22 Best Trader Joe's Frozen Foods Under $5

A trip through the frozen section at Trader Joe's always feels like a mini vacation. Maybe I'm just deeply entrenched in an ongoing love affair with the chain (I definitely am). But there's also something utterly blissful about walking through the freezer aisle at a grocery store and finding a plethora of budget-friendly selections. After all, Trader Joe's has a startling selection of sub-$5 products, especially in its frozen section.

A number of the chain's $5 and under frozen items function as full meals, though some are merely a tantalizing dessert, side dish, or snack. In an effort to round up the best frozen items under $5 from Trader Joe's, I took a jaunt down the freezer aisle (a chore, I know) to gather an assortment of foods for you to consider. I'd tried some of these list items before, and had heard rave reviews of others beforehand. After tasting the selected items, I ended up 22 options — though even that's just a small representation of the store's overall options. Here are the best Trader Joe's frozen foods available for less than $5.

A new product to me beforehand, this frozen food is often situated by the Taiwanese green onion pancakes (which make an appearance further down). Now, since I always grab those pancakes, this item never really caught my eye. But finally trying the garlic naan had me instantly regretting this decision.

This is a really good naan, and only took a few minutes to heat in the air fryer. Its flavor is very herbaceous, and the small chunks of garlic scattered across the top impart ample flavor and aroma. It makes a good enough snack on its own, but I adored this pillowy bread paired with the chain's butter chicken.

Speaking of Trader Joe's butter chicken and basmati rice, it, too, made this list of sub-$5 frozen foods from the chain. I know it doesn't look like much, but trust me: Its flavors are all there, even if you choose not to pair it with the aforementioned garlic naan. And while it's slightly milder than your average butter chicken, this endeared me to it, and there's still a little bit of heat present. The rice cooks up with a wonderful texture, too, if a bit dry (but I suppose that's what the sauce is for). I could have done with some more chicken but, considering the price, it's still a stellar buy.

The mango flavor wasn't around when we did our ranking of every Trader Joe's mochi. But if it was, I expect it would have come in near the top. These single-serve desserts are bright, juicy, and true to their mango flavor. The texture of the exterior is what you'd expect from mochi — soft and chewy, with a similar viscosity to taffy (but not nearly as sticky). Simply put, if you've never had mochi before? I can't recommend this affordable frozen food enough. Trader Joe's tends to carry a variety of mochi flavors, as well, such as strawberry, blood orange, and even ube.

Who doesn't love sweet potato fries? Certainly nobody I know. Yet I've also found it relatively difficult to find good frozen sweet potato fries. Thankfully, Trader Joe's comes in clutch (as usual) with a fairly irresistible version of the beloved side. They have a delicious, unadulterated sweet potato flavor, and they're thick enough for the crisp outside to give way to a pillowy interior.

Now, if you air fry these frozen sweet potatoes, plan on cooking them slightly longer than the package's instructions — if you want them really crispy, that is. I'll admit this is my first time trying Trader Joe's sweet potato fries, but it certainly won't be the last. In fact, I'll probably grab a bag on every trip.

I tend to have mixed opinions on some of Trader Joe's frozen meals, but its pad see ew is generally a solid choice — especially since it's less than $5 at the store. Yet the only real critique I have of this dish is that I'd prefer a bit more sauce, which is something you can pretty easily remedy at home. I really like the thick, chewy noodles and the textural variety that the vegetables offer. Plus, the flavors in this dish are all on point, and it's not bland in the slightest. I can't say it quite matches up to restaurant-quality pad see ew, but you're not even paying $5 for it. For that price, it exceeds expectations. 

When was the last time you saw a bag of frozen organic berries for under $5? It's a feat to offer such a deal, and it's one reason why I always get my frozen berries at Trader Joe's. I also appreciate the mix of berries in the bag. Many mixed berry options only include three different types of berries, but this has blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries. I use these daily in my breakfast oatmeal or in smoothies.

Now we come to one Trader Joe's frozen food I'll always buy at the store: Thai green curry. No kidding, I grab at least one of these every time I go to Trader Joe's. It's a reliable microwave meal that always fills me up, and can be made totally in the microwave. The curry itself has a bit of heat to it and I love the thin tofu sheets. Some of the vegetables are chunky, adding some nice texture to the dish. And as with all Trader Joe's frozen meals that include rice, the rice cooks up incredibly well. I prefer to eat this coupled with the chain's green onion pancakes, also from the freezer section (hold that thought).

