The 10 Best Frozen Seafood Options At Trader Joe's

Trader Joe's is a great place to stock up on quick meals that combine great taste and value. From frozen pizzas of all sizes and flavors to snacks your kids will love, the whimsically designed grocery store has tasty deals filling just about every shelf. The freezer section is especially known for delicious dinners, lunches, and snacks that combine unique flavors with easy preparation.

If you're a seafood lover, you're in luck when you step into Trader Joe's. In addition to smoked salmon, wild-caught cod, and other fresh fish, there are plenty of products that are ready in just a few minutes in the frozen foods section. 

We tried some of the best shrimp and fish options from the Trader Joe's freezer case. All of the dishes come together in less than 20 minutes, and many can be whipped up even faster when you use an air fryer or microwave for preparation. Some have classic appeal, like burgers and fried fish. Others have international inspiration that will take your taste buds on a trip right in your own kitchen. No matter what you choose, you can't go wrong if you put one of these options in your Trader Joe's cart.

If you want a tasty snack, the Mini Shrimp Bao are a great option. Also known as baozi, these steamed buns began in China as early as the 3rd century. Today, they make the perfect appetizer, snack, or meal, especially when stuffed with savory shrimp cakes.

These savory little buns combine tasty shrimp that is well seasoned with the soft, pillowy texture of the bun. You can make them in a steamer basket for the most authentic texture or pop them in the microwave for faster preparation. The shrimp portion comes in savory cakes that are tucked into the buns. The package comes with a sauce packet that adds a hint of sweetness plus the slightest bit of chili heat to the dish. There's only one packet in the box, however, so make sure that you're ready to prepare all of the bao or have a container to keep the extra sauce in. The steamed buns are good on their own, but they're much better with the flavorful sauce for dipping.

Trader Joe's recommends dressing each bao up with carrots, cucumber, and cilantro. They are very savory as-is, but when you add the extra flavor and crunch of fresh veggies, it definitely elevates things even more.

Even younger diners will love the Battered Fish Nuggets at Trader Joe's. They're made with Alaskan pollock, which is a mild white fish that doesn't have a strong fishy flavor. It also has a flaky texture that is still meaty enough to satisfy when you want something savory. Pollock is also high in protein, which makes these a good entree to serve on sports nights when we don't have a lot of time to cook but still want something that will fuel up our kids before hitting the fields.

They have a particularly crispy exterior with flaky white fish inside. Fried fish sticks and nuggets tend to be pretty greasy and oily, but these were particularly light, thanks to the light coating of breading and flash freezing. They go right in the oven from frozen and are ready in around 15 minutes.

On weeknights, we'd serve these with just some simple tartar sauce as an entree and be perfectly happy. But with a little extra time to prep ingredients, you can turn these fish nuggets into the most deliciously crispy fish tacos. Tortillas, shredded cabbage, julienned carrots, and some tropical mango salsa with a squeeze of lime are all you need to turn these nuggets into a build-your-own taco night.

The Spicy Thai Shrimp Fried Rice is an ideal one-pot meal that combines veggies, shrimp, and plenty of flavor. All you have to do is heat it in a dish on the stove or in the microwave, which only takes a few minutes. There aren't as many shrimp as we'd like, but the rice is filled with carrots, baby corn, and peas throughout. This adds plenty of extra flavor, plus some nutritional benefits, to the rice. You can enjoy this as a one-dish meal that will hit all the right notes for your taste buds. 

The rice gets a tiny bit crispy, which is more prominent if you fry it on the stovetop instead of making it in the microwave. The shrimp has all the saucy flavor, which is then mixed into the rest of the rice dish. It only takes a few minutes in the microwave, and we were able to make it in the office without even making a mess. It did inspire some jealousy, however, since this rice smells delectable and savory as it cooks.

