Trader Joe's Sausages, Ranked Worst To Best

Despite being a massively popular grocery chain, Trader Joe's doesn't have many name-brand products — but that doesn't mean TJ's is lacking in options. When it comes to the sausage section, for example, you have a ton of varieties to choose from, whether you prefer pork- or chicken-based links. But when you're faced with so many choices, it can be hard to pick just one. And without trying all the sausage types available, how do you really know you're getting the right product?

That's why I've taste-tasted 11 of Trader Joe's sausage selections to give you a better idea of what each product offers. These sausages have been ranked, starting with the type I liked the least, and working my way to the very best. I chose a wide variety of Trader Joe's sausages, attempting to source a representative sample of the flavors available, and I ranked them according to both taste and texture, prioritizing that signature "snap" that good links are known for. Each sausage was cooked in an air fryer before I tried them fresh and hot, without a bun or condiments to interfere with the flavor. This is how the different varieties ranked. 

None of the sausages that I tried from Trader Joe's were actively bad. However, the Maple Chicken Breakfast Sausage was definitely the variety I enjoyed the least out of the bunch. The flavor of these sausages isn't disagreeable, but there's just not much going on. You can't really taste the maple; it's more of a subtle, indistinct sweetness, and there's nothing to temper that sweetness at all. Some heat or a peppery element would have been a nice touch here, but it's conspicuously absent. The texture isn't the best, either. The cooked sausage was just kind of soft, with no discernible snap. It was also lacking in juiciness, with a dryness I wasn't expecting from breakfast sausage, a type of link that is usually quite moist.

Would I eat this sausage alongside some eggs, toast, and fruit? Sure. But on their own, these links aren't great, and I'd probably seek out another breakfast sausage brand if I cared about making the best possible morning meal. This isn't a terrible option if you're in a pinch, but you shouldn't go out of your way to snag these sausages specifically. 

You won't be getting a bad product if you grab Trader Joe's pork-based sweet Italian links. On the texture front, this has everything you could ask from a sausage. The casing provides an absolutely mouthwatering snap, which is half the reason I want to eat a sausage in the first place. It also crisps up nicely — even just using an air fryer — which, again, adds to the textural element that's all too important when it comes to assessing sausage quality.

But the flavor of this sausage is severely lacking. In this case, "sweet" seems to be a stand-in description for "bland," because I couldn't taste much of anything biting into this sausage. There's that juicy pork flavor, of course, which means you're at least getting decent-quality meat. But a good sausage is all about the seasonings, and it seemed like those were sorely lacking. If you don't typically like sausage because you think the flavors are too heavy and intense, then this may just be the sausage for you. However, for real sausage lovers who are looking for a deeply flavorful dog, Trader Joe's offers better options in its meat lineup.

One of my absolute biggest food pet peeves is when "spicy" is used to describe dishes that are decidedly not spicy at all. I get it — everyone has a different spice tolerance. But something having a sprinkle of chili in it should not be deemed spicy. In many ways, Trader Joe's is a massive offender of this cardinal sin of product labeling, and the brand's Spicy Italian Chicken Sausage is a clear example of that. It's genuinely not spicy at all, with essentially no perceptible heat detected on my rather sensitive palate. That doesn't mean these links taste bad, per se, but people looking for an actually spicy sausage are likely to be disappointed when they take their first bite.

Additionally, these links are lacking that snap I'm looking for in a great sausage. That lack of texture gives the link a weirdly soft feel, which isn't a huge turnoff, but it can never compare to a properly snappy sausage. On the upside, though, this product does have a lovely kick of fennel, which seems to be missing from a lot of the other sausages on this list. This chicken sausage earns its place in this ranking based on its fennel content alone. 

Many of Trader Joe's different types of chicken sausages are actually vaguely similar, but when it comes to the chain's Organic Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage, you're getting something a bit different. It's thinner than most of the other chicken sausages in this ranking, and it has a grainier texture as well. Unfortunately, this chicken sausage is missing the sweetness I would've expected from a product that literally has "sweet" in its name. And compared to the non-organic sweet Italian chicken I tried for this ranking, the flavor of this one is much less intense.

