I tried 26 popular frozen meals from Trader Joe’s, and would buy at least half of them again

But this pizza’s brilliant construction was what really set it apart. The dollops of pesto around the surface accentuated the other flavors rather than overpowering them, so every ingredient had time to shine.

VERDICT: As someone who has eaten plenty of frozen pizzas in my life, I can confidently say this may be one of the best. Between the fresh-baked taste of its crust and scrumptious, cheesy pesto topping, it’s yummy enough to keep me from ordering delivery.

For instant vegan comfort food, look no further than this yellow jackfruit curry

Though I’ll give Trader Joe’s props for providing enough vegetables in the chain’s chickenless stir fry to distract from the fact that it uses cauliflower rice, I thought it was lacking in the flavor department.

The bag says it’s seasoned with ginger and tamari but to me, it literally just tasted like a cooked bag of plain vegetables with a hint of stir-fry sauce mixed in.

I thought the plant-based “chicken” morsels didn’t add much, other than an awkwardly chewy texture. More than anything, I was disappointed by the amount of pineapple. I had to dig through a mountain of peas and carrots before I found the measly two pineapple pieces in the mix.

Trader Joe’s vegan green curry contained tofu sheets rather than cubes, which, after microwaving, turned into fibrous and overly chewy rectangles that took up the bulk of the limited tray space. I was also caught off guard by a lime wedge buried in the mix.

I wish the valuable tray space had been used to hold more vegetables, like bell peppers, instead of the lime wedge. There were maybe two pieces of actual vegetables in the entire meal.

Historically, I haven’t been a huge fan of Trader Joe’s frozen gnocchi, so it almost seems silly that I bought the chain’s outside-in stuffed version. But this gnocchi is the first one I’m giving a positive review for. 

After cooking on the stove per the instructions, the gnocchi developed slightly browned edges and a soft, doughy, dumpling-like texture. The flavor was reminiscent of pizza rolls but far less salty.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the frozen orange chicken as much as the next person, but to me, Trader Joe’s chicken chow mein works much better as a stand-alone meal. It’s got some carbs from the noodles, protein from the chicken, and fiber from the vegetables.

Each component is tied together by a delicious, slightly sticky sauce that has the right balance of soy and hoisin for a touch of sweetness. Despite all the flavor, it somehow tasted quite light with no weird artificial aftertaste.

The exterior of Trader Joe’s cheese-and-chile tamales was soft and fluffy, with a mild corn flavor I found unexpectedly sweet — like cornbread. The tamales were filled with mild, creamy cheese, which made the sweetness even more apparent.

Each vegetable-and-cheese enchilada contained chunks of nopal cactus and peppers, but they were indistinguishable under all the cheese and sauce. Unfortunately, the soupy red sauce wasn’t anything to write home about, either.  

The picture on the box promised a generous dollop of luscious, creamy garlic sauce over fluffy, herby, golden rice, juicy chicken bits, pickled onions, and red peppers.

However, the finished dish I pulled from my oven had sad-looking, barely flavorful toppings that almost disappeared when I moved my fork over the rice.

I had high hopes for this dish after the Trader Joe’s cashier raved about it, and I’m happy to report my expectations were exceeded in every way.

From the sauce’s layers of umami, salty-peanut flavors to the varying textures of slightly chewy udon noodles, tender chicken chunks, and crunchy-nut topping in each bite, this was seriously impressive for something out of a box. 

For this meal, I followed the box’s suggested oven preparation and baked it for 45 minutes.

It heavily smelled and tasted of cumin and green chiles, further enhanced by the melted cheddar cheese and pepper pieces. But don’t worry — this meal was only mildly spicy.

The shredded chicken was well-seasoned and offered a surprisingly tender mouthfeel. I added a few splashes of hot sauce to bring out the spice even more.

The kimbap has been consistently out of stock at my Trader Joe’s since it dropped, and I can see why. This product is delicious.

The package consisted of nine generously sized rolls of seaweed filled with rice, tofu, and an impressive array of veggies.

Thanks to ingredients like carrots and pickled radish, each roll offered a good balance of salty-umami flavors and a faint hint of sweetness.

Straight out of the bag, the frozen clumps of pesto, linguine, and tomatoes that came with this meal looked questionable.

But after five minutes of pan-frying each component in some oil, they transformed into a decent pasta dish that didn’t taste too far off from what I’d get if I boiled the noodles and added a jarred sauce myself. 

I appreciated the inclusion of cherry tomatoes, as they added a subtle touch of sweetness that complemented the salty pesto.

Nothing beats a homemade sauce with fresh basil, but this wasn’t bad for something out of a bag. Flecks of dried herbs, along with a noticeable presence of dried garlic, did most of the heavy lifting flavor-wise.

Yes, the pesto was quite oily and lingered in the mouth for a while after eating. However, it clung well to the stringy linguine, so I don’t have too many complaints.

VERDICT: Because of how much time and effort this frozen meal saves, I’d say it’s worth buying.

Click to keep reading other Trader Joe’s taste tests in this series.