I tried making 5 Trader Joe's frozen meals in my air fryer. I had some big wins, but one risk didn't pay off.
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Lizzy Briskin
- I bought five frozen meals at Trader Joe's and made them all in my air fryer.
- The store's shrimp burgers and carne-asada burritos were pretty much made for the air fryer.
- Sadly, I couldn't get a perfectly crisp and bubbly cup of French onion soup in the air fryer.
I'm a chef and love using my air fryer to whip together quick, easy meals.
Some of Trader Joe's frozen items seem designed for the countertop appliance. However, it can be hard to tell which ones are better off in the microwave or on the stove.
As a test, I made five of Trader Joe's popular frozen meals โ shrimp burgers, chicken fried rice, chiles rellenos con queso, carne-asada burritos, and French onion soup โ in my air fryer.
Here's how they turned out.
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Lizzy Briskin
I air-fried a couple of frozen shrimp seafood burgers at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes, flipping them halfway through.
They came out plump and juicy with a lovely golden crust on the outside.
Because the burgers were so juicy, they made a bit of a mess in my air-fryer basket. However, it was quick and easy to clean it out.
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Lizzy Briskin
I don't like making frozen fried rice in the microwave because it stays soft and mushy, but I don't always have the energy to stand over a frying pan.
The air fryer seems like a smart alternative to enhance crispiness.
I dumped about half the bag of Trader Joe's chicken fried rice directly into my air-fryer drawer and cooked it at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, stirring halfway through.
The chicken cooked nicely without drying out, and the veggies turned bright and crisp, not overcooked or mushy. My one disappointment was that the rice didn't get quite as crispy as I'd hoped.
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Lizzy Briskin
Trader Joe's box of frozen chiles rellenos includes two batter-covered, cheese-stuffed peppers.
I followed the box's specified air-fryer instructions to heat the peppers at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, flipping halfway.
They came out beautifully golden โ the crust was crunchy and light, and there was no shortage of delicious cheese inside. However, perhaps because of this, the poblanos themselves almost became more of an afterthought flavor-wise.
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Lizzy Briskin
Trader Joe's carne-asada burritos feature thinly sliced grilled beef and onions wrapped in a thick flour tortilla.
I air-fried a single frozen burrito at 350 degrees for 13 minutes.
The tortilla came out stiffer and darker than if I'd microwaved it, and the interior was still nice and moist. I find the microwave can dry things out sometimes.
The meat was juicy, and there was a good amount of it, but the burrito still benefited from a dunk in spicy salsa for more flavor.
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Lizzy Briskin
That's right, soup in the air fryer.
According to the instructions on the box, you're supposed to microwave the soup for five minutes. However, I wanted to maximize the crispy, cheesy top to imitate a restaurant-style crock of French onion soup.
I placed the frozen soup puck in an oven-safe glass container and put it in my air fryer at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
When the timer went off, I got the crispy crown I was after, but the center of the soup wasn't totally defrosted. I was forced to stir until it was fully melted, which scattered the cheese.
Even though I didn't have the top I wanted, once the soup was heated through, it was delicious. The cheese found its way into nearly every bite.
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Lizzy Briskin
Overall, the air fryer seems to be a good match for many of Trader Joe's frozen offerings.
I'd choose the appliance every time for the shrimp burgers since it's hands-off. I think it cooks them a little more evenly and reliably than the stove.
I also loved the texture and cheesiness of the air-fried chiles rellenos, and I'm excited to liven them up in the future with extra salsa or taco sauce.
If you like a crispy burrito, the air fryer is definitely the way to go for Trader Joe's frozen offerings.
Although it wasn't absolutely perfect, when I'm in a rush and can't pan-fry the chicken fried rice, I much prefer the air fryer to the microwave.
All that said โ and this may not come as a surprise โ there's no clear advantage to cooking the French onion soup in an air fryer. I'm still trying to figure out how to get the perfect, crispy topping for that one.