6 Frozen Dollar Tree Foods To Buy And 3 You Should Avoid

When was the last time you bought frozen food at Dollar Tree? We're willing to guess that it may have been a while ago. Dollar Tree's a go-to destination for all things affordable, but a lot of people shop there for non-perishable items and homewares over food. The frozen aisle can sometimes take a backseat, and it's easy to skip over it entirely.

That said, take a second look the next time you're in Dollar Tree. The budget retailer's got a surprisingly healthy selection of frozen foods on sale (alongside the great range of holiday foods available at Dollar Tree), and it stocks some fairly good-tasting products too. Offerings from big brands like Gorton's, Breyers, and Bibigo can all be found for virtually no money at all, and are delicious, easy-to-prepare options that hit the spot. 

Sadly, Dollar Tree also has its fair share of dud frozen foods that are better left in the freezer cabinet. While they may be cheap, they're definitely not cheerful. In this article, we dug deep into the must-have and must-leave items at Dollar Tree, examining a wide range of customer reviews and taste-tests to figure out the best and worst of the bunch. Stay tuned for our full methodology at the end.

When they're good, frozen dumplings can be the best thing on your plate — and when they're bad, it's a crushing disappointment. Thankfully, Dollar Tree provides a pack of dumplings that'll never let you down. Bibigo's Bulgogi Chicken and Vegetable Crispy Frozen Dumplings are a cut above the rest, and offer eaters a twist on classic Korean mandu recipes. These dumplings enclose their filling in a crunchy shell instead of the typical soft wrapping, creating a welcome textural contrast and just a bit more excitement on your plate.

Bibigo's dumpling bites are a hit with customers, who love their easy preparation (they're especially good in the air fryer) and the crispiness of the dumpling wrappers. Shoppers also love how versatile these little things are. "Wish I had bought 5 more bags! Good as a snack or main entrée," said a customer on Dollar Tree's website. These dumplings also include sweet and spicy dipping sauce, which adds some all-important moisture. You could easily just whip up your own dip though, or dip your dumplings in fish sauce for an easy win.

Okay, let's just get this one out of the way: We know that this product isn't ice cream, and nor should you expect it to be. Frozen dairy desserts and ice cream are completely different, and you should prepare to pay more if you're expecting the latter. However, if you're happy with a dessert that's similar to ice cream — but airier, lower in dairy, and affordable — then Breyers Cookies & Cream Frozen Dairy Dessert is the one for you. Available in 48-ounce tubs, it's a great freezer standby when you want an Oreo-like dessert that balances price and quality.

Although this is a frozen dairy dessert, customers still point out its creaminess as a key selling point. It's smooth without being overly rich, and the little nuggets of chocolatey goodness provide a dual texture that complements the dessert. Crucially, it genuinely tastes like Oreos in frozen form — and what could be better than that?

Pizza purists, look away now. No one's under the illusion that Celeste Original Four Cheese Pizza is as good as the offerings peddled out of the stone oven at your local ristorante. It's microwaveable, which doesn't exactly speak to quality, and it won't be the freshest-tasting pizza on the market. However, its taste might shock you. This pizza has a surprisingly decent flavor, with a strong note of oregano and a gentle saltiness to it. Texture-wise, there's more crunch than you might assume. No wonder it's a must-have for some Dollar Tree customers.

Another thing people love about Celeste Original Four Cheese Pizza is its versatility. The simple cheese and tomato flavor profile acts as a base for whatever you want to throw on top. You can add pepperoni, roasted veggies, even more cheese, and whatever else you like. Most importantly, this pizza costs barely over a dollar. For that, it provides an easy meal that will likely taste better than you think. Consider us fans.

Looking for a hearty meal that takes no effort, is easily available in the freezer aisle, and actually tastes good? Then head to Dollar Tree and pick up one of Banquet's Country Fried Chicken Mega Bowls. Each serving combines pieces of fried chicken with mozzarella cheese and pieces of corn, all nestled on a pile of mashed potatoes and gravy. As with any Dollar Tree offering, it's easy not to expect much — but this product is surprisingly tasty, and it's been held up as a KFC bowl dupe that won't cost nearly as much.

These bowls have a clear and devoted following. "The way I love these is ridiculous," stated one fan on Reddit, with others also weighing in on how much they enjoy Banquet's product. Multiple people have pointed out how filling each bowl is, and also how easy they are to prepare. Somehow, the chicken remains good even when microwaved, and the overall flavor feels comforting. 

It's worth mentioning that this Mega Bowl is definitely on the salty side (each serving has 1,560 milligrams of sodium), so it's a good idea to balance it out with lower-sodium options elsewhere. However, it'll satisfy hunger quickly.

What's more reliable than a good old fish stick? Not much — especially when the fish sticks are Gorton's. This venerable brand has been making fish sticks since 1953, and rather than falling behind and offering a worse product over time, Gorton's has honed the art of frozen fish. As a result, the Gorton's Fish Sticks at Dollar Tree are still a good-quality buy, and one that shoppers say still delivers on the flavor front.

