12 Trader Joe's Deli Meats, Ranked Worst To Best

If you're busy and always crunched for time, it can be hard to ensure that you always have some sort of cooked protein waiting for you in the fridge whenever you get hungry. That's why I sometimes like keeping deli meats on hand. They make for a quick and easy sandwich or snack plate, and they require basically no prep time. And when you want to take your time to construct a snack-y meal that's nice enough to serve when guests come over, deli meats can make for a delicious charcuterie board. If you shop at Trader Joe's, you're in luck — the popular chain grocery store stocks plenty of deli meat options.

But with so many deli meats to choose from, you may have a hard time making a selection in the midst of your bustling Trader Joe's. That's why I've ranked different Trader Joe's deli meats to help give you a better idea of what you may want to try or not. I've taken flavor, texture, and potential uses into consideration to create this ranking, and even if you don't agree with every point, I hope it will give you enough information to make a decision about which product to try next. May your sandwiches, snack plates, and charcuterie boards taste better than ever.

It's important for some of us to watch our salt intake for health reasons. And unfortunately, most deli meats are packed with salt. That doesn't mean you have to abstain from them entirely, though — not when you can choose a lower-sodium variety. That seems to be the main appeal of Trader Joe's Reduced Sodium Sliced Roasted Turkey Breast. It's a lean deli meat without quite as much salt as other, comparable sliced turkey, so it might be a more health-conscious choice for some shoppers.

However, if you don't have to opt for the lower-sodium variety, you may want to skip this product. Turkey breast isn't exactly the most flavorful cut of meat in the first place. Once you take out the salt, you barely get any flavor from this meat at all — it tastes like you're eating a thin slice of pure beige. Plus, it's nearly impossible to take a slice out of the package without ripping it. If you just need to stack your sandwich with some generic turkey breast and you're relying on other ingredients to deliver flavor, this stuff might work. Otherwise, though, there are better deli meat options to seek out at Trader Joe's.

It probably shouldn't surprise you to see yet another turkey breast product ranked so low in the lineup. This low ranking isn't really Trader Joe's fault — compared to other plain turkey breast slices I've had before, this one is fine and not noticeably worse than any other. It's just that roasted turkey breast slices just usually aren't that flavorful, no matter what brand you choose. Since the fat content of turkey breast is so low, you're not getting any of the richness that provides other types of deli meat with their flavor, not to mention their more interesting, softer texture. And apart from fat, there's really nothing else that's flavoring this sliced turkey.

Some people like using turkey breast slices because they don't have a super strong flavor, delivering a hefty dose of protein without the meatiness that you'd expect from other types of deli meat. If that's what you're looking for in a deli meat, then these turkey breast slices are for you. If you want actual flavor in your sandwich, though, you'll want to move on to a different option.

If you're making a charcuterie board, prosciutto is an absolute must-have, which is why it's great that Trader Joe's stocks its own Sliced Prosciutto. These fatty slices of pork are partially dry and chewy, partially fatty and velvety, giving you a combo of textures that makes for an interesting bite every time. That being said, this definitely isn't the best prosciutto I've ever tried, and considering that you can find it at most grocery stores, I wouldn't go out of my way just to get some at Trader Joe's.

This prosciutto doesn't have the intense saltiness I would expect from this kind of meat, which leaves the flavor a bit flat. There was that pork-y, umami flavor there, but it wasn't as pronounced as I wanted it to be. Ultimately, this prosciutto just tasted kind of bland, and although it's not terrible, I don't want to spend prosciutto money on deli meat just for it to taste average at best. But don't worry — there are plenty of other delicious deli meats to try at Trader Joe's.

Like turkey breast, chicken breast isn't exactly known for being the most flavorful cut of meat you could ever put on a sandwich. However, I tend to think that it generally has a bit more flavor than turkey, and in the case of this Organic Oven Roasted Chicken Breast, that rings true. This stuff is nice and moist, making for a chicken sandwich that doesn't need an overabundance of sauce just to prevent that horrible, overwhelming dryness you'd normally experience from a particularly bad airport sandwich.

