Ranking Over 40 Trader Joe's Frozen Meals | Ranked with Babish

This podcast ranks over 40 Trader Joe's frozen meals. The meals are ranked based on taste, texture, and overall quality, with several receiving high scores despite being frozen. The host highlights the surprising quality and affordability of many Trader Joe's frozen options.

Trader Joe's Frozen Meals

• 00:00:05 The podcast focuses on ranking various Trader Joe's frozen entrees, noting their low prices and generally high-quality ingredients, though labor practices are questioned. The ranking system uses a 1-10 scale based on taste test results.

Steamed Pork Dumplings

• 00:01:09 The first meal tasted is Trader Joe's Steamed Pork and Ginger soup dumplings (xia long bao), receiving an 8/10. While tasty, they are slightly undersalted and have a gummier wrapper than freshly made dumplings.

Korean Stir-fried Noodles

• 00:03:28 Next, the host tries Trader Joe's Chai, Korean stir-fried glass noodles with vegetables. It scores a 6/10 due to blandness, needing additional salt and soy sauce to enhance the flavor, despite having a good noodle texture.

Beef Tamales

• 00:05:14 The beef tamales, microwaved for the taste test, receive a 7/10. They are described as good but slightly undersalted and not as 'al dente' as preferred, although the texture and beef content are praised.

Scallion Pancakes

• 00:07:51 Trader Joe's frozen scallion pancakes, baked rather than microwaved, earn an 8/10. Their crispy texture and delicious taste are highlights, though they are slightly undersalted.

Cheese and Green Chili Tamales

• 00:09:00 The cheese and green chili tamales get a 7/10. The filling's flavor, melty cheese, and solid texture are praised, although they are slightly undersalted and would benefit from salsa.

Vegan Tikka Masala

• 00:10:19 The vegan Tikka Masala with naan receives low scores: naan gets a 5/10 and the entree a 4/10. The soy nuggets have a poor texture, and the naan is dry, while the sauce is overly oily.

Roasted Eggplant Curry

• 00:13:23 The roasted eggplant curry scores an 8/10. It is well-seasoned with a distinct eggplant flavor and solid heat, although it's described as a 'one-trick pony' due to its oily nature.