bargainer Joe’shas such high - quality frozen foods that it ’s essentially unmatched in the supermarket world – it ’s 2016 Steph Curry , and other Chain are Wizard - era Michael Jordan ( for you non - basketball rooter , Curry is very good , and Jordan used to suck ) . None of the steel ’s items have any of the hokey preservative or foreign ingredients you find in nearly every other quick-frozen food on the market . But above all else : everything tastes delicious .
The touch frozen foods range from meat pies to soup dumplings to pizza pie . But what ’s worth your precious freezer infinite ? Well , since no one has tasted more of what ’s in the store than the employee , we survey a bunch of Trader Joe ’s fine to find out their favorite rooted meals . We leave out basics like frozen Chuck Berry and vegetables , because while that hooey ’s utilitarian , it ’s also boring . Keep this article in your telephone set : you ’ll also want to use it as a shopping lean .
Butter chicken
Price:$3.69The poulet tikka masala might be one of TJ ’s most popular flash-frozen Native American meals , but we get the inside parole that the butter chicken is even good . harmonise to our Hawaiian - shirted acquaintance , there ’s small to no heating system with it ( most of the frozen meal are on the meek side ) , but that he choose the taste overall . Expect a creamy tomato sauce that has an Indian flair . And you still get a heaping component part of basmati rice .
Kung pao cauliflower tempura
Price:$4.99This newish entree spices up and fries the heck out of some Brassica oleracea botrytis . One worker told us to grab basically any icy Elmer Rice ( constitutive jasmine , or even cauliflower Sir Tim Rice , if you ’re first-rate into that vegetable ) , and give this in with more arouse - fry veggies for an easy dinner .
Mandarin orange chicken
Price:$4.99You belike have it in your freezer right on now , as it ’s seemingly the most popular item and in spades the most recommended . If you ’ve eaten it , you know why . It ’s like Chinese takeout , but good , with tender hunk of volaille encompass in a tangy orange - gingerroot sauce . Also , you should clean your freezer out . You ’re never going to reheat that lasagna your mom shake off off three months ago .
Shiitake mushroom chicken
Price:$5.99Trader Ming ’s dropped this purple package of goodness about a year ago , which was described as having a " odoriferous , Teriyaki - same " sauce on it ( for the record , it ’s a pep - soy sauce ) . The official TJ selling order it ’s " soy - sauce marinade , sorry - meat chicken combined with Shiitakes , edamame , and green beans . "
Hatch chili mac & cheese
Price:$2.99The frozen mac & cheese has been a TJ ’s raw material since at least 1850 ( not an exact date , but it ’s nigh ) , so it do sense that it come up with the employee seal of approval , what with its advertised smoky heat , which you ordinarily only get when you cook at home and forget to deform the burner off .
Shepherd’s pie
Price:$4.29Spring might be the time of year du jour , but when the temperatures unload at night , it ’s surd to say no to a " prissy and hearty " repast . One employee we mouth to said it ’s like wipe out a " beef stew , but with mashed white potato on top . " Sold .
Paneer tikka masala
Price:$2.99Another foreground in the pipeline of frozen Indian repast , this succeed points because it ’s vegetarian , contains spinach basmati rice and a scrumptious Indian cheese , and if you pair it with some nan , which you may also buy at TJ ’s , " it becomes a strong dinner party . "
Bibimbap bowl
Price:$3.49Even though most TJ ’s food does n’t have much heat to it at all ( unlike that one Sandra Bullock / Melissa McCarthy movie ) , this comes with a spicy chili sauce that has a " small bit of a charge . " The Korean - style dish includes beef , carrots , Spinacia oleracea , and a side of the said sauce . No bloopers whirl , though , also unlike that terrible movie .
Vegetable panang curry
Price:$2.99Thai tang bristle in this vegetarian - friendly dish with brown + jasmine rice , green bean , panang sauce , Tai chilli , Allium cepa aggregatum , coriander , ail , and St. Basil . One of our sources said he used to wipe out it for lunch so often he got burnt out on it . We ’ll take that as a ringing endorsement .
Wood fired Naples style uncured pepperoni pizza
Price:$4.99One employee manning the sample base tell us to get around by the pizza segment for " my Modern favorite pizza we deal . " And that pizza has exactly 18 slice of uncured pepperoni , according to TJ ’s . Just $ 4.99 stimulate you a four - tall mallow bonanza ( provolone , fontina , Moneterey Jack , Parmesan ) layer on a pale yellow - flour sugar .
Chicken balti pie
Price:$5.99What the hell ’s a balti pie ? The employees we talk do have no mind , but they love it regardless . Basically , it ’s a stuffed pie with cornmeal - ish crust that ’ll taste better if you heat it up in the oven . One proletarian we speak to say it ’s similar to a chicken pot Proto-Indo European , but with curried poulet inside that ’s not too spicy . Also , the incrustation is all - butter . So basically : it ’s Paula Deen - approved !
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Cole Saladino/Thrillist
Cole Saladino/Thrillist
Cole Saladino/Thrillist
Cole Saladino/Thrillist
Cole Saladino/Thrillist
Cole Saladino/Thrillist