If you come over to my house, you'd likely find a package of Trader Joe's Taiwanese green onion pancakes in the freezer. I mean, look at it: Toasty, obviously flavorful, with an interior that's thick, flaky, and delicious. I've found a number of ways to eat these pancakes over the years, too. They're plenty good on their own, but I'll also eat them with the Thai green curry (obviously), or cook it in a pan with some scrambled eggs (if I want to get some protein in). Your imagination is the only limit with these bad boys, and if you haven't had them, they're a must-buy the next time you hit up the store.

Want to impress party guests with a fancy flatbread that they'd never guess costs under $5? Then grab Trader Joe's tarte aux champignons. Aside from the slightly uneven distribution of mushrooms (pictured above), I don't have any bad things to say about this flatbread. It's relatively thin so it crisps up well in the oven, and the twisted crust is light, flaky, and gorgeous to look at. This is a flatbread that tastes sophisticated rather than indulgent, so it's easily impressive — but I've been known to feast on a whole one for dinner solo. Savory flatbread lovers should give this a shot at least once. Worst case scenario, you've wasted a few bucks. 

Ugh, YUM. This was my first time trying Trader Joe's Brazilian-style cheese bread, and I guessed I wouldn't be disappointed — fortunately, I was very, very correct. Not only are these gluten-free (they're made with tapioca flour!), but they also have an irresistible texture. The interior of each bite is spongey, airy, and impeccably moist. Plus, the flavors are to die for — the bread is amply cheesy and salty both on the inside and the outside. I have no notes for this offering. I don't even want to pair it with a sauce — the bread is too good to be adulterated with any accoutrements, and it deserves a place in every freezer. 

This might be a hot take, but I adore Trader Joe's gluten-free mac & cheese, even though I'm not strictly gluten-free. I really like the fusilli, which cooks up tender but still with bite in the microwave, and the whole dish gets amply saucy. Moreover, the company struck just the right blend of cheeses with this one. Swiss, cheddar, havarti, and gouda meld together to create an incredibly rich, flavorful mac & cheese that tastes more sophisticated than your average offering, and you'd never guess the pasta was gluten-free. 

I mean, is this not a famous product already? We've previously named the boxes of Hold the Cone! Trader Joe's best frozen dessert, and that's an opinion I'll back up (excepting perhaps Trader Joe's ice cream sandwiches). I absolutely adore these little guys. They're perfect when I want something sweet but don't have a big appetite for dessert — the few bites each offers are perfectly satisfying for my sweet tooth. I usually get the plain vanilla variety, but the brand also has chocolate chip, strawberry, chocolate, and even a non-dairy variety for lactose intolerant ice cream lovers. The only thing I'll say is you might want to get multiple boxes at a time — it's too easy to get through all eight mini cones. 

Well, this was my first time trying Trader Joe's spinach and artichoke dip, and it's a new contender for my favorite dip award. If making spinach and artichoke dip from scratch intimidates you but you have to show up to a party with something impressive, this will fool every guest in attendance — best of all, it just requires a few minutes in the microwave. The textures are all on point, with spinach being the more notable of the two, and the dip is incredibly cheesy and flavorful. I've had a few frozen spinach and artichoke dips before, all of which have been borderline inedible. Given that, this is even more impressive — I'm hard-pressed not to pull the remainder out of my fridge and down it all solo. 

We've already talked about the French green beans being one of Trader Joe's best frozen vegetables, so it's not a stretch to say its garlic shiitake green beans are similarly exquisite. They're easy to cook up in a pan when you need a quick side for dinner, and you don't have to season them or anything — just sauté with a bit of olive oil and you're rewarded with a flavorful veggie to accompany pretty much anything. The green beans don't have as much bite as I'd prefer, but I don't mind at all considering the umami flavor the sauce packs. My advice is to cook them on high heat and let them char a little for a slight smoky appeal. 

I mean, I can't not mention Trader Joe's cookie butter ice cream, a sub-$5 quart (that's right, an entire quart) that easily rivals other similar brands on the market. If you like Speculoos cookie butter this is a no-brainer buy. The ribbons of cookie butter in this ice cream are hard at first, but melt in your mouth upon taking a bite, and they impart ample amounts of that signature cookie butter flavor that I crave whenever my sweet tooth strikes. I'm not always an ice cream girl, but when I am, there's a good change it's because I'm craving this tub. And it's worth mentioning again — less than $5 gets you an entire quart (two whole pints!) of this yummy dessert. 

