7 Fresh Meats To Buy At Trader Joe's And 7 To Avoid

Browsing options in the meat department at Trader Joe's can feel overwhelming. The store carries plenty of options, from raw to marinated. And while the quality is consistently solid, naturally, some selections are lower in price or have better taste than others. 

I tried out a variety of meats from Trader Joe's, including some that have been part of my meal planning in my own kitchen for years. Versatility and value were key factors for me; those that I reach for time and again obviously stood out from the pack. Meat that is ready to cook without requiring special preparation also made me take notice, since I turn to Trader Joe's for a broad selection of premade and prepared foods — even at the meat counter. Other options that I decided were better to avoid were either too expensive, lacked flavor, or just weren't easy to prepare in a wide variety of dishes. With that, let's get into the Trader Joe's meats worth buying and the ones you should skip.

This delicious pork tenderloin comes pre-seasoned with plenty of flavor from garlic and spicy peppercorns in a balanced marinade. You can put it on the grill or in the oven straight out of the package, which is a big time-saver and the main reason that makes frequent appearances on my family's table. The marinade also makes the cooking process a bit more forgiving since it helps the pork maintain a tender texture and keeps it from drying out even if you slightly overcook it. The tenderloin is on the saltier side, so pair it with crusty bread on a sandwich or with a side of roasted potatoes to balance things out.

The packages also tend to be a bit larger than the regular pork tenderloin, perfect for a family or if you want leftovers for the next day. Trader Joe's meat portions are a bit smaller than some other stores like Costco, but the pre-seasoned pork tenderloin is enough for a meal with a few sides.

If you want to add sausage to a dish, you're better off buying a similar item from the deli and prepared foods section. The pork and chicken sausages from the meat department are around $6.50 per pound while the deli chicken sausages are a couple of dollars cheaper — around $4.30 for 12 ounces. Even though they're a little cheaper, they are just as delicious, and the pork and chicken sausage selection in the deli is precooked, meaning faster prep times.

The all-natural casing on these sausages is a bit tough, so expect some chewing if you're not careful with your preparation. Keeping your heat low and cooking them slowly will help to keep the casing manageable, but may also make it more difficult to get the charred grill marks that add flavor. Overall, these sausages are alright, but the precooked variety in the deli are much easier to work with and more budget-friendly.

If you're looking for savory meat that you can prepare in a flash, the stew beef from Trader Joe's is a great option to put in your basket. This is an excellent way to save on prep time since the stew meat is already cut into bite-sized pieces. They're large enough to get a good sear but small enough to cook quickly and blend with other flavors, especially in beef stew, which is (predictably) my go-to recipe for this cut of meat. 

Aside from being an economical meat option, it's also high-quality thanks to Trader Joe's standards. Cattle that becomes Trader Joe's stew beef is raised without antibiotics and hormones. They are also allowed access to larger spaces and not confined to feed lots — a big plus if you want to support ethical animal welfare practices. The stew beef is a good alternative to similarly-sized beef sirloin tips, which cost a few dollars more per pound.

I normally love Trader Joe's pre-seasoned and marinated meats, but the carne asada autentica just didn't have the right flavor profile for me. It is heavy on salt, not as citrusy as I like in carne asada, and light on the garlic. It is prepped, which cuts down on the time required for cooking, but the flavor isn't as bold as I hoped it would be.

You can make your own seasoning to customize the flavor and spice level to your taste, plus add more lime and orange juice for a splash of bright citrus. Great carne asada is also more about the preparation method than a specific spice blend, so you're better off getting the cut that you want and making it yourself. Overall, the taste was pretty forgettable, and any time that I saved during prep was spent doctoring the meat with extra sauces and ingredients once I had it grilled and ready to eat.

The delicious flank steak is one of the better steak choices at Trader Joe's, both in price and quality. It is USDA Choice, which is the highest tier that is found at Trader Joe's, and one of only a few cuts that get this distinction. This rating is given by the United States Department of Agriculture to meat that has a moderate amount of marbling, which adds flavor and keeps the meat tender and juicy. The USDA Choice designation is a good mix of value and quality, so it's worth looking out for when filling up your shopping cart.

