10 Best Meal Delivery Services in Chicago 2023: Expert Ranked

Meal delivery services offer an undeniable level of convenience right to your door, whether you’re doing your best to stick to a meal plan or simply save time in your day.

I’ve looked into the most popular services that deliver in Chicago and narrowed down the list to the top 10 picks. Whether you're looking to avoid the grocery store, prefer zero meal prep, want to stick to a diet, or wish to try different foods, meal delivery services are a great option.

My number one choice for the best meal delivery service in Chicago is Blue Apron as it has a diverse menu with many international influences. Plus, I really liked the combination of easy-prep meal kits and ready-to-eat meals. Read on for more recommendations.

Our Best Meal Delivery Services in Chicago Reviewed

1. Blue Apron – Best Overall Meal Delivery in Chicago

Blue Apron provides Signature menus for 2 and 4 people, catering to individuals, couples, or small families. In addition, Blue Apron offers diabetes-friendly meals and a Vegetarian menu. The majority of its cuisine is inspired by Mediterranean flavors, with some classic American and Asian influences incorporated.

Blue Apron's app will help you learn and master new cooking techniques through short demonstration videos. This is especially great if you're still learning to navigate around the kitchen. Recipes are easy to follow and prepare, allowing you to enjoy restaurant-quality meals with minimal prep and cook times. Most recipes even have original, custom seasoning mixes.

For those who are calorie-conscious, try Blue Apron's Wellness plan. It only includes Weight Watchers-approved recipes. These restaurant-quality meals are approximately 500 to 650 calories per serving. One of its popular dishes is the Crispy Prosciutto Lettuce Cups (pictured above), among many others.

Blue Apron also offers 3 microwave-ready meals each week that only take 5 minutes to heat, while most other recipes take an average of 30 minutes to prepare. Its prepared meals feature the same high-quality ingredients as its meal kits, including Spanish-Style Beef and Rice with Red Peppers, Peas, and Raisins.

One of the standout features of Blue Apron is its marketplace, where you can purchase custom spice mixes, wine pairings, and kitchen utensils. Its seasoning options range from Caribbean to Southern, and it offers specific kitchen utensils for purchase if required for a recipe.

Blue Apron's wine delivery also teaches you how to pair the right wine with your meal, as my colleague points out in their Blue Apron review. This is a skill every Chicagoan can learn, so you can recreate the full high-end restaurant experience at home!

Blue Apron prioritizes ingredient quality by sourcing proteins that are humanely raised and produce that is sustainably farmed. This attention to detail ensures you can enjoy high-quality recipes without worrying about added hormones or antibiotics in its food.

Unfortunately, Blue Apron's recipes aren’t customizable for allergies or other diets such as paleo, keto, or gluten-free. Those of you with dietary restrictions must make ingredient substitutions from your own pantry. In my opinion, Blue Apron's recipes best suit omnivores without allergies or specific dietary requirements.

While Blue Apron's shipping materials are approximately 85% recyclable, some individuals may have concerns about the remaining 15%. However, the company provides clear recycling guidelines on its website, and the pre-portioned ingredients minimize food waste.

Blue Apron's minimum order is 2 meals of 2 servings each per week, with pricing starting at approximately $5.74 per serving for the maximum order of 4 meals of 4 servings each per week. Overall, Blue Apron is an excellent option for those willing to spend about 30 minutes prepping ingredients for a home-cooked meal.

2. Home Chef – Best Customizable Plan for Any Palate

With up to 6 servings per meal, Home Chef has one of the largest serving sizes I've found in a meal delivery service – it's great if you've got a big family to feed. You can also add a la carte breakfast and dessert options to round out your weekly menu.

Another feature that sets Home Chef apart is its "Customize-It" feature. This option allows you to substitute or double up on proteins in many recipes. For instance, you can swap pork with chicken breasts, order an additional serving of salmon filets, or trade ground beef for pork chops.

However, keep in mind that customizing proteins often comes with an additional charge, as our reviewer found. See what options are available in our in-depth review, which takes a closer look at the menu.

