17 Frozen Asian-Inspired Foods From Trader Joe's, Ranked

If you're having a bad day, a stroll down Trader Joe's frozen aisle will surely make you feel better. Anyone who's ever done retail therapy at the popular grocery store knows what I'm talking about; scouring through the packages of frozen entrées for your favorite one is about as endorphin-inducing as going on a long run or eating some dark chocolate. This rings especially true if you, like me, are a fan of Asian-inspired dishes.

Almost an entire quarter of the frozen meals section at my local Trader Joe's is dedicated to Asian-inspired entrées, so of course I jumped at the opportunity to sample as many of them as I could. I ranked the items worst to best based primarily on taste and texture, though I also took into account the size of the package and any special considerations, like the dishes being vegan.

Taking the bottom spot on this list are the Trader Joe's steamed chicken soup dumplings, which have to be one of Trader Joe's worst "soup" offerings. Unfortunately, I didn't eat more than one of the dumplings, as I was severely underwhelmed from the moment I took a bite. Preparing these was easy enough; I simply stuck them in the microwave for a few minutes. The six piece-box would make a decent lunch, especially if it was served alongside soup. 

In fact, eating these with soup is the only way I'd recommend eating them. This is because my biggest qualm with the dumplings was that they contained hardly any liquid. The package instructions tell you to bite the dumpling over a spoon, let the liquid collect in the spoon, and then eat both. When I tried to do this, no soup collected in the spoon. Even worse, the dumplings don't really have any redeeming qualities in terms of flavor. They're pretty salty, and the only discernible flavor is chicken, which would have been fine had the dumplings actually contained soup.

I had much higher hopes for what was essentially chicken nuggets and flavored mayonnaise, so needless to say, I was pretty disappointed when that's all this package of chicken karaage contained. I actually double-checked to see if it had a sauce I was missing, but alas, there was nothing. The chicken crisped up nicely after 20 minutes in the air fryer. Unfortunately, its texture was one of the few things I enjoyed about this product. 

In addition to being underwhelmed, I was more than a little confused. Was this chicken even seasoned? It says it is on the bag, but the chicken on the bag also looked way more appetizing than what ended up on my plate. The one thing that saved this dish was that it reminded me of great chicken nuggets (and I love chicken nuggets). The sauce was another let down; I thawed it according to the package instructions, but it ended up being a pretty bland, though it was slightly spicy. I'd only buy a bag again because I like chicken nuggets, but I would pair them with another sauce entirely. 

I didn't really expect to enjoy Trader Joe's cha siu bao buns, given that I'm not the biggest bao fan. But, I must admit that I was surprised I liked them as much as I did. All I needed to do to prepare them was wrap them in a wet paper towel and microwave them for about a minute. One package houses four bao buns, each of which are hearty enough to make a decent snack when eaten solo.

My first thought upon biting into the bao was that the dough was a little dry, but the pork filling was delicious. I felt like it needed a sauce, though. Overall, the buns were yummy, though I did feel each could have used more filling or less dough. Sumptuous as the pork filling was, it couldn't stand up to the thick, dry dough. Although I didn't dislike these bao, I likely won't seek them out again.

Up next (but just barely) is Trader Joe's pork shu mai. Again, preparing these was an easy task; I just popped them in the microwave for a few minutes. The box contains nine pieces, and given the size of the dumplings, I'd say one box would make a nice little appetizer if you're entertaining a few people.

First, I tried the pork shu mai without any dipping sauce to see what they tasted like on their own. Unfortunately, my first reaction was that the little pork dumplings were pretty bland. Soy sauce slightly elevated the experience, but not enough to make me fall in love with the dumplings. I almost wish I'd pan-fried the dumplings after taking them out of the microwave to give them some textural contrast. The overall flavor was good but, again, fairly bland, and slightly sweet in a way that I wasn't expecting and didn't find very appetizing. 

This next dish kickstarts the would-buy-again-but-probably-won't-crave-it section of the ranking. Making Trader Joe's chicken chow mein couldn't have been easier. I just emptied the contents of the bag into a pre-heated non-stick pan, added the sauce, and stir-fried everything together. A whole bag would easily make one dinner-sized meal portion.

On the whole, I'd say this was pretty good for a frozen chicken chow mein dinner, and I'd definitely eat it again if I needed a quick and easy meal. The noodles had good texture and decent bite, which was good news, as I was worried they might be a bit mushy. The sauce had a full umami flavor that didn't overwhelm the dish. 

Other than that, I found the chow mein to be underwhelming. The vegetables didn't have much bite to them, so I didn't notice them very much. Only the broccoli was particularly noticeable, and while the chicken had a fine texture, it was fairly bland. 