The flank steak is also one of the larger options, so you can use it for an entire dish and likely have some leftover to pack for lunch. I favor meal prepping and cooking larger batches that I can reuse in new ways, so this is an ideal cut. Because flank steak is so versatile, you can be sure that you'll use the entire thing, stretching your dollars and reducing food waste. Stuffed flank steak is my favorite way to prepare this cut because it boosts the flavor, looks impressive, and is easy to pull off. Flank steak tacos, meanwhile, are a great way to incorporate leftover meat for lunch or dinner the next day.

With a good amount of marbling, I expected to like the rib eye from Trader Joe's a lot more than I did. Sadly, it was just average, and I missed being able to talk to the butcher about where the steak came from, preparation tips, and other tidbits that help me when cooking and grilling meat. The store has these large steaks for a decent price, but in my opinion, the favorable cost is not good enough to overcome the fact that you can't get it trimmed or custom cut. The main reason that I avoid most steaks from Trader Joe's is that you can't pick out the exact steak that you want from a large meat case. 

For dishes that include steak as one of many ingredients, this is fine, and the prices are pretty good. But if you're looking for a top-tier steak for grilling, you are generally better off going to a butcher for better options and recommendations.

Chicken thighs are my secret weapon when I need to stretch my family's budget but still want protein in my meal planning. Not only are chicken thighs economical, but they are quite a bit more tender and moist when cooked than a standard chicken breast. They have more fat, which helps them stay so juicy during preparation. Chicken thighs are dark meat and also have a much richer taste than white meat chicken breasts. This means that they can hold up to stronger spice blends and add extra oomph to savory dishes.

The boneless variety at Trader Joe's clocks in around $5 per pound, and the bone-in chicken thighs are even cheaper at $2 per pound. If you opt for the bone-in cut, you can use the bones to make delicious broth after you pick them clean. They also come skin-on, and you can use the boiling water trick to create perfect crispy chicken skin that complements the juicy meat inside.

At around $6 per pound, this is the most expensive conventional chicken style in the Trader Joe's meat department because it's gone through the most preparation. Chicken tenders are cut from chicken breasts into smaller pieces that can be more manageable and cook faster. But this extra prep means it's much easier to spring for a cheaper alternative. You can get a chicken breast for less and cut it into tenders yourself in seconds, saving money without much extra time or effort.

Aside from the relatively easy prep you're skipping, these tenders are also pretty thin and are more likely to dry out quickly when cooking. You're better off getting a different cut that is more versatile. That said, if you're set on chicken tenders (or something similar), look in the Trader Joe's freezer section for other options, including crispy chicken nuggets.

Ground beef is a versatile staple in my house that is high-quality and economical at around $7.50 per pound. Trader Joe's ground beef comes in a 96/4 blend, which is leaner, as well as a 90/10 blend that has a bit more fat for added flavor. The meat is raised without antibiotics or hormones, which is why I'm okay paying a slightly higher price than I might find at other grocery stores. Some Trader Joe's locations have ground beef in vacuum-sealed small packages while others offer it in larger trays, also vacuum-sealed, with a clear plastic seal on the top.

This beef is perfectly ground for burgers but also works well in spaghetti sauce and shepherd's pie. Trader Joe's ground beef tends to be a bit coarser than other stores, but I like that aspect. Opting for beef that's too finely ground mistake that many people make and will impact the texture, especially for dishes like chili or meat sauce. 

Ground turkey is touted as a leaner, healthier alternative to ground beef, but don't expect the same rich flavor if you go with this meat. It is my choice for some recipes, such as turkey and sweet potato meatloaf, but it needs a lot of moisture to be as juicy and savory as ground beef. 

