What’s not to love about a pizza laden with hot peppers and savory sausage? It’s an easy combination to nail, but apparently one Trader Joe’s variety didn’t get quite right. The spicy meat pie is one Trader Joe’s pizza to avoid buying. It’s not that it’s too meaty or greasy. Instead, customers claim that this pizza is way too sweet.
One shopper took to Reddit to complain about the surprising flavor, calling the pie “as sweet as a dessert.” Some claim it tastes like maple syrup or packets of Sweet’N Low have been added to the sauce. Others in the thread agree, with one pointing out that sugar is high up on the ingredient list, which might be the culprit.
The reviews for this pie are fairly unanimous, but the disappointing flavor is surprising. After all, this pizza comes from a supplier in Italy who hand-bakes the pies in a wood-burning oven. Still, we may have found other reasons behind the lackluster flavor: the pizza sauce contains balsamic vinegar and Calabrian-infused sausages. Glucose syrup is also an unlikely ingredient. While these additions were intended to deepen the rich flavor, it might be the ingredients that contribute to the excess sweetness. (Calabrian peppers are sweet as well as spicy.) Who’s to say? All we know is that this pie is not a fan favorite, so it might be one Trader Joe’s item to avoid.
Try one of these other pies on for size instead
While the unbalanced flavor of Trader Joe’s spicy meat pizza is a bummer, some Redditors had suggestions to help elevate the taste. One shopper suggested adding spicy ingredients to the pie, like pickled jalapeños, to cut through the sweetness with tang and heat. Other customers on Reddit suggested adding chili oil or habanero peppers. So, while most agree that the spicy meat pizza is too sweet, it seems there are ways to improve the flavor.
If you’d rather not make the effort, the spicy meat pizza is not the only option on the shelf. In fact, Trader Joe’s has a slew of other pies for customers to try. If you’re in the market for another frozen pizza, one Redditor suggested buying the organic roasted vegetable pizza and finishing it off in the broiler to make it sing. Another shopper suggested giving the uncured pepperoni pizza a try instead. Other options include a BBQ chicken pizza, gluten-free cheese pizza, or a roasted garlic and pesto pizza with a deep-fried crust. For more options, check out our list of Trader Joe’s pizzas and flatbreads ranked worst to first. Or, if you’re over pizza by now, try one of Trader Joe’s many Indian food entrees next.
