While we try to keep our review options limited to the stuff we find in the freezer aisle (hence the name Freezer Meal Frenzy), we do occasionally allow ourselves exceptions when we stumble across something we’d really like to try. Trader Joe’s, for example, has several items in their refrigerated section that we really enjoy, including non-frozen burritos and a pretty substantial line of refrigerated ravioli.
Today, we’re leaving the freezer aisle behind for a bit to sample the Trader Joe’s Chicken Enchiladas Verde. While TJ’s does sell frozen enchiladas, these ones are not found in the freezer aisle — they’ll be in the fridge near where the non-frozen burritos are kept.
Now, there are actually four narrow enchiladas in a package (we thought there were just two really wide enchiladas inside until we actually opened the package), so this batch seems like a pretty generous amount of food for the asking price.
These enchiladas contain both oven instructions and microwave instructions. We had a little bit of time on our hands so we decided to cook these in the oven. That requires a baking dish of some sort and a bit more time than the microwave method, but we think it’s worth it to get these enchiladas to come out the way they were intended to.
The shells are your standard corn tortillas. They’re pretty good here, though the consistency can vary depending on how you cook these. Our batch that cooked in the oven ended up super crispy at the ends and really soft in the middles.
The chicken comes in really large chunks that are really satisfying to bite into. They’re just a tad dry and chalky, but it’s hard to fault them for this because they taste great.
The real kicker, though, is the verde sauce. This stuff has that limey, chili-peppery verde taste, but there are super-sweet undertones that really drive the flavor home. This is the sort of sauce that makes you end up scraping your plate to get every last drop of the stuff. This sauce alone is worth the price of admission; the enchiladas it comes with are just a bonus!
Oh, and there’s also some cotija cheese, but it’s there more for texture than flavor. The taste of the verde sauce overwhelms the cotija, though the cheese does sort of accentuate the overall flavor and serve as a nice contrast for the sweetness of the sauce.
The serving size is a single enchilada, and each one contains 240 calories (100 from fat) and 460 mg of sodium. Realistically, you’ll eat two in a go, which brings those numbers up to 480 calories (200 from fat) and 920 mg of sodium. If you eat the whole shebang in one sitting, it gets even worse, though we really don’t think you’re going to do that. Two seems like the right amount for a decent-sized lunch.
The Trader Joe’s Chicken Enchiladas Verde are absolutely fantastic, but this is mostly due to the verde sauce. Seriously, this is the sort of sauce that you’ll be craving for days once you’ve tried it. We definitely think these enchiladas are worth adventuring outside the freezer aisle for. In fact, these might be the best enchiladas we’ve tried so far!
To learn more about the nutrition content, ingredients, or cooking instructions for these Trader Joe’s enchiladas, check out our package scans below.
lets find a way to LOWER THE SODIUM please