Here's Why José Andrés Loves Shopping At Trader Joe's

Tied for first place as the top grocery store in the U.S. according to The American Customer Satisfaction Index of 2025 (Publix was the other top-spot winner), it's no secret that many Americans shop at Trader Joe's. But as it turns out, it's not just for college students cooking for one or busy millennial singles looking for easy meals to throw together. Apparently chefs like shopping there, too — particularly world-renowned, multi-James Beard awarded, Spanish-American ones. Tasting Table asked eight famous chefs where they shop for groceries and José Andrés said that, aside from his weekly farmers market runs and Costco stops for classic French wine, Trader Joe's is his go-to for discovering new items.

Turns out, Andrés is just like the rest of us and is a sucker for Trader Joe's privately labelled items. "The good thing is that you go, and they have things you never saw before," the chef said to Tasting Table. "And you're like, 'Where did this thing come from?'" Considering three of his favorite snacks are omelette sandwiches made with tinned tuna in olive oil, mayo, tomato, and furikake; canned chickpeas dressed in olive oil and bonito flakes; and tinned fish wrapped in nori with white rice, it's safe to say, if he's inside TJ's, you're likely to find him perusing the canned foods isle. Fortunately, we have a round up of Trader Joe's 14 best canned foods.

It's possible that Andrés loves Trader Joe's snacks, which are often produced by brands you are already familiar with. But while we may not know exactly what José Andrés picks up from Trader Joe's, and his two daughters are sure to have an influence on what he brings home with him, he's known to be a fan of tinned fish. Obviously, you could shop those from his personal brands, Fishsnax by José Andrés, but Trader Joe's has some worthy options, too. You can recreate his favorite omelette sandwich by grabbing a tin of Trader Joe's Skipjack Tuna Fillets packed in olive oil. Of course, you'd also need to walk over to the seasoning aisle for a shaker of its Nori Komi Furikake Japanese multi-purpose seasoning to complete it. And while the tomato frito will have to be sourced elsewhere, you could substitute it with an organic tomato paste.

Trader Joe's also carries packets of organic roasted seaweed, which you can use to make Andrés' nori wraps. All you'll need is your choice of tinned fish — Andrés uses mussels, razor clams, and sardines — and white rice. Or, for even simpler snacking, grab yourself a can of Trader Joe's chickpeas, a shaker full of the previously mentioned Komi Furikake Japanese multi-purpose seasoning, and a bottle of good  olive oil. Doing as Andrés does, you'd just dig in straight with a spoon. However, this could also pair nicely with bread or be a substitute for the fish in his nori wraps to keep the Japanese-Spanish fusion snacking going strong.