Do these chicken breast slices pack a ton of flavor? Not exactly. That being said, you probably shouldn't expect them to. This oven roasted chicken breast is far from my favorite deli meat I tried from Trader Joe's, but if you like a good chicken sandwich, then you're not likely to be disappointed by it. Stack it on some bread for a lean sandwich, wrap it around cut veggies for a filling and refreshing snack, or slice it up to add to other recipes. Even if it's not the most delicious of the bunch, it can come in handy in the kitchen.

We're back to the turkey breast again, but this time, it's in a slightly improved package. Trader Joe's Smoked Turkey Breast is decidedly not the most delicious deli meat on this list, but it's one that's markedly more flavorful than the other turkey breast options at the store. The fact that this one is smoked adds a ton of flavor to the product, giving it an almost BBQ-like flavor, with enough richness and intensity to stand up to the other ingredients that may appear in your sandwich. I think it would taste particularly good with other more intensely flavored additions, like sundried tomatoes, grainy Dijon mustard, or jarred olive tapenade.

Yes, this stuff is drier than many of the other deli meats on this list (as you should expect from any kind of sliced turkey breast), but it has a bit more moisture than the reduced-sodium turkey breast featured previously. If you're looking for flavorful turkey breast slices, these are worth a try — even if they don't crack the top half of this ranking.

You can always find plain salami at just about any grocery store around town, but if you want something more flavorful, you might want to head to Trader Joe's to find this Columbus Calabrese Salami. What makes this salami different from other, more plain varieties you've tried in the past? It really comes down to all the additional ingredients incorporated into these pork slices. You may notice that this salami has a mild reddish color to it — that's from added red bell peppers and crushed red pepper, which is supposed to give this salami a spicy, peppery finish.

This salami is delicious, with a richness and heartiness that can take any sandwich or charcuterie board to the next level. However, it ranks in the bottom half of this list just because those pepper flavors aren't as pronounced as I'd like them to be. Some varieties of Calabrese salami pack a lot more heat and flavor intensity, while this variety is milder. If you're someone who's sensitive to spice but still wants a flavorful salami, then that might not be a bad thing. But if you're really looking for an ultra-peppery experience from your salami, there are better options to choose from on this list.

When you're searching for a standard salami that's always going to get the job done, whether it's stacked in a sandwich or making an appearance on a charcuterie board, then Trader Joe's Uncured Applewood Smoked Salami may just be your best bet. This salami isn't anything unexpected (i.e., there are more interesting salami options available at the chain grocer), but it should satisfy any salami cravings you have. The applewood smoke adds a really nice touch that's both sweet and slightly smoky. Those smoky flavors aren't too pronounced, but they're just enough to add an interesting touch of complexity to the meat.

The texture of this salami is also excellent. There are some varieties that are simply too hard and chewy, even immediately after opening the package. That's not the case here. This salami is nice and pliable, with a fattiness that makes every slice taste particularly luscious. Although there are tastier deli meat options at Trader Joe's, this is definitely a solid selection on the salami front.

If you're craving pork but don't want something that's quite as high in fat as prosciutto or salami, ham is probably your best bet. It has that salty, smoky, and umami flavor profile you know and love in a leaner package. And Trader Joe's Black Forest Uncured Ham is especially tasty. It's not the most flavorful ham I've ever had, but it has a nice tenderness and juiciness to it that keeps your sandwich from being too dry. Plus, there's definitely some flavor there, with a distinct smokiness that elevates this from a basic deli meat to something that feels a bit more special, even if you're just using it in a plain sandwich.

The flavor that really stands out in this ham, though, is the addition of molasses. There's not so much there that you get overt sweetness on the palate, but there's just a hint to add to the complexity of the meat. It's not just sweetness, either — you can pick up on barely perceptible notes of caramel and even toffee. If you want to upgrade your basic ham sandwich, using this deli meat is a great way to do so.

Want to pack even more flavor into your ham sandwich? In that case, you'll want to turn to Trader Joe's Sliced Rosemary Ham. This is one of the more flavorful deli meats I've tried from the chain grocer, and although it's a bit of an unexpected flavor combination, it's one that really works. The outside of the ham is covered in rosemary, which lends this meat a lovely floral quality that you won't find from most other brands. Take a bite of the exterior ring of the ham, and you'll really taste that pronounced rosemary flavor. However, it's not as strong on the rest of the slice, so you don't have to worry about your sandwich becoming completely overpowered by that note of rosemary.

