Every Trader Joe's Dumpling, Ranked Worst To Best

Trader Joe's might rarely sell name-brand products, but it's a trait its most loyal shoppers have come to terms with. In fact, many have grown to love it, especially when the tiki culture-rooted store carries its own quirky and often health-conscious versions of everything from fresh produce and juices to baked goods and chocolate bars. A wide variety of its products also pays homage to cuisines around the world, offering something to be enjoyed by everyone, including those who crave the comfort of a good dumpling.

In the freezer aisle, you'll find a generous assortment of dumplings stacked up. There are options ranging from vegan to meat-filled, and they come in the form of gyoza, shumai, and potstickers alike. Tapping into my Asian heritage and my love for the cuisine, I gladly took it upon myself to try the lot out. I happily conducted a thorough taste test based primarily on flavor and texture (you can read more about my methodology at the end of this article) and was able to see just how well Trader Joe's nailed it with each product. Granted, none of them came out tasting like the perfectly mouth-watering dumplings you're served at Din Tai Fung, but maybe you'll be just as surprised as I was with where certain products ended up on the list.

The Trader Joe's soup dumplings I sampled for this ranking ended up pretty scattered in where they landed on this list, but I was right in assuming the vegetable variety would be my least favorite. I just didn't expect it would come out dead last out of absolutely everything.

I rarely go for a full-on veggie-filled food, but I had slightly high hopes this time around because not only do I love soup dumplings, but this was also the only one of TJ's three soup dumpling flavors that actually emitted liquid when I poked a hole in it with my chopstick. One little puncture immediately allowed a surprisingly green soup to flow out, and boy, did it feel like striking gold (or green).

But the soup getting my expectations up, only caused me to crash harder with disappointment, when upon taking a bite into the dumpling, I was met with one of the most unappealing-looking fillings I have ever seen before. The insides of these Steamed Vegetable Soup Dumplings were a disgustingly dark green-brownish hue. Yes, that can, of course, be expected to an extent with anything composed of veggies, but it had the opposite effect in boosting my appetite. And in the case of these dumplings, you can judge a book by its cover because the grassy, briefly pungent taste just about matched its appearance.

Just when I thought I'd seen it all with Trader Joe's Steamed Vegetable Soup Dumplings, yet another of its vegetable varieties rolled in and proved me wrong. This time, however, it was a more welcome surprise (though I'm not sure why I was surprised at all, considering the product matched its image on the packaging to a T). These plain Vegetable Dumplings have a semi-translucent wrapper that twirls into what Trader Joe's describes as "floral-shaped," but I'd say they look more akin to a bloom of cute little jellyfish.

The taste? Not as cute. The wrapper makes up most of the dumpling's mass, with not much inside to fill it out. The contents are indiscernible, save for some chopped-up, little square greens. As such, it's practically tasteless, and its very rubbery, chewy texture is all that's left to focus on. I'm not sure how, but its flavor was somehow better when I ate them slightly cold a bit later on. Having to purposely eat your food cold doesn't seem like a good sign, though.

Personal preference is important to take into consideration when it comes to rankings, so it's worth mentioning that shumai always tends to be a hit or a miss for me (there is no in between). As such, when I say that Trader Joe's Chicken Shu Mai falls into the latter category, it's best to take my review with a grain of salt.

My first impression of these traditional dumplings was that they were a good deal smaller than the Pork Shu Mai discussed later on, and, apparently, I'm not the only one to notice, as it's been commented on by others as well. Other than that, there wasn't much of note flavor-wise after taking my first few bites.

But what happened afterward was odd. My tongue felt strangely itchy after finishing, and while that very much sounds like a me problem, I just couldn't put my finger on what ingredients could've caused it, considering it has all the usual fillings I'm already used to: green onions, carrots, garlic, sesame oil, etc. That could well come down to a hidden sensitivity I may have, but other dumplings on the list containing these same components didn't cause a reaction the way the Chicken Shu Mai did. Either way, the packet of dipping sauce that came with it, which has a soy sauce base, at least helped drown out some of that effect in subsequent bites.