However, that doesn't make this sausage bad — it just means it's not as good as many of the others. On the upside, there is a really distinct peppery (but not spicy) flavor to this sausage, which is a nice touch that would work well in a lot of recipes. Ultimately, you're probably better off choosing one of the other options ranked higher on this list, but if you really care about getting an organic option or you just want to try something different from the usual Trader Joe's sausage selection, this isn't a product to avoid.

If what you are seeking is a super-sweet link, you don't have to look any further than Trader Joe's Sweet Apple Chicken Sausage, which has a very pronounced sweetness that you may not find from other brands. You can actually taste the flavor of the apples, which is a nice touch. Overall, the effect is an almost autumnal feeling — this sausage seems like it would be particularly enjoyable with other fall-season foods like squash, pumpkin, and roasted greens.

So, why doesn't this sausage rank higher on the list if it offers such an inviting and distinctive flavor? It all comes down to the fact that it's not that versatile. There are some meals that this sausage would really work well within, but for most dishes, it doesn't have the right flavor profile. I think it would be at its best with some spicy mustard or something else with a kick of acidity — and perhaps even spice — to balance out that overt sweetness. Ultimately, though, if you like a fruit and meat combo that will give you cozy fall vibes, this is a sausage from Trader Joe's that you absolutely have to try. 

Trader Joe's Unexpected Cheddar Cheese is perhaps one of the brand's most beloved products, and for good reason. It's a cheddar that's missing the overtly sharp note that can turn some off of this cheese type, while it has a slightly crunchy texture that's a far cry from those overly creamy cheddars you may have had in the past. So, it only makes sense that Trader Joe's would want to find a way to add it to some of its other products. Enter the Unexpected Cheddar Chicken Sausage.

This sausage is incredibly flavorful, and it has a lot going on. But weirdly, you can't really taste much of the cheese in the mix at all. That may be disappointing to fans of the cheese, but don't fret — this is still a solid product. What I tasted more than anything was the caramelized onions and red peppers, which give the sausage a complexity that you won't find from every brand. Additionally, this sausage had the best snap among all of the chicken sausages that I tried for this ranking, and for this, I was grateful. If you're hoping to find a sausage that's a departure from the norm of what Trader Joe's offers, this product is worth checking out. 

As someone who has clearly stated a distaste for "spicy" products or dishes that aren't actually spicy at all, I'm not too pleased that Trader Joe's Spicy Jalapeño Chicken Sausage isn't really all that spicy. However, I can be more forgiving of this product since the flavor of jalapeños is so pronounced here. That green freshness you expect from the peppers is present in every bite. In fact, it's so strong that you can actually smell it as you're cooking the sausage. Just don't expect any heat to go along with that aroma. Ultimately, this is a link that doesn't feature any of the typical sausage seasonings you might expect — and the results are really, really good.

The snap of this sausage is not great, so I probably wouldn't choose to put it in a bun and enjoy it as a sandwich. Rather, I think this variety would be at its best chopped up and added to other dishes. It could make a flavorful addition to a simple pasta dish, or might be used to add a little oomph (and protein) to scrambled eggs. Don't be afraid to use these chicken sausages in unconventional ways. 

Whether you're gearing up to celebrate Oktoberfest in Munich or you're just looking for a solid sausage for your next cookout, you can't go wrong with Trader Joe's uncured Bavarian bratwurst. These sausages are actually made in Germany, and they feature a host of traditional seasonings, like marjoram, nutmeg, mace, black pepper, and coriander, which combine to give Bavarian bratwurst their signature flavor. All of those spices work together to create a truly unforgettable taste in a pork sausage package.

The texture of these white links is fantastic. The snap is incredible, and the inside of the sausage has a smooth, almost bouncy texture that makes for a deeply satisfying sausage-eating experience. The flavor has some complexity to it from all of the different spices included in the mix, but the end result is a rather mild taste, with the flavor of the pork shining through the subtle herbal notes. Enjoy this with some spicy mustard and a beer, and you can have an Oktoberfest celebration in the comfort of your own kitchen. 

