18 Trader Joe's Frozen Vegetarian Meals, Ranked

Fans of easy, yummy meals who are fortunate enough to live in the vicinity of a Trader Joe's have probably scanned the store's frozen section at least once or twice. The layout of the store is genius, and the Trader Joe's frozen section is actively designed for shopping convenience — after all, it just makes sense to present these heat-and-eat foods in a display style planned for maximum accessibility. I'm a huge fan of Trader Joe's for many reasons, but one of the biggest reasons I love the store is for its abundance of frozen foods.

I'm accustomed to eating meat with my meals, so I was curious whether the chain's frozen vegetarian options would pack the same punch as, say, its frozen mandarin orange chicken. I put these offers to the test by trying and ranking 18 of the store's frozen vegetarian dishes, and I was surprised to find that I genuinely enjoyed most of them, despite being devoid of meat. I took several factors into account when ranking these meals, including taste, texture, and whether they held up to (or even exceeded) my expectations.

Despite promising appearances, Trader Joe's Chiles Rellenos con Queso takes the bottom spot on my list of the store's frozen vegetarian meals. This surprised me, because I grabbed the last box available at my usual location (which is why it looks a little banged up in the photo), and so I figured the dish was super-popular and that I would love it. Unfortunately, I didn't finish even one of these stuffed peppers.

Preparation was easy, as I just air-fried the peppers and sautéed the tomato sauce to warm it up. Cutting through the outer breading provided a delightful sensation of crispiness, and the cheese oozed out of the pepper like something you'd see in a commercial. Unfortunately, that was where my excitement ended. Upon taking a bite, I found this way too salty — especially the tomato sauce, which I didn't enjoy at all. The green pepper was unpleasantly mushy, and had no bite to it. The only redeeming quality was the crisp outer layer. 

Another dish that ended up being a disappointment was Trader Joe's Corn & Cheese Arepas. I pan-fried one of the corn-based griddle cakes for a few minutes on either side, until it was lightly golden brown and the cheese started to melt out the sides. I couldn't wait to taste it.

I actually kind of liked the first bite of the arepas I had, but my enjoyment didn't last. The first bite had a decent ratio of corn cake to cheese, and the exterior was pleasantly crispy. However, as I kept eating, the cheese on the inside had no stringy pull to it, and each bite felt like slightly congealed mozzarella. I also didn't love the slight sweetness of the corn cakes. 

Admittedly, I don't think I've ever had paneer before. I'm not generally a fan of warm Indian spices, so I tend to stay away from Indian dishes. However, I actually enjoyed the flavors in this dish — my qualms with it are more due to the texture of this dish (or lack thereof) than anything else. 

Preparing this was easy enough, as I just heated it for a few minutes in the microwave. It smelled amazing, but my first bite was underwhelming and lackluster. My favorite part of the dish was actually the tikka masala sauce, which had great flavor but was still lacking something, and I was tempted to add a little salt to it. The paneer, on the other hand, was incredibly unpleasantly spongy.

I've had almost every selection of Trader Joe's frozen Asian-inspired foods, but its japchae noodles have managed to evade me — until now. I ended up liking this dish, so it may be surprising that it's taking spot 15 on my list, but I simply liked the better-ranked dishes better. The japchae was just ... missing something.

Package instructions say it should only take about three to five minutes to cook the dish, but it took much longer for my noodles to cook. Once I finally got the meal heated, I dug in, and though I liked the dish, I was underwhelmed. The flavor was subtle and delicate, and I enjoyed the texture of the glass noodles. I liked that the dish tasted clean and healthy, but it wasn't something I'd find myself reaching for again. 

First of all, I have to say that I loathe the name of this dish. Reduced Guilt Mac & Cheese? You should never feel guilty for eating mac and cheese. My personal qualms with the name aside, I enjoyed this dish. It was a pretty middling mac and cheese that I'd eat again if it were in front of me, but I wouldn't necessarily go searching for it. 

I baked this in the oven, and after biting into it, I found myself wishing I'd thrown some breadcrumbs on top before baking — however, I couldn't alter the dish before reviewing it. I appreciated that the noodles were amply cheesy without being too wet and saucy. Each forkful yielded a mediocre cheese pull for this fairly standard mac and cheese.

I had pretty high expectations for this pad Thai — especially given that it's one of my favorite Asian dishes — so I was seriously disappointed when this one fell flat. It was by no means horrible, it just didn't hit as hard as it should have. The cooking process was easy enough; I simply stir-fried it for a few minutes before plating. 

