The pros: It's ready in about 2 minutes in the microwave. Trader Joe's Chicken Piccata is marginally edible.
The cons: While edible, this is not the best dish or even marginally good. The sauce is congealed and is not a true piccata sauce. Piccata sauce is just like francese just with capers added in. This was a yellow blob that once it plopped on the chicken, the microwave did this dish no favors. However, I did not use the recommend method of cooking either. Sadly, in the microwave this isn't good.
The verdict: If you can avoid this, you should. For $5.99 there are better choices out there that don't look and taste so strange. My husband and I both ate a small piece but the garbage can ate the leftovers.
The package of Trader Joe's Chicken Piccata:
The back information:
Out of the box:
Out of the microwave:
The garbage can ate this last piece. So, no, I won't be buying Trader Joe's Chicken Piccata again. It just was marginally edible. It's too simple of a dish to be messed up and to charge $5.99 for the courtesy.
Cross this off your list of items to try. Even if you need something quick.
Want to see more items I’ve reviewed from Trader Joe’s? Click on Thoughts & Reviews of Trader Joe’s for a searchable list.
Julie says
It's actually pretty good if you cook it in the oven.
bsickles says
I'm glad to hear you had better luck than I did. Did the sauce come out any better in the oven?
Julie says
Like many of Trader Joe's frozen products you have to manipulate the cooking time/temperature. I actually heat the sauce up in the microwave before adding it to the chicken. It's by no means perfect but it's good.
Rose says
DISGUSTING CHICKEN PICCATA!
Tasted like the chicken was cooked in rancid oil. The sauce tastes nothing like chicken piccata and the chicken breast tastes fake & rubberized like it was made out of a chicken slime product.
Can't believe this product ever made it past Trader Joe's reviewers to the Shelf!
Sue Mac says
I shop every week at TJ and I bought the chicken picata from TJ once before and tried it again. Well the next day I was so sick in and out of the bathroom. Yes it could have been viral but no one else in the house got it. I was checking to see if this chicken was treated with antibiotics. I still don't know. Also no expiration date on the packaging. I will no longer buy any processed meat products only organic.
That said My experience at Trader Joe's is excellent.
Sue
becomebetty says
Hey Sue! I'm so sorry you had such a bad bunch of chicken piccata. Glad you are feeling well enough to share a comment here. Hope the family is feeling better soon. I'd say something to the manager of your local TJ's and give them the heads up.
Dee says
The worst way to reheat this is to microwave it. No wonder you gave such a scathing review. We put ours in an air fryer and it came out juicy and crispy. Meanwhile the sauce was heated in it’s pouch in boiling water. Great meal and only took a few minutes more than microwaving!
becomebetty says
Hey Dee! By chance, how long did you put in the air fryer for and at what temperature? I test things out based on the directions given. But if you have a better and more delicious way to make this, I'd be happy to revisit the review. Thanks for sharing!
rcr3w1 says
Hello! I think you should give this one another chance. I happened upon your review because I was looking for reheating instructions since I threw out the cardboard when I brought it home. Mine looks nothing like your pictures, even the packaging has changed. Mine is so delicious that I am going to pick up some more at TJs.
becomebetty says
Hey rcr3w1! Thanks for stopping by. I agree. I probably should give this another whirl especially after a packaging change. Thanks for stopping by.
kathy bunge says
I am known to be a very good cook & we often grab TJ's Chicken Piccata when we need a quick, delicious entree. I always heat the chicken itself on a foil-lined pan at 375 degrees for 15 mins. The chicken is ALWAYS tender & delicious. I reheat the sauce packet in a cup of hot water but thin it a bit with some chicken broth to cut down on the sodium content & usually add a few more capers. We love this dish! I think the secret is heating it in the oven for perfectly baked chicken!
becomebetty says
Thanks for sharing Kathy!
Jeanette Sison says
I followed the cooking instructions for the oven and what you shared was not my experience. So much so, I texted a friend a pic and told her to try it. I'm not one for reading cooking instructions, but I also followed the instructions for the sauce, which was to put the sauce bag in boiling water. Once I poured over the chicken, it looked EXACTLY like piccata sauce. The taste was a little tangier than I like, but for $7 bucks for basically 2 meals (because the chicken pieces are that big), I'm not complaining.
becomebetty says
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts on this!