Forget Takeout: Customers Love These Frozen Mexican Foods

If you're lucky, you live just a short ride away from a half dozen quality Mexican restaurants serving bubbling bowls of pozole, punchy tacos, and sultry stews of slow-cooked meats. But not everyone lives in communities blessed with quality Mexican cooking. And that's a major bummer, because this regional cuisine is simply electric, balancing deep flavors with fresh herbs, warm spices, and piquant chiles. Mexican food plays with different textures and shapes, allowing you to compose bites that are simultaneously creamy and crisp, cool and spicy, savory and sweet.

Thankfully, you can enjoy decent Mexican and Tex-Mex-inspired food from the comfort of your couch. And all it takes is a trip to your local supermarket. First, let's preface this entire article by saying that a good restaurant will almost always outdo a frozen dupe. Still, there is something to be said for the convenience and cost savings of air-frying a chimichanga or microwaving a burrito for lunch. I turned to the internet to find frozen Mexican meals comparable to what you might get at a restaurant or fast-casual takeout spot. After sorting through hundreds of reviews and comments, I put together a list of the top customer-favorite Mexican appetizers, sides, and main meals available in the freezer aisle.

The foundation of a good tamale is corn, specifically corn that's been soaked in an alkaline solution (AKA nixtamalized), which transforms the dense starchy kernels into a pliable, dough-like carbohydrate called masa. Making masa (and tamales) requires time, skill, precision, and technique. But if you don't possess any of the above, then heating up a frozen tamale is your best option.

There are a surprising number of choices in this department, but customers are especially fond of the Trader Joe's versions. Like many Trader Joe's items, people gripe that these come in and out of stock with about as much predictability as a June weather forecast. However, the cheese and green chile and the chicken and cheese varieties are consistently the most reliable (and available). Tamales make a good side dish, especially if you want an alternative to potatoes or pasta, or, like one Redditor, you can steam one and bring it for lunch. A negative is that since they have to be reheated, the masa interior can get a tad dry. To remedy this, Trader Joe's shoppers recommend a side of salsa, hot sauce, guacamole, rice and beans, or a blanket of extra melted cheese.

As far as frozen Mexican entrées go, the burrito bowl can be controversial. Why? Unlike a tamale, chimichanga, or taquito, a burrito bowl doesn't require the same finesse, so customers generally expect a higher quality product. Surprisingly, many reliable brands struggle to execute what seems like a simple dish. But not Kevin's Natural Foods. If unfamiliar, Kevin's positions itself as a better-for-you frozen meal. Ingredients are clean, non-GMO, and gluten-free. These restrictions are far from a hindrance. On the contrary, the quality of Kevin's frozen meals, especially its burrito bowls, is top-notch.

At least, that's what the customers say. "Absolutely loaded with cheese, chicken in every bite, rice perfectly cooked, veggies still have a bit of a snap to them, and the chipotle sauce has a ton of flavor," one Redditor commented. Others shared a similar opinion. With Kevin's, there's a general appreciation for the quality and portion size. The brand doesn't skimp on proteins or portion size, and whatever ingredients are included are thoughtfully prepared — no mushy rice, sad veggies, or gloopy cheese. The result keeps customers happy.

Many culinary historians consider mole the national dish of Mexico. The sauce's dynamic flavors mirror the country's history: dark and complex, with an underlying sweetness and grounding depth. Mole requires dozens of Mexico's most prized indigenous ingredients — chocolate, chiles, nuts, seeds, spices — to create something that's, frankly, unmatched in any other cuisine.

Does Trader Joe's version capture that centuries of Mexican culinary tradition? That would be impossible. However, given its price and unbelievable convenience, it does a pretty good job of imitating the sweet-and-savory balance of a traditional mole. With just one package, you can make multiple meals. And while a traditional mole takes hours — if not days — to prepare, TJ's frozen chicken mole takes just minutes in the microwave.

The taste is bold, but the texture of the chicken — not overly mushy or stringy — makes it ideal for several applications. Customers say they use it to fill enchiladas and tacos, but you can use it for everything from pizza to nachos to an omelet.

