10 Trader Joe's Frozen Foods You Should Always Buy And 10 You Should Leave At The Store

If there was ever a piece I shudder to release to the masses, it has to be this one. I'm as die-hard a Trader Joe's fan as they come, and, like all self-subscribers to the Trader Joe's lifestyle, I have some strong opinions about the brand's offerings. I get my groceries at the store on a weekly basis (only occasionally venturing to other supermarkets when my store is out of paprika or bok choy), and my steadfast zeal for the company combined with having a "food writer" occupation has led me to try a good majority of its products. Like everyone, I have my preferences — I'll even dare to say that some products are best left on Trader Joe's shelves.

Before you raise your torches and pitchforks, hear me out: I'm sure you've been less than pleased with an item from the store on occasion. After all, not every product can be a hit, even at my favorite grocery store. I've compiled my ultimate list of Trader Joe's "buys" and "avoids," most based on personal preference of products I've tried myself. While I'd say the majority of the company's products are bona fide hits, I have been severely underwhelmed on more than one occasion. Whether you're a newbie to the brand or a veteran visitor, check out my Trader Joe's product opinions — and please, hold the vitriol. 

Breaking news alert: I'm a huge fan of Trader Joe's Asian-inspired selections, but my favorite of the bunch has to be its frozen Mandarin Orange Chicken. If it weren't for my endless quest to eat more veggies and less fried foods, I'd have a bag in my freezer 24/7. For starters, the chicken is wildly easy to prepare. I'll usually pop mine in the air fryer and let the sauce defrost in some hot water.

Aside from its easy preparation, the orange chicken is undeniably delicious. The thick breading on the outside gives a wonderful crunch when you bite into it, and the sauce only adds to the experience — it's bright, flavorful, and thick enough to feel like a glaze. I recommend letting the chicken soak up some of the sauce before eating. 

I was fairly underwhelmed by Trader Joe's frozen Tempura Shrimp. I didn't have much of a textural issue with the shrimp — they got nice and crispy in the air fryer (though not as light as I'd expect from tempura), and the shrimp interior was pretty tender. The flavors, however, were a complete miss for me. 

For starters, the tempura shrimp itself wasn't super flavorful, and its tender texture was pretty much the only thing going for it. If the sauce included had been better, this probably wouldn't have made the "avoid" section of this list — unfortunately, the sauce was sweet and unpalatable and added nothing to the shrimp except a candy-like coating. You can definitely get better elsewhere, or you can even make tempura shrimp at home. 

I didn't know I loved swordfish until I tried Trader Joe's swordfish steaks for a Trader Joe's seafood round-up. If it weren't for the high levels of mercury in the fish, this would absolutely be a weekly buy — as it is, I have it about once a month (or slightly more if I'm feeling daring). I generally prepare the steaks by pan-searing them for a few minutes on either side, until the interior reaches 135 degrees Fahrenheit.

All I use to season the steaks are butter and a sprinkling of lemon pepper seasoning, with a squeeze of lemon juice at the end. That's all they need — they're simply delightful, and their mild, moist, delicate flavor doesn't ask for any further enhancement. This is a seafood to try if you don't love the "fishy" taste of some seafood, as it has a very neutral flavor. 

Yet another shrimp selection that's disappointed me is Trader Joe's frozen Coconut Shrimp. Simply put, these shrimp aren't worth the buy — you can absolutely find better somewhere else, and it's easy enough to make your own coconut shrimp at home. 

The issues I had with this shrimp were the exact opposite of my qualms with the brand's tempura shrimp. The flavors were actually pretty good here; the textures, on the other hand, were all off. The shrimp interior was chewy, and the breading was so thick that it didn't get crispy all the way through, leading to a somewhat mealy inner texture. I followed the cooking instructions on the box, and I don't think I undercooked them — rather, I think the breading-to-shrimp proportion is off in these and that you could whip up better shrimp pretty easily.

Trader Joe's frozen Thai Green Curry is a regular buy of mine, despite my distaste for spicy food. Yes, the curry is pretty hot (at least to my spice-averse tongue) but I hardly mind — it's rich and flavorful, and one box is a perfectly satisfying lunch or dinner. Moreover, the dish is totally vegan.

About five minutes in the microwave is all it takes to heat up this frozen meal, so preparation couldn't be easier. I also think it comes with a really good curry-to-rice ratio, and the tofu sheets are tender and flavorful. I actually prefer to eat this with another frozen Trader Joe's staple that I'll mention in a minute — the two together make for a delightful flavor and texture pairing. 

Maybe this is a hot take, but I was pretty underwhelmed when I tried Trader Joe's Premium Salmon Burgers. To be fair, I'm not the most well-versed in the salmon burger market, but I am a fan of salmon. My qualms with these burgers are twofold, relating to both taste and texture, so these were a miss for me on all accounts.

