There are few things more delicious than fried chicken. Chicken nuggets? Incredible. Chicken tenders? They rule. Chicken wings? Give me them drums, them flats, and some blue cheese dressing, and leave me in peace. But a different kind of fried chicken recently hit the freezer at Trader Joe’s: chicken karaage, a dish of marinated, crispy-fried chicken thigh chunks that’s popular in Japan (and anywhere with Japanese restaurants, tbh). Trader Joe’s is notorious for adapting international dishes for the masses—and sometimes they do it quite well. (Try their chana masala if you haven’t yet.) We grabbed a bag of these crispy chicken morsels and cooked them up in the ol’ toaster oven to see whether they deserve a spot in your cart or you should stick to takeout.
Whether you like chicken karaage or you’re just looking for something a little more sophisticated than your average chicken nugget to add to your weekly dinner rotation, TJ’s chicken karaage is pretty damn great. The breading is a little zesty, almost citrusy, and the chicken—which is marinated in mirin, soy sauce, and garlic and ginger powders—is super flavorful. The dark meat chicken stays nice and juicy and absorbs the flavors in the marinade. The morsels have a rich, fatty flavor that everyone loved.
We did think the breading was a little off. It’s more like the breading on a McNugget than the breading on chicken karaage you’ll find at your local Japanese spot, but the flavor makes up for a textural divergence. The best part? The chicken comes with a packet of a creamy, savory, mayonnaise-based dipping sauce we loved. Hey, Trader Joe’s—bottle this dipping sauce ASAP!
Howdy! I’m Gwynedd, Sporked’s managing editor. I live in Los Angeles and have access to the best tacos the U.S. has to offer—but I’m a sucker for a crunchy Old El Paso taco night every now and then. I’ve been at Sporked since 2022 and I’m still searching frozen mozzarella sticks that can hold a candle to restaurant sticks.
Why you should trust me: I’ve been a journalist for 20 years (yikes), a consumer of food for 40-plus years, and I’m truly hard pressed to think of foods I don’t like (or that I can’t tolerate at the very least). Oh and one time I cooked my way through Guy Fieri’s cookbook and wrote about the journey through Flavortown.
What I buy every week: Trader Joe’s Original Savory Thins. Fat free plain yogurt (usually Fage or Nancy’s). Honeycrisp apples. Sweet cream coffee creamer for my at-home Americanos. A frozen cauliflower crust pizza and some jarred mushrooms to top it with. Old El Paso Stand ‘N Stuff taco shells and Gardein Ground Be’f, even though I think “be’f” is a nightmarish contraction.
Favorite ranking: Stouffer’s frozen dinners. I don’t own a microwave (I get my cancers the old fashioned way!), so I love taste testing things that I don’t really buy to eat at home.
Least favorite ranking: Soy sauce. Don’t get me wrong, I love soy sauce—but consuming that much sodium in one sitting is probably illegal in some countries. Our frozen enchilada taste test was a close second; the smell of microwaved corn tortillas still haunts me.
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Gwynedd Stuart
Justine Sterling
Ariana Losch
Jessica Block
