The Best Freezer Containers for Meal Prep

As an author of a freezer meals cookbook and with my experience making freezer meals for over 20 years, I’m sharing all my favorite tried-n-true freezer storage containers to use for make ahead meals.

There are many, many different types of containers you can use to freeze your meals. Some are best for soup, some good for use from freezer to microwave, and some are great for freezer to oven.

FREEZER BAGS

One of the most popular and affordable ways to freeze food is by using freezer bags. You can use regular ole’ plastic freezer bags for a disposable option or there are some great inexpensive options for reusables too.

FREEZER PLASTIC BAGS

Remember to get the “freezer-safe” plastic bags as they are made to keep more air out of the bags which helps reduce freezer burn. Here are some of best options.

• ZIPLOC FREEZER BAGS: According to this test done by Cooks Illustrated the best freezer bag was Ziploc Freezer Bags (Amazon.com). And I tend to agree, as I as have less leaks and less freezer burn using them than with other brands.
• IKEA FREEZER BAGS: If you happen to live close to an Ikea they have freezer safe bags I’d recommend as well. They have the cutest colors plus the quality is thick, the bags are recyclable and made from 85% renewable materials helping to reduce landfill waste.
• RESTAURANT SUPPLY STORES: I’ve found the lowest prices on nice quality freezer bags at these kinds of stores. They come in bulk (like 90-150 count packages usually.

WHAT ARE THE BEST REUSABLE FREEZER BAGS?

I tested out tons of different reusable bags to see which ones are strong enough and quality enough without being too expensive – see my 5 favorite reusable freezer bags here. And here’s a little video with my research too. Enjoy!

BEST FREEZER CONTAINERS

For your casseroles, lasagnas, and baked dishes you can use anything from disposable foil baking pans to metal/glass baking pans. I’m listing out all my favorite freezer meal containers that I’ve tried and loved. With these choices, you’re sure to find a container or two that’s perfect for what you want to make your meals in.

What is the best container to freeze food in?

I look for three things when I am deciding the best containers for freezer food. It needs to be a good material that is durable and strong, whether that is in plastic, glass or heavy duty foil. It needs to have a covering like an airtight lid or wrap and foil. Last, it needs to fit in my freezer!

Can you freeze food in glass containers?

Yes, you can definitely freezer food in glass containers. You want to make sure that the glass is either tempered or that it says it is freezer safe. When you freeze in glass containers you also need to make sure to leave about 3/4 inch of space between the top of the food and the lid because even freezer-safe glass can crack as the food expands.

Is it safe to freeze food in plastic containers?

Freezing food in plastic containers is generally safe if you use containers labeled as freezer-safe or made of HDPE, LDPE, PP, or PET. Avoid using cracked or worn containers. Leave space for food expansion and cool hot food before freezing. Avoid storing acidic foods in plastic as they can break down certain plastics.

FREEZER-TO-OVEN PANS

One of the most budget friendly options for freezer-to-oven meal containers is to use disposable foil baking pans. These are available almost anywhere but I’ve found especially great deals at the Dollar stores and Restaurant supply stores. They are so easy because they can go straight from the freezer to the oven, and then afterwards you can just toss them.  These are also great if you want to bring a meal to a friend.  That way you don’t have to worry about getting your pan returned.  I love to keep a stack of these on hand, because you never know when last minute you will need one.

But if you are looking for a more reusable option that will go from freezer to oven these pans below are some of my favorites.

Nordic Ware 9×13 Covered Cake Pan – (Amazon.com) – I love the lid that comes with this so much. Makes freezer meals in pans easily stackable in your freezer!

Oxo Good Grips Freezer-to-Oven Glass Baking Pan (Amazon.com) – I’ve used this several times to go from freezer to oven and the glass they use is specially tempered not to break. How cool is that?

Silicone Baking Pans. There are tons of different sizes on Amazon from 8×8 to 9×13 with great reviews. These are great oven safe meal prep containers.

FREEZER TO INSTANT POT CONTAINERS

The Instant Pot has been a game-changer in the kitchen. And when you pair it with freezer meals, dinner is done in no time! Because the Instant Pot is round, all of your containers need to be able to fit inside the Instant Pot liner. So the best freezer meals containers I have found are these 64 oz. Extreme Freeze Freezeable Deli Food Containers w/ Lids. They are simply the best ever freezer to instant pot containers. You can also use quart sized plastic bags, as they should pop out of the bags and fit as well.

FREEZER TO SLOW COOKER CONTAINERS

Finding freezer to slow cooker containers was a bit of a challenge. That oval shape makes it challenging to fit even frozen quart sized bags. My best advice is to freeze gallon sized freezer bags flat, and run them under warm water to break them up a bit. Thats the easiest way and thriftiest way. Other things you could use would be Souper cubes or silicone soup portion sized containers.

INDIVIDUAL SIZED FREEZER SAFE CONTAINERS

If there are only one or two of you in your household, theses containers are the best for freezer meals. They also have perfect portion control and help you designate how many servings the recipe can feed. I love to use these for a quick lunch, too.

Enther Meal Prep food freezer Containers with lids. I love these! They are BPA free and are stackable for easy storage. Great freezer to microwave containers.

Souper Cubes. Such fun freezer storage containers. You can simply add to the silicone sections and after frozen pop them out. I like the 2-cup size best and these are amazing freezer meal soup containers.

Prep Naturals Glass Prep containers. They are microwave, oven and freezer-safe glass containers and are BPA free & Dishwasher Safe! Such great freezer to oven containers and they are reusable.

Freshware Food Storage Containers 32 oz. These take up lots of room but are freezer meal best containers for soup.

Meatloaf foil pans or pie plates.

8×8 or 9×9 aluminum foil pans. These are great freezer to oven meal containers.

I hope you enjoyed this post with all my favorite freezer meal containers! I also have a great post on my favorite and must have freezer meal supplies here.

Now go forth and make freezer meals! You can get started with some easy recipes for beginners. Check out this post here with 15 of my seriously easiest freezer meals of all time.