Home Chef's menu offers mostly classic American recipes that can please just about anyone. The Butter Cracker Crusted Honey Chicken recipe, shown above, is a familiar favorite that can be a satisfying option for families with kids. Additionally, you can substitute the chicken with Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, Boneless Pork Chops, Sirloin Steaks, or USDA Choice New York Strip Steak.

For those looking to make a gourmet meal, Home Chef also offers premium cuts of meat, such as filet mignon or sirloin steak, as protein upgrades. Plus, for those who enjoy getting creative in the kitchen, you can order additional ingredients from Home Chef's menu to create complete meals, including proteins, veggies, sides, and desserts.

Unlike other meal delivery services, Home Chef allows you to order different serving sizes for each recipe. Most services only offer 1 set serving size for the entire order.

However, Home Chef falls short in catering to specialized diets, such as vegetarians. While you can customize proteins, you can't exclude or exchange other ingredients. Therefore, Home Chef is best for omnivores without allergies or dietary restrictions. If you follow a niche diet, you’ll be better off with Green Chef. 

One aspect I appreciate about Home Chef is the ability to choose my delivery day. You can select from Monday through Friday delivery days depending on your zip code. You can also receive text message updates from the carrier or check your delivery status via Home Chef's mobile app.

Home Chef's prices begin at $7.99 per portion. You can order 2 to 6 recipes per week for 2, 4, or 6 people, giving you a total of 4 to 36 portions per week. This is about 12 more portions than the average meal delivery service!

3. Factor – Best Healthy Microwave-Ready Meals

All Factor meals are designed and approved by registered dietitians to ensure balanced macronutrients, making them more than just your typical microwave dinner. The menu includes plant-based options such as fully prepared vegan meals, grab-and-go juices, and smoothies in the add-ons section.

Factor offers a free 20-minute consultation with an in-house dietitian who can assess if its meals will fit your fitness goals. Other meal delivery services typically require that you subscribe first, but Factor also allows you to speak with a dietitian before you order to ensure that you're getting the right meals for your diet.

The weekly menu includes 35 recipes and 40+ add-ons, rotating some recipes and add-on items each week. The cuisine is mainly American and Mediterranean, with a few Asian and Southeast Asian-inspired dishes such as the Peanut Buddha Bowl with Cilantro Quinoa, Gochugaru-Spiced Peanuts, and Sesame Broccoli.

Meal plans are flexible and cover a wide range of diets with 5 options: Chef's Choice, Vegan & Veggie, Keto, Calorie Smart, and Protein Plus. These plans are more like menu filters than they are like strict ordering formats. You can mix and match these plans to suit your preferences.

Factor add-ons are great for keto and high protein dieters but only give a few options for vegan or vegetarian dieters. You'll find plenty of keto-friendly desserts like Chocolate Chip and Snickerdoodle cookies, or Peanut Butter-Chocolate Macaroon Fat Bombs.

If you’re worried about the quality and taste of the prepared meals, check out our review. After testing Factor's high-quality microwave-ready meals, my colleague said, "Factor is up there with some of the best."

Factor prioritizes high-quality, humane, and sustainably grown ingredients, with non-GMO and mostly organic produce used in every recipe. All poultry and eggs are cage- and antibiotic-free, all meats are pasture-raised or grass-fed, and the salmon is sustainably sourced. You can be sure that each time you heat and eat your Factor meals, you're getting quality food.

Factor's recipes are integrated into popular calorie-tracking apps like MyFitnessPal, LoseIt, and Carb Manager, so you can track all your macronutrients and vitamin intake by adding the meals to your daily food log. If you're trying to stick to a diet like low-calorie or keto, tracking your macronutrients can be helpful.

Ordering and managing your subscription is simple since Factor offers an app that's iOS and Android compatible. So you can sign up or change any order details via the mobile app or desktop website. The FAQ is also very user-friendly, the chatbot provides accurate responses, and the 24/7 live chat is convenient for last-minute questions or order change requests.

You can order up to 18 meals each week and add in protein smoothies. This way you can enjoy a week's worth of delicious, high-quality, fully prepared food from Factor. The cost per serving for the largest order size starts at $6.19. The minimum order is 6 meals per week.