It has a distinct Thai-inspired flavor thanks to the addition of Thai basil and Thai chiles, which also give it quite a bit of spicy kick. Trader Joe's recommends that you add a little squeeze of fresh lemon juice, which brings brightness to complement the spicy flavor. The heat didn't linger, however, and it wasn't so much that we needed anything to cool off while eating.

For a unique appetizer that is reminiscent of a spring roll with a slightly different texture, try the Shrimp Noodle Rolls. This is a stuffed noodle dish that has plenty of seafood flavor, plus a slightly crispy exterior. The rice noodles are loaded with small shrimp, plus a seasoned vegetable mixture. The outside is fried slightly in hot oil, but the addition of water to the cooking process steams them as well. If you want a crispier exterior, turn the heat up. Just be sure to use oil with a higher smoke point so that it doesn't burn and add an unpleasant flavor element to your dish.

These are a traditional dish in the Guangdong province of southern China and part of the international foods at Trader Joe's. They don't come with sauce, but a simple soy sauce dressing (or even soy sauce on its own) can add a nice salty and savory flavor that pairs well with these rolls. The inside filling is the most flavorful part of the rolls and generates its own sauce of its own that cooks as it steams.

When we're craving takeout, it's often for the convenience but also the savory-sweet taste of our favorite dishes. You can get the same flavors of takeout at a fraction of the cost with the Trader Joe's Honey Walnut Shrimp. 

It has sweet honey and crunchy walnuts to add flavor and texture. You'll need to put all of the ingredients together during preparation, but it's pretty straightforward. The shrimp are pretty large and comparable to the Shrimp Boom Bah in size, although very different in flavor. The sauce has hints of pineapple, which made this a little bit more distinct from other versions that we've tried. It adds some brightness, plus a hint of richness that works really well with the sweet honey. The sauce in this honey walnut shrimp is a bit thicker than the ones that are really heavy on honey.

This is a smaller package than some of the other frozen seafood options in the case, and it's hard to stretch it beyond one person unless you're serving it alongside a few other things. If you want to replicate your takeout experience, make some five-spice beef and broccoli, steamed white rice, and this shrimp dish. It takes at least one complicated recipe off your plate so that you can focus on others. If you want to keep things really simple, just grab a few other bags of similar seafood or beef options from Trader Joe's.

If you want to try something different from fried rice with similar ingredients, the Ginger Shrimp Lo Mein from Trader Joe's is perfect. It has a strong ginger flavor, plus plenty of wheat noodles. It's also loaded with vegetables, including white cabbage and bell peppers. Start by frying up the lo mein noodles and veggies to add a little texture. The shrimp packet has all of the flavor thanks to a ginger-shiitake sauce. Once the noodles have a few minutes to cook, just add the shrimp, cover the skillet, and get ready to enjoy.

This savory lo mein is much cheaper than a typical takeout order. You can also whip it up in record time, making it perfect for nights when you want to keep things simple. It's not a huge serving, so you'll have to prepare other dishes alongside it if you want it to be part of a bigger feast. The shrimp in this dish are on the smaller side, at least compared to many of the other seafood dishes in the Trader Joe's freezer section. But since they're part of a lo mein dish, the smaller shellfish blend in with the many other flavors well.

You can replace a standard burger with the Trader Joe's Premium Salmon version. These are made with wild salmon from Alaska, but also have a generous seasoning of salt plus tiny pieces of carrots, celery, and onion to add savory flavor. These patties can go right on the grill from the freezer, but you can also make them in a skillet on the stove. The key to any great burger is getting the exterior seared, so use high heat to really lock in flavor and juiciness.

These burgers don't taste fishy at all, but definitely have a different flavor compared to a burger made out of beef or even turkey. You can use standard burger toppings or switch things up with our curry remoulade. If you like the taste of the patties as-is, they make a great addition on top of salads or tossed with pasta if you break them into smaller pieces. 

The downside of these burgers is that you'll need to pick up extra ingredients to really enjoy them. Unlike some of the other seafood options on our list, which can be prepared as a one-dish meal, these are just part of a dish that takes some assembly. They're okay on their own but really shine when you use them as intended in a juicy, flavorful burger.

