In today’s hectic world, frozen meals are a staple. New products are constantly coming onto the market to meet our frozen food needs. That means there have never been more great options than there are now, but there are also just more options in general, and not all of them are good. To help you navigate the crowded grocery store freezers and find your favorites, we looked at what’s out there. We evaluated 20 frozen meal brands and recently we focused on a specific market by evaluating 14 frozen meal brands from popular restaurant chains. Restaurants offer brand recognition, which may seem tempting, but it’s hard to tell if you’re getting a home version of a dish you love or if it’s a poorly executed attempt.

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Fans of Asian cuisine will be excited to hear about a guaranteed satisfying meal: The Korean-inspired Pork Bowl from PF Chang’s was our top choice. PF Chang’s previously ranked fourth when we ranked well-known Chinese restaurant chains – across America, the name represents the comfort of familiarity and delicious flavors you can rely on. The pork bowl won over options from chains like Boston Market and TGI Fridays because it achieved both high-quality flavor and texture. Frozen dishes can easily become boring, and the texture seems particularly difficult, from watery vegetables to rubbery noodles. Not only does this meal consist of delicious noodles, tender pork and vegetables with a bit of bite, but also gochujang sauce that is spicy but not overpowering.

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PF Chang’s opened in 1993 and has grown to 300 locations in over 20 countries. With an established following, the restaurant chain decided to offer people the opportunity to enjoy some of their favorite dishes in the comfort of their own home and launched their frozen meal range in 2010. Reviews of their various dishes like Chicken Pad Thai and Beef and Broccoli have been mixed over the years, but the pork bowl might actually be more of a bright spot in the repertoire.

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On Reddit, the dish was praised for its authentic noodles that retain a nice texture and a spicy note. Elsewhere, customers have said this frozen meal has the best flavor in the PF Chang line, contains springy noodles and tender pork, offers a good balance of savory, sweet and spicy, and is something they could eat every day. The dish was also praised for the texture of the noodles as well as the portion size and delicious sauce. Some shoppers report that the meal is spicy but tasty – one reviewer recommends adding a little water and cooking the dish in the oven, which – if you have time – results in an even better texture and the carrots and red bell of the meal A fresh crunch could add peppers, cabbage and spring onions as well as the tenderness of shiitake mushrooms.

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