4. HelloFresh – Best All-Around Home Delivery Service in Chicago

HelloFresh is the largest meal delivery service in the world. It’s most definitely honed the art of delivering fresh, high-quality ingredients right to your doorstep. There are 6 different meal plans to choose from, including Meat & Veggies, Veggie, Family Friendly, Fit & Wholesome, Quick & Easy, and Pescatarian. For even more variety, it's possible to mix and match plans.

You’ll find around 60 meal kit recipes available each week. The menu consists of mainly American cuisine, with some Mediterranean and Mexican influences. You can also easily find the most popular recipes tagged with the Hall of Fame icon on the recipe card. One example is the One-Pan Trattoria Tortellini Bake (pictured above).

For those new to meal delivery services, HelloFresh is a great place to start. It has 2 convenient features, including HelloCustom, which allows for protein swaps on some entrees, and the HelloFresh Market, which offers grocery items like fresh proteins, spices, produce, and desserts. Check out my colleague's tried-and-tested review of HelloFresh's service, which praises the "foolproof" recipes.

While the menu is best suited to meat-eaters and omnivores, there’s a Veggie plan that offers meat- and seafood-free meals. Plus, you can use that HelloCustom feature to swap meat and seafood proteins for vegetarian options in some recipes.

Most recipes take around 30 minutes to prepare, with prep times ranging from 10 to 50 minutes. For busy nights, HelloFresh offers One-Pot Wonder recipes and an entire plan called Quick & Easy that's dedicated to offering meals that only take 10 to 15 minutes of prep time.

There are also 4 or 5 recipes labeled as "10-minute lunches" each week, which are perfect for those in a hurry. One example is the 7-Layer Dip Avocado Toasts with Tomato Refried Black Beans and Cheddar, ideal for a busy day when you just want to throw together a quick and healthy meal.

HelloFresh makes prep as non-intimidating as possible by prepping ingredients according to meal portions and specifications. Ingredients are also separated according to each recipe, minimizing food waste and decreasing prep time. However, some basic prep work such as chopping, trimming, washing, patting dry, seasoning, and frying is still required.

One potential downside to HelloFresh is that it's not possible to filter the main menu by recipe type, dietary category, or common allergies, which may be inconvenient for those of you who follow more specific diets.

The customer support team is available via 24/7 live chat to assist with any issues and has been described as "hands-down outstanding" in our review. I think this is one of the best features a meal delivery service can offer, in case of last-minute order issues or you haven't received your delivery.

HelloFresh has a minimum order requirement of 2 recipes for 2 people per week, with up to 6 recipes for 4 people per week. As you order more meals, the per-serving price decreases. The largest order starts at a per-serving price of $3.32.

5. Green Chef – Best Chef-Crafted Recipes for Healthy Chicagoans

Green Chef offers chef-crafted certified-organic menus across a range of diet plans and is one of the leading sustainably sourced meal kit delivery services. The company is very specific about choosing the best organic ingredients whenever possible.

While customization options are limited, Green Chef offers 7 diet plans, including Vegan, Vegetarian, Keto, Gluten-Free, High Protein, Mediterranean, and Fast & Fit. Menus for all plans are posted for the next 3 weeks, making meal planning easy.

Meal plans are flexible since the service allows for mixing and matching multiple plans. For example, you can combine the Vegan plan with the Gluten-Free plan to choose from meals that are only gluten-free and/or plant-based. All gluten-free meals are certified by the Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG).

You’ll find classic American dishes with Mediterranean, Mexican, and Asian influences. Dishes such as Pork Chops with Creamy Shallot Sauce, Garlic Mashed Potato, and Roasted Broccoli, provide a diverse array of cuisines for Chicago residents.

The recipes provided by Green Chef are easy to follow, with pre-prepared sauces and seasonings, and pre-portioned produce arriving in meal kits. On average, meal kit prep takes around 30 to 45 minutes per meal. For more about cooking with Green Chef, you can check out my colleague's tried-and-tested review.

