10 Best Canned And Jarred Items To Always Buy From Trader Joe's

Canned and jarred foods are here for the win when it comes to keeping ingredients stocked, especially if you don't want to worry about them spoiling before you get a chance to enjoy them. Even so, not all of these goods are worth buying, and many definitely aren't worth going out of your way for. That mindset stops with Trader Joe's, though, because it just so happens to be a legend in the canned and jarred food game. Many of the store's products that fall into the category can't be found anywhere else, and they come at great prices. I should know, I'm a die-hard fan of the grocery chain, and my years of exploring the canned goods aisle have taught me quite a bit.

With my experience in mind, I rounded up a list of the best canned and jarred foods TJ's offers. Whether it's because they are delicious, inexpensive, unique to Trader Joe's, or all three, they are products everyone needs to try at least once. Some are so darn tasty, I honestly can't believe other stores haven't caught on and made their own versions yet. If you want to get in on the action, stick around. I'll divulge everything I've learned about which Trader Joe's canned and jarred goods truly stand out from the competition, so you too can set your sights on the best of the best moving forward. Or, at the very least, you won't miss out.  

When it comes to canned artichoke hearts, Trader Joe's excels. Not only does their proprietary can of them come at a great price, but I've found it contains way more complete pieces than I get with other brands. The texture of both the leaves and hearts is juicy and tender as well, and that's more than I can say for lesser options. If you have ever bitten into a canned artichoke leaf and found it to be exceptionally tough, you know exactly what I am talking about. Plus, they aren't weighed down with oil, and they are unseasoned. As a result, you can use them to make countless tasty dishes. Seriously, there's no reason not to love this yummy, versatile Trader Joe's canned item. I know I sure do.

There are so many delicious ways to eat canned artichokes. From salads to pizza to sandwiches to dips, they make the perfect addition. Bonus points if you fry them first to add crunchy texture to whatever you are making. Umm, yes, please! Also, if you find you like the canned ones from Trader Joe's, I also recommend giving Trader Joe's Marinated Artichokes On The Go a shot. They may not be in a can (they come in a resealable bag), but they turn up the flavor component, and that's always a plus.

For all you fans of RO*TEL out there, hold onto your britches because Trader Joe's has a proprietary product that blows it out of the water: Trader Joe's Organic Diced & Fire Roasted Tomatoes with Green Chiles. For starters, TJ's version comes in 14.5-ounces cans which cost $1.99 each. RO-TEL, on the other hand, typically costs between $1.59 and $2.29 each for a 10-ounce can, so it loses the price comparison game. Plus, they are organic, which is a rare bonus. That's not all, though.

Trader Joe's Organic Diced & Fire Roasted Tomatoes with Green Chiles packs way more flavor into the can than other similar products. There's something about the fire-roasted flavor that truly pops, and the heat factor provided by the green chiles is second-to-none. Add it to any dish you want, and the complex taste will shine through like a pro. I use a can of it to add flavor to homemade marinara (or red gravy, as we call it in my family) and also use it to just about every Hispanic-inspired dish I create, of which there are many. It also slaps in a pot of chili or even in an Asian stir-fry spooned over rice. Add it to your next Trader Joe's shopping list, and you may never look back. Sorry, not sorry, RO*TEL. You've been permanently replaced.

Next up on our list of canned items to always buy from Trader Joe's is the brand's Roasted & Salted Elevated Nut Mix. The name kind of says it all, too. As suggested, they do, in fact, present your mouth with a compilation of elevated nutty flavors. Full marks there. The deliciousness is achieved by Trader Joe's opting to use whole nuts — cashews, almonds, pecans, and macadamia nuts, to be exact — that have been roasted and lightly salted to perfection. The quality of the nuts themselves doesn't go unnoticed, either. Altogether, you get a tasty mouthful of crunchy flavors and textures in every bite, and that's more than a lot of other store-brand nut mixes can give you. Many don't even come close.