Known for its better-for-you ingredient profile, Amy's has been supplying organic frozen entrées for decades. While some frozen tortilla-wrapped items suffer from a textural breakdown, the tortillas housing Amy's enchilada filling hold up well. All of Amy's frozen entrées are vegetarian-friendly, but where they lack in meat, they make up for it in texture, flavor, and composition. Amy's cheese enchiladas have been a hit with shoppers for decades, with the blend of cheeses, toasty corn tortillas, and savory tomato-based enchilada sauce, and they still earn online praise today.

"I find these to have an incredible depth of flavor for a frozen meal," began one Redditor's review. "I would be 100% happy if this was served to me in a restaurant." Others say that the product is the best in frozen food. And while there's no question that shoppers have enjoyed and appreciated the taste of Amy's foods for years, they are a bit disgruntled about the ever-increasing price point. And while that might be on the higher end of the price spectrum, anything in the $7 or $8 range for a frozen meal does seem a little steep. But they're still beloved, despite that.

The taquito was created as a thrifty way to use up leftover tortillas and filling. Little did its creators know that the fried, toasty snack would become widely beloved happy marriage of taste, form, and texture. Taquitos are almost always made from corn tortillas and filled with everything from chicken and cheese to beef, veggies, and beans. But the best part of a taquito is its tubular shape that's seemingly designed for dipping.

Frozen taquitos aren't new, and their basic composition hasn't changed much over the years. You'll find a plethora of options in the freezer aisle, but customers are most fond of El Monterey's Extra Crunchy Southwest Chicken variety. Fans say it's hard to eat just one... or two. Shoppers also love its unique exterior crust.

The only downside to El Monterey's taquitos is the quantity of filling. There's a collective sigh at how the interiors have grown increasingly barren over the years, an observation noticeable in the chicken taquitos, where the chicken and vegetables retain their individual shapes, unlike the beef and bean option, which is more of a paste. An easy solution is to prepare a few different dips — sour cream, guacamole, queso — to add extra moisture and unctuousness.

If a taquito and a burrito had a baby, it would be a chimichanga. It's deep-fried, which ups the richness but also gives the tortilla a crispy shell that's the ideal foil for any smooth refried bean or cheese filling. Deep frying at home doesn't require the same precision as making a chocolate soufflé, but it still means more work and cleanup than simply reheating on a hot frying pan. That's why a good frozen chimichanga is crucial if you suddenly get that itch for this fried Tex-Mex specialty. And, again, the El Monterey brand delivers.

Online, there was a lot of love for El Monterey, saying it has some of the best frozen burritos and chimichangas on the market. Unlike the taquitos, the chimichangas have a generous filling that, as one person put it, is comparable to the reference photo on the bag. The key to executing these properly is in the preparation. The chimichanga is inherently greasy, so a quick thaw in the microwave followed by a crisp-up on a hot pan usually does the trick. An air-fryer works, too. Some people just throw them in the deep fryer because, well, why not?

The burrito is the quintessential frozen Mexican food item, and over the decades, dozens — if not hundreds — of brands have battled each other for category supremacy. Many have faltered, but a handful have held their ground. Like Red's. Founded in 2009, Red's focuses on one thing: burritos. Sure, it'll try a breakfast sandwich or a "Snacker," but its product lineup is mostly just an array of tortilla-wrapped goodies.

Customers are big fans of the steak and cheddar burrito. While other cheaper, mass-market frozen burritos rely on mushy, indistinguishable fillings, Red's has made a name for itself by using higher-quality ingredients. Although shoppers are big fans of Red's entire line of burritos, they do gripe about the prices. Heating the burrito is another issue entirely, but one Red's expert has a foolproof method: Run it under water in the sink for a few seconds before microwaving. The extra moisture makes the tortilla a bit springier and more pliable. Wrapping it in a wet paper towel will have a similar effect.

The Mexican Style Street Corn Triangles from Tastiez are far from traditional Mexican cuisine. Instead, they are a frozen food product inspired by the classic Mexican street food esquites, which is like a bolder, saltier version of creamed corn. Another way to think of it is like elote, that yummy, cheese-dusted ear of grilled corn, stripped off the cob.

This product is a major departure from the original dish, but if you're craving an easy appetizer inspired by an authentic Mexican dish, it's not such a bad substitute. And, most importantly (at least for this article), customers have given these fried, corn-filled triangles their seal of approval. Whereas your average stuffed, fried snack oozes its insides after a hard bake or big bite, these stay pretty much intact. The crisp outside and gooey center make for a satisfying finger food, but it's the taste that brings it home, with reviewers gushing over its delicious street corn flavor. They come out best when deep-fried, but the air-fryer is an excellent alternative that still yields a crisp exterior.

