The Best Store-Bought Appetizers to Have in Your Freezer for the Holidays, According to Chefs

Ali Domrongchai
Ali DomrongchaiAssociate Editor, Groceries
Ali Domrongchai, a Southern-raised, Brooklyn-based food writer, grew up around her family's Thai restaurant that sparked her initial love for food. (Fun fact: her grandparents briefly ran a Thai grocery store in the 70s). In this space, her curiosity on the role that food plays…read more
published Dec 22, 2024
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overhead shot of an assortment of Aldi frozen food, in a freezer drawer.
Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe ; Prop Stylist: Tom Hoerup

Frozen appetizers are a host’s BFF. They’re genuinely delicious, relatively inexpensive, and require little more than a spin in the oven (or air fryer) before they’re ready for prime time. I can’t be the only one grabbing a bag or two from the freezer aisle during a last-minute trip to the grocery store during the holidays.

Don’t believe me? Just ask chefs! And if you don’t have any chefs on speed dial, don’t worry about it: I asked three of my chef friends to share their favorite frozen holiday appetizers (and how they serve them), and their answers did not disappoint. Let’s take a look.

Credit: Instacart

1. Just Bare Lightly Breaded Chicken Breast Chunks, $22.38 for 64 ounces

“I first tried these Just Bare Lightly Breaded Chicken Breast Chunks from Costco when I heard they were a Chick-Fil-A dupe years ago, and they’ve been on my shopping list ever since,” says Lisa Thiraporn from Peppermint in South Florida. She loves them as quick, easy weeknight meals, but especially finds them useful as a last-minute appetizer. “I throw them in some sweet Thai chili sauce and put them on little wooden sticks!”

Buy: Just Bare Lightly Breaded Chicken Breast Chunks, $22.38 for 64 ounces at Costco

Credit: Kroger

2. Kroger Homestyle Frozen Meatballs, $3.29 for 16 ounces

Andrew Ullom, chef/owner of Union Special, a bakery and cafe in Raleigh, North Carolina, recommends Kroger Homestyle Frozen Meatballs to make a classic appetizer that’s always served at his in-laws’ house over the holidays: grape jelly meatballs. “It’s very Ohio,” Andrew says. “The grape jelly must be Smuckers, and the chili sauce or ketchup must be Heinz.”

Buy: Kroger Homestyle Frozen Meatballs, $3.29 for 16 ounces at Kroger

Credit: Instacart

3. Alexia Frozen Crispy Onion Rings, $5.49 for 13.5 ounces

For Freya Hatch-Surisook, line chef at Dinner Party Brooklyn, a go-to frozen appetizer is a bag of onion rings. “They’re far superior to fries, and frozen varieties are just as good — and much easier to throw together — than homemade.” And while you might roll your eyes at the idea of serving them as an appetizer at a dinner party, pair with some aioli or other specialty sauces (like these new ones popping up on shelves) and watch the crowd go wild!

Buy: Alexia Frozen Crispy Onion Rings, $4.99 (on sale!) for 13.5 ounces at Instacart

Do you agree with these chefs? Tell us about it in the comments below.

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