The Absolute Best Frozen Pizza Is Totally Worth The High Cost

Just because you want the convenience of a frozen pizza doesn't mean you want to sacrifice taste and quality ingredients. While you can always find brands sold at dirt-cheap prices, $5 for a low-quality frozen pizza is still $5 wasted, so why not just spend an extra $5 on a five-cheese Rao's Brick Oven pizza and enjoy your quick, convenient dinner? It was our no. 1 choice when ranking frozen pizzas from worst to best — and for good reason.

A Rao's pizza may seem like an obvious skip when grocery shopping, given that it can cost between $10 and $14. However, more than any other brand, it comes the closest to a high-quality pie you would find at a restaurant. Its sauce is complex and bright, shining through the heartier notes of provolone and whole milk mozzarella that give it so much flavor and an enviable cheese pull that rivals fresh, never-frozen pies. Even if you don't let it thaw before tossing it in the oven, its crust is wonderfully crisp and tenderly soft at the same time, a combination that's hard enough to achieve when you're working with fresh ingredients in a dedicated kitchen.

Overall, Rao's five-cheese pizza simply blows the competition out of the water — it even has a subtle wood-fired taste thanks to being parbaked before frozen. When takeout can cost you just as much but is less convenient, it's a fantastic option for a weeknight dinner when you need to eat quickly. Plus, the fact that it only has cheese as its topping means you can elevate this frozen pizza in all sorts of ways.

If you're picky about your pizza, frozen varieties can be a bit of a turnoff since so many use subpar ingredients that lack flavor or are full of grease. However, with a simple frozen cheese pizza, you now have a blank canvas, especially when you start with something as high-quality as Rao's five-cheese.

If you're a big fan of red pepper flakes, chili crisp is the easiest way to elevate store-bought pizza while trying something new! Unlike simple flakes, many chili crisp brands include aromatics like shallots, garlic, onion, or even peanuts to give them substantial flavor (and satisfying crunch) while remaining an affordable, shelf-stable product. For a more subtle pop of heat, add a little Sriracha. However, if you are a bit tired of everyone's favorite red rooster sauce, there are plenty of Sriracha alternatives like peri-peri, harissa paste, or gochujang that can easily transform your pie.

When it comes to toppings, the world is your oyster. Even some cheap slices of salami or pepperoni bought from the deli might be higher quality than the kind used in budget frozen pizza brands. Frozen vegetables can have an unappealing taste or texture, but with high-quality cheese pizza, you can quickly dice up some peppers, onions, or mushrooms and sprinkle them over your pie before you toss it in the oven. While Rao's five-cheese pie is hardly lacking in dairy, a little extra pre-shredded cheddar or fine mozzarella never hurt anyone who's looking to satisfy their pizza craving.