The 10 Best Trader Joe's Frozen Foods That Cost Less Than $5

If there is one thing that Trader Joe's has mastered, it is offering incredible products for competitive low prices. In today's world where grocery costs are unfortunately on the rise, Trader Joe's continues to be a provider of affordable products that don't sacrifice on quality or taste. If you have ever stepped foot in a Trader Joe's, it is impossible to miss the store's massive frozen foods section, which is home to some of the best deals that the store has to offer.

While the products in the frozen aisle range in price, there are dozens of delicious options that you can buy for just a few dollars. However, not all of the items are created the same, and some are more delicious than others. Using my personal expertise as a longtime customer of Trader Joe's as well as the reviews from other dedicated fans, I have completed a list of 10 of the best frozen foods you can buy at Trader Joe's for under $5. After reading this article, you'll be ready to stock up on these incredible and affordable products on your next Trader Joe's trip.

The frozen aisle at Trader Joe's is host to an incredible assortment of desserts, and one of my favorites products that Trader Joe's offers in their frozen mochi. With a soft, chewy rice dough casing and a decadent ice cream filling, Trader Joe's mochi is a unique and flavorful dessert that I love to keep in stock in my freezer. Of all the flavor options, my personal favorite is the strawberry mochi, which offers a bold and tart strawberry taste without being overwhelmingly sweet.

Unlike many other frozen mochi ice cream brands, Trader Joe's version has no artificial flavors, synthetic colors, and does not have potentially unwanted ingredients like high fructose corn syrup. As one fan shared on Reddit:"...what have I been missing?! They were delicious, I wanted to eat the entire pack in one sitting." For only $4.99, this package comes with six mochi, making this product a delicious and affordable item to pick up from the store.

The frozen aisle of Trader Joe's is home to more than just desserts and entrées — the aisle has an assortment of appetizers and sides as well. One of my favorite items is the frozen Hashbrowns, which make the perfect addition to an at-home breakfast. Making hash browns from scratch can be laborious, which is why I love picking up these patties from Trader Joe's, which costs just $2.99 for a well-portioned 22.5-ounce package.

There are many ways that you can prepare these hash browns, including by microwave, toaster oven, oven, or pan-frying. I prefer to cook them over the stove on low heat, and I love to add in extra paprika, salt, and pepper. The result is a perfectly crispy, moist, and flavorful hash brown meal that never fails to disappoint me or my family. As one fan said on Reddit: "They are so delicious. I crave them right when I wake up. I could solely survive off these." For such a low price, this item is a definite purchase for me whenever I head to Trader Joe's.

Trader Joe's is known for their incredible assortment of frozen Indian foods, and one of my favorite of these products is the Roti with Thai Red Curry. Roti is a delicious kind of Indian flatbread that is often served as a wrap for food or as a vessel for dipping sauces and curry. Trader Joe's offers a version of roti that comes with a Thai red curry. While I find the curry to be warm and comforting, the roti is the true star of the show here. It is doughy, buttery, and tastes incredibly fresh after being warmed up. For just $4.29, this frozen meal is incredibly affordable and can be filling enough to be a dinner for one or an appetizer for two.

This item has become a fan favorite amongst Trader Joe's products, with one fan saying: "Thai Red Curry is yum! but real winner is Roti. Crispy, flaky, soft and like a mochi texture!" Especially in the colder winter months, this Roti with Thai Red Curry is a cozy and delicious meal to make at home, and for value and quality, it has become one of my favorite items in the frozen food aisle.

Even as a newer item to Trader Joe's, the Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese has already made a big impact and become a favorite amongst fans. It has quickly become a staple dish in my household as well, especially during the fall season when I am craving Butternut Squash. This macaroni and cheese is packed with gouda, cheddar, parmesan, and finished with a sweet butternut squash purée that contains a blend of sage, nutmeg, and thyme. The result is a well-balanced and flavorful dish that makes the perfect addition to any autumn meal.

For only $3.79, customers get 12 ounces of this pasta, enough for a meal for one or as a side dish for two. One Redditor raves: "This was delicious! I cooked it for 6 mins in the microwave and followed the instructions. Super good flavor and the noodles were just right." One thing to note about this product is that it is seasonal, so if you want to enjoy a package of this pasta, it is essential that you head to your store and grab a few before they leave for the time being.

When you think of iconic items from the Trader Joe's frozen food aisle, it is very likely that the store's soup dumplings may come to mind. While soup dumplings are a common dish served fresh at Chinese dim sum, customers can also enjoy this dish at home by picking up a package of these frozen soup dumplings from Trader Joe's. The soup dumplings are offered in a variety of flavors, but my favorite are the Steamed Pork & Ginger Soup Dumplings, which I find to be hearty and rich.

One package of these dumplings costs $3.49, and each package comes with six of these delicious soup-filled dumplings. After just two minutes in the microwave, these dumplings are ready to be eaten and enjoyed, making it one of the most convenient items to make in the frozen aisle. One customer raves: "The soup dumplings are amazing — I used to eat at least 3 boxes a week." If you are looking for a meal that is cheap, easy to make, and more unique than a typical frozen dumpling, these Trader Joe's Soup Dumplings are an incredible item that I would absolutely recommend.