What we love about these fish sticks (and what customers love about them, too) is how simple they are. Gorton's Fish Sticks are made up of a total of three ingredients: Minced pollock, a breadcrumb coating, and vegetable oil. This gives them a simple taste that allows them to shine in different recipes. They're just as good piled into a fish taco with pickled onions and coleslaw or served with fries as they are on their own. Plus, they crisp up excellently in the air fryer, and can be run through the oven for the same result.

Now this was a surprise. We have to admit, we didn't think much of T.G.I Fridays Spinach and Artichoke Cheese Dip amongst Dollar Tree's other frozen products. After all, when restaurants pivot to making prepared frozen versions of their in-house items, it sometimes feels like a cash grab that can wind up vastly inferior.

Amazingly though, this spinach and artichoke cheese dip stands toe-to-toe with other prepared dip products, and a lot of shoppers are big fans. It's full of real chunks of spinach and artichoke, and the amount of cheese is very satisfying. As you'd expect from a spinach and artichoke dip, it pairs well with a lot of different chips, crackers, or crudités, and it doesn't overwhelm the palate with saltiness. Crucially, T.G.I Fridays doesn't skimp on flavor here: This dip tastes like the real deal, and exactly like what you'd get in one of its restaurants. Sure, it won't change the world and be the best spinach and artichoke dip you've ever tried — but does it need to be?

Hungry-Man dinners hold a fond place in many people's hearts, and folks across the country carry a nostalgic love for the brand. As such, it's a shame that the food isn't as good as it could be. This is most obvious with Hungry-Man's Salisbury Steak Frozen Dinner, which is best avoided entirely at Dollar Tree. "This was so disgusting. I don't even know why I bought this," stated a person on the Dollar Tree website, giving it a one-star review. "When I opened the package it was slimy and the meat smelled rotten. So overall this looked like barf." Not exactly rapturous praise.

It seems like Hungry-Man has fallen off the deep end with its Salisbury Steak Frozen Dinner, and what was once a good meal is now pretty poor. Customers have accused Hungry-Man of reducing portion sizes, and the smaller amount of gravy has left this meal lacking in flavor and moisture. What's more, the Salisbury steak itself has faced criticism, with some finding it gristly while others say that it's too soft. The mashed potatoes, meanwhile, are watery and bland. Believe it or not, none of this seems particularly appealing.

You probably don't expect a whole lot from a frozen burrito. However, if you've been lulled into a false sense of security while shopping at Dollar Tree and somehow thought that the El Monterey XXL Bean & Cheese Burrito might be worth your time, then we're here to put things right. This store-bought frozen burrito might be large, but that's pretty much where its good attributes end. Bite into it, and you'll be met with a smushed, pasty interior that looks a little bit like baby food, with none of the defined texture expected from the beans.

The tortilla itself is also a bit of a letdown. Rather than being full of flavor with a nice bite, El Monterey's tortillas taste raw after heating, with a gummy consistency that doesn't work. There was a time when this XXL Bean & Cheese Burrito might have been slightly better, but the brand reduced the amount of filling in its burritos lately, and customers have noticed. This means shoppers are paying the same amount for less, and the ingredients already weren't great to begin with.

There was a time when Good Humor Strawberry Shortcake Frozen Dairy Dessert Bars (try saying that three times fast) were pretty good. Though not particularly high-quality, these bars – which can be found in Dollar Tree freezers, of course — were once a reliable option for something sweet after dinner. Now though, they're barely worth a second look. Multiple people have noticed how poor these dessert bars have become recently, and it seems like Good Humor is only leaving customers in a bad mood.

The issue here appears to be with quality control. The dessert bars that shoppers receive look absolutely nothing like the ones on the box, with barely any strawberry coating whatsoever. As for the inside, there's a lack of consistency in the layers: Sometimes, they're just pure dairy, while other times there's no dairy to be found. Customers have also accused Good Humor of cutting corners and trying to pull back on what it delivers for the money. Judging by how poor these bars have gotten, it's hard to argue otherwise.

To determine which Dollar Tree items are worth buying and which should be avoided, we looked at every single frozen food that it currently stocks. We then observed what customers say about these items. For this, we drew from written reviews on the Dollar Tree website, as well as video reviews, taste tests, and reviews on retailer websites. Looking at responses from stores other than Dollar Tree allowed for an unbiased range of reviews, and customer feedback gave us the most up-to-date view of these items. In some cases — like with Good Humor's strawberry dessert bars — apparent declines in quality have been relatively recent, and these reviews helped us deliver the information quickly.

As for how we determined whether something was worth buying or not, we looked at taste and quality. The majority of frozen items available at Dollar Tree are mainstream brands, and many of them don't offer unique flavors or unprocessed ingredients. However, if a manufacturer had clearly maintained the taste and feel of its item over time, it gained a place on our list. Importantly, we also weighed quality against affordability. For example, Celeste's pizza may not be the best of the bunch, but it earned a place on our list when we considered how well it performs against the price.