Deciding what items to pick at Trader Joe’s freezer aisle can be overwhelming, as the chain of grocery stores offers a wide assortment of delicious frozen products. If you have been meaning to taste some of them but have no idea what to try first, check out our list of the best Trader Joe’s frozen foods below:
What are the best frozen foods at Trader Joe’s?
Butter Chicken with Basmati Rice
Trader Joe’s knows how to do Indian food. A case in point is the chain’s Butter Chicken with Basmati Rice, whose spices taste pretty much the same as what you would get in an authentic Indian restaurant. The product’s perfect balance of kick and flavor as well as its generous amount of chicken and curry makes it one of the best Trader Joe’s frozen meals ever.
Family Style Meat Lasagna
As its name suggests, Trader Joe’s Family Style Meat Lasagna is massive and could feed a big group of people. The thick and stretchy cheese on top of this frozen entree tastes pretty good, while its tomato sauce is savory and is loaded with a generous portion of well-seasoned ground beef.
Mandarin Orange Chicken
The Mandarin Orange Chicken is Trader Joe’s Customer Choice Awards Favorite Overall Product for the year 2022, so it’s not surprising that it’s included in this list. This frozen meal features tender chunks of juicy chicken in a crispy breading with a sweet and spicy orange sauce. Aside from its mouth-watering taste, it’s also so easy to cook that it has become a favorite alternative for traditional Chinese takeout.
Cuban Style Citrus Garlic Bowl
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This is one of the best Trader Joe’s frozen dishes because it has an undeniable yummy taste. It is packed with orange juice concentrate and lime juice, giving every spoonful a tart yet sweet flavor. The chicken meat included in the pack comes in surprisingly generous portions, so it makes for a satisfying meal.
Gluten-free Toaster Waffles
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While some people don’t find gluten-free food tasty, Trader Joe’s Gluten-free Toaster Waffles have the right amount of sweetness and are a great replacement for wheat-based waffles. These waffles are vegan-friendly.
Paneer Tikka Masala
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The Indian cheese cubes in this dish have a nice flavor and melt in your mouth. The tomato-based curry, meanwhile, has a slight sweetness to it. And finally, the rice adds more excitement to this meal because it has spinach added in.
Chicken Gyoza Potstickers
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If you love taking quick snacks in between meals, Trader Joe’s Chicken Gyoza Potstickers can satisfy your savory cravings in just minutes. These flavorful potstickers are made with doughy shells filled with a mixture of chicken, cabbage, ginger, and spices.
Vegetable Panang Curry with Jasmine Rice
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Trader Joe’s Vegetable Panang Curry features a great combination of Thai chili and coconut milk. The former gives the curry some heat, while the latter helps to cool things back down. Meanwhile, the jasmine rice that comes with this great meal is unbelievably fluffy. In fact, you’d never know it was only heated in a microwave unless someone told you.
Organic Jasmine Rice
No time to cook rice? Trader Joe’s Organic Jasmine Rice lets you have cups of healthy and tasty rice in no time. Simply pop this set of three frozen rice packets in the microwave, wait for a few minutes, and you’ll have a bowl of organic rice to pair with any of your favorite Trader Joe’s frozen dishes.
Sriracha Shrimp Bowl
If you love hot and spicy food, then this relatively new frozen food at Trader Joe’s won’t disappoint you. This frozen meal is packed with so many spices that you will need a glass of milk on standby when eating it. Made with brown rice, Asian-style veggies, and a good amount of shrimp, this complete meal only contains 320 calories.
Cauliflower Gnocchi
Trader Joe’s Cauliflower Gnocchi is made in Italy, so it tastes pretty much similar to its authentic Italian counterpart. But what really makes it one of the best frozen items at Trader Joe’s is its low-carbohydrate content. It is made with cauliflower, cassava flour, potato starch, extra virgin olive oil, and sea salt, but it doesn’t contain wheat, sugar, dairy, or eggs.
Spicy Thai Shrimp Fried Rice
Craving for some Thai food? Trader Joe’s Spicy Thai Shrimp Fried Rice offers a close-to-authentic Thai flavor, especially when you get a bite of the Thai lime leaves included in the dish. Aside from its yummy taste, this makes it to our list of best frozen meals at Trader Joe’s because you can cook it in batches, as it comes in a relatively big bag.
Beef and Broccoli
Beef and broccoli are a staple combo so it’s not surprising that many shoppers at Trader Joe’s love this frozen meal. Both healthy and tangy, the chain’s Beef and Broccoli contains an even amount of each and boasts a sweet and spicy sauce.
Mushroom and Black Truffle Flatbread
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This flatbread may be small in size but its flavor is incredible in a big way. It definitely tastes like a gourmet meal, thanks to its high-quality mushrooms, rich and creamy truffle sauce, and standard yet flavorful mozzarella cheese.
Penne Arrabbiata
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Thanks to its smokey and hot sauce, Trader Joe’s Penne Arrabbiata has been one of the chain’s fan-favorite frozen meals. For a more nutritious meal, add some vegetables and bits of protein to the pasta.
Chicken Tikka Masala with Basmati Rice
Trader Joe’s Chicken Tikka Masala with Basmati Rice is restaurant-quality but can be prepared in less than five minutes. It is as good, if not better than, some takeout meals. The only downside is its slightly small serving size.