For the past several years, I have become a big fan of Trader Joe's samosas, which are by far my favorite store-bought samosas I have ever tried. Trader Joe's has released a variety of different samosa flavor options over the years, but my personal favorite is the Mini Vegetable Samosas, which are two-bite sized and perfect to be served as an appetizer or side dish. These samosas have a delicious golden puff pastry casing and come filled with a heaping of vegetable curry-like filling. The filling consists of peas, carrots, potatoes, lentils, onions, and a blend of traditional Indian spices, making for a tasty savory pastry.

One fan raved about this dish, saying that the "Frozen mini vegetable samosas [are] so so good in the air fryer." While I love samosas, making them from scratch is no easy task. This Trader Joe's product is the perfect way for me to get my samosa fix without having to labor in the kitchen, and unlike some other frozen samosas I have tried, this $3.99 box of samosas taste fresh and have a significant ratio of curry-filling in them.

As I mentioned earlier in this article, Trader Joe's has become notorious over the years for their frozen Indian foods. Perhaps the most iconic item among them is the Chicken Tikka Masala, which has become a fan-favorite since being put on shelves in 2009. Featuring a sizable portion of roasted chicken coated in a mild tomato-based curry, this dish is warm, comforting, and filling. Each box also comes with cumin-flavored basmati rice, which helps round out this dish. For just $4.49, this can easily be a fulfilling dinner for one.

Fans have raved about this dish for over a decade, with one fan saying on Reddit that: "This is a staple at my house." While Trader Joe's does also offer a refrigerated version of a Chicken Tiki Masala, fans, including me, seem to prefer the tomato curry-sauce in the frozen version. One fan explains: "It's more heavy on the multi-layered spices and flavors while the refrigerated version is more linear in its tomato flavor and doesn't have the layers of flavors that the frozen version has." All things considered, this dish is affordable, delicious, and easy to prepare, making it a great option to add to your weekly dinner rotation.

The first time I ever tried a Trader Joe's Hold the Cone! Mini Ice Cream Cone, I knew I had found one of my new favorite desserts. With several flavor varieties, my instant favorite was the Strawberry Hold the Cone! Mini Ice Cream Cones, which feature a sweet and tart strawberry ice cream scoop on a mini sugar cone that comes filled with chocolate. Each cone is carefully dipped and coated in the same decadent chocolate coating, ensuring that each bite is balanced in taste and texture. The strawberry and chocolate flavors are incredibly complimentary, and the portion size makes these cones the perfect small sweet treat.

Fans have loved trying the different flavors of these adorable mini-cones. One fan shared online: "Found these strawberry cones today at my TJ's. They are so yummy! Wish I bought more boxes." For just $3.99 a box, these Hold the Cone! Mini ice cream cones have quickly become one of my favorite inexpensive desserts from the store. 

When I first saw a package of this Pad See Ew in the frozen aisle at Trader Joe's, I was excited, but slightly concerned that this dish would not meet my expectations. Pad See Ew is my favorite Thai dish, and it is hard to beat the fresh-made version from a local Thai restaurant. While frozen rarely ever outdoes a fresh meal, I was overjoyed to find that this dish was incredibly flavorful, moist, and filling for a completely vegan meal. For just $3.79, this Pad See Ew comes with a hefty proportion of rice noodles, tofu, and vegetables, making this a great dinner or lunch for one.

Preparing this frozen dish is easy: All you need is to put the package in the microwave for just a few minutes. After letting it cool, the umami flavor of this dish really jumps out, making each bite bold and delicious. One Redditor raves: "Just tried the frozen Pad See Ew and I am so impressed!!!! I added some Maggi sauce to it because I like my salt." Whether you choose to add sauces and seasoning or just enjoy it at is, this dish is truly one of my favorite recommendations from the frozen aisle, especially for vegan or vegetarian shoppers.

As one of Trader Joe's most ambitious frozen food items ever created, the frozen Kimbap is one item I can't recommend enough. Kimbap is a Korean rolled rice and seaweed dish that is similar in appearance and construction to sushi. Unlike sushi, Kimbap typically features meats, cheeses, eggs, and various vegetables, and each roll is larger than a typical sushi roll. The Trader Joe's Kimbap features Korean tofu surrounded by cooked greens, crunchy root vegetables, and crisp pickles. The result is a delicious and filling rice roll that is savory without feeling too heavy.

For just $3.99, Trader Joe's sells this large roll, which can be prepared by microwaving for just two minutes. One fan describes the roll as a "...ten out of ten, it's convenient, tasty and filling. You also get the novelty of microwaving sushi which feels counterintuitive." Like the other options on this list, this frozen meal offers a quality product for a competitive low price. If you are looking to save on your grocery bill, you won't want to skip out on the items in this list.