I Tried the New Blue Apron, And It’s a Weeknight Game-Changer

The new Blue Apron app is extremely easy to use and navigate, with its flexibility being key here. Since you’re no longer bound to a subscription, you can choose which weeks you want food, and which days you want it delivered.

Icons at the top of the screen let you toggle between the three meal categories, from classic meal kits to the Assemble & Bake (one-pan meals) to Dish by Blue Apron (microwave-in-minutes options). You can also filter the week’s offerings by cook time and protein type, if you don’t want to scroll through the 100+ dishes offered each week (which is more than double what it offered before).

Text updates kept me informed on delivery, which was right on time, and each meal arrived individually packaged, with minimal excess to recycle (or toss). I did run into one snag—the Lemon & Feta Chicken meal I ordered sold out before my order could be processed, but that charge was automatically refunded to me as I was notified about it.

When it comes to meal kits, my husband and I have a rule: We don’t order anything we’d make on our own, without a recipe. Our whole goal is to break out of cooking ruts, taking advantage of trying new ingredients without having to invest in a ton of spices we may only use once or twice. (Our pantry is really just two shelves.)

That really appealed to me about the new Blue Apron—there were 33 meal kit options the week I ordered, including several that allow you to customize the protein, if you’re more of a chicken person than shrimp, or you’d prefer smoky pork sausage to ground pork in your stir-fry.

I chose the Roasted Garlic & Lemon Pesto Chicken with Farro, Apple and Goat Cheese Salad with homemade Balsamic Tahini Dressing and Bang Bang Chicken. All three dishes were advertised as 15-minute-or-less meals, and while the Roasted Garlic Chicken and Bang Bang Chicken took me closer to 25 to 30 minutes, that may be because I had a toddler tugging on my legs as I cooked.

All three meals offered solid portions and minimal prep work—the rice and farro was precooked, and the most effort involved with any meal was halving grape tomatoes or slicing scallions.

Better yet, all three meals received rave reviews. The Roasted Garlic and Lemon Pesto Chicken involved sauteing bite-sized chicken pieces, then cooking it in a sauce made from capers, lemon juice and  zest, garlic pesto, crème fraiche and water. It was bright, zingy and just the right amount of briny—so much so that we wanted to sop up any leftover sauce with a hunk of bread, so no drop would go to waste.

Meanwhile, the Bang Bang Chicken featured a shatteringly crisp batter and juicy chicken, that was a nice mix of sweet and medium spice—enough to provide a little heat, but nothing lingering or making you reach for a glass of water. Sauteed poblano peppers added a smoky, vegetal note to liven up the rice, and the peanut topping added a nice crunch.

Initially, I planned on serving the salad with leftover pizza, but it wound up being hearty enough to be a satisfying meal for two on its own. Apples, tomatoes, almonds and goat cheese rounded out the massive bed of spinach nicely, and the highlight was definitely the Balsamic Tahini dressing. That said, at $7 per serving, I’d probably make a dish like this on my own and spring for something a little more out of the ordinary from Blue Apron in the future.

“Does this even count as cooking?” my husband asked after whipping this up. “I didn’t even need to use utensils!” We tested the Korean-Style Beef & Udon Bake, with bok choy, kimchi and Spicy Sesame Dressing, and I have to say, I was wowed by the results.

Living up to its one-pan tagline, you really could make this in one dish—and Blue Apron even provided the oven-safe baking tin to do so. The instructions called for using your hands to tear the bok choy, spread the noodles and beef and assemble the dish, making cleanup as easy as washing your hands. It was the longest meal of the bunch, clocking in at 40 minutes (as it stated it would), but most of that was oven time, freeing us up to unload the dishwasher and help with homework as it cooked.

Better yet, the flavor was top-notch, with strong umami notes, satisfyingly chewy udon and tender beef. Despite my kids’ aversion to vegetables, it was a meal they enjoyed too (even if it was largely the beef and noodles).

If you’re trying to break your $20 chopped salads or drive thru habit at lunch, this is the way to do it. Dish by Blue Apron’s meals are fully prepared and ready to go in microwave-safe containers, and while you can cook them in the oven, you can enjoy them in a fraction of the time (or from your office’s break room) using the microwave.

I tried the Coconut Korma Chicken—chicken thighs in turmeric basmati rice with chickpeas and peas, all drizzled with coconut cashew korma sauce—as well as a more polarizing pick, the Chimichurri Salmon Grain Bowl. And yes, I microwaved the meal, because I wanted to see if Blue Apron could really make microwaveable fish that (A) wouldn’t taste repulsive and (B) wouldn’t get you banned from the office forever. (Plus, it seemed Gwyneth Paltrow-caliber healthy.)

I’m pleased to report the salmon scent was very mild; in fact, the chopped asparagus was much more fragrant…which is also an unpleasant smell to me, but not nearly as bad as microwave fish. I credit the zesty, citrusy chimichurri for masking that, and for truly making the dish. It livened up the flaky salmon, as well as the chewy pearls of barley and brown rice served with the fish and veggies. It was a virtuous, filling lunch, though full disclosure: I preferred the mild curry spices of the Coconut Korma Chicken more.

Many of the meals hover around $9 to $12 per serving, and for the quality of ingredients and ease of prep, it’s a solid deal. Blue Apron’s variety and flexibility, without a weekly commitment to deliveries, is also freeing for busy families. I’d wholeheartedly recommend it—and I plan on ordering again soon.