The best frozen appetizers work for pretty much every occasion. Maybe you’re looking for spinach dip for a sports watch party. Or frozen dumplings for a nice dinner party. Or pigs in a blanket because they’re the best food ever and sitting on the couch eating an entire platter of them is your idea of a party. Whatever the sitch, if you’re hosting the sort of engagement where budget is a consideration—seriously, entertaining in this economy is a pricey prospect—we have the skinny on the best cheap appetizers from our various taste tests. Here are eight frozen appetizers that are quick, easy, tasty, and will set you back less than six bucks.
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- Bremer Cheddar Pierogi ($2.55)
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Frozen pierogies make a great dinner (just don’t forget the applesauce and sour cream). They’re a great side dish with pork schnitzel. But don’t snooze on pierogies if you’re looking for cheap appetizers. When we were taste testing all of the frozen apps and snacks at Aldi, these potato and cheese pierogies were the best frozen appetizer of the bunch—and, for our purposes here, they also happen to be cheap as hell. Seriously, 12 pierogies for less than $3 is insane. And don’t worry, we won’t tell your guests they aren’t Mrs. T’s.
Read the full ranking of the best Aldi frozen appetizers
Credit: Merc / Aldi
- Trader Joe’s Mini Vegetable Samosas ($3.99)
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You’re going to see a lot of Trader Joe’s frozen appetizers on this list. Why? TJ’s sells a lot of frozen apps that taste good and don’t cost a lot of money. Like these mini vegetable samosas. We’re looking at a very high flavor to cost ratio here. These little Indian-inspired pastry pockets are loaded with potatoes, carrots, peas, lentils, onions, and enough spice to make you cough—they’re super filling, they’re vegetarian, and they’re one of those cheap frozen appetizers that no one will suspect cost you less than five bucks.
Read the full ranking of the best Trader Joe’s frozen appetizers
Credit: Liv Averett / Trader Joe’s
- Bibigo Chicken & Vegetable Soup Dumplings ($4.29)
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Bibigo dumplings are pretty much always delicious, and their chicken soup dumplings—which top our list of the best frozen soup dumplings—are some of the best frozen appetizers. They’re packed with rich broth and they even come with a packet of dipping sauce for extra flavor. The best part? You can get deals on these suckers. We found them at our local Dollar Tree, but they’re probably affordable at your regular grocery store, too. Oh, and did we mention they’re microwavable? This is one of those cheap appetizers no one will suspect you didn’t order in from your local dumpling spot.
Read the full ranking of the best frozen soup dumplings
Credit: Merc / Ralphs
- Trader Joe’s Thai Vegetable Gyoza ($4.79)
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Veggie dumplings always hit the spot. They taste so fresh and healthy, even if you pan fry them in oil. Trader Joe’s makes some of our favorite veggie dumplings, which also happen to make pretty great cheap appetizers. The filling is moist, the dumpling wrapper is delicate, and they cook quickly. Plus, you get a lot of them for less than five bucks. Like we said, when it comes to the best frozen appetizers, Trader Joe’s is always putting in the work.
Read the full ranking of the best frozen vegetable dumplings
Credit: Liv Averett
- Morningstar Farms Veggie Classics Frozen Buffalo Nuggets ($4.99)
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You’re probably not going to find frozen Buffalo wings that cost less than five dollars—not ones that taste good, anyway—but the good news is that Morningstar’s veggie Buffalo wings (which were recently rebranded as Buffalo nuggets) are among the best frozen appetizers, for vegans and non-vegans alike. Morningstar products don’t really replicate meat the way Impossible or Beyond products do, but they’re affordable and they’ve been standbys since the 1990s. Add these veggie wings (er, nuggets) to your list of the best frozen appetizers if you want an animal-free game day spread on the cheap.
Read the full ranking of the best vegan Buffalo wings
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- Trader Joe’s Breaded Cheddar Cheese Curds ($4.99)
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None of our favorite frozen mozzarella sticks were cheap enough to make this list, but you can get a bag of breaded cheese curds for less than five bucks at Trader Joe’s, and that’s a big win for your guests. Have you ever been to a gathering where you weren’t extremely happy to see a plate of fried cheese? We rest our case. Put out a few little bowls of dipping sauce and these will disappear fast. (Note: As of this update, these are not currently available at Trader Joe’s, but we expect them to make a comeback.)
Read the full ranking of the best Trader Joe’s frozen appetizers
Credit: Liv Averett / Trader Joe’s
- Trader Joe’s Parmesan Pastry Pups ($4.99)
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Pigs in a blanket are a pretty iconic easy (and cheap) appetizer, but it doesn’t get easier (or cheaper) than these pre-made pastry-wrapped mini hot dogs from Trader Joe’s. These things are greasy, salty, and good. The pastry is buttery, the hot dogs are super savory, and the sprinkling of parm makes these a little fancier than those Pillsbury crescent roll-wrapped pigs you usually make. Grab them while they’re still one of the best cheap appetizers in the frozen aisle.
Read the full ranking of the best Trader Joe’s frozen appetizers
Credit: Liv Averett / Trader Joe’s
- Signature Select Chicken & Pesto Bites ($5.99)
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If you think pesto is the besto, you’ll like these little bite-sized pastry puffs we found at our local Albertsons-owned grocery store. The filo is super crispy and the chicken has a nice savory flavor, even if the filling is a little mushy over all. If you’re throwing the kind of party where people are expected to circulate rather than sit and relax, these are a great one-bite option.
Read the full ranking of the best mini appetizers
Credit: Merc / Instacart
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