The pros: Trader Joe's Panko Breaded Calamari is a good value as you get a whole pound of calamari for $5.49. Good lucking making it that cheap or ordering it out that cheap. The taste was pretty close to what you would get out only slightly less tender but well done.
The cons: Â Once people realize it's in the freezer section, it may become hard to find. They could cut down on the amount of trash this creates. The box was shrink wrapped and the was another plastic bag inside the shrink wrapped box.
The verdict: Â While your local pub or Italian restaurant will serve a more tender calamari, this was damn good and a super close second. Just be advised you'll need to keep an eye on time. The rings and the tentacles won't cook at the same time. They'll be crispy but the larger pieces will require more time. Yes, I'll definitely be buying this again.
The box:
The nutritional information:
The ingredients:
How to prepare:
What you get in the box:
The two different types of calamari, the tentacles and the rings:
After going in the toaster oven for 10 minutes you get nicely browned pieces that looked like this:
I would absolutely buy Trader Joe's Panko Breaded Calamari again. If you enjoy going out an ordering yourself calamari this is absolutely worth picking up. For the price you are getting an entire pound of calamari. The panko was enjoyable and added that deep fried crunch like taste. Serve with lemon, marinara, or remoulade sauce. I strongly recommend trying this one.
Want to see more items I've reviewed from Trader Joe's? Click on Thoughts & Reviews of Trader Joe's for a searchable list.
RossC says
Well heck... I have not looked closely enough in the freezer case.. Will definitely hunt this down...Love calamari and have it out frequently...
Vince says
We love Trader Joe’s and recently thought we would try their frozen calamari.
THIS WAS BY FAR THE MOST HORRIFIC CALAMARI WE EVER EXPERIENED.
DISGUSTING AND NEVER AGAIN!!
becomebetty says
Hey Vince! Thanks for stopping by. I haven't gone back to try this item recently. Perhaps I should revisit it. Out of curiosity, how did you prepare yours? Thanks for taking the time to stop by and share your thoughts.
jefflrfe says
I've been buying TJ's Panko Breaded Calamari for a couple of months now, and the current iteration is all rings, no tentacles. I bake up half a bag and throw it on top of linguine marinara.