There is nothing — nothing — like the aroma and flavor of roasted garlic. If you're a true garlic fan (like any self-respecting consumer of food should be, in my opinion), you can't get enough of that bold, intense, spicy-sweet flavor. And although many garlic-forward products are conspicuously lacking in the appropriate amount of garlic flavor, that's not what you should expect when you buy Trader Joe's Roasted Garlic Chicken Sausage.

Sometimes, garlic products are kind of bland in the absence of enough garlic. But luckily, gloriously, that's not a problem with this product. You can actually taste the garlic in every bite. And the chain isn't lying about the "roasted" element of the flavor, either. While raw garlic can taste sharp and strong, that's not what you're getting here. Rather, there's a subtle sweetness to the flavor that adds complexity and depth rather than a simple, somewhat spicy note. It's well-balanced and perfect for people who are always trying to add more garlic to their dishes.

The only reason this sausage doesn't rank higher than it does is the fact that the snap that I'm looking for is completely absent in this sausage. Admittedly, it's still delicious without it, but if it had that noticeable snap factor, it would've scored even higher in this ranking.

While the organic version of Trader Joe's Sweet Italian Style Chicken Sausage isn't really my thing, this doesn't mean that I don't like the flavor of Italian-style sausage in general. In fact, I think the flavors of these links can work especially well in a variety of Italian sausage recipes — especially if the links are chicken-based — and I think that's definitely the case when it comes to this product. The Italian seasonings in this sausage are strong, giving it that distinctive flavor you think of when ordering sausage from an Italian restaurant. In fact, those spices are so powerful that you may not even notice that this is a chicken sausage at first; it's that flavorful.

Unfortunately, the snap is absent in this sausage as well, which is a big bummer considering how great the flavor is. That doesn't mean it's a hopeless product, though. When a sausage is missing the snap factor I'm looking for, I just look for ways to cut it up and include it in other dishes, even if it may not be the star of the show. In this case, I think this sausage would taste particularly delicious with a pasta dish that really highlights grilled onions and peppers, since those flavors are so strong in the sausage itself. But don't be afraid to experiment with this product — there are many ways you can use it for easy weeknight meals. 

Chicken sausage can be just as delicious as its counterparts made with pork ... but sometimes, you want a juicy, fatty pork sausage, and the substitutes just won't do. Well, that's just what you're getting when you snag Trader Joe's pork-based hot Italian sausage. The sweet version of this sausage may be largely lacking in flavor, but you won't find the same issue here. This hot sausage is definitely flavorful, with a perceptible heat that makes you want to go in for another bite. Don't worry, though — it's not so hot that spice-averse eaters will be too turned off by the slightly fiery flavor profile.

And to make things even better, the texture of this sausage is unbeatable. The casing provides that perfect snap I want in a sausage, and once you take that first bite, the juices start flowing. There's nothing going on here that's particularly interesting or groundbreaking, but this product doesn't shine because it's doing something different. Rather, it's just doing a classic well, which is pretty much what we're looking for in most basic products anyway. The next time you decide to have sausage and you don't know where to buy it from, head to Trader Joe's for a version that offers an agreeable bit of heat. 

The sausages I picked for this ranking were mostly based on availability, although I tried to select a representative sample of the options available at my local TJ's locations. I tried to find a mix of both pork and chicken sausage, although chicken options predominated at both of the Trader Joe's locations that I visited.

Once I got the sausages home, I cooked them in an air fryer, adjusting time settings according to the product at hand. I then taste-tested each sausage as it came out of the air fryer while it was still hot. I tried the sausages on their own, not in a bun, and without condiments so as not to be distracted by competing flavors and textures.

When evaluating and ranking each product, I paid special attention to the taste of the sausages, searching both for depth of flavor and complexity. Additionally, I paid close attention to the texture of the sausage, as I expect a good sausage to have a distinct snap to it. In general, sausages that had a nice snap to them ranked higher than their softer counterparts.