Today, you can find the most elaborate culinary delights in your supermarket freezer. But while brands can execute everything from frozen kimbap to cioppino, many still struggle to nail a good frozen taco. What has customers complaining is the ratio of filling to shell: not enough of the former and too much of the latter, resulting in a product that's dry and brittle. Maybe tacos are difficult to seal, so manufacturers are forced to under fill? Whatever the reason, some brands miss the mark, while others, like Don Miguel, lead by example.

The Don Miguel Chicken Chipotle Mini Tacos have an active and passionate Reddit community that few items on this list can match. But why? What makes this 50-pack of frozen tacos from Costco so special? The price and crave-worthiness. However, while the consensus is generally positive, long-time customers have commented that the tacos are a bit spicier than they used to be. For this issue, the main workaround is a cooling condiment, like Greek yogurt or sour cream. Still, although people do love these things, it seems like the perfect mini taco has yet to be discovered.

The churro is one of the most globally recognized Mexican desserts. It's basically a twist or extruded wand of fried dough that's tossed in cinnamon sugar and served with, if you're lucky, a smooth chocolate sauce or caramel. Churros come in many shapes and sizes. Costco, famous for scaling everything to the max, sells a foot-long version in its food court for just $1.49. But if you want to scratch that churro itch at home, you can pick up a pack of Hola Churros.

No, these aren't as long as the ones you'll find in the food court, but some regular Costco customers think they're just smaller versions of the same make and model. But how do they taste? Overall, shoppers are pretty pleased. Are they as crisp and pleasantly oily as the ones you'll find at a street fair or Mexican restaurant? Probably not. But they do the job. The key is finding ways to deliver that extra punch of flavor. Although they come with individual packs of cinnamon sugar, some Redditors recommend drizzling chocolate on them. They're also good as a topping for an ice cream sundae. For heating, skip the microwave and go for the air-fryer or toaster oven. No matter how you make them, they are an unbelievably good value: around $14.49 for a box of 30.

When you see a chile relleno on the menu at a Mexican restaurant, it's worth getting. This dish is pretty special, integrating all the different tastes and flavors that make cuisine from this part of the world so interesting and seductive. It's essentially a cheese-stuffed pepper that's battered, fried, and served on top of a rich tomato sauce. It takes some work to prepare, but it's a real stunner when it hits the table.

Somehow the team at Trader Joe's has managed to capture all these dynamic tastes and textures in one convenient, easy-to-heat frozen package. The batter is tempura-style, somewhat spongy but not in a soggy way, providing heft and unctuousness to the otherwise bare, roasted pepper wrapper. The cheese is pleasantly rubbery, and the sauce is savory and delicious. On Reddit, customers are surprised by how good it tastes, even despite the soft, slightly mushy texture. Of all the foods on this list, this one had the most overwhelmingly positive score for flavor. The consensus is that you should reheat the peppers in the air-fryer, not the microwave. Overall, people think the flavor is fantastic, and for just $5.99, you really can't go wrong.

Although this brand of Trader Joe's frozen rice is called "Spanish-style," its flavor profile is decidedly Mexican, drawing on spices and ingredients indigenous to Central America. Tomato gives it its mellow orange color, and a savory spice blend and quick toasting add an umami undertone that makes it easy to pair with dishes from across the culinary landscape, from madras lentils to gyros.

On Reddit, Trader Joe's faithful say it's an excellent accompaniment to many of the store's frozen and refrigerated Mexican entrées, like the birria, mole, green chili and cheese tamales, and even the salad kits. Others use it as a quick and flavorful foundation to a dish. Its utility is what makes this product so special. With dozens of comments on one Reddit thread dedicated to the Spanish-style rice, you can find dozens of interesting and inventive use cases. And while it's marketed as a microwavable grain, some shoppers are convinced you get a better result when you toast it in a pan.

First, I identified some of the more popular Mexican dishes that come frozen. From there, I explored different brands, and using Reddit, Facebook, and other social media channels, I got a sense of which products performed best.

For example, the top taquito maker didn't necessarily deliver the best burrito. I wanted to present a variety, so I didn't repeat dishes. It was difficult to find the top flavor(s), so when there wasn't a clear consensus, I tended to go with the one with the most feedback and attention.