The pros: Trader Joe’s Asian Style Ground Chicken is a new pre-marinated product that can make a meal a breeze.
The cons: Nothing really stands out.
The verdict: …
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Trader Joe’s Chicken Ramen Soup
The pros: Trader Joe’s Chicken Ramen Soup is one of two new flavors of ramen soup hitting store shelves.
The cons: Like all ramen noodles, this a relatively high in sodium.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Smoked Salmon Poke Bowl
The pros: Trader Joe’s Smoked Salmon Poke Bowl is another new addition to the refrigerated section and has a lot of familiar flavors.
The cons: My brown rice was a bit more on the undercooked side.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Gochujang
The pros: Trader Joe’s Gochujang is new to store shelves and adds a completely different hot sauce that some might not be familiar with.
The cons: If you have never worked with this type of ingredient, then you might not appreciate it fully. This hot sauce has some funk to it which might not garner everyone’s appreciation. It’s best to try this with something and not on its own.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Thai Green Curry Simmer Sauce
The pros: Trader Joe’s Thai Green Curry Simmer Sauce is returning to shelves at a reasonable price that is below other Thai curry sauces that they sell. It is also well priced as you would need an extensive pantry to achieve a similar sauce.
The cons: Lackluster and boring packaging. Frequently there is a lot going on in terms of the packaging, but with this there isn’t anything but a boring orange label next to the green sauce.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s General Tsao Stir Fry Sauce
The pros: Trader Joe’s General Tsao Stir Fry Sauce should be added to things you should really try if you enjoy their frozen Asian inspired selections.
The cons: No recipe suggestions on the bottle. Sugar is the first ingredient.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Stir Fry Vegetables
The pros: Trader Joe’s Stir Fry Vegetables is a nice sized and easy to prepare stir fry mix.
The cons: The balance of the veggies could have been better. Mine seemed to be mostly pea pods.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Gyoza Dipping Sauce
The pros: Trader Joe’s Gyoza Dipping Sauce is a delicious, umami dipping sauce that I have become very fond of. This is far more complex than a regular soy sauce.
The cons: Some purists might still prefer just plain soy sauce. This has cilantro in it, which might not appease all palates.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Thai Red Curry Sauce
The pros: Trader Joe’s Thai Red Curry Sauce makes for a quick dinner. It has good flavor for a jarred sauce.
The cons: This still won’t measure up to going to your favorite Thai restaurant and if you are a spice junkie, then you’ll want to keep the hot sauce close.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Miso Ginger Broth
The pros: Trader Joe’s Miso Ginger Broth will satisfy a home cooks desire for Miso Soup without having to go out.
The cons: If you don’t like the flavor of miso, then yes avoid this.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Gochujang Almonds
The pros: Trader Joe’s Gochujang Almonds are delicious as long as you like some heat and garlic.
The cons: You might need a breath mint after eating a handful of these. At least that is what my husband suggested.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Kung Pao Tempura Cauliflower
The pros: Trader Joe’s Kung Pao Tempura Cauliflower is tasty and can be reheated so as long as you don’t put the sauce on it.
The cons: There were 13 pieces of cauliflower in my bag which means a serving size is about 2 pieces. Those two pieces were 150 calories. Compare that to a bag of Trader Joe’s Riced Cauliflower and this can be a diet buster.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Steamed Chicken Soup Dumplings
The pros: Trader Joe’s Steamed Chicken Soup Dumplings are tasty, quick to prepare dumplings that can be made from freezer to microwave in minutes. Packaging is well thought out.
The cons: Only six dumplings come in a package.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Pork Shu Mai
The pros: Trader Joe’s Pork Shu Mai is a tasty freezer item.
The cons: Trader Joe’s Chicken Shu Mai has a packet of sauce, but for these you’ll have to supply your own dipping sauce.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Scallion Pancakes Pa Jeon
The pros: Trader Joe’s Scallion Pancakes (Pa Jeon) are flavorful and super quick to make.
The cons: None really come to mind.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Pork Gyoza Potstickers
The pros: Trader Joe’s Pork Gyoza Potstickers comes in a large bag that has lots of suggestion on how to prepare this product.
The cons: While the directions say this can be prepared in the microwave, you really shouldn’t. Ever. Even with a wet paper towel the pasta partially dried out and was rubbery. The filling does not have a lot of flavor or salt, so you may want to consider dipping this in something salty like a soy sauce.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Honey Walnut Shrimp
The pros: Trader Joe’s Honey Walnut Shrimp crisps up in the oven in about 10 minutes. Flavorful sauce, of which I didn’t need all of it.
The cons: I wished there was more shrimp. High in fat. Could have been more walnuts in the bag
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Roasted Seaweed Snack
The pros: If you’ve ever had nori paper in sushi Trader Joe’s Roasted Seaweed Snack tastes very similar. A mere 60 calories if you eat all of Trader Joe’s Roasted Seaweed Snack in one sitting.
The cons: Seaweed taste might not be for everyone.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Wasabi Seaweed Snack
The pros: Trader Joe’s Wasabi Seaweed Snack is salty, spicy, slightly nutty snack. If you’ve had these at your local Asian market, they are basically the same thing, just with a nice wasabi coating that wasn’t overpowering and won’t clear your sinuses.
The cons: Seaweed taste might not be for everyone.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Vietnamese Inspired Grilled White Chicken Wrap with Ginger Lime Dipping Sauce
The pros: Tasty wrap, similar filling to a spring roll without the fried crispy wrapper. Trader Joe’s Vietnamese Inspired Grilled White Chicken Wrap has fewer calories than most wraps found in the refrigerated section.
The cons: The dressing was very thin, watery, and there was too much . This would have been better with a thicker, smaller package of a thicker dressing.
The verdict: …
