Loyal Trader Joe’s shoppers routinely appreciate the allure of creative products, low prices, and natural-ingredient options. But its seafood offerings can be a pleasant surprise to even longtime TJs enthusiasts. That’s especially true when seeking tasty seafood entrees priced under $10, which often populate the freezer section at set prices per package.
Plenty of shrimp renditions rest inside the frozen chambers of every Trader Joe’s store, but the wider seafood selections go much further than you might imagine. From branzino filets to salmon burgers, ginger garlic Argentinian red shrimp, and more, there are many options to grace your plate with very little effort. Some may seem routine and similar to other supermarkets, but as the saying goes, the devil is in the details.
Fortunately, TJs is known for being transparent about sourcing, ingredients, and preparations. So here’s a look at some of our favorite affordable offerings ringing up at less than $10, plus a few ideas on how to cook or serve them. Of course, prices and availability could vary depending on location.
Branzino Fillets (European Sea Bass)
Trader Joe’s isn’t the only grocer offering branzino filets, but it offers a dependable pre-packaged option for just $9.99 per pound, partially due to its wide net of seafood sourcing. Also known as European or Mediterranean sea bass, the white-flesh branzino fish at Trader Joe’s comes from Turkey, which lies partly in Europe and enjoys coastlines along the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas. It’s a welcome region for branzino, which TJs sources as farm-raised fish — a method that helps prevent over-fishing.
By the time it reaches your local Trader Joe’s store, it’s already been deboned, filleted, and frozen to retain the fresh, sweet taste and light, flaky flesh. It’s a skin-on filet, given the penchant for branzino recipes catering to whole-fish cooking. But buying them from the TJs freezer lets you bypass the whole-fish preparation and head straight to defrosting and oven baking. These filets also stand up well to crispy pan frying or grill sizzling.
Trader Joe’s offers its own serving suggestion: “Enjoy with a side of Chickpea Masala Salad or Greek Chickpeas with [Parsley] & Cumin and a nice, chilled glass of your favorite Sauvignon Blanc.” We have an even more interesting twist on branzino for dinner: Try our Tasting Table recipe for poached branzino with beurre blanc, a centuries-old French butter sauce.
Shrimp Scampi
Shrimp scampi dishes populate many a restaurant menu, typically with a price tag matching their popularity and reputation. Trader Joe’s offers a way to enjoy the same seafood experience at home at a price of $8.99 for 13 ounces. The classic Italian recipe for scampi is more than 100 years old, but this version leans on Italian-American recipes featuring shrimp, garlic, butter, lemon juice, and white wine, plus a toss-in of grated Romano cheese.
The raw shrimp is ready for cooking, with no need to remove shells, veins, or tails. It comes already steeped in the garlicky white-wine sauce, which also includes extra virgin olive oil and other flavorful seasonings, including dried or dehydrated onions, parsley, and bell peppers. Like any shrimp scampi meal, you can ladle this over rice, stir it into pasta, or eat as a stand-alone centerpiece joined by veggies, pan-fried potatoes, or fresh salad greens. Get creative by stuffing this shrimp scampi into lettuce wraps, or scatter it across toasted flatbread with leafy rocket greens.
To complement the wine already in the scampi sauce, consider a light, crisp, white dinner wine. Or jazz things up with a slight fizz; Trader Joe’s recommends its own Espiral Vinho Verde from Northern Portugal, featuring hints of green apple and melon. Like the shrimp scampi, it comes in well under $10 per bottle, depending on location and availability.
Ginger Shrimp Lo Mein
Shrimp lo mein is a classic in the world of Chinese-American cuisine, but this one requires no restaurants, no take-out boxes, and no tipping. Just open your freezer and reach for Trader Joe’s Ginger Shrimp Lo Mein, which costs just $5.99 per 16-ounce bag. You’ll need a skillet instead of a microwave, as you’ll be sauteeing the ingredients just as you would when making lo mein from scratch. But thanks to TJs, the components come pre-portioned and packaged separately inside the freezer bag.
Authenticity is a big draw for this very affordable meal, since the supplier hails from the Asian continent — specifically from Thailand. There’s no hint who that supplier is, though TJs notes its infamy for creating tasty shrimp dishes. Here’s what’s inside those packets you’ll be assembling and stovetop sauteeing: Wheat noodles, raw shrimp in ginger-shiitake sauce, and chopped vegetables including white cabbage and a colorful trio of red, green, and yellow bell peppers.
The serving size of 16 ounces makes it a standalone entree for up to two people. But heartier appetites or larger dining parties will thrive with plate pairings such as steamed kale, broccoli, or Brussels sprouts. Trader Joe’s also recommends a side of its chicken gyoza potstickers.
Premium Salmon Burgers
Salmon is one of the most widely lauded fish in the seafood kingdom, particularly when it comes from Alaska. Trader Joe’s offers several renditions of salmon, some canned and others smoked and ready for spreads and appetizers. Many stores, depending on location, also provide fresh salmon in varying cuts and sizes. But for the purpose of identifying seafood entrees priced under $10, we’re highlighting the company’s pre-portioned, frozen, and ever-popular Trader Joe’s salmon burgers.
TJs doesn’t scrimp with the salmon here, nor does it use inferior bits left over from processing larger cuts. The pink salmon tucked inside those preformed salmon patties, which cost $7.49 for each 12.8-ounce box, comes from Alaskan waters, and each fish gets skinned and deboned. That extra texture and flavor you’ll notice comes from a mirepoix of real vegetables, including celery, onions, and carrots. In addition to serving in a typical burger style, Trader Joe’s recommends crumbling the patties over salads or letting them stand alone as protein-packed meal components.
Argentinian Red Shrimp with Ginger Garlic Butter
Last, but certainly not least, on this list is Trader Joe’s Argentinian Red Shrimp With Ginger Garlic Butter, which costs $7.99 for each 9-ounce container. They’re called “red shrimp” not because of a rosy hue after cooking — but before they ever hit the heat. These wild-caught crustacean cuties from Argentina carry an inherently defining, natural red hue, along with a lobster-like taste and a solid texture that stands up in sauces, tossed pasta dishes, or on fiery hot grills.
They arrive in your kitchen peeled, deveined, raw, and ready to get your cooking mojo going. TJs gives you a headstart with a honey hint of sweetness in a ginger-garlic butter, plus a zing of cayenne and chili flakes. That’s before the other surprise, the seasoning. It’s called Togarashi in Japan, which indicates Capsicum, a wide-ranging family of peppers. This particular TJs blend showcases a powdered chili with Szechuan peppers, tempered by ingredients such as sesame and poppy seeds, orange peel, and nori seaweed.
