The best — and worst — frozen shrimp dinners
A bag of frozen shrimp is a great mealstarter, but it’s not exactly dinner. It needs more — seasoning, sauce, vegetables, rice or pasta. All that, of course, requires imagination, and prep and clean-up time. Not in the mood? No problem. Head to the freezer aisle for a ready-made, heat-and-eat shrimp meal. They come in a vast array of flavors, sizes and styles that can be on the table in minutes. Some beg for a side of rice — others are a complete meal in a bowl, bag or box. Admittedly pricey, these meals are perfect for an elegant, no-fuss meal at home.
The best meals start with top-quality raw shrimp, which happens to be a low-fat, nutrient-dense protein. Even though shrimp is high in cholesterol, it’s a good source of iodine, omega-6 and -3 — and it has just 270 calories per 6-ounce serving.
The best frozen shrimp entrees incorporate lots of perfectly par-cooked vegetables, carbs that are not overprocessed, and restaurant-quality sauces that are complex, balanced and plentiful enough to flavor the entire dish.
Unfortunately, many frozen shrimp meals miss in so many ways. Shrimp is often in short supply, or it’s undersized or overcooked. Sauces range from tasteless to garlic bombs that kill the taste buds.
Since serving sizes on these meals vary drastically, we broke down the numbers to refer to servings ranging from 110 to 150 grams. Hearty eaters may eat double that. Here’s the scoop.
Contessa Cutting Board Chipotle Shrimp Street Tacos
Shrimp lovers should check out this kit, which makes eight hefty street tacos packed with plump, perfectly cooked shrimp topped with spinach, corn and roasted tomato. A drizzle of creamy ancho chile sauce seals the deal. The Contessa Shrimp Flatbread kit is also good, but a bit garlicky. 160 calories, 5 g fat, 183 mg sodium, 0.7 g sugar, 10 g protein for a 114 g serving. $9.99 for 24.1 ounces on sale at Safeway. \*\*\*\*
PF Chang’s Shrimp Lo Mein
A generous handful of sliced shiitake and lots of bold sauce turns this bag of noodles and shrimp into a delicious, satisfying umami bomb. The noodleto-vegetable ratio is perfect, but the dish begs for larger shrimp and more of them. 155 calories, 5 g fat, 325 mg sodium, 3.5 g sugar, 5.5 g protein for a 115 g serving. $9.49 for 22 ounces at Safeway. \*\*\*/*
Trader Joe’s Spicy Thai Shrimp Fried Rice
Spicy and flavor-dense, this lemongrass-forward rice with individually packaged shrimp is ridiculously tasty. A few more shrimp would make it perfect. 210 calories, 9 g fat, 320 mg sodium, no sugar, 7 g protein for a 113 g serving. $4.99 for 1 pound at Trader Joe’s. \*\*\*/*
Aqua Star Thai Red Curry Shrimp
While the salt content of this tasty meal is high, the mix of carrots, sugar peas and shrimp in mild curry sauce is well balanced. Thankfully, the generous amount of sauce is in a separate pouch, so the salt — which is in the sauce — can easily be cut. 170 calories, 7 g fat, 880 mg salt, 7 g sugar, 12 g protein for a 114 g serving. $7.99 for 1 pound at some 99Ranch stores. \*\*\*/*
Waterfront Bistro Crispy Honey Walnut Shrimp
Those looking for an impressive shrimp appetizer should check out this expertly prepared handful of shrimp. The sauce is lick-the-dish tasty, and the large, plump shrimp have an exquisite coating that’s toasty and fun. More nuts would be welcome. It’s not exactly a meal, but far too tasty to ignore. 320 calories, 14 g fat, 690 mg sodium, 14 g sugar, 12 g protein for a 118 g serving. $7.99 for 12.5 ounces at Safeway. \*\*\*
Aqua Star Shrimp & Gnocchi
Lackluster sauce is the only flaw in this otherwise acceptable dish with top-notch shrimp and gnocchi. 145 calories, 415 mg sodium, 0.5 g sugar, 7.5 g protein for a 114 g serving. $7.99 for 1 pound at some 99Ranch stores. \*\*\*
Bertolli Shrimp & Linguini
There are a few things exactly right about this meal. The pasta has good texture and the generous handful of red peppers makes for a great flavor boost, but the meager amount of tiny, precooked shrimp turn into tough, unappetizing bits. 135 calories, 6 g fat, 300 mg sodium, 1 g sugar, 4.5 g protein for a 110 g serving. $8.99 for 22 ounces at Safeway. \*\*
Gorton’s Shrimp Bowl Stir Fry with Soba Noodles
Tough, undersized shrimp and flabby noodles are not impressive, but lots of flavorful sauce and vegetables make this enjoyable. 145 calories, 3 g fat, 410 mg sodium, 3.5 g sugar, 8 g protein for a 141 g serving. $4.99 for 10 ounces at Safeway. \*\*
Love the Wild Shrimp with Cajun Cream Seafood Kit
The shrimp in this little kit are flawless, but there’s nothing more in the kit aside from three teaspoons of spicy tomato sauce. It’s not even close to a meal. 160 calories, 8 g fat, 380 mg sodium, 3 g sugar, 18 g protein in a 150 g serving. $4.99 for 5.3 ounces at Whole Foods. \*/*
Scott & Jon’s Cilantro Lime Shrimp Rice Bowl
Bright flavors and plenty of tender shrimp are a win, but its saltiness kills this meal. 120 calories, 0.5 g fat, 340 mg sodium, 1.5 g sugar, 7.5 g protein for a 114 g serving. $4.99 for 8 ounces at Sprouts. \*
Lean Cuisine Shrimp & Angel Hair Pasta
Tasteless shrimp and noodles so soft that they break into bits make for an insipid, regrettable bowl. It’s food, but not food you want. 145 calories, 2 g fat, 275 mg sodium, 2 g sugar, 7 g protein for a 141 g serving. $3.59 for 10 ounces at Safeway. \*
Birds Eye Voila! Selects Garlic Shrimp
Wicked salt and too much garlic make this taste like a bad freezer meal. It needs serious doctoring to be tableready. 153 calories, 5 g fat, 447 mg sodium, 5 g sugar, 5 g protein for a 127 g serving. $6.99 for 21 ounces at Safeway. /*
Lean Cuisine Shrimp Alfredo
Lots of creamy sauce and big shrimp can’t save this garlic bomb. The creamy sauce is so unpleasantly potent it’s inedible. 160 calories, 4.5 g fat, 415 mg sodium, 2 g sugar, 10 g protein for a 154 g serving. $3.99 for 10.7/8 ounces at Safeway. (No stars)
Scott & Jon’s Shrimp Scampi Bowl
The overwhelming garlic in this bowl of linguine, tomatoes and shrimp is shockingly acrid. It bites back and quashes any other flavor in the dish. 140 calories, 0.75 g fat, 345 mg sodium, 2 g sugar, 10 g protein for a 114 g serving. $4.99 for 8 ounces at Sprouts. (No stars)