Trader Joe's Fried Rice Is The Ultimate Easy Weeknight Dinner Staple

Trader Joe's has long been a time-saving weeknight savior. From the chain's hidden gems in the freezer aisle like creamy spinach artichoke dip to its internationally inspired quick-cooking hits, spanning various Indian food options (which we've ranked), soup dumplings, and kimbap, there's something delicious and surprising that's sure to please your palate. Like their butternut squash mac and cheese or sweet potato gnocchi, many of our Trader Joe's fast-prep favorites are close to being a meal in and of themselves, they just need a little oomph. With an added serving of protein, a pop of color, and some vegetable nutritional heft, your go-to freezer aisle meals can become easy weeknight dinner staples.

Trader Joe's Vegetable Fried Rice is the ideal example. Already pre-cooked, TJ's fried rice just needs a few minutes in the microwave or on the stovetop. It's also already loaded with veggies like carrots, corn, edamame, peas, leeks, and red bell pepper. The seasoning, which is a bit of soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil, sugar, onion, seaweed, and salt, is mild enough to serve as the base for numerous flavorful additions. If you're looking for an option that comes with extra protein, the chain also offers versions with chicken, tofu, shrimp, and bulgogi beef and kimchi. Read on for a few of our favorite ways to upgrade Trader Joe's frozen fried rice for the ultimate weeknight win.

If you're making a small serving for yourself, there's several ways to make this pretty good fried rice from Trader Joe's truly great. First, be sure to heat up your rice in a large skillet with an extra dash of sesame oil — this will not only help cook any added ingredients, but also give your fried rice an extra layer of crispiness. For a flavor boost, add minced garlic and ginger, or even a teaspoon of curry paste to your hot oil before adding the rice.

Next, mix in a few of your stir-fry favorites that aren't already present like pineapple, water chestnuts, baby corn, zucchini, or broccoli. If you love egg with your fried rice, either scramble an egg in your hot frying pan and let it incorporate throughout your rice, or wipe out your skillet once you've finished cooking your rice and fry an egg to serve on top.

A few herbs will work wonders to transform your freezer aisle dinner into a fresh-tasting favorite. Try adding basil, green onion, or cilantro for an herbaceous, earthy note. For a hit of vinegar, kimchi is a fried rice staple that packs a powerful, tangy punch. If the sour or sharp taste is too strong, another few dashes of soy sauce or chili oil will round out its flavor. Last but not least, the final toppings for garnish are everything. A sprinkling of chopped peanuts or cashews, a drizzle of hot chili oil, or a squirt of Kewpie mayo, which rivals any American version, will make your one-pan meal taste completely homemade.

In addition to all of the ways you can easily boost the flavor of your fried rice or bulk it out with veggies and toppings, there are numerous ways to stretch the number of servings from your Trader Joe's fried rice. Since your skillet is already out and hot, pan fry slices of firm tofu or diced pieces of chicken for a protein hit in every serving.

As you're already shopping at Trader Joe's, pick up a few of their other quick and easy weeknight dinner options for a well rounded meal that will leave you with enough leftovers for several more. Slice up a few of the store's chicken sausages and add them to your skillet or pan fry a few chicken, vegetable, or pork gyoza. TJ's also has plenty of other frozen entrees that pair well with fried rice, including BBQ chicken teriyaki, mandarin orange chicken, or sweet and spicy beef and broccoli. Try matching the flavors of your entree to your fried rice with an extra kick of sauce. An added dab of teriyaki sauce, a drizzle of sweet and sour sauce, or an extra splash of soy sauce will make your kitchen-sink melange taste like a meal that took hours to make.