9 Trader Joe's Frozen Dumplings, Ranked Worst To Best

When you're looking for a quick and easy meal to whip up on a weeknight, Trader Joe's might be the best place to go. The store is known for its variety of prepared fresh and frozen food that can help you get dinner on the table quickly. The chain's frozen dumplings are an excellent example of just that kind of product. Dumplings are generally filled with protein, veggies, or both, and they come together in a matter of minutes. Eat them on their own, put them in a soup, or dip them into a homemade sauce, and you have a delicious dinner straight from Trader Joe's freezer section.

But if you're not well-acquainted with the dumpling offerings at Trader Joe's, you may not know which variety to get. Let's be honest: Not all of TJ's frozen dumplings are particularly delicious, especially if you're used to higher-quality varieties more often available at Asian markets. That's why I've ranked Trader Joe's frozen dumplings from worst to best. I steamed all of these dumplings, and I evaluated them on flavor, texture, and ease of preparation. By getting the 411 on my TJ's frozen dumpling experience, you may enjoy your next dumpling night a bit more.

It's not always possible to find vegan dumplings — especially soup dumplings — so I was excited to try these Steamed Vegetable Soup Dumplings from Trader Joe's. They seemed like they would be nice when I was looking for a lighter, less heavy dumpling that still packs that rich, umami broth that soup dumplings are known for. However, I was sorely disappointed by this frozen Trader Joe's offering. The filling is made with a variety of veggies, including cabbage, carrots, spinach, shiitake mushrooms, and ginger, but honestly, the resulting mixture had a terrible, gummy texture. I couldn't pick out individual pieces of vegetables at all. To make matters worse, the filling is also super bitter, like overcooked greens that are ultimately lacking in salt.

It's good that these dumplings are easy to prepare (you can microwave them right in the packaging if you don't happen to have a steamer), and the broth is pretty salty and flavorful. Plus, the thin dumpling wrapper has a nice, al dente-like texture to it, so the product isn't a total bust. That being said, I didn't even want to finish a whole dumpling, so I won't be grabbing this product at Trader Joe's again.

Chinese shu mai is one of the most delicious types of dumplings. Instead of the fillings being completely enclosed within the dumpling wrapper, shu mai leaves the top of the filling exposed, so you can see exactly what's inside. Because I'm already a big fan of shu mai in general, I was especially excited to try the Pork Shu Mai from Trader Joe's. Ultimately, though, I'm not a huge fan of this product.

The main issue with this Trader Joe's product is simply the fact that the filling has barely any flavor at all — probably not what you'd expect from a pork dumpling. It's juicy and somewhat fatty, but it was severely lacking in salt. Plus, there isn't really a strong flavor from any aromatics in the filling either. The texture is also kind of off, without that signature bounciness you might expect from pork filling in shu mai. Although it's not the worst product I tried in this lineup, real shu mai lovers are almost bound to be disappointed by this flavorless, frozen version of the classic dish.

Trader Joe's offers a variety of frozen vegan dishes, and its Thai Vegetable Gyoza is one of them. Admittedly, it's not one of the best frozen dumpling varieties in the lineup, but it's still significantly better than the vegetable soup dumplings that came in last place. First and foremost, you can actually see identifiable pieces of vegetables inside each dumpling. Carrots, chives, and cabbage are all clearly visible, so you know exactly what you're eating. The bitterness present in the soup dumplings isn't found in these gyoza, even though the overall flavor profile is somewhat bland. Ginger is perhaps the most dominant flavor in this dish (which is arguably true for most of Trader Joe's Asian-inspired products).

The wrappers of these gyoza are also quite thin, which means the fillings are the star of the show. They seem to have a decent amount of fattiness to them, which is perhaps not so expected for vegetable dumplings. If you don't eat meat, these dumplings are a solid option, but they're certainly not the best that Trader Joe's has to offer.

I don't think that chicken is the best kind of meat to include in dumplings, but I was pleasantly surprised by Trader Joe's Chicken Gyoza Potstickers. Perhaps it has to do with the fact that these dumplings utilize dark meat chicken, which gives them a richer, fattier quality than I might expect from dumplings made from lean chicken. That chicken filling isn't super flavorful, but it packs enough punch to keep things sort of interesting, particularly if you're using a flavorful dipping sauce. Plus, the bouncy consistency and thin wrappers on these dumplings make for a decently chewy texture.

These dumplings aren't really anything special, and I wouldn't go out of my way to get them from Trader Joe's specifically. But if you're craving simple, solid dumplings and happen to prefer chicken over pork, they may be worth a try. Just keep in mind that they're probably best served with other, more flavorful ingredients to give them that extra pop of flavor they need.