For the duration of eating this pad Thai, I couldn't help but think that it was missing something. I felt like it needed more sauce, or even just a little more salt. The noodles cooked to a good texture, and the vegetables were crunchy, but the rest of the dish simply didn't deliver — not to mention, there wasn't nearly enough tofu for my liking. I'd have it again, but only if it was given to me.

I was pretty surprised that I liked Trader Joe's Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese more than the store's Reduced Guilt Mac & Cheese. This version was a nice little lunch that was easy to prepare in the microwave, and because it incorporated butternut squash, I still felt like I was getting a slight amount of veggies in with my lunch. 

My biggest note for this dish is that you have to stir it a ton to incorporate the sauce — that's a minor complaint, though. The butternut squash flavor came through beautifully without being too overpowering, and though I wish the noodles had a little more bite, I appreciated that they were nice and herby. They could have used a little more cheese to hold the noodles together. Still, I'd definitely have this dish again. 

Pad see ew is another Asian dish that I'm a fan of, and the Trader Joe's version of it only didn't rank higher because, similarly to the pad Thai, it just didn't hold up to other versions of this that I've tried. I prepared this dish in the microwave according to the package instructions, but found myself wondering if I'd have liked it better sautéed. 

The vegetables were the highlight of this dish. They were incredibly flavorful and retained a great, crunchy texture. However, the tofu stood out in a bad way, and I'm generally a tofu fan — it was simply too spongy and bland for pad see ew, and I found myself avoiding it with every forkful. The rice noodles had a nice bite to them, but I couldn't help but think that there was simply less umami in this dish than I was expecting.

I think it was a mistake to microwave Trader Joe's Butternut Squash Italian Lasagna, as I immediately wished that I had baked this limited-time offering — one of Trader Joe's fall 2024 items — in the oven instead. This lasagna made a hefty dinner, which I appreciated, but next time I think I would split it between two people and add a side of vegetables if I were serving it as the evening meal. 

The flavors of this lasagna were absolutely beautiful — the butternut squash and cheese created a delicious sauce, and it was herby without being too over-the-top. I was also surprised that it didn't feel super-heavy, which I suspect is because it's made with butternut squash rather than just cheese. The noodles retained some bite throughout, and my one complaint about this dish was enough to knock it down a few pegs on my list: It was way too saucy for my liking.

Up next is Trader Joe's Thai Vegetable Gyoza, which I really hoped would earn a higher ranking on this list, but it fell short for a couple reasons. I prepared these as I always prepare Trader Joe's' gyoza — I pan-fried them for a few minutes before covering and steaming them to cook through. 

The flavor throughout this gyoza was impeccably herby, and I was floored by the chives and hint of ginger present in the dumplings. My single complaint about the gyoza was its inner texture, which was reduced to mush after cooking. I wish the filling had retained some texture, but instead it feels like a paste. These dumplings may have gotten a higher spot on my list if the inside had featured a more interesting consistency, but otherwise they were delicious.

I had no clue what to expect from Trader Joe's Vegetable Biryani, as I don't know that I've ever had this dish before. I ended up pretty floored at how much I enjoyed this little lunch-sized frozen meal, and I'll definitely be picking it up again, especially since it's incredibly easy to heat in the microwave with great results. 

The rice in this dish boasted flavorful, warm seasonings with a little kick at the end of each bite, and the flavor carried through to the vegetable dumplings as well. I appreciated that the cashews retained some texture, and surprisingly I didn't find myself wanting more texture from other veggies in the dish. My only qualm was that I wished the dumplings were slightly crispier.

I saved this dish to have as a hearty dinner, assuming that I would need to prepare the contents of the whole bag at once, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that the bag contains several small pasta nests and several squares of sauce. I cooked one little nest with one sauce square, the perfect size for a snack — because who wouldn't want pasta for a snack every now and again?

Trader Joe's has some of the best store-bought fresh pasta, so it stands to reason that its frozen pasta would also be a winning dinner. True to its package description, there was plenty of umami in this dish, which surprised me given that the only flavors that come through are garlic and olive oil. It felt decadent, and its simplicity and ability to quickly feed a family earned it spot seven on my list.

Trader Joe's Baingan Bharta was a simple joy of a lunch that spread incredible warmth throughout my whole body after just one bite. I didn't intend on finishing this dish, as I was trying a few others at the same time, but I couldn't stop eating it. Trader Joe's may have officially turned me into a fan of Indian food, something that I never thought I'd say.