The shelled, tail-off shrimp in the Trader Joe's Shrimp Scampi make it easy to cook, eat, and use. When you first take them out of the package, they look more like breaded shrimp. If you're like us, you'll be looking in the box to see if the sauce was left out. But trust us when we say that after just a couple of minutes in the oven, you'll be able to smell all of the delicious garlic, butter, white wine, lemon juice, and Romano cheese that surrounds each of the sizable shrimp. As they cook, the sauce seems to melt into the dish to create a classic scampi-style broth.

We recommend using a thermometer to ensure that the shrimp are completely cooked since we needed to add quite a bit of time to the recommended 15-minute cooking time in the oven. It also helps to spread them out in your dish so that they can cook evenly.

This is a perfect topping for pasta, which is our favorite way to enjoy shrimp scampi and how we prepared it when trying it out. But you can eat them on their own or even use these flavorful shrimp in other dishes, such as pizza or flatbread. This is a staple that we'll be returning to when we're craving that rich, buttery, garlicky flavor.

Sweet. Spicy. A little crunchy. The Shrimp Boom Bah has it all. It is crispy thanks to the breading and comes with a super flavorful sauce that you can serve alongside or drizzle over the top. The batter on the outside of each tail-off shrimp has seasoning baked right in. All you have to do is pop them in the oven or air fryer for 15 minutes. 

The sauce isn't too spicy but has a hint of kick that will make you sit up and take notice. The sweetness is more prominent but not overwhelming. It's pretty thick and might need a stir from time to time to remix it, especially if you're using it as a dipping sauce.

It makes a great appetizer or topping for certain dishes. The package is enough for four people, at least according to the packaging, but we split it between two of us for a main entree. If you serve it as your protein in a rice bowl, you'd be able to stretch the shrimp boom bah a little bit farther. We'd also recommend this serving idea to add a little bit of extra flavor and crunchy texture, thanks to fresh veggies. Although, these were also really delicious on their own and we'd happily get them again to eat as an appetizer.

It can be hard to find seafood options for those who don't eat gluten, but the crispy Gluten-Free Breaded Shrimp fits the bill. They are just as crunchy on the outside as you would expect from fried shrimp, with flavorful and tender shellfish inside. 

The breading is made with coconut flour and tapioca starch. It was hard for us to tell the difference between these shrimp and standard breaded shrimp that use a gluten-inclusive coating, which is high praise since the crispy exterior texture can be difficult to perfect when you're making something gluten-free.

One of our favorite things about this seafood option is that the shrimp are already cooked. We didn't need to worry about ensuring they cooked long enough or measuring the internal temperature. All we had to do was throw them in the oven to get hot and crispy, then enjoy. You could put them in the air fryer for even faster cooking, which only takes minutes. This is a great option for quick weeknight dinners for us. We like them on their own with a side of cocktail sauce, but you can also use them in a rice bowl or shrimp tacos.

We tried all of the seafood options from Trader Joe's to see which were the best in the freezer case. There are plenty of dishes, from appetizers to entrees, available, plus a few seasonal and limited-release products that you can find from time to time. But all of these favorites are staples at Trader Joe's and many get rave reviews from loyal TJ's customers. As we were shopping, we saw numerous other customers picking up many of the same items, with one person even noting that she grabs the scampi at least once a week for her seafood-loving family. 

Trying all of these options included multiple dinners for our family and friends. We enlisted the help of fellow diners to get a diverse range of feedback. We considered taste, texture, value, and versatility to compile a list of the best of the best. 

All of the frozen seafood options on this list can be made quickly and used in a variety of ways. None of them were too spicy or unusual to appeal to a wide range of palates, and with only a few exceptions, they didn't need many extra ingredients to make a satisfying meal. If you're looking to shake up your freezer meal routine or just enjoy a delicious seafood entree or app, these are our top picks from Trader Joe's.