With the resounding success of Trader Joe's Thai Vegetable Gyoza, which — spoiler alert — you'll learn about later, I was expecting the store's Thai Shrimp Gyoza to fare just as well. And it sort of does in the way that they pretty much taste the same, both filled with ingredients like chives, onions, ginger, sesame oil, and vegetable powder. However, the Thai Shrimp Gyoza has an additional component: the titular shrimp.

The crustacean is disappointingly nearly impossible to find, both in the filling and in taste. Even after nibbling my way through the dumpling with full effort to locate the shrimp, I was never quite positive if I was looking at it or not, especially since the flavor was no helpful indicator either.

The dumplings themselves were lacking filling as a whole as well; I took multiple bites and was surprised each time to see how little I was getting out of it. It was a real shame, too, considering the skin of the gyoza looked promisingly seared-brown. But with how indiscernible the protein is in the Thai Shrimp Gyoza, it wouldn't be too bad of a loss to just go with the vegetable version that's slightly higher in potassium and iron.

Trader Joe's has a knack for making miniature versions of things, from its trendy canvas tote bags to its baguettes and pretzel twists. Even its dumplings have gotten this treatment, namely with the Chicken Cilantro Mini Wontons. While opening this bag of little bite-sized pieces successfully got that "aw" factor out of me, past that, I was sad to learn its flavor was almost just as small.

That's not to say the cilantro isn't present. It's in fact visually abundant within the dumplings' filling, but the herb lends an overall muted flavor that I can't say works well with the other ingredients in creating what could've been a more complex and interesting bite. I guess in any case, it's a win, as I'd much rather take a lackluster cilantro-centric dumpling than have the gene that makes the ingredient taste like soap.

The Steamed Chicken Soup Dumplings fare far better than their previously mentioned vegetable counterparts. Maybe not enough to boost it into the better half of this ranking, but hey, it's edible this time. There's luckily still some soup in it, and the flavor, though lacking, mediocre, and a tad outshined by the rubbery wrapper, is at least passable.

That being said, it's nothing a generous amount of add-ons can't fix. People on TikTok have shown a number of their favorite ways to dress up boring soup dumplings (Trader Joe's included), such as with soy sauce, sesame oil, green onions, sesame seeds, and broth. I personally added a healthy dollop of crunchy garlic with chili oil to mine, which instantly brought the dumplings up from a three to a solid seven. It turns out all these Steamed Chicken Soup Dumplings needed was a more complex ingredient to complement their subtle flavor.

If a deep, robust meal is what you're looking for, the Pork Gyoza Potstickers are hands down the best dumplings Trader Joe's has to offer. TJ's seems to have its pork products on lock, with this one being another successful addition to the list. These potstickers are sure to appeal to those craving a clearly savory flavor on the palate. It's meat-forward and will fill your entire mouth with an umami essence throughout each bite.

The texture is also at play with the gyoza potstickers. Their pleated edges are nice and crispy, providing a pleasant and needed contrast to the soft insides of the dumpling. The filling itself is visibly darker than most others on this list, likely on account of the soy sauce used within it, which is largely also to thank for its brothiness and full-bodied quality. This product could pair very well with a side dish that has a brighter, fresher taste, such as a simple salad or some summer rolls.

Priced at $3.99 for a 16-ounce package just like the Pork Gyoza Potstickers, the Chicken Gyoza Potstickers are one of the best bargains at Trader Joe's at Trader Joe's shoppers shouldn't skip. They offer a considerably different experience than the pork-filled dumplings, as these are made of — surprise, surprise – chicken. More specifically, it's made from boneless, skinless leg meat, as well as visible bits of cabbage, chopped garlic, sesame oil, and that same soy sauce.

