Everybody loves the Trader Joe’s strawberry mochi and assorted macarons, and I do too. But sometimes, I want a fat, juicy steak. Here are my top five savory items at Trader Joe’s.
- RIBEYE STEAK
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I’m very impressed with the quality of the steak at Trader Joe’s, which was a surprise to me. As someone who trusts Costco with her whole life, I even eye the Costco steaks with suspicion.
The Trader Joe’s steaks, I thought, were not to be trusted. I was wrong, they’re delicious. No bells or whistles needed; unsalted butter, rosemary, and minced garlic are enough to make a wonderful steak dinner for $20.
- CRUNCH CHILI ONION OIL
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When I was little, I watched my mom smear straight chili oil on toast for breakfast. The chili oil she used — Lao Gan Ma, for those wondering — was fried in soybean oil with fermented soybean paste, so that, on top of the garlic, onion, and chili flakes, it gave it the savory umami flavor the brand is famous for.
Nothing beats Lao Gan Ma, but the Trader Joe’s Crunchy Chili Onion Oil is a close second. Made from dried garlic, onion, and chili flakes, this chili oil is perfect on cucumber salad, in kung pao chicken, and, if you have weird cravings like me, on crumpets. It’s the perfect blend of spicy and savory, and that garlic and onion make whatever you’re cooking smell amazing.
Ellen Gibbs / Spoon - GLUTEN FREE (ALMOST) EVERYTHING BAGEL
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Hear me out.
It’s hard to find good gluten-free bread, much less bagels. Pavement Coffeehouse has gluten-free bagels down to a science, but at $20 a bagel sandwich, I needed an alternative.
Enter the Trader Joe’s Gluten-Free (Almost) Everything Bagel. I assume the “(Almost)” means “Everything but the wheat,” because there is nothing missing from that bagel. It’s delicious. It might beat out Pavement’s GF everything bagel.
Paired with Trader Joe’s cream cheese and Nova smoked salmon, the bagel sandwiches I’ve been eating have me wanting to offer tribute to the Trader Joe’s gods.
Michele Hu / Spoon - CRUMPETS
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The first time I had a Trader Joe’s crumpet, I soaked it in butter. I eventually learned not to do that.
These crumpets are so porous and fluffy that even a tiny little tab of butter melts straight through to the bottom and onto your hands when you eat them. It doesn’t matter how much you toast it; that butter will find its way into every nook and cranny.
Perfect. Just how I like it.
This might be weird to admit, but sometimes, I’ll put the chili oil on the crumpet and send a photo to my mom. It’s funny how the older you get, the more you become like your parents.
- TURKEY BACON
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I’ve been trying to get better at increasing my protein intake, which is hard when your love for bread and pasta knows no bounds. This turkey bacon, though…oh my god.
The most attractive things about bacon are the saltiness, the crunch, and the grease. Turkey bacon has all of those, but the meat-to-fat ratio is a little higher, which is perfect when you’re someone who cuts the fatty parts off of steak (sorry, steak-lovers) because you don’t like the texture.
It kind of reminds me of jerky, honestly, but the crunch and the greasy sizzle are still very much there. I fry my turkey bacon in a little olive oil, then scramble my eggs in the leftover grease.
Put the turkey bacon and scrambled eggs on a toasted and buttered crumpet. Thank me later.
Jocelyn Hsu / Spoon
Really, this listicle is more an ode to the Trader Joe’s crumpet than anything else. But try that steak, and toast that gluten-free bagel.
You won’t regret it!
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