14 of My Go-To Trader Joe’s Items for Quick & Easy Meals
I know Trader Joe’s isn’t for everyone, but I love it. It doesn’t have the typical name brands you see in most grocery stores, but for me that’s kind of the point. It leans into its own versions of things and puts out unique products that I always end up wanting to try.
When I go to Trader Joe’s, there are a handful of things I always reach for. Bases I can turn into a few different meals, proteins that come pre-marinated, and items that are quick to cook but still full of flavor. It takes a lot of the thinking out of the week.
For some reason, meals from Trader Joe’s always feel more exciting and elevated to me. The flavors are solid, the prep is minimal, and I’m always looking forward to my next meal.
This is a rundown of 14 Trader Joe’s staples I always buy and how I use them throughout the week.
1. Mushroom Medley (Frozen)
$3.99/12 oz
This is one of my favorite freezer staples to keep on hand. I love mushrooms, but when I was buying them fresh, I found it difficult to get through them before they went bad. I also never loved the whole washing process. These solve both of those problems. It’s a mix of mushrooms that come already sliced and lightly seasoned with olive oil, garlic, and parsley.
I use them in eggs, with steak, tossed with chicken, or on toast with Swiss cheese. Since they’re frozen, I don’t have to think about them going bad, and I can skip all the prep. They cook down quickly and still have a really good texture, which makes them easy to work into almost anything.
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2. Mini Chicken Tikka Samosas
$3.99/8.5 Oz
I love these little samosas as a snack. They cook up really nicely in the oven with a crisp exterior and a well-seasoned chicken tikka filling that has a lot of flavor. I typically grab a box whenever I go.
I bake them until golden and usually pair them with a dipping sauce like chutney or Maggi ketchup. They are on the smaller side, which makes them easy to snack on, but I have definitely eaten the whole box in one sitting and called it a meal.
3. Fully Cooked Falafel
$3.99/12 oz
I love falafel, but when I tried making them from scratch once, they did not turn out the way I wanted. Then I came across these and have been buying them ever since. They come out fluffy on the inside, crisp on the outside, and have really good flavor.
I cook them in the air fryer for a few minutes and build a quick gyro-style pita with red onion, feta, cucumber, tomatoes, and french fries on the inside, which I highly recommend. It ends up feeling way more put together than the effort it takes.
This has become one of my go-to weekday lunches. It is fast, filling, and something I look forward to eating.
4. Pork Gyoza Potstickers
$3.99/16 Oz
These are a staple for me. I almost always have a bag in the freezer because they are one of the easiest things to turn into a full meal. I usually pan-fry them so the bottoms get crispy, then let them steam through so the inside stays tender.
Sometimes I eat them on their own with a dipping sauce, and other times I turn them into a quick dumpling stir fry with whatever vegetables I have on hand. They also work really well in the Creamy Coconut Curry Gyoza Bake, which is an easy way to turn them into something a little more filling.
They do not come with a sauce, so I usually use soyaki or any dumpling sauce I have in the fridge. They cook quickly, require almost no prep, and are one of those things I know will always turn out good.
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5. Miso Crunch Chopped Salad Kit
$3.99/13.5-ounce bag
I started buying this after seeing it mixed with the squiggly noodles (view recipe here). I did not expect a salad and hot noodles to work together, but it really does. The sesame miso dressing has a lot of flavor, and it coats everything in a way that ties the whole thing together.
The kit also comes with crunchy chow mein noodles, cashews, and sesame seeds, which give it a really good mix of textures. It feels like more than just a basic salad.
It is filling enough to eat on its own, but I will also add grilled chicken, shrimp, dumplings, or the squiggly noodles to make it more of a full meal. It is one of those easy options that feels fresh but still satisfying.
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6. Greek Yogurt with Honey
$0.99/5.3 Oz
This is my all-time favorite yogurt. I have not found anything like it at any other grocery store. It feels more like a treat than something I am eating out of habit, which was never the case for me with yogurt before.
The texture is thick, almost like ice cream, and the honey flavor is subtle without tasting artificial or overly sweet.
I usually pair it with the dried blueberries from Trader Joe’s. It works for breakfast, a quick lunch, or even dessert. Sometimes I will add chia seeds or almonds if I want something a little more filling.
7. Cheese Tortellini
$2.75/10 oz
I am a pasta girlie. I like having a mix of dried and stuffed pastas on hand, and this is the one I end up reaching for the most. It is easy, it cooks quickly, and it works with just about anything I have in the fridge.
It is a great base when I do not feel like overthinking dinner. I can toss it with a simple sauce, add it to their tomato basil soup for a quick tortellini soup, or turn it into a cold pasta salad with chopped vegetables, cheese, and dressing.
It is one of those staples that makes dinner feel figured out without much effort, which is exactly what I am looking for during the week.