But you won't just taste rosemary when you take a bite of this ham. There's also a pronounced note of lemon, thanks to the lemon juice concentrate that's added into the meat. Since pork tends to be somewhat rich, it can easily taste flat and flabby. Adding the bright acidity of lemon juice into the mix nixes this problem immediately, leaving you with a well-balanced flavor profile that works well in sandwiches, charcuterie boards, and beyond.

Bresaola is one of my all-time favorite deli meats, so I was thrilled to see that Trader Joe's keeps some in stock. And luckily, they just happen to do their Sliced Bresaola (which they refer to as "beef prosciutto") extremely well. Sometimes when you get bresaola, it can be quite tough, since it contains less fat than similarly processed meats, like prosciutto. However, Trader Joe's version is quite soft and pliable, meaning you don't have to gnaw your way through a single slice. It's quite salty (as it's supposed to be) and has a slightly smoky flavor profile to it. Although some bresaola is arguably too smoky, that's not the case here.

This deli meat really packs that meaty, umami flavor I love, and it can work well in a variety of contexts, ranging from sandwiches made with crusty bread and stuffed with arugula to a non-pork option for your charcuterie board. So, why doesn't it rank higher on this list? Well, it all comes down to novelty. Although this is a particularly tasty bresaola, it's not anything you wouldn't expect from a higher-end or Italian-focused deli. Although there are more interesting options in the Trader Joe's deli section, though, this dried deli meat is absolutely worth a try.

I've covered a few different types of salami on this list, and honestly, all of them are solid. If you're going to Trader Joe's specifically for its salami, you're probably in the right place. However, there was one variety I tried that absolutely rose above the rest, thanks to its abundance of flavor. It's the Columbus Peppered Salame, and it might just be my new favorite charcuterie board addition. Taste the inside of this salami, and it just tastes like salami. Yes, it's rich and fatty with a nice balance of flavors, but it's pretty standard. What really shines about this particular sliced salami is the peppery coating on the outside of each slice.

This brand is absolutely not lying when it says "peppered." There is so much cracked black pepper on this salami that it almost has a spicy kick to it in the best way. Those cracked black peppercorns provide it with a slight crunch, which pairs nicely with the otherwise quite luscious mouthfeel. It's not for the faint of heart — if you really don't like any kind of spicy food at all, it may be a bit overwhelming for you — but it's ideal for those who want to upgrade their sandwiches and snack plates in a big, ultra-flavorful way. I'll never go back to plain salami after getting the chance to taste this stuff.

I never expected Trader Joe's Seasoned Roast Beef to be my absolute favorite deli meat of the bunch, but it absolutely is, no competition. You're not getting that ultra-processed roast beef you may have seen at some other stores here. Instead, you're getting real, solid hunks of beef, sliced thin enough to layer onto a sandwich but thick enough that each slice doesn't rip as soon as you take it out of the package. Although it's not nearly as fatty as a lot of the cuts of meat featured in this ranking, it still has a softness and moistness to it that makes for an excellent, decidedly non-chewy sandwich.

But it's the flavor of this roast beef that really makes it shine. It doesn't contain any super unexpected spices or ingredients, boasting a relatively short list of vinegar, salt, garlic powder, and onion powder. However, that vinegar adds a lovely lift to the deli meat, preventing it from tasting too flabby, while the garlic and onion powders provide a deliciously savory profile that's probably quite appealing to a wide variety of consumers. And, of course, salt is an essential ingredient, but there's neither too little nor too much of it here. If you want to enjoy the best that Trader Joe's deli meat section has to offer, this is the product you'll want to grab first.

I chose a wide variety of Trader Joe's deli meats, and I attempted to source types that were not too similar to one another (like an organic and non-organic version of essentially the same product). I tasted each of these deli meats one by one, all at the same time, straight out of the refrigerator. The criteria for this ranking included flavor, first and foremost, but I also took texture and versatility into account. More well-balanced, interesting, and less-common products rose to the top of the ranking, whereas blander, drier, and more typical products scored near the bottom of the list in general.