Trader Joe’s Chicken Fried Rice

Trader Joe’s Chicken Fried Rice

$2.29/ bag

I would like to start by saying that I am not a huge fan of frozen, pre-made meals. I am a little bit of a control freak when it comes to what and how much goes into my dinners. I am also not a fan of frozen vegetables. In my experience, I have found frozen veggies to be soggy, flavor-less, and an odd texture. 

That said, I have to say that the frozen Trader Joe’s Chicken Fried Rice is ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! Amazing enough that it has now become one of my go-to meals, especially on busy weeknights. There are four of us in my household (two adults and two 10-year-olds), so one-and-a-half bags of fried rice is the perfect amount. When I shop, I usually buy three bags at a time. At $2.29 a bag, how can you go wrong?!

You could use the rice as a side. It only takes about five minutes to cook. But I like to throw other things into it and make it the main dish because why not?! We love carrots in my house, so I will usually dice up one or two carrots and cook them in there along with shrimp or extra chicken. I also like to toss in about a cup of riced cauliflower just to fill it out. I’m not a big fan of peas, but if you like peas, that is another great add-in. Top it off with some sliced scallions, and your family won’t know who you are and what you’ve done with that person who normally cooks! 

The flavor of the fried rice is rich and full, not too salty, not bland at all. However, if you like a little pop of

flavor, you could add a drizzle of soy sauce or even cook in a cube of the Trader Joe’s Crushed Ginger, which by the way, is SO much easier than peeling and chopping ginger root! 

When I make the Chicken Fried Rice with shrimp, the entire meal (prep included) takes about half an hour. That’s not too shabby for a super-tasty weeknight dish! 

Going back to price, I am going to break down the cost, per person, based on my favorite way to prepare this meal. Please note, all prices except the fried rice and shrimp are estimates. 

1 ½ bags of Trader Joe’s Chicken Fried Rice	$3.45
1 ½ lbs. Jumbo Shrimp	$13.00
2 Carrots, diced	$0.30
1 cup Riced Cauliflower	$0.65
Scallions, sliced	$0.50
Meal Total:	$17.90
Total Per Person:	$4.48

Add-In Options:

• Chicken

• Shrimp

• Pork

• Riced Cauliflower

• Broccoli

• Carrots

• Peas

• Diced red pepper

Garnish Options:

• Sliced scallions

• Bean sprouts

• Chopped peanuts

Helpful Tips:

• If rice sticks to pan, use sharp spatula to scrape from bottom. But don’t panic because it’s tasty when it gets that crispy crust! Adding a smidge of chicken broth will also help loosen rice from bottom. 

• Cook add-in protein first. Remove cooked protein from pan. Cook rice. Add protein back in at the end. 

• Estimate about ⅓ of a package per adult. If you have 4 people in your family, a bag-and-a-half should be just right! 

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