Once you get your hands on a tin of Trader Joe's Roasted & Salted Elevated Mixed Nuts, you can just dive right in and start snacking; no extra work required. However, they also look great on a beautiful charcuterie spread and can be used to upgrade a world of recipes. I like to garnish salads, ramen, and stir-fry with them, but only if I can manage not to enjoy them all straight from the can before they even make it home. Which, honestly, doesn't happen as frequently as you might expect. Don't judge me.

There's a lot to know about olives, but possibly one of the most important things to keep in mind is that you can get some seriously tasty and affordable ones at Trader Joe's. Despite the many options, the Grilled Pitted Chalkidiki Variety Green Olives in Oil, in particular, are the ones I come back for time and time again. The Chalkidiki olives used have a delicious buttery flavor, and the grilled aspect takes them over the top, in terms of flavor. It also enhances texture and makes them perfect for adding to all kinds of salads, sandwiches, and pasta dishes. The fact that they are pitted is a big plus in my book as well. Plus, I've never seen anything like them anywhere else. Enough said.

Coming in a close second to the Grilled Pitted Green Olives at Trader Joe's is the Colossal Olives Stuffed with Garlic Cloves. Again, the fruits are Chalkidiki, so they have a yummy flavor all by themselves, but the garlic cloves stuffed inside take them to even greater heights. I love to put them in a martini or serve them with charcuterie, and every time I do either, people rave about how amazing they are.

Trader Joe's Sweet Picanté Peppers with Creamy Cheese Filling are little flavorful balls of joy that everyone needs to try at least once in their life. The first time I pulled the trigger and bought a jar, I was skeptical, but once I got a taste, I knew it would be a repeat purchase forevermore. No joke. In general, I like pickled peppers, so I wasn't worried about that. It was the creamy cheese filling that gave me pause. How was it supposed to stay in the peppers? And wouldn't it be waterlogged? Well, I don't know what kind of witchcraft the TJ's crew is doing behind the scenes, but neither of those things was an issue. Instead, they were scrumptiously chewy, soft, sweet, zesty, and creamy all at once.

At first glance, you may not think the Sweet Picanté Peppers with Creamy Cheese Filling are all that versatile, but they actually fit into lots of dishes unbelievably well. From pizza to salads to sandwiches, they make a wonderful addition, especially if you slice them into smaller pieces. Overall, they look great on a charcuterie board, and I've been known to munch on them as a snack or appetizer too. Trader Joe's website also recommends using one to garnish cocktails. Umm, I guess I know what I'm doing later.

Mediterranean food lovers rejoice because TJ's canned goods, inspired by the regional cuisine, don't stop with the olives. Trader Joe's Dolmas Vine Leaves Stuffed with Rice are also top-notch, and if I were you, I'd buy a tin every time I stop in. I know you can find at least one canned dolma option at most stores, but they aren't nearly as drool-worthy as TJ's. For the most part, I've been let down by other brands, so I was a tough sell on the product originally. Still, a friend of mine gave me one, and I forgot I was ever resistant in the first place.

Trader Joe's Dolmas Vine Leaves Stuffed with Rice are almost like the ones I get down the street at my favorite Greek restaurant. The leaves are tender, the white rice inside is just right, and each bite boasts just the ideal amount of onion and mint. Even better, a can only costs $3.99, so that's way less than you'd spend on if you ordered them while dining out. If you find you like them as much as I do, Trader Joe's also sells Quinoa Stuffed Dolmas in a can, and yes. They are just as good as you'd expect after all that praise about the classic recipe. They also have a bright, lemon-y flavor backed up by garlic, so the recipe is much more than just a basic grain swap.

I am a big fan of chickpeas, and I buy them all the time. However, I typically don't have the foresight to soak them overnight, so canned ones are the smart pick for me. While most chickpeas that fall into this category are plain, Trader Joe's Greek Chickpeas with Parsley and Cumin are anything but.

