I spend the first five minutes in any restaurant craning my neck to survey the dishes going by on their way to other dining tables. I want to know what everyone else is ordering and if it’s tasty. My ears also perk up when people talk about groceries they love to buy, especially if it’s from my favorite grocery store, Trader Joe’s.
On the latest episode of Trader Joe’s podcast, Inside Trader Joe’s, crew members (this is what TJ’s employees are called) revealed their favorite products to cook in the air fryer. As an air fryer super fan, I immediately added their picks to my grocery list. And I summarized them for you below:
“I will go to my freezer when we’re sick of having chicken for the week, and then next thing you know, I have three shrimp products in my freezer,” says crew member Jamie. Her favorite Trader Joe’s shrimp product to throw in the air fryer? Gluten Free Breaded Shrimp.
“They’re super crispy and I think that if you serve them and you didn’t tell someone they were gluten-free, you might not know the difference. They’re just breaded so they don’t have all that other flavors to them. So, you can easily put them on a salad,” she suggests.
Trader Joe’s / Photo Illustration by Wanda Abraham
Crew member Pablo recommends Parmesan Pastry Pups, which are also on my top 10 freezer products to air fry.
These do not include instructions for air frying. Pablo suggests using the same temperature on the oven instructions and cutting the cooking time in half. I do 375°F for 15 minutes. Every air fryer is different, so experiment to find what works best for yours.
TJ’s Hashbrowns are a long-standing customer favorite, and amazing when air fried—the outsides get extra crispy, extra fast. The air fryer is ideal when you’re making one or two portions because you can only fit two to four at once since they’re wide and shouldn’t overlap in the air fryer basket.
Simply Recipes / Photo Illustration by Wanda Abraham / Retailers Below
“I like anything that has jalapeño and cream cheese… [it’s the] perfect combination,” says Pablo. If you agree, you’ll love this new TJ’s product.
Writer Apple Mandy suggests serving these mini wontons with Trader Joe’s Sweet Chili Sauce.
5. Trader Joe’s “Baby Broccoli” ($3.49)
Crew member Brenda claims that broccolini, or what Trader Joe’s calls “baby broccoli,” is superior air fried compared to any other cooking method.
“I just spray a little bit of our Trader Joe’s Avocado Oil. I’ll sprinkle some salt and then some pepper. You can also add, minced garlic, you can squeeze a little bit of lemon, add some Parmesan cheese if you like,” says Brenda. Then you air fry the broccolini at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes. It’s a simple and tasty side dish she admits to making during her breaks at work.
Simply Recipes / Photo Illustration by Wanda Abraham / Trader Joe’s
Crew member Emerald makes a breakfast sandwich in the air fryer using these Dutch Griddle Cakes as the bread, Chicken Sausage Breakfast Patties, and eggs (cooked in a skillet). Air fry the pancakes for five minutes per side at 350°F and the patties for three minutes total.
“My inspiration for this breakfast item comes from one of our popular fast food chains here. But now that we have those Dutch Griddle Cakes at Trader Joe’s, there’s now no need to go there because I can make it at home,” says Emerald.
These puffed-up mini pancakes are a limited-time product that comes from Belgium. You could pop them into the microwave or, even better, air fry them until warmed through and the outsides get lightly crisp. My kids would eat these too quickly—they’re dangerously snackable and the perfect size for little hands.