Love soup dumplings but don't want to subject yourself to the unpleasantness that is the veggie version of the product? No worries — Trader Joe's also offers Steamed Chicken Soup Dumplings, which are undeniably a step up from their vegetable-focused cousin. These are especially juicy, thanks to the light but delicious chicken broth inside. The chicken itself isn't the most flavorful dumpling filling I've encountered, but it's good, with a generic saltiness and a touch of ginger.

Unfortunately, the wrapper on these dumplings is a bit too thick, but the texture is still decent, so it's tolerable. And the fact that these dumplings are incredibly easy to prepare earns them some extra points. There are certainly better dumplings — and even better soup dumplings — to check out at Trader Joe's, but soup dumpling beginners might find that this product is a good place to experiment with the dish for the first time.

If you like Trader Joe's Thai Vegetable Gyoza but you're looking for a bit more flavor and a better texture, look no further than the brand's Thai Shrimp Gyoza. Out of the two Thai-inspired dumplings that the chain carries, this one is significantly more delicious, thanks to the inclusion of shrimp. First of all, shrimp provides a subtle but ultimately noticeable seafood-forward flavor to the dumplings, offering a flavor profile you won't find with Trader Joe's other dumpling products. This is a great option if you don't eat meat but still don't want to settle for a veggie-only dumpling.

The texture makes these dumplings shine, though. The shrimp is quite chewy, which works well with the crispness of the included vegetables. Again, I'm always on the lookout for a sort of bouncy texture in dumplings, and these shrimp dumplings delivered. If you're a seafood lover and you're looking for a lighter, more refreshing dumpling option at Trader Joe's, this product has you covered.

Craving soup dumplings but don't want to go out to a restaurant to get them (or make them from scratch at home)? If you're at Trader Joe's, you should absolutely look for the brand's Steamed Pork and Ginger Soup Dumplings. Out of all the soup dumpling flavors I tried at TJ's, this one is indisputably the best. The filling of these dumplings is actually quite flavorful, with the juicy fattiness you'd expect from a good pork filling. However, the flavor of ginger is also quite prominent, which helps to lighten up that intense pork flavor and give the dumplings a nice complexity.

The broth in these dumplings is solid too. It's a lot saltier and more flavorful than the broth you'll get in the chicken version of the product, although it's still lighter than I would expect from restaurant-quality soup dumplings. Although the other soup dumplings in this lineup need some sort of dipping sauce or another form of extra flavor to taste interesting enough to make a meal out of, I think that these dumplings are rich and flavorful enough to be enjoyed completely on their own without you feeling like there's something missing in every bite.

Out of all of the vegan dumplings on this list, Trader Joe's Vegetable Dumplings absolutely come in at the top. They're quite unlike most of the other dumplings on this list, but they pack a surprising amount of flavor considering that they don't contain any meat. Shiitake mushrooms and cabbage make up a significant portion of the filling, offering a rich, umami-forward flavor profile that's significantly more interesting than even some of the meat-filled versions in this dumpling lineup. The real star of the show in the filling is chives, though — they offer a pop of freshness and a bold flavor to the dumplings that set this product apart from the others.

The wrappers on these dumplings are also top-notch, with a distinct bounciness that makes the texture especially impressive. They're also folded into an ornate shape that automatically makes them fun to eat. You don't have to be a vegan or vegetarian to forgo the meat-centric dumplings on this list and opt for this appealing veggie version instead — it might become your new favorite Trader Joe's frozen snack or light meal to have on hand.

Looking for the very best dumpling offering at Trader Joe's? Look no further than the brand's Pork Gyoza Potstickers. These dumplings are the same style as the chain's Chicken Gyoza Potstickers, with the same thin wrapper. However, this variety packs way more flavor than its chicken counterpart. The pork is flavorful, salty, and juicy, with a distinct umami flavor and a cohesive texture that actually stays in the wrapper after you take a bite.

To be clear, there are plenty of frozen dumplings out there that are better than this TJ's product — head to your local Asian market, and you're bound to find several that taste better than this basic product. But if you are going to buy dumplings at Trader Joe's, these are going to be your best bet on the flavor front. Although they don't need a ton of additional flavor, I enjoy eating them with a flavorful dipping sauce or including them in soups for a quick wintertime meal.

I steamed all of these dumplings in a steamer to get a sense of how they tasted at the most basic level. I first tried them on their own, then finished them with a simple dipping sauce made with soy sauce and chili oil. The criteria for this ranking included, most importantly, flavor, but I also considered texture, particularly in terms of the dumpling wrapper. Texture-wise, I looked for a bounciness in the dumpling as a whole, with an al dente-like texture in the wrapper specifically. Ease of cooking also played a role in my assessments. The highest-ranked dumplings were flavorful, and both the filling and wrapper had a good texture.