Another would-eat-again dish is Trader Joe's ginger shrimp lo mein. The noodles come out in a large, frozen block (similar to ramen) and I had to have faith they would separate while cooking, which they did. Other than that, the stovetop prep was easy enough, though it was a bit hard to tell when the shrimp was done. The entire bag is enough for a hearty dinner or two small lunches.

The first thing I noticed was that the dish smells pretty gingery. Upon taking a bite, I realized that ginger was really the only flavor I got. It was a strong flavor, but I was expecting some more umami in this dish. The noodles were fine, but they didn't have as much bite as I'd like. Meanwhile, the shrimp's texture is about what I'd expect from frozen shrimp. Overall, this is a fairly middle-of-the-road dinner. 

Trader Joe's garlic shiitake green beans are a dish I would definitely buy again. Preparation was as easy as sauteing them in a pan for a few minutes. The bag had a pretty large serving size — and it would be an excellent side dish.

I was apprehensive when buying these green beans, simply because I'm wary of frozen veggies in any form. I was delighted to find, however, that these beans didn't get the least bit mushy after cooking. Rather, they cooked up nice and crispy, with just enough bite to make me feel like I was eating decently-fresh green beans. My biggest critique was that, though the flavor was good, I didn't feel there was enough of it. The beans were especially lacking the punch of garlic I was hoping for. Other than that, I'd definitely buy these again. 

Trader Joe's vegetable fried rice has always been one of my safe choices for a quick, easy dinner. Preparing it couldn't be easier; just saute it on the stove for about five minutes. This dish is also vegan, which is unsurprising, but a welcome bonus. You can eat the whole bag for dinner, or half for lunch. 

Overall, the dish is pretty good. The rice is tender, and the edamame and corn have a decent bite to them. The peas burst when you bite into them, but I couldn't really tell the carrots and red peppers were there. I always put soy sauce on the vegetable fried rice after I sauté it, and I found that it isn't very flavorful without it. But again, this is a dish I've already had a few times and would have again. 

I've also had these pork gyoza potstickers before and was happy to be able to try one of Trader Joe's best frozen appetizers again. Usually I pan-fry them, but this time I microwaved them, as I did with many of the other dishes. Microwaving the gyoza made the wrappers a little chewy, so I'd recommend sticking to cooking them on the stovetop.

I expected to love the filling in these potstickers, and despite the microwave preparation, the filling definitely didn't disappoint. The wrapper-to-filling ratio is well-balanced, which is an issue I had with some of the other selections on this list, and the filling is very flavorful and pleasantly juicy. The one thing I'll say is that the filling doesn't have a ton of texture and is slightly mushy. However, the flavor more than makes up for it. 

Preparing Trader Joe's kung pao chicken requires a few more steps than most of the other dishes on this list, but not nearly enough to call this dish complicated. You just need to cook the chicken, add the veggies, and pour in the peanuts and sauce. It only took about 15 minutes to cook the whole bag. It makes for a big dinner, two lunches, or it could be a side for a few people.

This entrée was better than I was expecting. I was worried it would be too spicy, as I'm sensitive to spice, but it was actually pretty mellow, and the peanuts didn't overwhelm the dish. I wish there were more vegetables, but the veggies that are there have a good bite to them. The chicken was nice and tender as well. I like that two sauce packets are included, in case you don't want to make the whole bag at once, but I wish Trader Joe's separated the vegetables into two packets as well. 

Given that I'm really not a fan of seaweed, I wasn't expecting to enjoy Trader Joe's kimbap. But, I was surprised by how much I really enjoyed Trader Joe's kimbap. Preparing the kimbap was as simple as sticking them in the microwave to defrost. Leftovers can be kept in the fridge and eaten cold. There are nine pieces in a package, and I ate all of them for lunch.

The seaweed flavor wasn't super prominent, which is why I suspect that I liked these so much. I recommend eating the giving the kimbap an upgrade by eating it with soy sauce, too. I was very happy with the size of the pieces, as well, and the texture was on-point. The fried-ish texture of the tofu made it worth eating. I would prefer the kimbap without the seaweed wrapper, but that's a personal preference that I tried not to factor too heavily into my ranking. 

This was my first time trying Trader Joe's bulgogi beef fried rice with kimchi, and boy, this dish did not disappoint. Preparation was easy as pie, and though you can prepare this dish on the stovetop or in the microwave, I chose stovetop preparation. An entire package can easily be one dinner.

