14 Top Trader Joe's Food and Recipe Hacks, According to Employees

1. Taco Monkey Bread

Trader Joe’s Organic Biscuits form the base for this savory bread, stuffed with spicy ground beef and cheese, and topped with your favorite taco ingredients. To prepare, cook ground beef with vegetables, roasted tomatoes, and taco seasoning, then let it cool. Cut each biscuit in half, adding a tablespoon of shredded cheese and a tablespoon of the beef mixture to each half, and roll them into balls. Arrange the dough balls in a bundt pan, brush with melted butter, and bake for 20 to 30 minutes. Once done, serve with guacamole, hot sauce, and other taco toppings.

2. Everything But the Bagel Onion Rings

Trader Joe's Everything But the Bagel Seasoning is versatile, but if you haven't used it to elevate your onion rings, it's time to try. Start by preparing onion rings in the usual way—soaking onion slices in buttermilk and coating them in flour—then add about four tablespoons of Everything But the Bagel Seasoning to the flour mix before frying. The result is crispy, flavor-packed onion rings, perfect for game day. Bonus: This hack also works wonders for chicken tenders or fried pickles!

3. Ricotta & Pesto Tear & Share

Puff pastry is always a winner, and Trader Joe’s All Butter Puff Pastry Sheets are no exception. Turn this freezer aisle favorite into a shareable appetizer by cutting a circle from one sheet, spreading ricotta and pesto on top, much like making a pizza. Layer another circular pastry sheet over it and seal the edges. Place a glass in the center, slice the dough into 16 segments, then remove the glass, twist each segment, add raw grape tomato slices, and bake for 25-30 minutes.

4. DIY Frozen Yogurt Trick

For those who shop regularly at Trader Joe's, you might be familiar with their six-packs of yogurt available in flavors like peaches and cream or Meyer lemon and cream. While you can easily enjoy them straight from the fridge, a Trader Joe's employee in Washington has a suggestion: insert a popsicle stick into the top of each yogurt and freeze them overnight. The result is a creamy, indulgent treat that’s almost as satisfying as ice cream, and according to Sloan, it has "no strange icy chunks." Bonus tip: To effortlessly remove the popsicle from the cup, just create a small hole at the bottom of the container.

5. Vanilla Cake & Baking Mix Trick

This hack begins with one of Trader Joe’s popular baking mixes. As shared by an employee in Minnesota, if you make the cake by following the directions but leave out the milk, you’ll get a denser, chewier texture—"almost like a vanilla brownie," according to Miller. This variation is perfect when you’re looking for a shortcut to make strawberry shortcake.

6. Chile Lime Seasoning Blend Hack

For a sweet and spicy twist, all you need is two ingredients—Trader Joe's Chile Lime Seasoning Blend and some vanilla ice cream. According to an employee in Minnesota, simply sprinkling this seasoning on top of vanilla ice cream creates a dessert with an intriguing and flavorful kick.

7. Brownie Truffle Baking Mix Trick

For a unique dessert fusion, follow the instructions on the brownie mix package, but before placing the batter into a 9x9 pan, line the bottom with slices of Trader Joe's Chunky Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. Then, pour the brownie batter on top to create your very own easy brookie! Just be sure to test for doneness with a toothpick, as this treat tends to be a bit thicker than usual.

8. Chunky Chocolate Chip Dough Trick

Using the same cookie dough from earlier, you can easily make irresistible mini muffins. Simply place a slice of the dough into each section of a mini muffin tin and bake as directed. Once done, you’ll have chocolate chip cookie muffins that you can customize. Sloan suggests adding a Trader Joe’s peanut butter cup to the warm center of each muffin. As it melts, it creates a "hot lava" center that’s pure indulgence.

9. Chocolate Hummus Trick

Trader Joe's chocolate hummus is delicious at any temperature, but a Trader Joe's employee from Boston believes it tastes even better when frozen. To freeze it properly, just place it in the freezer overnight, and enjoy spoonfuls of this chocolatey dessert whenever you're craving something sweet. Pro tip: You can also use the (non-frozen) chocolate hummus as frosting for cupcakes or cake.

10. Crescent Roll Trick

What’s better than a warm, buttery crescent roll? Crescent roll pieces coated in powdered sugar. To make this sweet treat, dreamed up by a Trader Joe's employee in New Jersey, simply grab a package of TJ’s Crescent Rolls and some powdered sugar. Cut the rolls into pieces, fry them up, and toss them in the powdered sugar. If you don’t have a deep fryer, you can also make this beignet-style dessert in an air fryer instead.

11. Mandarin Orange Chicken Burrito Trick

Trader Joe's Mandarin Orange Chicken is often hailed as one of the store’s most adored items, and when paired with another fan-favorite, the Spicy Mexican Style Riced Cauliflower, the result is an unforgettable combination that will have you coming back for more. To assemble your burrito, begin by cooking the chicken in your preferred method (skillet, oven, or air fryer), but without the sauce. Next, cook the cauliflower rice over high heat to remove excess moisture. Once both components are ready, combine them by adding the chicken to the pan with the cauliflower rice (keeping them separate), then coat both in the tangy orange sauce. Finally, wrap everything in a warm tortilla and enjoy!

12. Chicken Tender Corn Chip Hack

Coating raw chicken with something crunchy and salty is a foolproof way to make a delicious dish. To create your own chicken tenders instead of using a store-bought frozen version, you only need raw chicken breast tenders and TJ's Elote Corn Chip Dippers, crushed into a breadcrumb-like consistency. Simply coat the chicken in the chip crumbs (no need for an egg wash) and cook in the air fryer for about 10 minutes. The result is a 'moist and tender' chicken that is unbelievably easy to prepare.

13. Instant Coffee Hack

As Miller mentioned, there's a growing trend of customers using TJ's instant coffee to bring an unexpected richness to various dishes. Instant coffee is being incorporated into recipes that aren't coffee-related, such as adding it to chocolate cake mix or chocolate chip cookie dough, or using it to enhance the flavor of chocolate in other treats. 'Instant coffee is like a miracle,' she said. Sloan also agreed, sharing that he enjoys seasoning meats with instant coffee and even sprinkling it on top of ice cream.

14. Natural Peanut Butter Tip

Natural peanut butter is incredibly tasty, but the oil that rises to the top can sometimes be off-putting. To make the separation less of a hassle (which is perfectly normal, by the way), Sloan recommends flipping your peanut butter jar upside down and storing it in the fridge (still upside down) just before you're ready to use it. Thanks to gravity and the chill of the fridge, the oil will move to the top (which is now the bottom), and when you flip it back over, it will be easier to stir, with much less mess. The peanut butter will also stay fairly well-mixed if you return it to the fridge afterwards.