Recipes are conveniently tagged by diet plan on the main menu, making it easy to find the right recipe for you. Additionally, 10-minute lunches are available, such as the vegetarian, gluten-free, calorie-conscious Mexican-Spiced Black Bean Salad with Guacamole, Cheddar, Tomatoes, Cheddar, Pepitas, and Cilantro Vinaigrette.

Green Chef also offers an extensive Add-Ons section best suited for keto dieters. Flavored oatmeals are available for vegetarian or vegan eaters, but most extras are keto desserts, keto meal bundles, fish or meat protein sides, and non-plant-based breakfasts.

Green Chef's prices start at $5.99 per serving, which is more affordable than organic salad takeout but slightly more expensive than grocery shopping and prepping on your own. Serving sizes range from 3 meals for 2 people to 4 meals for 6 people per week.

6. Fresh and Easy – Best Easy Prep Meal Kits

Fresh and Easy by Home Chef is a great option for Chicagoans who are pressed for time. This selection of Home Chef's easiest recipes comes pre-portioned, chopped, and ready to cook. Our Fresh and Easy reviewer found that it saved them loads of time and hassle.

What's great is that these recipes usually take 15 minutes or less to prep. Take for example the Almond-Crusted Salmon with Garlic-Edamame Rice (pictured above), which is worthy of a date night and can be prepared in just 15 minutes.

If you don’t mind a bit more prep, you can still order from Home Chef's entire menu, which includes over 20 recipes per week. This expands your recipe options and allows you to mix and match Fresh and Easy and Home Chef meals as you please.

You can also add any extras from Home Chef's main menu, including fully prepared meals like premixed salads, breads, frittatas, soups, and sides. Plus, you'll even find microwave-ready desserts like a ready-to-bake Snickerdoodle Cookie.

Like Home Chef, you can customize proteins in Fresh and Easy's recipes. This means that you can swap fish for meat in some meals, which gives you more flexibility in meal planning.

However, Fresh and Easy doesn’t cater to specific diet plans, unlike some other meal delivery services like Green Chef. If you follow a keto, gluten-free, or vegan diet, you might have to sift through ingredient cards on the main menu to find suitable recipes.

The minimum and maximum orders for Fresh and Easy are the same as Home Chef's – 2 recipes for 2 people per week, and 6 recipes for 6 people per week, respectively. Prices start at $7.99 per serving if you go with the maximum order.

7. BistroMD – Calorie-Conscious Plans Designed by Dietitians

BistroMD offers low-calorie prepared meals designed by a Ph.D. dietitian with over 2 decades of experience in weight loss. Along with her team of registered dietitians, they personalize your weekly meal plans to cater to individuals looking to transition to a low-calorie diet.

BistroMD's recipes add up to a complete 1,200 or 1,400 calories-per-day meal plan, with each meal containing 350 to 500 calories. They also clearly label calorie counts and nutritional information on each meal. If you’d like more information about ordering, my colleague has written an extensive review of BistroMD's full meal delivery service.

It’s important to note that no ingredient substitutions are possible since meals are part of a meticulously planned and portioned calorie-conscious diet. However, BistroMD accommodates some diets with its different plans. You can choose from Signature, Gluten-Free, Heart Healthy, Keto Flex, Diabetic, and Menopause meal plans.

Please note, the Keto flex plan is simply a low-carb, medium-fat program and won’t get you into ketosis. Additionally, the Diabetic and Menopause plans offer exactly the same foods.

Despite its limitations, BistroMD provides balanced meals composed of whole foods. Every meal has proteins, complex carbs, and healthy fats with macro balances aligned with the meal plan you select.

All meals come fully cooked, frozen, and individually portioned for convenience. Defrosting, heating, and eating are all that is required. This service takes care of all meal decisions, which is convenient for individuals struggling to decide what to eat while dieting.

However, it's unclear how long the meals remain frozen before delivery, making me skeptical of meal delivery services that rely on freezing food. I prefer receiving fresh and never frozen meals, as offered by Factor.

You can choose 2 or 3 meals for 5 or 7 days per plan, meaning you can choose up to 21 meals a week. This means you never have to worry about having diet-friendly meals on hand.

