Looking for the best Trader Joe’s Dinner Hacks to make mealtime easier? Keep reading for all my favorite easy Trader Joe’s Meals!
If you’re as busy as I am, you know that quick and easy meals are key to surviving dinner time. After moving to NYC, I quickly discovered Trader Joe’s and the magical combinations you can make with everything in that store! I am always looking for Trader Joe’s meal hacks for a quick dinner and these are some of my favorites! The best part? You don’t need to buy 8 million ingredients or be the perfect chef to make these meals taste good!
This post is about the best Trader Joe’s Dinner Hacks that will make your life easier while still tasting delicious.
Trader Joe's Dinner Hacks
1. Balsalmic Chicken with Riced Cauliflower
This was probably the first quick dinner I ever discovered at Trader Joe’s! Head over to the pre-made chicken section and pick up the balsamic chicken. Grab a bag of the riced cauliflower and a bottle of balsamic vinaigrette or balsamic glaze. Toss the riced cauliflower in a frying pan with balsamic vinaigrette (or balsamic glaze and olive oil) for about 15 minutes. Heat up the chicken in a separate frying pan for about 2-3 minutes on each side and enjoy!
If you choose to add Brussels sprouts, you can also book them in a frying pan with balsamic vinaigrette/glaze for about 15 minutes. SO tasty!
2. Chicken Shwarma
Ok, I won’t lie, this is an ABSOLUTE FAN FAVORITE in our home! Holy moly! My boyfriend and I discovered the chicken shwarma bowls while completing our month of 30 Different Dinners and it has quickly become a staple in our home. Did you even know that Trader Joe’s has meat that is pre-marinated?! All you need is the Trader Joe’s Hummus, Shawarma Chicken Thighs, and Cauliflower Tabbouleh.
The entire time we have made this meal, I haven’t actually seen the cauliflower tabbouleh in our store so we just make our own! All you need is riced cauliflower, a lemon, parsley, and a cucumber and tomato to dice up. I cook our riced cauliflower in a frying pan with olive oil and a little garlic and onion powder for about 7-10 minutes.
Move the cooked cauliflower to a bowl, mix it with the other ingredients, and squeeze some fresh lemon to top it off. To make your bowl, layer hummus on the bottom, followed by the cauliflower tabbouleh, and finally the chicken on top!
3. Easy Peasy Stir-Fry
I LOVE Stir-Fry. It’s probably my favorite food group. While I am all for cutting up my own veggies when my boyfriend and I are doing dinner together, I am MUCH lazier when I am just cooking for myself! Thankfully Trader Joe’s already has a fresh. pre-packaged stir-fry for you in the veggie section. You can definitely grab some frozen veggies as well, but I always prefer fresh!
Then head over to the sauce aisle to pick up the Island Soyaki and some peanuts. As a pineapple person (and anti-spice person), I am a HUGE LOVER of this stir-fry sauce! I use it all of the time! If you want to kick it up a notch, Trader Joe’s offers a variety of sauces with different spice levels. Throw the veggies in a frying pan for about 15 minutes and then toss in a handful of peanuts and stir in some Island Soyaki sauce for a few extra minutes. Serve over white rice if you like.
Pro-Tip – Be sure to cook your stir-fry in a Wok to evenly cook your veggies by a combo of frying and steaming!
Update – Unfortunately Trader Joe’s has stopped selling the Island Soyaki Sauce, and yes, I am devastated! O started using their regular Soyaki sauce and add in a small can of crushed pineapple to give the stir-fry a similar taste!
4. Warm Brussels Sprouts and Lentil Salad
This salad is SO SIMPLE and ready to eat in under 15 minutes! All you need are shaved Brussels Sprouts, Lentils, and a Toasted Sesame Dressing. Pop everything in the frying pan and you’ve got dinner for two in under 15 minutes. Yes, this Trader Joe’s dinner hack is so warm and delicious in such a short amount of time! I’m telling you, the Warm Brussels Sprouts and Lentil Salad recipe changed our lives.