At around $4.50 per pound, Trader Joe's ground turkey is slightly cheaper than similar ground beef. It also comes in a 93/7 blend, which actually has more fat than the leanest ground beef available in the same meat case. If you're looking to get leaner ground meat, I recommend sticking with the 96/4 ground beef instead. There is also a 99/1 blend of ground turkey, but it is so lean that it doesn't have the same texture or flavor to replicate richer ground beef. If you want to optimize lean protein, it's a good option, but otherwise it's better to skip this choice.

Picking up a whole chicken is my go-to trick for amazing homemade chicken soup and is worth a special trip to pick up when my family starts showing signs of illness. Getting a whole chicken lets you use the bones to make a delicious broth and this is a fantastic price. The young whole chicken at Trader Joe's costs just $2 per pound, and is typically less than $10 for the entire bird. I recommend roasting the chicken, pulling off the breast and thigh meat to throw into the soup, then simmering the carcass with spices to create a rich, flavorful broth. Because it's a smaller bird, it is cheaper and fits in a standard Dutch oven or kettle. You can also use a slow cooker to let the soup's flavors meld together all day.

There are conventional and organic options right next to each other in the meat case, so pay attention to the labeling on the chicken itself to make sure you're getting the right one. The organic whole chicken costs a few dollars more, but it is still a good value.

The Trader Joe's bone-in pork chops are outstanding, so skip the boneless version, which can dry out very quickly. Boneless pork chops may be straightforward to prepare and eat, but it's much easier to overcook them. The result is a chewy, tough dish that lacks flavor. Opting for a bone-in cut, however, is the key to a juicy and delicious pork chop with almost no prep. All you have to do is add your marinade or spice rub, throw it on the grill, and keep track of the chop with a meat thermometer. The bone keeps too much moisture from escaping and helps the meat cook slower, preserving even more flavor. The boneless pork chops also come in a package of two or three, which you can't hand-select because they are prepackaged.

Trader Joe's also carries marinated pork that is better than the plain cuts. As mentioned earlier, garlic peppercorn pork tenderloin is one of my favorite cuts and styles from Trader Joe's and one I recommend every time over the boneless pork chops.

I tend to shy away from the high price tag of organic, but Trader Joe's has an edge over many competitors when it comes to the cost associated with the label — especially in the meat department. There are also a lot of options, including smaller packages which can make organic more affordable. At around $3 per pound, the organic free-range chicken drumsticks are a good choice for those who want to avoid conventional meat without breaking the budget. They're perfect for frying but you can also prepare them with marinade on the grill to get juicy and flavorful chicken.

Trader Joe's often includes serving suggestions on their product labels, on the website, or in the promotional Fearless Flyer. The recommended Kansas City barbecue sauce was the perfect pairing for the drumsticks, which come bone-in and skin-on. Going with the skin-on chicken drumsticks lets you achieve extra crispiness while also enjoying juicy dark meat.

When you have the deliciously juicy organic chicken drumsticks in the case, I don't know why you'd go for the organic chicken breasts, which are more expensive and less tasty. This is the most lackluster cut, which is largely due to the mild white meat and lack of bone. It can be easier to prepare, but not what I recommend if you want the best flavor and texture. If you're going to spend more for organic, go with the cut that is going to get the best results.

These chicken breasts are also prone to drying out because they are sliced so thinly. At around $8 per pound, they're also on the pricey side compared to regular chicken and other cuts of organic chicken at Trader Joe's. A pack of chicken typically runs around $10, making it one of the most expensive ways to get this lean protein from Trader Joe's.

I frequent Trader Joe's for the great selection of premade and pre-seasoned items, so many of my picks were meat that made preparation easy and quick. Price and quality were also two big considerations when looking at which meat options I would return for on a future shopping trip. 

Size was also a factor — I took into account items that could feed a whole family and those that were too small to be worth the trip. Trader Joe's doesn't have as large of a selection as other mainstream grocery stores, so it's not a chain that I go to on a weekly basis. Meat that is a must-buy for me has to earn its spot on the list by tasting exceptional, saving me money, or making cooking easier. Some of my all-time favorites and the products that I go out of my way to find do all three. The ones that I'd rather skip have better alternatives at other stores or even within Trader Joe's itself.