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One of the best things about shopping at Trader Joe’s is stumbling upon items you haven’t previously encountered. As a grocery chain that’s continuously updating its product selection, TJ’s makes this discovery-focused experience virtually inevitable for customers. Not only does this keep the shopping trip engaging, but it can also spark potential recipe ideas.
Beyond its treasure trove of spices, spreads, and dips, Trader Joe’s carries a varied assortment of sauces that can enhance all different types of dishes. However, with so many options lining the shelves, it can be difficult to decide what to put in your cart. Luckily, the chain’s most loyal customers can serve as a guide.
Across social media, Trader Joe’s fans regularly share product reviews and recipe inspiration, which can be helpful before gearing up for a visit to the neighborhood grocery store. Here are seven customer-approved sauces you can buy at Trader Joe’s right now.
Since the grocery chain released this hot sauce at the end of the spring, shoppers have given it rave reviews. “I’ve been looking for a good [hot sauce] for years and this is it. Finally! The PERFECT hot sauce,” one Reddit user wrote.
Available in stores for $3.99, Trader Joe’s Chunky Garlic & Jalapeño Hot Sauce is described as “savory, spicy, salty, and sour,” starting with a base of puréed, brined jalapeños and garlic. Some customers have likened the product to Pepper Plant’s Chunky Garlic Hot Pepper Sauce.
In typical form, shoppers have also shared how they use the spicy item. A few recommended adding it to eggs, carnitas, tacos, and shrimp, but as one Instagram user pointed out, “You can put it on everything.” While many of the product reviews on social media are positive, some customers have called this product too salty—so you’ll have to be the judge of that.
Also occupying Trader Joe’s hot sauce shelf is the Green Dragon Hot Sauce, which is made with jalapeños, tomatillo purée, cilantro purée, and garlic purée. Trader Joe’s product reviewer @traderjoesfoodreviews recently shared her thoughts on the hot sauce, writing, “It is super flavorful and a little goes a long way!” While the Instagram user noted that the hot sauce was “a touch too sweet” and “vinegar forward” for her, the majority of the shoppers in the comments section of her post had no complaints.
“Best hot sauce out there! I put it on everything…eggs, avocado toast, sandwiches. So good,” one Instagram user commented. “I always have this hot sauce in the fridge. I feel like it’s so versatile,” another one added. Trader Joe’s Green Dragon Hot Sauce is currently available for $3.29.
Keeping the list of spicy sauces going, another popular pick at Trader Joe’s is the Peri Peri Sauce, which is priced at $3.49. The grocery chain describes this product as a “one-sauce-fits-all condiment” that combines fermented chilies, dried chili flakes, lemon juice, and garlic “to create a uniquely enchanting flavor profile that genuinely goes with everything.”
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On Reddit, shoppers have shared a variety of ways to enjoy the beloved sauce. Some suggestions included using it as a chicken marinade, burger topper, or french fry dipping sauce.
At $3.69 per container, this Middle Eastern sauce consists of just eight ingredients: cilantro, canola oil, jalapeño peppers, chili flakes, garlic, cardamom, sea salt, and cumin seed.
While Trader Joe’s labels this item as “very spicy”on the packaging, the grocery chain’s website says, “Those more into spicy foods may find it only moderately spicy.” Although this sauce can be paired or blended with whatever you like, some customers have suggested adding it to salmon, using it as a pizza sauce, or mixing it with hummus or Trader Joe’s Garlic Spread Dip.
TJ’s puts its own twist on gochujang—the popular Korean-style fermented red pepper paste—by transforming it into a sauce with brown rice vinegar and sesame oil. “The result is one vastly versatile condiment,” according to the grocery chain. Shoppers are adding it to all kinds of dishes ranging from stir fry to chicken wings.
“I have been pouring it on everything! Even my 19 month old loves it!” one fan commented on Instagram. Meanwhile, one Reddit user said, “[…]I would drink it if I could. Actually I might.” If you’d like to see what all the hype is about, Trader Joe’s currently sells this sauce for $3.49.
Last summer, shoppers welcomed the launch of Trader Joe’s Thai Sweet Ginger Sauce, which features a combination of ginger, coconut sugar, pickled garlic, and soy sauce. Just over a year later, the sweet and spicy sauce continues to win over customers.
One Reddit user said the product was “an excellent complement” to pork buns, while another pointed out that combining the item with gochujang and soy sauce is “delicious on stir fry.” The sauce is currently priced at $2.49 per bottle.
Sweet meets heat in TJ’s Spicy Honey Sauce. After previously selling an organic eight-ounce version of this item, Trader Joe’s increased the bottle size by four ounces and raised the heat while still selling it for $4.99. As highlighted by Trader Joe’s, this product can be added to a range of foods, such as sandwiches, biscuits, roasted veggies, pizza, and cheesecake, though there are limitless possibilities.
“Put that on eggs and hash browns with red pepper flakes,” one Instagram user wrote. “[Y]ou’ll thank me later.”
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