The maximum plan for 21 meals costs $8.24 per serving. Overall, BistroMD provides a convenient and personalized service for individuals looking to transition to a low-calorie diet.

8. Trifecta – Great Build-Your-Own Meals

Trifecta stands out with its Meal Prep plan that allows you to create your own meals from ingredients like meat, fish, complex carbs, and vegetables. The food arrives fully prepped with simple ingredients like olive oil, garlic, onion, thyme, and rosemary.

Trifecta offers dietary plans, such as Classic, Keto, Paleo, Vegetarian, Vegan, and Whole30. You can order 5, 7, 10, or 14 entrees per week with the option to add on breakfasts to each plan (except if you select 5 entrees and then 5 breakfasts are automatically added).

The meals come in microwave-ready trays that are portioned for individual use. I appreciate the use of microwave-ready trays, as it makes it easy to store the food and reuse the trays for other purposes.

Trifecta uses only fresh and seasonal ingredients and avoids using preservatives, artificial, processed, or refined ingredients in any of its foods. You can learn more about the different meal plans offered by Trifecta by reading my colleague's review.

One drawback of Trifecta's menu is that you can’t see the recipe options for each plan, except for the Classic plan. The Classic plan allows you to select from 9 recipes, including breakfast options. However, not seeing recipes for all the other plans is very inconvenient if there are certain ingredients you’re trying to avoid. Factor, on the other hand, lets you see its entire weekly menu up front. 

What’s convenient about this service is that it provides a nutrition-tracking app that allows you to easily track the macros of your meal. The app integrates all of the recipes, and you can scan the barcodes of other products that you might add to your meals.

It's worth noting that Trifecta is one of the more expensive services on my list. For example, a full week of 7 breakfasts and 14 entrees can cost over $300. The price per serving starts at $6.00.

9. Purple Carrot – Best For a Plant-Based Diet

Purple Carrot specializes in providing 100% plant-based vegan meals and offers meal kits and microwave-ready meals.

The chefs often recreate meat-centered recipes in plant-based forms, like the Pesto Melt, which normally has grilled chicken, or Grilled BBQ Cauliflower Steaks. This means that meals can be just as inviting for meat eaters who want to introduce more veggies into their diet a few days a week, which our reviewer did when they tried Purple Carrot at home. 

Each week, there are 12+ meal kit recipes, ranging from 5-minute breakfasts to dinners that can be ready in 30 minutes. Although Purple Carrot has a smaller menu compared to other meal kit delivery services, it still offers fresh weekly recipe options.

Despite the smaller menu, Purple Carrot’s cuisines are diverse and cater to adventurous palates. Each meal kit contains a variety of veggies, herbs, and spices, making vegetables the star of each dish. The menu features a mix of Mediterranean, Indian, Asian, and Southeast Asian-inspired recipes.

I appreciate Purple Carrot’s prepared meal options, which include 8 rotating recipes per week, as well as snacks and pantry staples in the Plantry. This means that there’s a different prepared recipe to try every day of the week. Eating plant-based can be a challenge and require a lot of prep time, so these prepared meals ready in 2 to 3 minutes are super convenient.

Purple Carrot’s microwave-ready meals also offer a range of cuisines, such as the Indian-inspired vegan Palak Cauliflower with Curried Chickpeas and Almond Sultana Pilaf. The fully prepared meals come in recyclable trays and can be heated in the microwave for 2 to 5 minutes.

You can also add breakfast or lunch kits, which will help you stay on track the whole day. On busy days, Purple Carrot’s range of prepared meals ensures you don’t have to resort to pricey takeout or boring salads to stick to a vegan diet.

What sets Purple Carrot apart is that it focuses on bringing vegetables to the foreground rather than relying on meat substitutes for flavor or protein. Its creative plant combinations, such as Hoisin Tofu Steaks with Sticky Rice and Spinach Poppy Seed Salad, have received praise from reviewers.

Purple Carrot’s High Protein plan is also worth mentioning, as it offers at least 20 g of protein per serving. This is particularly useful for plant-based eaters who struggle to get enough protein in their diets.