For starters, the burger had a pretty fishy flavor, making for a stark contrast to the brand's other mild, fresh salmon offerings. The flavor turned me off immediately, but what kept me away was the texture. To call the burger "juicy" would be generous — personally, I'd categorize it more in the realm of "soggy" and "squishy." Nothing about this product gave me a pleasant eating experience. 

Here's the aforementioned food I love to pair with Trader Joe's frozen green curry: Taiwanese Green Onion Pancakes. I'm obsessed enough with these that I entered a minor crisis mode when my store didn't have them for a month or two (though now they're back, thank goodness). Pan-fry these for a couple of minutes on either side with a drizzle of olive oil, and you'll have a thick, crispy flatbread accompaniment to any meal.

Honestly, I tend to eat these solo (when I'm not having them with the green curry) — they make for a flavorful breakfast on their own. I've also cooked them in a pan with a cracked egg and some cheese, then folded it into a sort of bread-y breakfast taco before indulging. Get creative with these! They're adaptable to a variety of uses.

I'm not alone in thinking Trader Joe's Chiles Rellenos Con Queso leaves something to be desired — other Tasting Table writers have also held that opinion, and I'm thankful to know it's not just me. This was my worst-ranked of Trader Joe's frozen vegetarian offerings, despite my desire to like it. 

The only redeeming quality of this dish was its crispy exterior. And, since having a crispy exterior can usually win me over with most foods, it's really saying something that I wouldn't buy this again. The pepper was very mushy, but beyond that, the tomato sauce was entirely too salty. Seriously, it was downright inedible, especially since the breading and cheese filling also had ample amounts of salt. 

I've never been the biggest gnocchi person, but Trader Joe's Outside-In Stuffed Gnocchi has caused me to change my tune entirely. I'm fully enamored with these little cheese and tomato sauce-stuffed morsels — they cook up wonderfully (and easily) on the stovetop and dusted with some grated Parmesan, they're hopelessly delicious. 

I've only ever had these in their simplest state (read: plain), but they'd also take well to some mild tomato sauce or even a gentle Alfredo. I usually pair them with a roasted veggie like green beans or asparagus, or sometimes a side salad. This is another bag of frozen Trader Joe's food that regularly makes its way into my freezer, and it's my go-to when I'm fresh out of culinary inspiration. 

Another classic case of "I really wanted to like this, but it's just not cutting it for me" came when I tried Trader Joe's frozen Corn & Cheese Arepas. I mean, what's not to love about corn cakes stuffed with a thick layer of mozzarella? These arepas had everything going for them but ended up being an unfortunate letdown upon actually eating them.

I wasn't expecting the corn cakes to be as sweet as they were, and I didn't love it — however, that was the least of my problems with these arepas. Far more egregious was the cheese in the middle. Despite following cooking instructions, the cheese refused to be stringy. Instead, the interior of the arepas tasted like a congealed mass of mozzarella. It wasn't super palatable, to say the least. 

This is probably one of my all-time favorite frozen pizzas. In fact, Trader Joe's Roasted Garlic & Pesto Pizza earned the top spot on my ranking of Trader Joe's frozen vegetarian meals. Everything from the crust down to the toppings is so delightful that I don't even usually pair it with a dipping sauce. 

The crust of this pizza is light, airy, and irresistibly crispy. Moreover, it gives a generous cheese pull and the pesto tastes wonderful when you encounter it. I actually really enjoy pizza without tomato sauce and will generally opt for a garlic sauce substitute, which probably is part of what made me particularly enamored with this pizza. In any case, it's a wonderful departure from standard frozen pizza that everyone should try at least once. 

I expected more from Trader Joe's Steamed Chicken Soup Dumplings than what they ended up delivering, and at the end of the day, they hardly did enough to earn their name. You'd expect "soup" dumplings to have some semblance of soup in them, right? Not with these. No liquid oozed out when I bit into one; instead, I was met with a salty chicken flavor, a far cry from what I was expecting. 

I can't recommend eating these on their own, and I'd hardly even recommend eating them with soup — they just weren't that good. Trader Joe's has much more appealing soup-related options, once of which I'll talk about next. 

While I won't be buying the chicken soup dumplings again, a frozen offering that I'll make my way through bag after bag of is Trader Joe's Chicken Cilantro Mini Wontons. I love these in any way, shape, and form, and have been known to enjoy them both on their own and in a bowl of homemade bone broth.

To start, I adore the size of these wontons. They're each perfectly bite-sized, so you don't have to deal with the messiness of biting a wonton in half over a bowl of soup. Their flavors are also on point — each gets some brightness from the cilantro and is grounded by the chicken. When eating solo, I like to pan-fry these and pair them with some soy sauce; if I'm enjoying them with soup, I just let them simmer with the broth for a few minutes. 

