8 Best Meal Delivery Services in Chicago 2023: Expert Ranked

Let’s face it, 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.

So, if you’re living in a busy city like Chicago and are looking to simplify your life, I’m here to lend a helping hand. Together with my team of expert reviewers, I’ve looked into the most popular services that deliver to the area and narrowed it down to ten top picks.

My number one choice is Blue Apron as it has a diverse menu with many international options. Plus, I really liked the combination of easy-prep meal kits and ready-to-eat meals. Read on for my other recommendations…

Our Best Meal Delivery Services in Chicago Reviewed

1. Blue Apron – Best for Improving Your Culinary Skills

Key Features

• Meal kits and prepared meals on the menu

• 19+ unique recipes per week

• Three dietary options, including vegetarian, carb-conscious, and diabetes-friendly

• Current deal: Enjoy $130 off across your first 6 orders

Blue Apron lets you enjoy restaurant-quality meals with minimal prep and cook times. If you’re still navigating your way around a kitchen, Blue Apron’s app will help you learn and master new cooking techniques through short demonstration videos.

You’ll find several dietary options, including WeightWatchers-friendly meals, with points associated with each meal to make following the diet a breeze. You can specify certain dietary restrictions without limiting your options too much.

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

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

Key Features

• Sustainably sourced ingredients (certified USDA organic and GMO-free)

• 24 unique recipes per week

• Seven dietary options, including keto, gluten-free, or paleo

• Current deal: Get $250 Off + Free Shipping

Green Chef is a sustainably sourced meal kit delivery service that offers chef-crafted menus across a range of healthy diets. The company is very specific about choosing the best organic ingredients whenever possible.

One thing my colleague found while working on her in-depth Green Chef review is that all the recipes are suitable for beginners and only take around 30 minutes to prepare and cook. This is about the industry standard, but unlike most other meal kits, many of the ingredients are prepped for you, which helps save time.

I also like that the packaging is eco-friendly. As its name suggests, Green Chef focuses on reducing waste both in packaging and ingredients. And while I would’ve loved the option of single-servings, it’s a great choice for couples and families.

3. Home Chef – Best Customizable Plan for Any Palate

Key Features

• Easy-prep meal kits, some ready in as little as 15 minutes

• 30+ unique recipes per week

• Carb-conscious, calorie-conscious, and vegetarian meals

• Current deal: 75% Off Your 1st Box + 60% Off Your 2nd and 3rd Boxes!

Home Chef stands out from the rest by offering a wide variety of customization options in each box. You can also swap out (or upgrade) your protein in nearly every recipe using the handy Customize It tool. See what options are available in our in-depth review, which takes a closer look at the menu.

With up to six servings per meal, this is one of the biggest options I’ve found in a meal delivery service – it’s great if you’ve got a big family to feed.

All meal delivery services add convenience to your life, but Home Chef takes this to the next level with its huge range of low-prep meals. You can choose from Oven-Ready, 15-Minute Meal Kits, and Fresh & Ready dishes that will get dinner on the table in as little time (and skill!) as possible. 

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

Key Features

• Family-friendly with plenty of options for kids

• 30+ unique recipes per week

• Carb-smart, calorie-smart, vegetarian, and pescatarian diets

• Current deal: Get 25 free meals + free shipping + 3 surprise gifts

HelloFresh is one of the most popular services in Chicago and it’s easy to see why. The crowd-pleasing menu includes some of the most popular recipes from cuisines all over the world, which fits right into the city’s diverse culinary scene.

The company prides itself on offering high-quality, fresh ingredients while prioritizing sustainably sourced proteins. It also incorporates seasonal ingredients in its weekly changing menu, ensuring variety in your diet.

See how my colleague got on when she cooked four meals in her tried-and-tested review.

HelloFresh also brings back customers’ top-rated recipes with the Hall of Fame tag, so you know you can enjoy your favorites time and time again.

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

Key Features

• Meal kits and prepared meals

• Eight meal kits and eight prepared meals per week

• Dietary options include gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free, and high-protein

• Current deal: Get $30 Off with code carrot30

Purple Carrot manages to hit two birds with one stone – healthier meal options and a smaller carbon footprint for each item on the menu. By cooking exclusively with plants, Purple Carrot is also one of the best vegetarian and vegan-friendly meal delivery services for the Chicago area.

Plus, our reviewer found that the meals are just as inviting for meat eaters who want to introduce more veggies into their diet a few days a week. That’s because the chefs like to recreate classic American foods (recipes like Dolma-Stuffed Grilled Cheese or Grilled BBQ Cauliflower Steaks) in plant-based form.

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. 