5. Southwestern Chopped Salad
This is my favorite on my list of Trader Joe’s lunch ideas! You already know that Trader Joe’s has some pretty fabulous pre-made salads. The Southwestern Chopped Salad is nothing less than great. Be sure to add black beans and one avocado to kick it up a notch. This way, you aren’t missing any protein in your meal! I promise it will taste just as great and keep you feeling full longer!
F3 Cooking Must-Haves
6. Chili Lime Fajitas
If you haven’t tried the Chili Lime Seasoning from Trader Joe’s, you are seriously missing out! This seasoning is powerful and adds a little punch to any homemade guac recipe. I’ve digressed already – but seriously, you need to sprinkle some of the Chili Lime seasoning into your guac! Grab a few peppers, an onion, and a couple of chicken breasts. Feels free to get tortillas to make true fajitas- although totally not necessary! Dinner is served after 25 minutes and only requires a few minutes of prep! You can catch the full recipe here!
7. Lemon Ricotta Raviloli Salad
We tried out the Lemon Ricotta Ravioli Salad as another dinner option during our 30 Different Pinterest Dinners. I never thought to actually mix pasta and lettuce together, but it was truly a refreshing dinner. All you need is a bag of arugula, a package of fresh lemon ricotta ravioli, fresh parmesan cheese, and a lemon. Thankfully, the ravioli only takes a few minutes to cook. Toss the cooked ravioli and arugula together in a bowl and top with parm and lemon juice. Can we say dinner in 5 minutes?! Now that’s the ultimate Trader Joe’s dinner hack!
8. Orange Chicken
Have you ever had the Orange Chicken from Trader Joe’s?! If not you are seriously missing out! You can find it in the freezer section! If you’re a part of any Facebook groups for Trader Joe’s (can you tell that I am addicted to this place or what?), you know that Orange Chicken is hit or miss for many people. Personally, I think the issue is that the bag says to bake it in the oven. Now, don’t get me wrong, baking the chicken is probably healthier, but I ALWAY make it in a frying pan on the stove with a little olive oil
I also always add either celery or broccoli into the pan as well so that we can get a veggie in with dinner. It usually takes about 15-20 minutes on the stove. Once the chicken feels soft, pour the sauce on and let cook for an extra minute or two at medium heat. Serve over white rice or other rice alternatives for a complete meal!
We LOVE Whole Foods Long-Grain White Rice! Who knew rice could actually taste different from brand to brand?
9. Sweet Potato Bowls
This recipe hands-down takes the cake for FAVORITE DINNER in our home! I’ll be the first to admit that I am not the biggest sweet potato fan, but boy do I love a burrito bowl! What’s better than a protein-packed meatless dinner option?
All you need is a bag of sweet potatoes, an avocado, a lime, black beans, Mexican street corn (frozen), cilantro dressing, and cilantro of course! Peel and dice the potatoes and mix them with the spices that you can find in the Sweet Potato Bowls recipe here! Throw them in the oven for a half-hour, flipping at the halfway point. In the meantime, prepare your rice and corn on the stove. Once everything is ready, prepare your bowls and top with the cilantro dressing. My mouth is watering already!
10. Lemon Arugula Salad
Similar to the Lemon Ricotta Ravioli Salad above, this meal also contains arugula and a freshly squeezed lemon! Even better, this Trader Joe’s meal hack is perfect for lunch or dinner! All you need for this Lemon Arugula Salad is a lemon, arugula, parmesan cheese, and lemon chicken from the prepared chicken area. You can toss the chicken on the stove to warm it up or just eat it cold in your salad. Add the chicken and the juice that it is sitting in, into the bowl of arugula. The marinade from the chicken combined with the lemon juice will provide a very flavorful dressing!
BTW – The Best Salad Mixing Bowls are ones that come with airtight lids!
This article was about the Trader Joe’s Dinner Hacks that actually make your life so much easier!
I hope these Trader Joe’s Dinner Hacks have your wheels turning for your meals this week. Really, who doesn’t love any Trader Joe’s dinner ideas that actually make your life easier by providing a quick meal! If you’er looking for even more recipes, the Trader Joe’s Website has some great ones as well! Eat up my friends! Let me know your favorite, life-changing, Trader Joe’s meal hacks in the comments below!