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8. Chicken Meatballs
$3.99/12 Oz
I first saw these in a few TikTok recipes and decided to give them a try. I was looking for an alternative to red meat, and these ended up being one of those things I kept buying after the first time. They are really versatile. I usually go for the regular ones, but the pineapple version is also really good if you want something a little different.
I cook them in the air fryer, which gets the outside slightly crisp while keeping the inside tender. From there, I use them in pasta, meatball subs, or over rice with vegetables and sauce. They come together quickly and hold their shape and texture well, which makes them easy to work into a lot of different meals throughout the week.
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9. Bool Kogi
Priced By Pound
I really like Trader Joe’s marinated meats. They have a variety of beef and chicken options that come fully pre-marinated, which takes a lot of the work out of cooking.
One of my favorites is the “bool kogi,” their Korean-inspired bulgogi marinated steak. You can sear it in a pan and use it in a bunch of different ways. I’ll do rice bowls, add it to salads, toss it in with vegetables, or even use it in tacos.
It is one of those things you can cook once and then work into a few different meals throughout the week. The marinade already has a lot of flavor, so you do not have to do anything to it, and it cooks in about 10 minutes. It is quick, versatile, and makes it easy to pull together a solid meal without much effort.
10. Squiggly Knife Cut Style Noodles
$5.49/13.4 Oz
Once I discovered these squiggly noodles, they quickly became a staple for me. They are kind of like a brothless ramen, and when you cook them according to the instructions, they have a slightly al dente texture, which I really like.
You can keep it simple and toss them with the soy-based sauce packet they come with, or dress them up with chili crisp, scallions, or whatever you have on hand.
One of my favorite ways to eat them is with the miso crunch salad I mentioned above. I saw the combo online and did not expect it to work, but it really does. The noodles soak up the dressing, and the cabbage mix adds a nice crunch that makes it feel like a full meal.
You can also build them out with the bulgogi meat or toss them into a quick stir fry with vegetables. They are really easy to customize, which is why I keep going back to them.
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11. Pappardelle Pasta
$2.49/8 Oz
I love this pappardelle. Even though it is a dried pasta, it cooks up more like a fresh one. It is ready in just a few minutes and has a really nice al dente bite.
I especially like how well it holds onto sauce. I have used it with simple store-bought sauces, homemade carbonara, and cream-based sauces, and it works every time. It is one of those easy upgrades that makes a pasta dish feel a little more put together without doing anything extra.
It is a great base to keep in the cabinet for when a pasta craving hits, which is often for me. I will pair it with grilled chicken or the meatballs I mentioned above, and it instantly feels like a more elevated version of a weeknight pasta.
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12. General Tsao’s Stir Fry Sauce
$3.49/12.35 Oz
I have been buying this General Tso’s sauce for years. It is one of those things I always like to have on hand because it makes putting together a quick meal so much easier.
I use it a lot for stir-fries. I will usually pair it with pan-seared tofu and vegetables over noodles or rice. It is also really good as a dipping sauce for things like chicken nuggets or french fries, which I did not expect at first but now do all the time.
The flavor is sweet and tangy without being overly salty, which makes it easy to use in different ways. You can toss it with noodles, pour it over rice bowls, or even use it as a quick marinade for chicken in the fridge before cooking. It is one of those sauces that ends up getting used more than you think.
13. Hot and Sweet Jalapeños
$3.29/12 Fl Oz
I bought these after they were recommended to me, and now I always have a jar in my fridge. They are one of those small things that end up going on way more meals than I expected.
I will eat them straight out of the jar, add them on top of burgers or nachos, or dice them up and mix a little of the brine into deviled eggs. The flavor is the right balance of spicy and sweet, which makes them easy to pair with a lot of different things.
They are simple, but surprisingly versatile, and I find myself reaching for them all the time.
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14. Calabrian Chili Spicy Pasta Sauce
$4.99/18.34 Oz
This is a newer find for me, but it has already made its way into my regular rotation.
It has a nice level of heat and a slightly creamy texture that makes it feel a little more interesting than a standard marinara. I use it with pasta, pair it with the meatballs I mentioned above, or add it to a meatball sub with melted mozzarella.
It is one of those sauces that does a lot of the work for you. You can keep everything else simple and still end up with something that feels more put together.
Trader Joe’s might not be a one-stop shop for everyone, especially if you prefer more mainstream brands. But for me, it is always worth the trip for the things they do really well.
I keep coming back to these staples because they make my day-to-day cooking easier and more enjoyable. They cut down on prep, still bring a lot of flavor, and help me pull meals together without overthinking it, which is exactly what I need during a busy week.
If you are heading to Trader Joe’s soon, try one or two of these and see how they fit into your routine. You might end up finding a few staples of your own.
