushy. The bell peppers were partially broken down, with bits of skin having separated from the flesh. The peas, which were riddled throughout, tasted dry and starchy.

The chicken fried rice had similar textural issues. The bits of chicken, although well-portioned, were spongy and didn't have much flavor. There were egg pieces in the chicken variety, but they were simultaneously grainy and mushy, and broke down a bit during the cooking process. As for the rice and seasoning, I didn't have many qualms. The rice had a solid texture and consistency, and the seasoning on both tasted salty, sweet, and slightly nutty from sesame oil. However, due to textural issues in both varieties, 365 Whole Foods frozen fried rice comes in last place.

InnovAsian specializes primarily in frozen meals. This includes one of the better frozen orange chicken brands and sesame noodles, as it puts a focus on popular Asian dishes. Although it has a variety of frozen rice options, I opted to try two classics: vegetable fried rice and BBQ pork fried rice. These were prepared in the microwave and only took five minutes each.  Overall, both were pretty average, hence the lower ranking.

The rice consistency was essentially identical in both. The grains were fluffy and didn't clump together. The vegetable version incorporated onion, carrot, red bell pepper, edamame, and eggs. The eggs were moist and held together, but the pieces themselves were small and sparse throughout. The flavor of the red bell peppers added a welcome vegetal note, but when eating a spoonful with a piece of each added ingredient, that bell pepper flavor dominated completely. As for the BBQ pork, there were generous-sized slices of meat, but the meat itself was chewy and leaned on the drier side.

The seasoning of the rice for both options read as bland, but the saltiness and sweetness of the pork contributed a little more seasoning to the BBQ pork dish. If you're looking for pure convenience, these might be a decent option. But I wouldn't seek them out if the higher-ranked options were available.

Buldak — which translates to "fire chicken" –  is a Korean-based brand that sells products ranging from various ramen flavors to spicy tteokbokki. The brand's chili-packed noodles went viral in 2024, and Buldak has continued expanding its product line to include frozen fried rice. I tried Buldak's original flavor and its carbonara flavor. As a pre-warning, Buldak is designed for spice lovers, so if you aren't big on spice, I wouldn't recommend it.

I tried the Buldak original fried rice first. If you've ever had Buldak original, whether the ramen or the hot sauce, it essentially tasted exactly like that. It was savory and a little salty, with building spice. The spice level was strong in this one. I found myself eating the whole thing, purely because each bite momentarily satiated the burn from the prior. The rice was fluffy, and each grain was evenly coated in that distinct spicy sauce. I enjoyed the Buldak carbonara even more. There was a creaminess, likely from the inclusion of milk powder in the sauce, that the original lacked. That creamy consistency and cheese-like flavor cut through the heat of the sauce and added a touch of sweetness.

My main note is that there was no room for adjustment. With Buldak's ramen, you can change the spice level depending on how much of the sauce packet you add. Here, the rice was pre-coated, and it definitely didn't skimp on spice. Although I enjoyed this, it's not something I could eat every day, so it can't crack the top three (and I'd opt for the brand's ramen before the rice).

If there are points for packaging, I'd give Tai Pei a top score. I've never tried fried rice from an ice cream container before, but this felt pretty close. Tai Pei sells Asian-style frozen foods, with dishes like potstickers, chow mein, and sweet and sour chicken. As for fried rice options, I tried the chicken fried rice and shrimp fried rice. I didn't know what to expect with this brand, but I was pleasantly surprised, so it places third.

The preparation was convenient, as both were microwaved in the container they came in. The rice and veggies had the same consistency across each product. The rice was fluffy and there was no breakage in the grains. The carrots were on the softer side but still had a bite to them. The peas tasted like a classic frozen pea, with a snappy skin and soft, moist interior that burst in the mouth. The seasoning of the rice was pretty well balanced, but not overly layered or exciting. It had umami and a solid balance of saltiness and sweetness. However, I still found myself looking for a little more oomph.

For the chicken fried rice, the bits of chicken were slightly smaller than I'd prefer and leaned more on the dry side. Still, it had a bouncy texture, strong chicken flavor, and a good salt level. For the shrimp fried rice, the shrimp was juicy with a springy texture, but the flavor was too subtle for my liking. While neither fried rice dish wowed me necessarily, they're definitely a solid choice if you're looking for a quick and easy side dish.

Probably my favorite section in a Trader Joe's store is the frozen aisle. There's so much variety to Trader Joe's frozen meals, which typically take minimal prep time and are super affordable. There's also numerous frozen fried rice options to choose from at the chain. I decided to go with a classic vegetable fried rice, along with a bulgogi beef fried rice with kimchi.

The vegetable fried rice was simple, but done well. The rice was fluffy yet had slightly firm consistency. Like others in this ranking, the veggie inclusions were red bell pepper, peas, edamame, corn, and carrots. Each of these were cooked perfectly and plentiful throughout. The fried rice also included leeks, which added an additional textural component, although I couldn't specifically pinpoint that allium flavor. As for the seasoning, it was well balanced, with a sweet, salty, nutty combo. However, I found myself wishing for a little bit more flavor after a few bites.

The real star was the bulgogi beef fried rice with kimchi. The rice was plump and fluffy. The beef slices were a good size and riddled throughout, with a soft, moist texture and slight chew. The chunks of cabbage were both crunchy and juicy, with a mild tang. Green beans added vegetal notes that balanced out the nutty, roasted flavoring of the overall dish. While the vegetable fried rice alone wouldn't carry Trader Joe's to a second place ranking, the bulgogi beef fried rice with kimchi did the heavy lifting. It was a really pleasant, well-seasoned dish that I'd definitely go for again.

Credited with popularizing lettuce wraps in the U.S., P.F. Chang's has a variety of popular dishes. Some of those iconic dishes can be store-bought, like the chain's frozen fried rice. I tried the chicken and the shrimp fried rice offering, and I would definitely buy these fried rice options again.

For starters, both the chicken and the shrimp were well-sized and plentiful throughout each dish. The chicken was well-seasoned and moist. The shrimp had a snappy bite, a moist interior, and you could actually taste the shrimp flavor. There were good-sized chunks of egg in both, which maintained their structure and bouncy texture once cooked. As for the veggie add-ons, plenty of carrots were in both dishes, which were soft but still had a bite to them. Both fried rices had the same base sauce, with chicken broth, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, chili paste, and oyster sauce as standout inclusions.

The sauce is what made P.F. Chang's a standout. Each bite was well-seasoned, it leaned more savory than sweet, and was super aromatic. The brightness from the ginger came through, along with nuttiness from sesame oil, and a rich depth of flavor throughout. Also, the portion size for each could easily feed a family of five as a side dish. Although the priciest and most time-consuming fried rice option on this list, it's for good reason. The portion size justifies the price point, and the quality and flavor profile make the cook time worth it, so it takes first place.

For this ranking, I wanted to include fried rices that varied in origin. Some of these brands are grocery-store specific and some focus mainly on frozen foods. One is from a restaurant chain, and another is a brand extension of a popular ramen company.

I prepared each fried rice according to package instructions, opting to cook on the stove-top if instructions were provided. I tried each product without any additional seasonings or add-ons to ensure fairness and focused primarily on texture and seasoning. I prioritized a well-balanced seasoning on both the rice and protein. Since nearly all of these fried rice options had vegetables, the texture and consistency of each vegetable component was a crucial factor in the ranking as well.