HORMEL COMPLEATS Microwave Tray

The Verdict

Let me be blunt: this isn’t gourmet food. It’s a shelf-stable microwave meal that lives in your pantry until you’re starving, busy, or too tired to cook. And for that specific job, the HORMEL COMPLEATS tray does it remarkably well. With 210 ratings averaging 4.2 stars, enough people agree that it’s worth a serious look.

What You Actually Get

Each tray is a single-serve meal — think Salisbury steak, beef stew, or chicken Alfredo — sealed in a black plastic container with a peelable film lid. The tray is about 7 inches square and holds roughly 10 ounces of food. No refrigeration needed; it sits fine in a cupboard for months. The package includes a paper sleeve that slides underneath the tray after heating, which is essential because that plastic gets dangerously hot.

Performance: 90 Seconds to Dinner

Here’s where this product earns its keep. You peel back one corner of the film to vent, microwave on high for 90 seconds, and done. No stirring required mid-cycle because the tray is designed with a divider that separates the protein from the side dish, preventing that soggy-mush hybrid texture you get from competing products. The steam vents properly through that peeled corner, so you don’t get the explosive splatter mess common with other microwave trays.

The food itself is decent. The Salisbury steak has a real beef flavor with mushroom gravy that isn’t overly salty for a shelf-stable product. The chicken Alfredo comes with fettuccine that holds its texture better than expected — not al dente, but not paste either. Portion size is honest: a solid lunch for most adults, maybe light for someone with a heavy appetite.

What Buyers Consistently Praise

Reading through the reviews, three themes keep appearing. First, convenience in emergency situations. One reviewer wrote, “Bought these for hurricane season and they saved us during a three-day outage.” Another said, “Kept a few at my desk for nights I work late — better than vending machine junk.” Second, the taste-to-effort ratio gets frequent mention. Third, the shelf life — several buyers noted stocking up for camping trips and RV travel where refrigeration isn’t available.

Where It Falls Short

No product is perfect, and this one has real tradeoffs. The sodium content is the biggest issue — most varieties run 700–900mg per tray, which is roughly a third of your daily recommended limit. If you have hypertension or watch salt, this isn’t a daily option. The tray itself also gets scorching hot; the included sleeve helps but barely covers the sides, so have a towel ready. Finally, the plastic tray isn’t microwave-safe for reuse — one meal, then it goes in the trash, which is a legitimate environmental concern for regular users. A few reviewers also noted occasional inconsistent heating in older microwave models, so your 900-watt microwave is fine, but a 700-watt unit may need an extra 30 seconds.

Who Should Buy This

• Emergency preppers — shelf-stable, no water needed, survives temperature swings
• Office workers — keep a few in your desk drawer for late nights or forgotten lunches
• Campers and RV travelers — no refrigeration required, compact to store
• College students — cheaper than dining hall takeout, more substantial than ramen

Skip it if you’re sodium-sensitive, eco-conscious about plastic waste, or expecting restaurant-quality flavor. This is a utility product, not a culinary experience.

FAQ

Q: Do these need to be refrigerated before or after heating? A: No to both. Store unopened trays at room temperature for up to several months (check the date on the label). Once heated, eat immediately — don’t refrigerate leftovers and reheat, as the texture degrades badly.

Q: Can I eat these cold without heating? A: Technically yes, since the food is fully cooked and shelf-stable, but the texture and flavor are significantly worse cold. The 90-second microwave time is worth it.

Q: How many meals come in a package? A: Trays are sold individually or in multi-packs of 6–12 depending on the listing. The price per tray drops substantially when you buy the larger pack.

The Verdict

Buy it if you need a reliable, no-fuss meal that stays in your pantry until you need it. It’s a 4.2-star product because it does exactly what it promises — fast, decent-tasting food with zero prep and zero cleanup beyond tossing the tray.

Skip it if sodium is a concern, you’re avoiding single-use plastics, or you expect anything beyond “pretty good for a microwave meal.” This won’t replace your home cooking, but it will save you from terrible vending machine sandwiches more times than you’d think.

Rating: 4.2/5 — Recommended for its purpose, with honest caveats about salt and heat.

Where to Buy

👉 Check Price on Amazon →

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Last updated: 2026-08-06. Ratings and prices current as of review date. Verify on Amazon before purchasing.