I Tried 6 Frozen Chicken Alfredos & One Tastes Restaurant-Made
Chicken alfredo is one of the most popular Italian-American restaurant pasta dishes, and for good reason: Tender chicken and pasta in a rich, creamy sauce is both indulgent and absolutely delicious. There are several options in the freezer aisle that look interesting so I picked six different brands to see how they compare, and to see if anything can come close to pasta made from scratch. I judged each one on taste, texture, quality, and ratio of chicken to pasta, and ranked them from least to best: Here’s how they stacked up.
Bertolli Chicken Alfredo & Penne
The Bertolli Chicken Alfredo & Penne was a rather strange dish. The alfredo sauce was so watery it could barely be counted as an alfredo, and the flavor was overwhelmingly garlicky without any cheese or cream elements. The chicken was sparse and rubbery and the vegetables were mushy. Not my favorite of the bunch.
Counter 3 Cheese Chicken Alfredo
Counter 3 Cheese Chicken Alfredo had an odd, almost sour taste to the sauce itself. It was definitely creamy texture-wise, but didn’t taste like an alfredo. There was plenty of pasta and sauce and chicken, but I wasn’t crazy about this option.
Lean Cuisine Alfredo Pasta with Chicken & Broccoli
The Lean Cuisine Alfredo Pasta with Chicken & Broccoli was so-so: The chicken actually looked, felt, and tasted like real chicken, but otherwise the whole meal was bland. There was barely any sauce and the broccoli was mushy. Not bad for a “better for you” option but overall, forgettable.
Stouffer’s Chicken Alfredo
Stouffer’s Chicken Alfredo is made with grilled white meat chicken and broccoli in an alfredo sauce. The chicken and broccoli had a nice texture to them, not rubbery at all. The flavor of the sauce wasn’t bad but it lacked richness, and it was too watery to work as an alfredo. Good, not great.
Michelina’s Spicy Chicken Alfredo
Michelina’s Spicy Chicken Alfredo is the little engine that could: It doesn’t look like much at first but I was pleasantly surprised by how delicious it was. There wasn’t much chicken in the dish but the little cubes I could find were very tasty. The sauce was not very spicy but definitely builds up to a mild and pleasant heat. The pasta had absolutely perfect texture and all those elements combined resulted in a very yummy little plate of food.
Zatarain’s Blackened Chicken Alfredo
Zatarain’s Blackened Chicken Alfredo is rich, rich, rich: The sauce is thick, creamy, and bursting with flavor. The blackened chicken is juicy and delicious, the pasta has the perfect texture, and there is just enough heat in the seasoning to give this dish a kick while still tasting like a classic alfredo. This pasta tastes like an indulgent restaurant meal, it’s that good. One of the best frozen meals I have tried so far!