Trader Joe's Most Popular Product For 2022 Comes As No Surprise
Are you a Trader Joe's superfan? Shoppers tend to love this 500-locations-strong (via Statista) grocery chain known for its low prices (via Taste of Home), quirky store practices (via Kitchn), and ever-changing selection of products — some of which, including Everything but the Bagel Seasoning, frozen Cauliflower Gnocchi, and seasonal Candy Cane Joe-Joe cookies, have attained cult status (via Mashed).
Trader Joe's aisle-browsers are such a passionate bunch that they even maintain a lively Subreddit, r/traderjoes, where they share their homemade takes on TJ's items, post intel on hot sales and product promotions, and name their picks for favorite store items of all time, ranking such bites as Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese, Triple Crème Brie, and Cilantro & Jalapeño Hummus (via Reddit). These folks also participate in the store's annual Customer Choice Awards, voting online to name their top TJ's products, which the store then compiles into a list it publishes online (via Trader Joe's).
Trader Joe's just shared the results of its 13th annual awards, and the winner is one that has come out on top for several years now. Read on to find out what it is.
It's Mandarin Orange Chicken, of course!
If you've ever browsed Trader Joe's well-stocked freezer cases, you know that the grocery chain offers an almost mind-boggling array of heat-and-eat dishes, from pad thai to fettuccine with mushrooms to lamb vindaloo (via Delish). And among these frozen meals is a frozen meal to rule them all: TJ's Mandarin Orange Chicken, described on its packaging as "a savory dish of tender battered chicken with mandarin orange ginger sauce" (via Trader Joe's). That illustrious item tops the store's 13th Annual Customer Choice Awards this year — an honor it has held for several years in a row, except in 2019, when Everything but the Bagel Seasoning was voted number one (via Today).
On its website, Trader Joe's even has an article entitled, "We Love Mandarin Orange Chicken," describing the dish as "tender chunks of juicy chicken in a crispy breading, coated with a house-made sauce of fresh California orange peels, fresh ginger, fresh garlic, fresh green onions, and soy sauce.
Wondering if any of your other favorite TJ's items made the cut this year? The Unexpected Cheddar cheese, Hold the Cone mini ice cream cones, Teeny Tiny Avocados, and Peanut Butter Filled Pretzel Nuggets are some other favorites voted in by shoppers. To check out the full list, head to the grocery store's website.