I'm a long-time fan of Trader Joe's pork gyoza potstickers. Seriously, I think they've been a freezer staple of mine for over a decade. They're one of the most versatile offerings in the frozen section (and, yes, they cost less than $5) — they taste delicious on their own, in a saucy potsticker bake, or as part of a noodle or fried rice dish. My preferred way of cooking them is to do a simple pan-fry method with oil and water. The outside gets wonderfully crispy, the inside gets hot all the way through and is very juicy, and they're overall a satisfying and flavorful snack, lunch, or meal accompaniment. 

If you're looking for something to add to soup, though, I can't recommend Trader Joe's chicken cilantro mini wontons enough. They really are "mini," and that helps them cook up perfectly when added to a stovetop broth — plus, it means you don't have to bite one in half when you come across it. As with the potstickers, these cook up with a juicy interior, and the flavors are all there though not overwhelming. This makes the wontons amenable to pretty much everything that you'd garnish with cilantro. If you have the "cilantro tastes like soap" gene, these probably aren't for you — for everyone else, I can't recommend them enough. 

About a decade ago, I lived in a household with nine other people between the ages of 3-60, and we all ate together regularly. We couldn't keep enough of Trader Joe's hashbrowns in the freezer — everyone loved them and had one or two for breakfast, so we'd go through over a whole pack in just one day. Air fryers were barely a thing at that time and the wait for the toaster oven was excruciating. Nowadays, I pop one or two of these in the air fryer and am rewarded with crispy, golden hashbrowns in a matter of minutes. They're very thick, so though the outside gets nice and crunchy, the inside remains soft and melts in your mouth. I adore these so much that I find it hard to eat any other hashbrown patties. 

Trader Joe's Sublime ice cream sandwiches are the perfect ice cream sandwich, and that's a hill I'll die on. They're a summertime staple, and though each box only comes with four sandwiches, they're so big I can only eat half of one at a time. Somehow, the chain managed to formulate a cookie that's soft and chewy even after being frozen, and this is what sets these apart from all the rest — the texture of the cookie is the best in its genre. Moreover, the chocolate-chip-studded outside is to die for. Do yourself a favor and try them, but know that it'll be hard to eat any other ice cream cookie sandwich again. 

Now, I've heard some controversy over Trader Joe's lemon bars, but considering they're sub-$5 and you don't have to make them, I think they're a lovely teatime offering. My advice to consumers is to forget what the package says — there's no need to defrost them. They're perfectly good and easy to eat straight from the freezer, and I love the slightly thicker texture this gives them. Sure, you could make better lemon bars at home, but sometimes you need a refreshing, zesty dessert that doesn't require turning on the oven on a hot day. For that, these more than fit the bill. 

I absolutely adore Trader Joe's stuffed gnocchi, which is incredibly easy to upgrade while also being delicious in its own right. In fact, the dish got second place in a ranking I did of all the chain's frozen vegetarian meals; since working on that piece, I nearly always have some of these in my freezer. Since I've had them before, I know they're delicious when cooked on the stovetop, so when tasting these I decided to air fry them. The results were similarly delightful. The exterior expanded a little and got airy and pillowy, while the melty interior retained that classic tomato mozzarella flavor that originally endeared me to this offering. They truly don't need much done to them — I typically pan-fry them and sprinkle some freshly grated parmesan before serving. 

Trader Joe's roti with Thai red curry is wildly yummy, though I only make it an occasional treat because it's incredibly calorific. That said, it still deserved a mention on this list for being a stellar sub-$5 offering from the store. The roti is wonderfully flaky and gets nice and crisp, though I don't think you need three pieces to pair with the curry — there's not a ton of curry here, and I usually find two pieces to be more than enough. The curry itself is bright and spicy, but not too spicy even for sensitive palates (trust me, I'm fairly spice-averse). I think everyone should try this frozen meal at least once; better yet, treat it as an appetizer and share it amongst friends. You won't be disappointed. 

Being a seasoned Trader Joe's consumer, choosing what to include on this list of "best" frozen foods under $5 was relatively easy. Then again, while I had enjoyed several list entries in the past, I hadn't tried other items before this piece, such as the butter chicken and garlic naan (which I loved both separately and together). On that note, if a frozen food wasn't up to par upon sampling it, I wouldn't have put it on this list. And, obviously, no options over $5 made this selection (sorry, orange chicken lovers). 

Of course, this list doesn't really represent every excellent sub-$5 selections available at the store. With that in mind, I personally recommend heading to the store and grabbing an assortment of inexpensive freezer options to try on your own. Not all of them will be up to snuff, but given the store's great track record, I'd bet most of them will be delightful.