Trader Joe's blog and cooking.
Trader Joe's offers a wide variety of seafood options from fresh to frozen. But quality can vary, fortunately, that's why you have this site!
From Dover Sole to the Fresh Wild Salmon to their very popular Squid Ink Spaghetti find dozens of reviews of Trader Joe's seafood products and see which ones are worth your time and which ones you may want to consider leaving on the shelf!
The pros: In each package of Trader Joe’s Mojito Salmon you get large pieces of fish (you get 2 in a package), spicy and tasty topping* *(cilantro haters do not apply. If you despise cilantro, please steer clear. You will not like this)
The cons: Took longer than 40 minutes from frozen. You’ll need to like a more poached flavor/visual appearance to enjoy this. Not gluten free. Which is a shame as there is really no need for the wheat ingredients here.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Korma Fish Curry expands the Trader Joe’s line of Indian cuisine. At $3.49 this is reasonably priced and in line with everything else they offer. It’s also an excellent value when you consider you are getting a fish entree (and a good sized portion of fish) for this price.
The cons: Must enjoy (or be willing to try) curry to appreciate this dish. The occasional fenugreek leaves left behind in the rice was an element which I wasn’t crazy about. Swai doesn’t taste like much, but the sauce carries this dish.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Panko Breaded Calamari is a good value as you get a whole pound of calamari for $5.49. Good lucking making it that cheap or ordering it out that cheap. The taste was pretty close to what you would get out only slightly less tender but well done.
The cons: Once people realize it’s in the freezer section, it may become hard to find. They could cut down on the amount of trash this creates. The box was shrink wrapped and the was another plastic bag inside the shrink wrapped box.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Battered Halibut makes for a quick, easy dinner. Crispy batter when it comes out of the toaster oven. Just needs a side dish.
The cons: Is it as good as homemade? No, nor is it as good as your local pub if you are looking for fish and chips. $8.99 for the box, pricey, but a few filet o fish at McDonalds will set you back just as much. Plus this does taste better.
The verdict: …
I love seafood. I mean love. I’ll even eat mediocre seafood. This, I won’t eat again. It was a pain in the ass. The sauce was like drinking ocean water. I so very rarely throw out seafood. I did not finish this and I would not ever buy this again. I’ll clean my own mussels for now on. For $3.99 I could have cooked a whole big bag of mussels. One of the least pleasant things I’ve eaten is Trader Joe’s Mussels in a White Wine Sauce.
Pros: You aren’t cleaning your own mussels. The box is pretty.
Cons: So many. Here we go: vacuum sealed bag made it hard, I couldn’t tell if they were open or shut, some were broken, bag kept floating to the surface, sauce was painfully salty. I wanted to like this so very much. This was an ugly Betty.
The verdict: …
Why have food when you can have “superfoods?” Yes, Trader Joe’s Salmon and Vegetable Croquettes have all the buzzwords for super foods: Salmon, edamame, chia seeds, kale and broccoli. But…
The Pros: Tasty, healthy option with lots of “superfoods.” Expect even ratio of salmon to veggies.
The Cons: Only 4 come in a package. If you are expecting it to be salmon heavy you are wrong. Small croquettes, I polished off all 4 in a sitting. Sorry not sorry.
The Verdict: …
Welcome to another edition of “I’ve had a long week and I need to pull something out of the freezer.” In one of my most recent trips to Trader Joe’s involved stocking up for what is turning out to be a crazy week. I love ordering Paella out, but there are 2 types of Paella. Real Paella and seafood with rice “paella.” The later is totally fake. Trader Joe’s Seafood Paella is pretty good for a freezer bag….
It’s completely possible that you have relied on a freezer meal at least once or twice in your life. I’ve eaten things like Lean Cuisines and SmartOnes in an effort to deal with both laziness, not packing a lunch regularly, not wanting to go out to lunch and not wanting to spend $10 on lunch. Yes, even a lazy dinner can be added to this list.
Now, Trader Joe’s Shrimp Tacos were awesome, but I will warn you, they are a bit misleading if you go by the picture alone….