I was surprised by how tender and flavorful the beef was. The rice also held its texture well and wasn't the least bit mushy. I added green onions on top and I would have liked some Korean barbecue sauce for another little burst of flavor, but other than that, this dish held its own really well, though it doesn't boast much textural variety. You get a small kick of spice at the end of each bite, which adds a nice touch. If the kimchi was more identifiable, I'd have given this fried rice a slightly higher spot on the list. 

Trader Joe's vegetable spring rolls only required about 15 minutes in the oven, and though oven prep is easy enough, it's not as fast as microwaving or sauteing a dish. But, the process was still relatively painless. Five spring rolls come in a box, and each is hefty enough to satisfy someone as an appetizer. 

I'd never had these spring rolls before, and I was most surprised by the quality of the wrap. It was crispier than I'd expected, and it tasted like a fried egg roll wrapper; the picture on the box doesn't do this product justice, in my opinion. When I bit in, I found the pleasant crunch of the wrapper contrasted nicely with the juicy interior, which had a full-bodied umami flavor. The only thing I wished is that the filling had a bit more texture, but that's not a big complaint. 

Trader Joe's jumeokbap may have been the biggest surprise on this list. I didn't have high expectations for the plant-based beef inside of them, and I hadn't tried them before. All you need to do to prepare them is stick them in the microwave. Each package comes with three, individually-wrapped triangles. One of them makes for a decently-sized appetizer or little snack. 

These were way yummier than I was expecting, and I would absolutely buy them again to keep in the freezer for a snack. I love the stickiness of the rice, and how the jumeokbap retains its shape even as you're eating it. Each jumeokbap also has a nice chew to it, and I didn't mind the lack of textural variety here. It has a great depth of flavor without being overwhelming, and to top it all off, I never would have guessed it's vegan! 

Preparing Trader Joe's shiitake mushroom chicken required just one extra step that most dishes on this list didn't: defrosting ingredients in the microwave. That's easy enough to do, though, so it didn't factor too heavily into my ranking. After defrosting, I stir-fried everything together in a non-stick pan. One bag can easily be split into two smaller meals, or it can be eaten as one larger meal if you're particularly hungry. 

When I took my first bite of this entrée, I was floored by the flavor of the sauce. The dish was incredible — the texture of the green beans and edamame was great, and I was shocked by how fresh, juicy, and tender the chicken managed to taste. The mushrooms were insanely flavorful, and the sauce was delicious. I thought this was going to take the number one spot on this list for a while, until I found I couldn't eat more than a few bites; it turns out it was a bit too flavorful for me. 

I tried these wontons twice during the course of this review. First I pan-fried them, and then I heated them up in some homemade chicken stock. Both methods of preparation yielded absolutely delicious results. The wontons are tiny, but the bag has a ton of them. This means you can drop them into soup or eat them solo as a delicious snack or yummy appetizer.

To say I was delighted by these mini wontons would be an understatement. Upon finishing my first plate, I immediately wanted more. They're flavorful and juicy, and the cilantro comes through beautifully without hitting too hard. They're delicious pan-fried with soy sauce, and there's a pleasant texture throughout, though I wouldn't necessarily say there's textural variety here. I'm also a huge fan of the "mini" size of these wontons, since you can eat one in a single bite.

Finally, the number one spot in this ranking goes to one of the best chicken products at Trader Joe's: the mandarin orange chicken. It is simply so darn good that I couldn't justify giving it any less than the top spot. The chicken requires oven preparation, after which you combine it with the thawed sauce. There's an ample amount of chicken in each bag, too. 

This dish has always been a favorite of mine, and though I was curious to see how it would stack up against some dishes I had never tried before, I'm not surprised the orange chicken took my top spot. This chicken is crunchy on the outside and beautifully tender on the inside and the sauce is simply perfect. It strikes a lovely balance between sweet and spicy. Also of note, it makes a yummy accompaniment to the aforementioned garlic shiitake green beans. Or, upgrade it by combining it with Trader Joe's shrimp boom bah. 

Fortunately, I hadn't had any of these Asian-inspired Trader Joe's foods in a while, so I was able to remain relatively unbiased when ranking them. The biggest factor I took into account was the overall flavor of the dish. For example, did multiple flavors come through, and were they appropriately balanced? 

Also of great importance when ranking these items were the textures present in each dish. In general, a dish with multiple elements and little textural variety (like the pork shu mai) ranked lower on the list than a simple dish with a great texture balance (such as the orange chicken). Serving sizes played less of a role than I thought they would, though I was pleasantly surprised that some items could span multiple meals. Finally, as someone who isn't vegan, I was happy to find that I enjoyed most of the vegan dishes, and some (like the jumeokbap) ranked higher because they pulled of being plant-based particularly well.