Though the dish was slightly spicy, it boasted deliciously warm flavors that kept me scooping up bite after bite. I immediately found myself wishing I'd prepared some rice, or had the foresight to get some naan to accompany this dish, as it was somewhat soupy on its own — I may even be tempted to sauté it next time to reduce it a bit. Other than that, this dish boasted inviting flavors that will absolutely have me buying it again. 

When I made Trader Joe's Cheese Filled Fiocchetti with Pink Sauce (a simple process of pan-frying it with some water), I promised myself I wouldn't eat it all in one sitting. However, I couldn't stop taking bite after bite of the little cheese-filled fiocchetti, which were simply too cute and scrumptious to say no to.

This dish tasted both light and decadent, and I loved the pink cream sauce. I didn't even mind that the cheese inside the fiocchetti wasn't more melty than chewy, as that helped lighten the dish up a little bit. The only wish I had for this meal was for some fresh herbs on top, and maybe even something crunchy, like breadcrumbs, for textural variety. 

I'd never had Trader Joe's Taiwanese Green Onion Pancakes before, and I was happy to finally have an excuse to try them, except I now have one problem — I don't know how I'll stop myself from grabbing them every time I'm at the store. These pancakes didn't rank higher on my list because you'll be tempted to add something to them to make a meal out of this product — though I'll admit, I've been pan-frying and eating them plain for breakfast. 

The flavor of these green onion pancakes is both rich and subtle, and I could see myself using them as a wrap for a light breakfast burrito when one of them alone isn't hearty enough. The texture of each pancake is impeccable, with a crispy outside and a soft, delicately layered inside. I found myself wishing I had something to dip the pancakes in, like a warm green curry, and I was happy that the green onion wasn't too strong. 

I should preface this by saying that I'm a huge fan of Thai curries, and my standard for this dish is high. As it would turn out, Trader Joe's Thai Green Curry exceeded the expectations I had for it, especially given that all it takes to prepare it is a few minutes in the microwave. 

My single complaint about this dish is that the curry-to-rice ratio is a bit off, as I wish the dish had more curry. Other than that, I have no notes. It was slightly spicy but pleasantly so, and I was happy with how much crunch the veggies retained, while the curry was packed full of flavor. I can't wait to have this again!

I actually saved Trader Joe's Outside-In Stuffed Gnocchi to try last, because I wasn't looking forward to it — I really am not a huge fan of gnocchi or ample amounts of tomato sauce, so though I love anything stuffed with cheese, I didn't have high expectations for this gnocchi. Boy, was I wrong. I'll never judge a Trader Joe's frozen food by its cover again.  

All I did to prepare the gnocchi was sauté it in some butter, steam it for a few minutes, and sprinkle some Parmesan cheese on top. I bit into the first one and actually let out a little sigh. The outside was pleasantly, lightly crispy, and the inside had just enough tomato sauce and cheese for my liking. Honestly, I don't think these need any more of a finishing touch than the light sprinkle of Parmesan that I gave them. Now I think I'm sold on gnocchi — maybe next I'll see if it's true that Trader Joe's sweet potato gnocchi are even better when you bake them. 

It's time for the number-one spot on my list — and it's occupied by a dish that blew me out of the water, for which I have no complaints and an endless desire to eat it again. I baked Trader Joe's Roasted Garlic & Pesto Pizza in the oven for about 20 minutes, and the tantalizing smell as it was baking was my first clue that I was in for some trouble. 

I'll admit it, I ate this whole pizza for dinner, and may have muttered curses under my breath as I was chowing down, because nothing has the right to be this good. I don't know where to begin. The pesto was delightfully sharp, and the pizza was thick and cheesy. Not to mention the deep-fried crust (are you kidding me?), which was not only gorgeously crispy, but also boasted a delicious buttery flavor. This has to be one of the best things to buy at Trader Joe's. I have no notes — I would just like some more, please. 

The first step in ranking these dishes was, obviously, tasting all of them. I was as objective as possible in compiling my ranking, though obviously my palate played a role in positioning the dishes on this list. In order for a dish to get top marks, it had to have a deep, rich flavor and some variety of texture — though impeccable flavor was enough to carry some texturally deficient foods higher on the list. 

Also important was how well a dish held up to other versions of it that I've had. Dishes I haven't had a lot of before had an advantage here, as I didn't have much to compare them to; however, I'd like to think this factor didn't skew my ranking too much. Surprisingly, I didn't find myself wishing any of these had meat, which was a concern for some of the dishes, so I don't think that played into my ranking at all.