Tandoori Naan
Trader Joe’s Tandoori Naan is a naan baked in a Tandoor clay oven and hand-stretched in India. This frozen food is best consumed as a base for curry or sauces like tomato sauce, cheese sauce, kung pao sauce, sweet chili sauce, and the flavorful tahini sauce, among many others. But it can also be enjoyed plain.
Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe
Homecooked Cacio e Pepe can taste heavenly when done right. But those who cook know that it can be very hard to perfect. Thankfully, Trader Joe’s is selling a frozen Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe that is easy to prepare. A yummy frozen alternative to the real dish, this frozen pasta has perfectly al dente noodles, glossy and creamy sauce, and a generous amount of black pepper flavor.
Four Cheese Mac ‘n Cheese
This Four Cheese Mac ‘n Cheese is included in our list of best frozen options at Trader Joe’s because it tastes far better than the traditional boxed mac and cheese. This comfort food is also very easy to prepare. Simply pop it into the microwave and enjoy the four-cheese blend instantly. If you like your mac ‘n cheese spicy, try Trader Joe’s Hatch Chile Mac & Cheese.
Branzino Fillets
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Farm-raised and boneless, Trader Joe’s Branzino Fillets make for an easy protein-packed dinner. They come in a pack of four, which can be served in a number of different ways.
Potato Pancakes
Trader Joe’s Potato Pancakes are not your typical pancakes. Made mostly from sweet potatoes, green onions, wheat, and egg whites, this potato latke looks crispy on the outside but is soft and delicious on the inside. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can have it with a poached egg and a slice of smoked salmon for an upgraded meal.
Chicken Burrito Bowl
If you’re craving a Chipotle bowl but are trying to save some bucks, then Trader Joe’s Chicken Burrito Bowl is the best substitute for the actual thing. While it costs about half as much as a Chipotle Bowl, this frozen food is packed with flavors. Made Southwest style, this frozen food features seasoned chicken breast, brown rice, red quinoa, black beans, corn, bell peppers, and cheddar cheese, all topped off with a smoky chipotle sauce.
Mini Chicken Tacos
This TJ’s frozen food features tiny corn tortillas filled with a mix of pulled chicken breast meat and roasted green salsa made with tomatillos, jalapeños, and green bell peppers. When fried up in soybean oil, it results in one of the the tastiest and most tantalizing tacos out there. You can also microwave these tacos, bake them in an oven, or crisp them in an air-fryer.
Honey Walnut Shrimp
Trader Joe’s Honey Walnut Shrimp uses large shrimp and a batter that lightly coats the shrimp, yet manages to retain its crunch even after it’s been combined with the sauce. Speaking of the sauce, it’s a sweet, creamy concoction that’s finished with a hint of pineapple for a bright flavor boost. Every package contains candied walnuts, which you toss with the shrimp and sauce before serving.
Roasted Garlic & Pesto Pizza with Deep Fried Crust
Made authentically in Naples, Trader Joe’s Roasted Garlic & Pesto Pizza features a dough that is matured for 90 hours, then fermented for 6 additional hours. While it’s fermenting, the dough is manually folded three times a day. Once the dough reaches peak readiness, it is shaped by hand and deep-fried in sunflower seed oil for a quick 3 minutes. The result is a crust that is at once perfectly crunchy and dreamily airy, chewy, and pillowy. As for the toppings, it is topped with mozzarella, provolone, Parmigiano Reggiano, dollops of burrata, and fresh pesto with roasted garlic, making it one of the most flavorful frozen pizzas at Trader Joe’s.
Steamed Pork & Ginger Soup Dumplings
Inspired by the same original soup dumplings, xiao long bao, that originated in the Jiangsu province of China, this frozen treat is made with a considerable amount of ginger, giving these dim sums a sizeable kick of pungent, spicy heat. In addition to their delicious taste, they are also easy to prepare, using the microwavable tray in which they’re packaged. Two minutes or less in your microwave oven yields soft, hot, incredibly flavorful results.
Chocolate Chip Hold the Cone! mini ice cream cones
Perfect for those who have a sweet tooth, these mini ice cream cones feature chocolate cones instead of traditional sugar cones. The chocolate cones are also lined with the same chocolatey coating that tops the ice cream. This creamy cone lining not only tastes great but also keeps the ice cream from leaking out. And as the name of the product implies, these frozen desserts feature ice cream studded with rich chocolate chips.
The best Trader Joe’s tea
In addition to its wide assortment of frozen entrées, Trader Joe’s also offers a vast selection of tea. To save you time from checking out each variety in the tea aisle, here’s what we think is the best Trader Joe’s tea:
Trader Joe’s Matcha Green Tea Powder
Trader Joe’s Matcha Green Tea is a powdered blend of shade-grown matcha and finely ground dehusked tea leaves with a vibrant emerald green color.
It has a rich earthy taste and a delicate hint of sweetness that is reminiscent of fresh peas or spinach. Simply add 1 level teaspoon to 8 ounces of hot water and you’re ready for tea time. But if you’re craving for some delicious iced matcha lattes, you can easily make the popular drink by adding a teaspoon of the tea powder to a glass or cup of milk. The tea powder can also be mixed with other hot and iced beverages to achieve a pure sweet taste with just enough hint of bitterness
This matcha tea is an enjoyable way to get more antioxidants any time of the day, as it is made with 100% natural and ceremonial-grade matcha powder. While it’s slightly expensive compared to other tea brands, this match beverage won’t disappoint you with its rich and high-quality flavor.