It comes together to create a much less robust flavor than the pork potstickers, however. Even its much paler filling serves as a testament that you can expect less intensity. This is not a downside, though, seeing as it ranked just one place higher. Its slightly mellowed flavor is at just the right spot and is so comforting that I imagine it'd be 10 times better during the cold of winter rather than the dog days of summer when this article is being written.

Finally, balance is restored, and all is right in the world again — a soup dumpling has broken its way into the top spots of the ranking. The honor goes to the Steamed Pork & Ginger Soup Dumplings. These may not have been our absolute No. 1 pick in a ranking of store-bought frozen dumplings analyzing a variety of brands, but among Trader Joe's options, it's for sure up there.

Before I get into the positives of this product, I do have one notable qualm that can't go unmentioned: There's hardly any soup in these soup dumplings. An outrage, I know — but it's true. Oddly enough, of the three soup dumplings ranked on this list, the pork and ginger variety had the least amount of liquid to it. There was a bit, but hardly enough to truly qualify as a soup dumpling. I mean, I could barely slurp anything out, and that's half the fun (if not all) of eating a soup dumpling to begin with.

So, how did it still manage to make its way into the top three? Well, the other half of the fun comes through flavor, and I'd give TJ's high marks in that category when it comes to this product above most others. The ginger wasn't overbearing as it often can be in other dishes. Instead, it created a warm, gentle heat that pleasantly sits at the back of your throat, making a dumpling as comforting as it should be.

Like I said before, Shumai is a hit or miss for me, and this time, it was a hit with Trader Joe's pork-filled ones. These were roughly two times the size of the Chicken Shu Mai, and with how delicious they were, I couldn't be happier with the bigger proportions. From size to flavor, the Pork Shu Mai were infinitely better in every way.

In terms of taste, it's savory and you get a hint of some of the ingredients in use, such as onion and garlic, whereas flavors tend to get muddled together with some of the other dumplings in this ranking. It oddly didn't come with a packet of dipping sauce like the Chicken Shu Mai did, but maybe that's because Trader Joe's knew it didn't have to compensate in flavor as much with these.

Now, the texture of these dumplings is where it might get debatable. Each piece was extremely soft, with no bite to it. Everything was tender — the dough of the wrapper, its pleats, the filling. It might rub people the wrong way that there was no contrast in the mouthfeel, and usually, I would be part of that group, but I ended up loving how easy this Pork Shu Mai went down the hatch. Almost everything about these dumplings' flavor was so on point to me that I liked how the soft texture made it quicker for me to pop them in my mouth one after the other.

I'm largely a carnivore at heart, so while I can get on board with a bowl of veggies and even seek it out every so often, I enjoy them much more if there's a generous portion of meat to go alongside every bite. All that considered, I was genuinely shocked that my top spot on the list went to none other than a fully vegan product, especially when the other veggie-centric dumpling took the bottom spot. This bag of Thai Vegetable Gyoza is truly a hidden gem in Trader Joe's freezer aisle, buried among a handful of chicken and pork options.

It's well worth its almost $5 price tag, which is the highest of all the dumplings in this ranking. This product is by far the most appetizing to look at once broken apart. While all the other dumplings look like indiscernible mush (no matter how tasty some of them still turned out to be), this one is adorned with vibrant orange and green flecks that are recognizable as bits of carrot and green onion. It's pleasantly and surprisingly satisfying, which I can't usually say about foods lacking animal protein, as well as bright and clean-tasting while still being savory.

I sampled each of the dumplings included on this list by first preparing them per the packages' instructions, which allowed heating through methods such as steaming, pan frying, and the microwave. I opted for the last option and put it in for the recommended number of minutes.

From there, I taste-tested each of the store's dumplings, judging them based on the flavor and texture of their fillings and wrappers. Those that had a better combination of both were ranked more favorably, while those that faltered in a certain area were placed lower.