When I first tried Trader Joe's Chicken Karaage, I was surprised to have a distaste for it. I love anything fried, crispy, or breaded, and the chicken looked like it would fit the bill; plus, it looked reminiscent of the company's orange chicken, which we already know I love. 

Unfortunately, upon cooking the chicken karaage, I was presented with something starkly different than what was on the package. The chicken was so plain that I double-checked the bag to see if I was missing a sauce to toss them in (I was not). This could have been redeemed with a flavorful dipping sauce, but what I was given was nothing of the sort. Rather, it was a bland mayo-like condiment with a slight tang to it. 

I haven't had this meal many times, but that's not for lack of enjoyment — I just know it would be too dangerous to keep many of these bags on hand. Trader Joe's Bulgogi Beef Fried Rice is super easy to heat on the stove, and one bag is easily a dinner-sized portion, though if you have a smaller appetite, you might find yourself saving some for later. 

This dinner hit almost all marks for me. Its beef was tender and flavorful and the rice held its texture well, and I got a little kick of spice in each bite. It pairs wonderfully with a drizzle of Korean barbecue sauce and some green onions, but it's still flavorful on its own. Grab this for an easy side for the family or a solo dinner for yourself. 

So, I didn't downright dislike Trader Joe's Cha Siu Bao — however, they weren't good enough for me to recommend. Preparation is easy enough, as the bao just need to be wrapped in a damp paper towel and microwaved until cooked. I just wasn't very impressed by either the flavor or texture of these bao buns.

My biggest problem with the bao was the dough. The pork filling was actually really yummy, but the dough was dry and thick. Were the dough a little thinner, I think the filling would have helped balance that out a little; as it stands, though, these were just too unbalanced for me to love them. It was disappointing, because I saw the potential in these (especially regarding their good flavors). 

I'll admit to not generally opting for frozen vegetables — as such, this and the following are not my own opinions, but that of another Tasting Table writer in their ranking of Trader Joe's frozen vegetables. Trader Joe's frozen Mushroom Medley earned the top spot on their list for good reason, not least of which is the variety of mushrooms in the bag. 

You'll get flavorful champignons, oyster mushrooms, boletus, and slippery jack mushrooms, which isn't a combo that's easy to come by. The medley is also seasoned with olive oil, parsley, and garlic, which adds just enough flavor to amplify the already delicious mushrooms without overwhelming them. This bag offers an easily prepped companion to meals begging for a little earthiness, and it's a staple any freezer would benefit from.

On the other hand, the same review gave the bottom spot to Trader Joe's Organic Foursome Vegetable Medley. It seems the sole purpose of this bag of veggies is to add some color and nutritional value to a meal — other than that, it's just a pretty random assortment of vegetables that fail to be tasty in their own right.

If you need some vegetables for, say, a pasta salad or a soup, casserole, or other similar all-in-one meal, this probably isn't a bad choice. But unless you have a specific purpose for it, it's not worth having around. This is the bag that will sit in your freezer for months until you find it during a freezer clean-out; when you do, you'll probably wonder why you ever bought it in the first place. 

I'll always be a proponent of homemade lemon bars, but if you need a fancy dessert in a pinch, you won't go wrong with Trader Joe's frozen Lemon Bars. I eat these straight from the freezer and I love them for a few reasons, not least of which is their size — each is tiny but rich and full, so it's rare that I even want more than one at a time.

The bars are bright, zesty, and sweet, with a thick curd-like layer sitting atop a sizable crust, dusted with some powdered sugar. It's a classic, no-frills lemon bar that you could convince your friends you whipped up yesterday. Each is amenable to a variety of additions. Try them with some berry preserves or even an herbal touch, like a scant pour of basil simple syrup. 

Though I've not tried this pizza myself, some quick Googling confirmed Trader Joe's Spicy Meat Pizza is one frozen pizza you should avoid at all costs. Don't believe me? Just consult Reddit, and you'll find a plethora of customers who share the opinion that this is never worth the buy, especially since Trader Joe's has other frozen pizza offerings that are actually quite good. 

Consumers say that the pizza is weirdly sweet, with one customer even comparing it to maple syrup. Customers also seem to think this pizza isn't spicy enough to earn its moniker; as a whole, it appears to be an undesirable offering unless you have a very particular palate.

The vast majority of these "buy" and "avoid" picks come from my own experience as a long-time Trader Joe's customer. I've tried many of the store's products and have my own opinions about each, all of which I know won't be universally shared by every consumer. If you're a seasoned Trader Joe's shopper, take my opinions with a grain of salt, and try whatever sounds good for yourself. If you're a Trader Joe's newbie, though, my recommendations should give you a good place to start.