I'm not sure how it is almost Thanksgiving already, but it seems like the end of the year is just zooming by. On the stroke of midnight on Halloween it seemed that Trader Joe's made the transition from pumpkin to turkey to now aisles of just holiday items. And at my store, you aren't quite sure if it is going to be Thanksgiving or they are just diving straight into the winter holidays.
Taste and review
This is one of a few turkey options you have if you are going to Trader Joe's. By tomorrow, the whole turkeys will be on shelves, or at least that is what the sign says in my store.
But a whole turkey is a lot for my household. Fortunately, we do have seasonal options this time of year ranging from the Turkey-less roast, to drumsticks, to Turkey and Stuffing En Croute to this bag of half a turkey breast.
This turkey item is also fully cooked and just requires heating and some basic knife skills. And yes, please allot the 40 minutes to heat this back up. I wasn't willing to test a poultry item in the microwave to save some time.
For me and my household, we don't necessarily celebrate Thanksgiving on Thanksgiving. My husband is a first responder so holidays are bit more nebulous in terms of when we actually get to celebrate them.
But we are happy to sit down to a turkey dinner without having to get up at the crack of dawn to start the roast when we finally do get a chance and have dinner together.
This is a completely different product than that was offered back in 2016. The turkey I last reviewed was actually boneless. This was bone in.
To me, the bones are there mostly to weigh the scales down. There really wasn't much here to make a broth out out of. It can be done, but you won't have a ton of broth.
But in the end, the most important item of note is that what came out of this bag was pretty good.
Despite need for some modest knife skills, this product dealt with one important issue when preparing turkey: it was moist. Very moist. The garlic herb butter added a nice flavor and there was more than enough liquid in this bag to baste it and make a gravy. It was good warm. It was enjoyable on a salad.
Overall
It was nicely seasoned, had a good amount of liquid, and the dreaded dry turkey taste was nowhere to be found.
For $6.99 per pound, it is a bit pricier than buying whole, but they are taking care of the work for you. If I had to complain about anything it would be the interior bag (yes, there are 2 bags used for this product) seemed a bit leaky. Nothing bad. Most of these bags are priced at about $20 in total (give or take a few bucks). Worth it in my opinion.
Would I buy this again? Yup, I just picked up my second bag. I wished more of these well-done seasonal items were on shelves longer.
Product photos
The bag of Trader Joe's Brined Bone-In Half Turkey Breast:
Calories
Ingredients
Directions
The recipe on the bag:
Out of the package you get:
After being cooked you get:
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Did you try it? Let me know what you think in the comments section!
The Bottom Line
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Trader Joe's Brined Bone In Half Turkey Breast
Product Name: Trader Joe's Brined Bone In Half Turkey Breast
Product Description: A fully cooked half turkey breast with herb butter
Price: $6.99 per pound
Summary
A fully cooked turkey breast complete with bones is ready to go and be placed on the table in less than an hour.
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Taste
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Value
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Worthy of Repurchasing
Pros
- People who are concerned with the environment might question the necessity of needing two bags of plastic for the one turkey breast.
- Ready in less than an hour
- Good flavor
- Turkey that is anything but dry
Cons
- My interior bag seemed a bit leaky
- Took almost as long to heat up in the oven as the Turkey and Stuffing En Croute
- There is a premium price attached to this fully cooked turkey breast
Alek says
That looks divine! Maybe save the bones for stock like you said. Also the glorious pan drippings is amazing! It nice to offer smaller portion of turkey than roasting it whole. Plus it is time saver without prepping and having to make the seasoning. Also saw ur IG that the donut holes are being pulled off the shelves. WOW! I haven't seen it in stores. Hopefully TJ's will find a new supplier that can provide a better tasting donut holes.
becomebetty says
Hey Alek! Yup, I got so many messages from different TJ accounts on that one, but my biggest concern is I didn't want anyone to enjoy little undercooked dough balls. And it wasn't like it was all of them either. It was so inconsistent. Bummer too because they had potential. Thanks for tuning into my IG and thanks so much for sharing your thoughts here!
judilyn says
I haven't seen any of these turkey products, but the concept is fabulous. Campers will find this to be a great alternative to trying to cart all of the necessary items from home for a holiday camp out feast. I'm in!
Virtual hugs,
Judie
becomebetty says
Hey Judie! The concept makes it so easy. Especially for a smaller group. Best of all it doesn't take up the entire refrigerator either. Thanks as always for stopping by and sharing!
Dagmar says
Phew! Glad to hear you liked it's because I just bought one! I can't wait to try it. I also bought the new cauliflower and broccoli gratin in the frozen section. I thought they probably be good together. Thanks for the review.
Anna says
How many people does one of these feed?
becomebetty says
Hey Anna! I think 3-4 would be a safe bet with sides. Each bag varies and because it is bone the whole thing isn't technically edible. The bones would make for a good turkey soup. Hope that helps!
Philip Ray says
Have had the turkey breast and was good. Let's say your going to friends family's house ; their cooking but you want leftovers, good idea for two . The TJ dreading good and orange cranberry sauce good.
becomebetty says
Hey Philip Ray! OMG the orange cranberry relish is sooooo good. I just tried it for the first time. Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing!
Camille says
Thanks for your tips! The extra bag you mentioned as wasteful is by design. It is for those who prep by microwave…noted in prep instructions.
becomebetty says
Hey Camille! Happy Thanksgiving! In years past it came in a box as opposed as a bag. Plus the interior bag for me seemed wet when I pulled out the turkey. Anyways, thanks for pointing that out. I tend to not want to put any bird in the microwave and I did opt for the oven. Thanks for stopping by and I wish you a great day.
Denise says
Can you freeze the turkey? If so, what’s the best way?
becomebetty says
Hey Denise! I don't see why you couldn't freeze it. It's already in 2 bags (the exterior package, so you might be fine as is. These seem to be done for the season, otherwise I'd experiment with it and get back to you. I hope that helps!
Karla Cross says
I loved your comments. I am wondering if you think it would work to heat up in a crock pot and then maybe try to shred it for like pulled turkey in sandwiches?
becomebetty says
Hey Karla! I'd add a bit of stock into the slow cooker. It is already cooked so it should start to shred pretty easily. I hope that helps!
Amber says
Just bought 2 today as I was worried they might run out. That being said, should I freeze them or are they okay in the fridge? 😬 Week and a half until THANKSGIVING.
becomebetty says
Hey Amber! What is the best buy date on the bag? They are sealed pretty tight.
Anne says
I'm thinking of getting one of these and also having a turkey drumstick for a party of 5. Would you roast the turkey drumstick, or would a smoked one be good?
Thanks!
becomebetty says
Hey Anne! I'd roast it in the oven rather than smoke it. The purpose of putting it in the oven is just to reheat it. I hope that helps!