6. Marley Spoon – Learn to Cook Food like Martha Stewart

Key Features

• Menu filled with classic home-cooked dishes

• 45+ unique recipes per week

• Dietary options include vegetarian, low-cal, low-carb, and pescatarian

• Current deal: Get $190 off Your First 4 Boxes!

The partnership between Marley Spoon and Martha Stewart works great for Chicagoans who want easy and delicious home-cooked meals. Plus, the cooking instructions often only have six steps, so they’re not daunting to follow.

My colleague’s in-depth review shows how, besides being affordable ($2.99 per serving), Marley Spoon works with the highest quality ingredients to create healthy, delicious meals.

I also like that Marley Spoon is actively involved in reducing food waste and achieving carbon neutrality. For this, all the ingredients are measured and pre-portioned, so you’ll get exactly what you need.

7. EveryPlate – Great Low-Cost Meal Delivery

Key Features

• No-fuss recipes that can be broken down into six steps

• 17 unique recipes per week

• Around four veggie-forward meals each week

• Current deal: $1.39/meal On Your 1st Box

The primary focus of EveryPlate is to provide simple meal kits at an affordable price. Especially for the Chicago area, the cost of EveryPlate ($1.49 per serving) is comparable to fast food, so you can spend the same amount of money and eat healthier in the comfort of your home.

To keep costs low, you have a slightly more limited menu selection and simpler recipes, with options derived mostly from American cuisine. But, if you don’t have any special dietary needs or allergies, the menu’s varied enough to keep things interesting.

Our expert reviewer found EveryPlate to be a great option with satisfying meals and a price that’s hard to compete with (although he had a lot to say about the number of carrots in his delivery…).

8. Grubhub – Contact-Free Food Delivery From Your Favorite Local Restaurants

Key Features

• Access to a wide range of cuisines

• 24-hour delivery (for some restaurants)

• Multiple dietary options

Grubhub is a food delivery service that allows you to order from your favorite participating local restaurants from the convenience of your computer, tablet, or phone.

Aside from the convenience factor, another great benefit of Grubhub is that there are almost always promos running. Grubhub has a standard delivery fee (typically around 10%), but if you’re a long-term customer, you’re better off with a monthly subscription to Grubhub+ for $9.99 per month. You can also get 10% cash back for every $100 spent through Grubhub+.

Grubhub currently serves more than 300,000 restaurants in over 3,200 cities, including all across Chicago. 

Best Meal Delivery Services for Chicago: Comparison Table

Tips for Choosing the Best Meal Delivery Service in Chicago

I know the meal delivery market inside out – and the choice can be overwhelming when you’re getting started. Here are a few things to consider when deciding on the best service for your needs:

• Menu diversity: If you like trying new recipes and get bored easily, look for a menu that changes weekly. However if you like to stick to the meals you know and love, a larger, static menu might suit you better.

• Specific dietary needs: Most meal delivery services cover mainstream diets like vegetarian or low-calorie, but if you follow a more restrictive diet or have allergies to consider, you may want to look for a more specialist service to ensure you have enough choice.

• Budget: The industry caters to a huge range of budgets. You can still get great meals for a lower price point, they just might contain fewer ingredients and are unlikely to cater to complex diets (like vegan or keto). On the other hand, services that use top-quality organic ingredients or that have menus for more restrictive diets will cost more. 

• The environment: Meal delivery services do their bit by eliminating a lot of food waste, but they have to use sturdy packaging and insulating materials to get packages to your doorstep. Look out for companies that make an effort to use recyclable materials and keep their carbon footprint small.

Bottom Line: Why Choose a Meal Delivery Service?

Whether you’re looking to save time, money, or energy, there’s a meal delivery service out there for you. City life can be busy and there’s always something going on in Chicago. Having dinner sorted can save time and headspace you’d otherwise spend meal planning, grocery shopping, and cooking. 

FAQ

What is the best meal delivery service in Chicago?

Home Chef ranked on my list as one of the most well-rounded meal delivery services currently available in Chicago. Offering a wide range of meal kit styles, diets, and plan sizes, with a reasonable price tag, you’ll get perfectly tailored meals delivered weekly.

What is the most affordable meal delivery service in Chicago?

EveryPlate is the cheapest service on my list and the best for tight budgets. However, if you have any dietary restrictions, you might want to look at one of the other great-value options in my round-up.

Does HelloFresh Deliver in Chicago?

Yes. HelloFresh delivers to Chicago. You’ll type in your zip code when you sign up so any delivery restrictions will be flagged upfront. 

Is Grubhub in Chicago?

Grubhub has many participating restaurants in Chicago. This makes it an excellent option for the occasional meal choice, but not realistic for daily meals. Like all delivery apps, there are delivery charges and service fees, making each meal far more expensive than meal delivery services.