Trader Joe's blog and cooking.
So you are craving Chinese, but for some reason you aren’t going out or ordering in. This is a good, but not a great answer to not getting it at your local Chinese food establishment. Why isn’t it great?
Well, the answer is simple: if it’s chicken fried rice, I expect there to be chicken with a healthy dose of veggies in there. Trader Joe’s Chicken Fried Rice was mostly brown colored rice with chucks of scrambled egg….
Once again, a seasonal favorite has returned. It does not seem to have changed much from the previous review. If you are looking for a fully cooked skewer with pretty grill marks and full of Caribbean flavor, then for a frozen item, Trader Joe’s Grilled Jerk Chicken Thigh Skewers is pretty good overall.
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Finally. Something that can be considered real food. An actual meal. The past month, all the new items that have landed in store have been more or less junk food. I’ve had enough of cookies and sweets for a bit. Well, if it weren’t for one last lap around the store, I would have missed these. These are the newest addition to the fresh pasta aisle since the addition of the Italian Sausage and Four Cheese Ravioli.
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After the Stuffed Cabbage Rolls that I tried, it had me longing for Stuffed Peppers. The premise in the end is pretty much the same, but the containment vegetable is much different.
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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: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Chicken Gyoza Potstickers are well done dumplings that are quick, easy, and relatively low in calories.
The cons: This is better if you have a dipping sauce.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Pollo Asado Autentico is a long standing favorite in the refrigerated aisle.
The cons: It is best on the day you prepare it. The leftovers just aren’t as outstanding the next day.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Just Grilled Chicken Strips are an easy as can be, good to keep on hand product that makes for a quick meal or salad.
The cons: You are paying the same amount for this one pound bag as you would in Costco for an entire rotisserie chicken.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s BBQ Seasoned Spatchcocked Chicken is an easy and delicious pre-seasoned item that comes out very moist.
The cons: This item is likely seasonal. But the package also mentions that it can be frozen. Keep in mind this is BBQ seasoned, but not BBQ flavored.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Harvest Salad with Grilled Chicken is a filling and good salad option where the calorie count isn’t too terrible.
The cons: You’ll need a spare plate to dig out the dressing or at least to mix the dressing in.
The verdict: …
“Have you ever tried shawarma…I don’t know what it is, but I know I want to try it.” This was one of the ending lines of the first Avengers films. That particular scene takes place in NYC.
Although I’ve lived my whole live in and around NYC, I too had never had shawarma up until this point. What made that line so funny at the end of the movie was its complete randomness.
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The pros: Trader Joe’s Breaded Chicken is a quick, flavorful, ready made chicken that could be turned into a tasty dish quickly.
The cons: There is a slight premium to this pre-made product, but is not much more expensive than their uncooked chicken tenderloins in the refrigerated section.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Organic Chicken Wing Sections are a solid option in the freezer case of Trader Joe’s.
The cons: For a group of hungry adults, this two pound bag might only feed two people so plan accordingly.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Pesto Genovese Chicken Breast makes for tender chicken that is ready quickly.
The cons: Has an acidic taste. The pesto might be better if it were something you added on like a chimichurri rather than a marinade.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Chicken Drummellas are basically just chicken nuggets.
The cons: For me there was a slight taste of raw flour and the breading lacked flavor.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Chicken Noodle Soup with Veggies is basic chicken noodle soup. Nothing terrible, but nothing standout either. It’s shelf stable
The cons: Save this for when you are sick and can’t taste anything.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Gluten Free Chicken Breast Nuggets are perfect with those who cannot have gluten which won’t have you feeling deprived of the experience of chicken nuggets.
The cons: These aren’t quite a perfect clone of the regular chicken nugget, but they come close enough.
The verdict: …
This post is brought to you by Karen’s Spice Kitchen who provided me with the Chicken Tikka Masala spice packet. All opinions are my own.
I grew up in an Irish-American household. Every holiday my parents would put out the salt and pepper shakers. They were more ceremonial than functional. Those salt and pepper shakers were my grandparents. It might have even been their grandparents too. I’ve never actually seen anyone use them or refill them. Salt and pepper seemed to be exotic spices growing up. Other spices were just alien items growing up….
The pros: Trader Joe’s Chicken and Vegetable Wonton Soup makes for a quick and low calorie meal. The wontons are the highlight here.
The cons: You will still need to add water and I wasn’t crazy about the veggies in the broth.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Chicken and Mushroom Pelmeni is new and can be prepared quickly from the freezer.
The cons: Bag is not resealable and my leftovers were a bit gummy the next day.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s BBQ Teriyaki Chicken can be made entirely in the microwave, reasonably priced considering how much of the work is done for you.
The cons: Not as flavorful as true BBQ Teriyaki chicken. Lacks the reddish hue that appears on the bag and is found on traditional BBQ. Veggies would have made a great addition to this bag.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Simply Roast Chicken Breast is fresh, pre-sliced, well seasoned (almost to a fault).
The cons: Black pepper was overwhelming at some points. A bit pricey for a pound of roast chicken.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Pollo Asado Burrito is the newest addition to the refrigerated aisle and an otherwise weak section at Trader Joe’s: the wraps.
The cons: I’m not sure why the decided to pretend like this burrito is two servings? Perhaps to make the calorie count appear less.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s BBQ Chicken Pizza is loaded with toppings which makes for one filling pizza.
The cons: Smaller than some pizzas in the frozen pizza. Not a traditional pizza which might not sit well with purists. Has cilantro on it, so if you are not a fan of that flavor you might want to avoid this.
The verdict: …