In addition to the namesake ingredients, the Greek Chickpeas with Parsley and Cumin contain a touch of oil, lemon, salt, pepper, and garlic, and all of the seasonings come together in expert fashion. The texture of the chickpeas themselves is also ideal: Smooth but still with some bite, so they won't fall apart on you. All in all, they are delightfully unique, and they are one of my all-time top recommendations for newbie Trader Joe's shoppers. What better way to turn them onto the store than to highlight the stuff you simply can't get anywhere else, right?

These babies are good enough to enjoy as a snack straight from the can, but they also work wonderfully in a stir-fry with Masala or curry sauce and on top of a salad. You could also toss them into a casserole, smash them and use them to make quesadillas (one of my favorite uses for them), or blend them up to make the easiest hummus of your life.

Trader Joe's Giant Baked Beans in Tomato Sauce are another Greek-inspired canned item (are you starting to notice a trend?) that you don't want to miss out on. Massive Cannellini beans are stewed in a savory tomato sauce with Mediterranean spices and enough crushed red pepper to give the product a little kick on the backend. The final result is mouthwateringly delicious. Besides, have you ever seen these somewhere else? That's a hard no from me, and you know how much I like the store for its quirky, can't find anywhere else products. These beans are just another great example of why.

Some sub-par canned baked beans need some help in the flavor department, possibly by way of BBQ sauce, but you can forget about a quick fix with Trader Joe's Giant Baked Beans in Tomato Sauce. They are already packed full of yummy tomato flavor, and they are darn near perfect as-is. Obviously, you can still combine them with other dishes, add them to stews, or top them with something like a salty feta cheese to make them even better. Even so, they work as a side dish all by themselves if you take a moment to heat them up. Heck, you could even eat them at room temperature if you want.

It can be challenging to find canned organic coconut milk that stands alone in terms of flavor. However, Trader Joe's Organic Coconut Milk managed to not only pull it off, but bring it to the masses at an outstanding price: $1.89 for a 13.5-ounce can. FYI: For a similar product at other major grocery stores, you could pay as much as $4.49. Yikes.

In a ranking of canned coconut milk brands conducted by a colleague of mine, Trader Joe's product sadly wasn't included. Still, something tells me that if it had been, it would have been right near the top of the list. Not only does it lack the added thickening agents other lesser-than brands like to include — the only two ingredients are organic coconut and water — but the taste is sublime. Smooth and coconut-y without added sweetness, it is good enough to drink as-is. It isn't annoyingly thick or watery, either, so it's also great for making smoothies, Indian and Asian dishes, baked goods, and more. I always keep a couple of cans of it in my pantry, and just having them around helps me branch out in my cooking endeavors. 

As the company website proudly proclaims, Trader Joe's Organic Vegetarian Chili with Red Beans & Onion is a best-seller, and for good reason. Not only is it oh so deliciously spicy, hearty, and flavorful overall, but it is perfect for a cold day or anytime you need a quick bite. I mean, it's a complete meal in a can for the low cost of $2.49 — talk about convenient and affordable.

As someone who has tried just about every canned vegetarian chili I can get my hands on, Trader Joe's or not, I can tell you that it beats other brands by a long shot when it comes to texture and taste as well. In addition to layered flavors that come together perfectly — I'm talking savory, zesty, bright, and spicy, all rolled into every bite — what makes it stand out is the use of textured pea protein. You don't find that many places, and it gives the chili a hearty, chewy mouthfeel that easily rivals any classic chili recipe that includes meat. Give it a try, and I dare you to disagree.

In addition to Trader Joe's Organic Vegetarian Chili with Red Beans & Onion, you'll also find other renditions of the recipe on store shelves. The veggie chili is by far my favorite, but the Organic Lentil Vegetable Soup is a close second. If you want something meatier, beef and turkey chili options are also available.