9 Delicious & Easy Trader Joe's Recipes You Need To Make Right Now
The Trader Joe's shopping experience is often compared to a treasure hunt. There's always something new to discover. The same goes for the countless recipe possibilities that its groceries inspire.
On social media alone, you'll find communities built around sharing and exchanging recipes featuring the grocer's beloved products. And sometimes, standout dishes—like the recent lobster bisque pasta—will go viral, racking up millions of views. Outside of social media, the Trader Joe's website showcases its own recipes, such as Caramel Apple Nachos and Maple Rosemary Butternut Squash with Walnuts.
While the recipe possibilities are limitless, it always helps to have a little inspiration, especially when you're looking for something quick and easy. So without further ado, here are nine simple, yet tantalizing Trader Joe's recipes you can quickly whip up when you need to make a meal in a pinch.
1. Lobster Bisque Pasta
Trader Joe's lobster bisque pasta went viral earlier this year. The star ingredient of this buzz-worthy 30-minute meal? Trader Joe's Lobster Bisque. Across social media, you'll find various iterations of the dish, but the key ingredients, in addition to the bisque, are pasta, cherry tomatoes, basil, and frozen shrimp or langostino tails, which have a similar flavor and texture to lobster meat.
TikTok user @nutritionbymia recommended preparing this meal by sautéeing the cherry tomatoes until soft and adding the langostino tails until cooked through. Then, boil your pasta, drain, and stir in the lobster bisque, cooked cherry tomatoes, and langostino tails. "This lobster pasta is so creamy, hearty, and flavorful," the TikTok user swooned. Others have incorporated additional ingredients like sautéed onions and garlic, red pepper flakes, and grated parmesan.
2. Bruschetta Ravioli
Move over, marinara sauce. There's another ravioli topping in town: Bruschetta Sauce. This beloved Trader Joe's product features a mixture of chopped tomatoes, oil, basil, garlic, and spices. Together, these ingredients create a tangy, herbaceous concoction you can pair with toasted bread, chicken, and pasta dishes.
For a beyond simple dinner, boil some ravioli, which TJ's offers in a few different varieties, add a drizzle of balsamic glaze, and replace your usual sauce with a few hearty scoops of the store's bruschetta sauce. How's that for an easy meal?
3. Spicy Pizza
Last fall, one spicy pizza featuring Trader Joe's Garlic & Herb Pizza Dough generated notable buzz. To make this dish according to the viral recipe, layer the dough with TJ's Garlic Spread Dip, Italian Bomba Hot Pepper Sauce, burrata pieces, and marinated mozzarella balls. Then, place layers of Trader Joe's Spicy Uncured Charcuterie Collection and sliced Fire Roasted Red Peppers on top.
After popping this loaded pizza into the oven at 450 degrees for 20 minutes, you can top it off with arugula, some of the seasoned oil from the marinated mozzarella balls, balsamic glaze, and red pepper flakes. You can also drizzle it with hot honey for a touch of sweetness, as recommended by other TikTok users.
4. Chicken Shawarma Pita Sandwiches
One time-saving meal hack is purchasing pre-marinated meat, an item Trader Joe's offers in a few different varieties. For a Middle Eastern-style option, you can buy the Shawarma Chicken Thighs, an item that reigned supreme in a previous Eat This, Not That! TJ's marinated meat taste test. These chicken thighs are seasoned in a blend of onion, garlic, sea salt, cumin, cinnamon, coriander, paprika, turmeric, and parsley.
One TikTok user recommended transforming this chicken into a pita sandwich by stuffing the cooked chicken, red onion, tomatoes, and cucumbers into pita bread slathered with Avocado Tzatziki Dip. For the final touch, you can top your creation with fresh lemon and parsley.
5. "Lazy Girl" Teriyaki Salmon Bowls
Salmon bowls have been having a major moment over the last few years (thank you, Emily Mariko). And you can easily throw one together with just a few ingredients from Trader Joe's.
Dice up some salmon and marinate it in the grocery chain's Soyaki sauce. Then, place the fish in the oven or air fryer. One TikTok user recommended air frying the salmon at 400 degrees for seven to eight minutes and then placing it on top of the grocer's microwavable jasmine rice. While the topping combinations are endless, this TikToker dressed up the bowl with edamame, carrots, seaweed sheets, additional Soyaki, plus Sriracha and Yum Yum Sauce.
6. Beef & Broccoli Bowls
While you have the Trader Joe's microwavable rice and Soyaki in your shopping cart, consider snagging the All Natural Shaved Beef Steak and broccoli florets, which you can heat in a pan with olive oil. Cook the beef until brown, add about one cup of Soyaki and around a tablespoon of chili oil (like Trader Joe's Crunchy Chili Onion) if you'd like some spice, and enjoy!
7. Soup Dumpling Soup
Trader Joe's frozen soup dumplings already get plenty of hype, but if you want to further elevate this frozen food, consider transforming it into a soup—a hack that went viral last year. That's right: soup dumpling soup!
To make this dish, simply place your frozen soup dumplings (which are available in chicken, pork and ginger, and vegetable varieties) into a bowl with chicken broth. Heat this up for two minutes in the microwave and then add soy sauce, sesame oil, chili crisp, green onions, and roasted sesame seeds.
8. Pesto Chicken Bake
One-pan meals make for easy cooking, and this recipe ensures just that. Grab a pan and start loading it with Trader Joe's Pesto Chicken Breast, which comes sliced in half and covered in a Genovese-style pesto sauce. Then, spread some of the grocer's Italian Bomba Hot Pepper Sauce on top and add some grape tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and balsamic glaze. Bake this savory, spicy dish in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, and pair it with your favorite pasta for a complete, satisfying meal.
9. Squiggly Knife Cut Style Noodle Bowls
Trader Joe's Squiggly Knife Cut Style Noodles went viral on TikTok and flew off the shelves in 2023. They also became the star of numerous quick and easy recipes, with people loading them with various proteins, vegetables, and sauces. TikTok user @consciouschris made one "lazy Trader Joe's meal" featuring the noodles, Sriracha Flavored Baked Tofu, and Asian Style Vegetables with Stir Fry Sauce.
To create this dish, cook the noodles as directed and then do the same for the veggies. After this, you can add the stir fry sauce to the vegetable combination, which includes sugar snap peas, broccoli, baby corn, green beans, water chestnuts, red bell peppers, carrots, and mushrooms. Add the tofu and stir fry sauce, followed by the noodles, and then the noodle's soy and sesame sauce packet. For some extra flavor and texture, the social media user recommends garnishing the dish with some sesame seeds, peanuts, or green onions.
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