Trader Joe's Foods You Need To Try Before You Die

If you're planning a shopping trip to Trader Joe's, the item that must be in your cart is their Mandarin Orange Chicken. It's no accident that it was voted by Trader Joe's customers as the favorite entree for 2019. This orange chicken is the best Chinese food you can find at a grocery store. In fact, it might even be better than the famous orange chicken served at Panda Express. All you need to do is bake it, add the sauce, and then prepare yourself for a next-level Chinese meal.

If you find regular potstickers to be too bland, Sriracha Seafood Potstickers from Trader Joe's is a flavorful alternative you should try. These potstickers are packed with shrimp and crab that has been expertly spiced with Sriracha. Water chestnuts and mung bean noodles come along for the ride to add the right amount of crunch. The dough for the wrapper is bolstered by the addition of carrot and red pepper. While you usually need dipping sauce for potstickers, these things from Trader Joe's are perfect as-is.

Your first reaction when you see this unique cheese at Trader Joe's may be to recoil in disgust. That's understandable because this cheese looks like it's moldy from a distance due to its green color. But after you get over the initial shock, make sure you purchase the Pesto Gouda Cheese. You will end up loving this cheese so much that it will be a life-changing experience. Basil pesto gives the cheese its green taste and its strong, rich flavor. The powerfulness of the flavor is something you will soon learn to enjoy and eventually crave.

Eating a basket full of fries with a tub full of ketchup has become an American pastime. Trader Joe's has made this process a whole lot easier. No longer do you need to slice the potatoes, cook the fries, and then manually dip each fry into the ketchup. Simply buy a bag of Ketchup Flavored Spud Crunchies and all the work has been done for you. These things are basically potato chips that have been shaped to look like fries and then covered with a ketchup-flavored coating. It may sound strange but it tastes wonderful.

If you've considered going vegan but have hesitated due to your love of eggnog during the holiday season, Trader Joe's has the answer. Almond Nog tastes just like eggnog but it doesn't have any egg or any dairy, making it safe for vegans to drink themselves silly. Even if you're not a vegan, you should try Almond Nog at least once. Despite relying on almond milk, it's satisfyingly creamy and has the perfect amount of both ginger and nutmeg. Buy a quart of this holiday goodness and you'll have a difficult time putting it down.

Finding juice shots that haven't been packed with sugar or watered-down is difficult. But at Trader Joe's, the Organic No Joke Ginger Juice Shot gives you the full flavor experience without the excess water. This cold-pressed juice shot is made with a mix of lemon juice, coconut water, and ginger root juice. To add a pleasant but unmistakable kick, the Organic No Joke Ginger Juice Shot also has a dash of cayenne pepper in it. The result is a juice shot that is all organic, amazingly tasty, and right on track with some of the hottest health trends. Give yourself a boost by downing one of these shots at every chance you get.

Dip made from spinach and artichoke has become a popular appetizer at restaurants around the country. You can now take that appetizer you love and bring it into your kitchen at home. Creamy Spinach & Artichoke Dip from Trader Joe's is not only a good substitute for what you find at restaurants, it's even better. In addition to spinach and artichoke, this stuff has Parmesan cheese, Swiss cheese, and all the right spices to finish the job. Once you heat it up, the consistency of this dip makes it perfect for tortilla chips, but it's also spreadable enough to easily add it to your favorite type of bread.

Plantains are extremely popular in many Caribbean countries and in some parts of Africa and South America. The United States has been slower to realize just how good plantains taste. If you want to join those who love plantains, go to Trader Joe's and seek out their Roasted Plantain Chips. You may think twice before ever switching back to potato chips. Plantain chips are healthier and have a richer taste. Before you know it, you'll be eating these chips and frying plantains on a daily basis like they do in the Caribbean.

Charles Shaw wines at Trader Joe's are known as "Two Buck Chuck" because you can get your hands on this wine for about $2 (depending on your location). You may think this wine is garbage due to its low price tag but you'd be wrong. Charles Shaw Cabernet Sauvignon, specifically, is a wine you should taste at least once. It's legitimately very good and, considering the cost, it could easily become your go-to wine. Charles Shaw Cabernet Sauvignon has a bold taste that will surprise you at first, but that you will grow to enjoy.

Before you find yourself at the pearly gates, be sure to visit your local Trader Joe's and buy their Chocolate Coconut Almonds. These are spherical gifts from the snack gods above. To create these goodies, almonds are roasted until they are perfectly crunchy. Next, a coating of pearly white coconut is applied to the almond. The coconut has an authentic texture and a sweet (but not too sweet) taste. The final piece to the puzzle is a layer of chocolate. With each bite you take, you'll struggle to pinpoint whether you love the top layer of chocolate, the middle layer of coconut, or the inner roasted almond the best.

Trader Joe's has taken the best aspects of a Bloody Mary and put it in a form that you can scoop up with a tortilla chip. Whichever foods you typically add salsa to, you can confidently add Bloody Mary Salsa and you'll be entirely satisfied. The ingredients used to create this masterpiece are numerous: tomatoes, green chile pepper, jalapeno peppers, capers, onions, pickling brine, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, and, of course, horseradish. It may sound complicated but you won't be complaining once you buy this salsa and can add Bloody Mary taste to everything under the sun.

