Are Trader Joe’s Balsamic Glazed Short Ribs Worth the Hype? I Tried Them So You Don’t Have To

The taste

Whenever Trader Joe's lists a preferred method I usually go with that. So these short ribs were prepared in the oven.

So just to be clear, these short ribs are bone-in and contain a much larger section of the bone than Trader Joe's Korean Style Ribs which are cut the other direction. But the bones here won't pose any problem to consuming these as the meat is so tender the rib will literally fall away from the meat.

These short ribs are a generous size. Despite there only being 4 ribs in my package these did make for 4 servings. I served mine with potatoes and a vegetable. Cooking directions were also on point and accurate.

Preparing these in the oven gave the tops of the ribs a chance to caramelize just a bit in a way they might not in the other directions.

When these came out of the oven they looked homemade. If you've ever made short ribs at home you know the bones fall away from the meat. You also know that because of the cut of meat the liquid is going to look quite fatty. That's the nature of this cut. It usually has a nice layer of fat on one side. It also has quite a bit of fat between all of the connective tissue of the rib.

Don't let that turn you away from this product though. The end result is so tender you might not even need a knife. Mine was falling apart with just the use of my fork.

And of course, there is the flavor here. Not only was this beefy, but it had a nice onion flavor which was carefully balanced with the balsamic here. It was a touch sweet yet a touch tangy.

There is no shortage of liquid with these either. If you are going to add these to starch or pour over veggies I'd recommend using a fat separator. While the fat is flavorful everyone has their limits. You are better off straining it or making a thicker gravy to go along with this.

For you low-carb people I'm sad to say there is molasses in these that lend that sweetness along with 9g of added sugar altogether. So if you are counting carbs, just be aware this might be a product that you might expect to be low carb and it isn't as low carb as it could be.

But if this can fit into your diet then this was a luxurious meal and a lot more affordable than going to a local restaurant. And yes, each serving was absolutely delicious

Yes, this is priced at $8.99 per pound and most boxes were in the $20+ range. And yes, with the bones here you will be throwing a portion of this away. But considering you won't have to spend hours braising these there it will save you time and it isn't priced out of line with buying this cut unprepared.

Overall, these were a standout in the refrigerated aisle. However, another thing stood out to me: these are seasonal. That's a bummer because these were a solid choice, priced well, and were straight-up delicious.

The packaging

Trader Joe's Balsamic Glazed Bone-In Beef Short Ribs comes in a box. With that box are two bags. In my case, each bag contained two short ribs for a total of four short ribs. These are packaged consistent with a sous vide preparation. They probably could have used a single bag in place of two.

Overall

These were a huge hit in my house. I am hoping to find this a couple more times before they run out for the season. They were flavorful, tender, and no knife was really required.