However, it’s important to keep in mind that Purple Carrot’s convenience is a bit pricey. The maximum order starts at $8.50 per serving, and prepared meals are priced at $13, regardless of the number ordered.

You can order a minimum of 3 meal kits for 2 people and a maximum of 3 meal kits for 4 people per week. Prepared meals come as single portions and can be ordered in bundles of 6, 8, or 10 meals per week.

10. Marley Spoon – Learn to Cook Like Martha Stewart

Marley Spoon and Martha Stewart's partnership shows you an easy way to make comfort food recipes. The menu features classic American comfort foods with a nice mix of internationally-inspired recipes for those with more adventurous taste buds.

Marley Spoon sets itself apart with an impressive menu of over 100 recipes each week, which is well above average compared to other meal delivery services I've reviewed. The menu includes entrees, sides, Premium meals, microwave-ready meals, and desserts. While there aren't extensive dietary and allergy accommodations, the variety of options makes up for it.

Recipes come as meal kits with precisely measured and portioned ingredients. Basic prep such as chopping, dicing, and slicing is still required, but the cooking instructions are easy to follow. My colleague’s in-depth review discusses more features of this affordable service.

For those who want to splurge, Marley Spoon's Premium meals offer about 35 recipes each week that include higher-quality ingredients like organic produce and premium cuts of meat. The Organic Truffle Butter Steak is a prime example of the delicious options available.

What's impressive about Marley Spoon is its commitment to environmental friendliness. Meals are designed to reduce food waste, which means less packaging and garbage production. The service is also 100% carbon neutral, offsetting any carbon-based materials used in the service with carbon-eliminating projects such as tree planting.

Marley Spoon recently introduced recipe customization, allowing customers to exchange certain ingredients. However, it's important to note that the entire menu may be subject to allergen cross-contamination, so those with severe allergies may want to consider a more specialized service.

Marley Spoon maintains affordable prices starting at $2.99 per serving, despite the great customization options and commitment to sustainability, You can order 2 to 6 recipes per week for 2 or 4 people, making it a great option for couples or small families on a budget.

Best Meal Delivery Services for Chicago: Comparison Table

Tips for Choosing the Best Meal Delivery Service in Chicago

As a meal delivery expert, I understand how overwhelming it can be to choose from the many options available. To help make your decision easier, here are some factors to keep in mind:

• Menu diversity: Those who like to try new recipes should look for services that update their menus weekly, like Blue Apron. If you prefer sticking to familiar dishes, a larger, more stable menu may be better for you.

• Unique dietary requirements: While numerous meal delivery services offer options like vegetarian or low-calorie, if you have specific dietary limitations or allergies, you might need to look for more specialized services to ensure a good selection. Green Chef, for instance, accommodates a variety of niche diets. 

• Budget: The meal delivery industry offers options for a wide range of budgets. Lower-priced meals from a service like HelloFresh may contain fewer ingredients and only cater to mainstream diets. While more expensive, premium services, like Factor, may feature prepared meals and cater to restrictive diets.

• The environment: Meal delivery services reduce food waste, but require sturdy packaging and insulation for shipping. Consider services like Marley Spoon that use eco-friendly materials and have a small carbon footprint to reduce environmental impact.

FAQ

What is the best meal delivery service in Chicago?

Blue Apron is the best meal delivery service delivering to Chicago with high-quality, sustainably sourced ingredients, and easy gourmet recipes that help you improve your culinary skills. The menu is great for vegetarians and omnivores.

What is the most affordable meal delivery service in Chicago?

Does HelloFresh Deliver in Chicago?

Yes. HelloFresh delivers to Chicago and to the 48 continental states. You can type in your zip code when you sign up so any delivery restrictions will be flagged upfront.

What is the best prepared meal delivery service in the Chicago suburbs?

Factor is the best prepared meal delivery service in the Chicago suburbs. You can double-check what delivery days are available for your zip code on Factor’s website.

Best Meal Delivery Services in Chicago in 2023 — Final Score