While you can add these bad boys to a soup, the Steamed Chicken Soup Dumplings from Trader Joe's are actually at their best when they are all alone with you and a large spoon. And, surprisingly, the best way to cook them is in the microwave. In just two minutes, you will have perfect soup dumplings. When you take a bite, broth erupts from the dumpling and the savory taste will hug your taste buds. Then the chicken will melt on your tongue as it joins the lovefest. As you chew the dumplings, the splashing of all the rich flavors in your mouth will make you long for the next bite.

You can cold brew your own coffee at home, but it takes time and there's no guarantee that the result will be pleasing. Instead of wasting your time, just go to Trader Joe's and get a bottle of Cold Brew Coffee. Made with 100 percent arabica beans, the flavor is bold, but this coffee goes down smooth. You can add some milk or cream if you wish but be sure to taste it first because you might not need to add anything.

This heat and serve meal from Trader Joe's is something you deserve to eat at least once in your life. Philly Cheesesteak Bao Buns are filled with memorable shredded beef, flavorful bell peppers, and tasty onion. That combination is so authentic that you'll think that you're on the streets of Philadelphia. Surrounding the cheesesteak is a bun that is soft and delicate but not too flaky or crumbly. Each box contains four buns. Prepare not to be able to share.

If you like your bourbon to be classified as wheated, you're in luck. Trader Joe's has Kentucky Best Straight Bourbon Whiskey that is among the best wheated bourbons you can find anywhere. For four years, this stuff is aged in oak barrels. When it's ready, this whiskey is destined to be sipped until you can sip no more. While the flavor doesn't hold back any punches, the punches you receive are enjoyable. A few sips in and you'll be able to taste the slight flavors of raisins, honey, plums, and butter making a subtle yet notable appearance.

You can buy a can of chili at a superstore and be underwhelmed by what you get. Or, if you're smart, you'll go to Trader Joe's and buy a tub of their Angus Beef Chili with Pinto Beans. Your life will be better for making this decision. First of all, the beef in this chili is of excellent quality. It's angus beef that is antibiotic-free and hormone-free. In the chili you will find pinto beans and some refreshingly tangy lime juice. To add some spice to your life, the chili has multiple peppers at work including chipotle peppers and poblano peppers.

Speaking of the favorite foods at Trader Joe's, the winner for the overall favorite in 2020 was this Everything But The Bagel Sesame Seasoning Blend. If you're wondering how a seasoning blend got top honors, you've obviously never tried it. Everything But The Bagel Sesame Seasoning Blend is so good that there's virtually no limit to what you can put it on. From grilled chicken to steamed vegetables and everything in between, this stuff will enhance your food. It has sesame seeds, dried garlic, sea salt, dried onions, poppy seeds, and a whole lot of goodness.

The dilemma you'll face when you buy Chocolate Dilemma Cheesecake at Trader Joe's is which of the eight slices you will eat first. Chocolate Dilemma Cheesecake has two slices of four fantastic options: triple chocolate, chocolate chip, tuxedo, and plain. When solving your dilemma, don't overlook the plain cheesecake, as there's nothing plain about how great that cheesecake tastes. If you love chocolate and can never have too much, the triple chocolate is enough to send you to chocolate heaven within two or three bites. If you're hopelessly unable to solve the dilemma, go with the tuxedo cheesecake because that one offers a little bit of everything that makes the rest of the options so amazing.

While you can find a wide variety of breakfast cereals at Trader Joe's, when making your selection you should keep it simple and opt for the Honey Nut O's. Imagine Honey Nut Cheerios but with an even better taste and even more pleasing texture. These magical little O's even hold up better in milk, which allows you to sit back and fully enjoy your breakfast. Honey Nut O's are also a perfect snack to take on the road with you or put in your backpack the next time you hit the hills to go hiking.

Ash Rind Brie from Trader Joe's is a ripened cheese with a flavor that you will learn to cherish. If you have never eaten brie before, it may take your taste buds a while to adjust. However, once your taste buds are given a chance to acclimate, they'll be begging for more and more of this cheese. Ash Rind Brie remains soft enough to spread on crackers or a piece of toast with just a butter knife. Pro tip: This cheese tastes the best when it's cold. For that reason, you should keep it in your fridge until the very moment you are ready to eat it.

Queso Fundido from Trader Joe's is a cheese dip with such flavorful spiciness that it can even put you in a good mood on a Monday morning. All it needs is a few minutes in your microwave and it's ready to eat with tortilla chips, veggies, or anything else that can use a cheesy upgrade. This Queso Fundido has queso fresco, poblano peppers, and the very same Soy Chorizo that's on this list. Once it's heated, the cheese is perfectly creamy — not too soupy and not so thick that it'll snap your tortilla chips. Never settle for bad queso again when you can just go to Trader Joe's and get this gloriously cheesy dip.

So many of these items from Trader Joe's that you should try before you die can use a high-quality tortilla chip to make the experience better. At Trader Joe's, there's one option that stands apart from the rest: Organic Stone Ground Blue Corn Tortilla Chips. These chips aren't only healthier for you, the texture and crunch are amazing and the flavor will make you fall in love. Be sure to purchase these chips the next time you're at Trader Joe's, especially if you're buying the Creamy Spinach & Artichoke Dip, Bloody Mary Salsa, Buffalo Style Chicken Dip, Queso Fundido, or anything else that can be enhanced by the best tortilla chips on the market.