These Are the Pantry Staples Every Cook Needs from Trader Joe’s (Plus, the Ones You Can Skip)

The Trader has his hooks in us pretty good at this point, but there’s one area that the grocery store is absolutely essential, and it’s not the freezer aisle. Trader Joe’s truly shines when it comes to stocking your pantry. Having a well-stocked pantry is considered a key element to being a good cook because it allows you to easily access a variety of ingredients, enabling you to whip up quick meals, experiment with different flavors, and adapt to unexpected recipe needs, making cooking more flexible and enjoyable. Here are some of my favorite products I always keep in stock to make it simpler to do so.

Courtesy of Trader Joe’s

Italian Bomba Hot Pepper Sauce

Whether it’s adding a dollop to crock pot chili or making a hot honey sauce to drizzle on pizza, this sauce—which is really more the consistency of a paste—is made with Calabrian chili peppers that are crushed, fermented, and mixed into a fiery hot condiment you’ll always want in your fridge.

Courtesy of Trader Joe’s

Crunchy Chili Onion

This is a controversial product, but when it comes to chili oils, this affordable option is heavy on the crunch with plenty of dried onion. My personal favorite snack is putting one of the smoked mussels mentioned below on a cracker, then adding a drizzle of the crunchy chili onion on top.

Courtesy of Trader Joe’s

Everything But the Bagel Sesame Seasoning Blend

The Trader says that “this simple blend of white and black sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dried garlic, dried onion, and sea salt flakes is all you need for bringing that crunchy, roasted, savory flavor to grilled chicken, buttered popcorn, baked potatoes, creamy dips, pizza dough, salad dressings, pasta, mac & cheese, or panko-breaded anything.” Couldn’t agree more.

Courtesy of Trader Joe’s

Sicilian Selezione Extra Virgin Olive Oil

There’s a wide variety of olive oils that Trader Giotto offers, but the Selezione Sicilian Extra Virgin Olive Oil is the best, hands down. It’s a blend of three types of olives—Biancolilla, Ogghiredda, and Cerasoula—grown, harvested, and pressed in Sicily. A little green and wonderfully buttery, it’s a great as a salad dressing, for finishing grilled veg, or for dipping toasted bread. (You can use something more affordable to sizzle and fry with.)

Courtesy of Trader Joe’s

Lightly Smoked Mussels

The entire tinned fish section at TJ’s is worth stocking up on, but these are at the level of all the fancy boutique brands out there and very much worthy of your sea-cuterie board.

Courtesy of Trader Joe’s

Hot & Sweet Jalapeños

Another essential to our aperitivo boards are these candied jalapeños, which are the perfect balance of spicy and sweet. They’ll certainly pack the punch you’d expect from the small but mighty jalapeño. Pickled in a concoction of sugar, vinegar, salt, jalapeño purée, garlic, and a whole red chili pepper, they punch up hamburgers and can be chopped up and put into tuna salad, or used to top pizza.

Courtesy of Trader Joe’s

Bourbon Vanilla Bean Paste

Any baker will brag about the superiority of vanilla paste versus the more common extract. The latter is made by soaking pure vanilla beans in a solution of water and alcohol, whereas vanilla paste is a puréed mix of vanilla beans, sugar syrup, and some vanilla extract to tie them all together. It’s thicker, richer in taste, and tends to have more visible bits of vanilla bean, making it the best option for baked goods, cocktails, coffee drinks, and whipped cream. And this version is so much more affordable than the ones you’ll find at gourmet stores.

Courtesy of Trader Joe’s

Organic Tahini

Salad dressing, dips, marinades, and even baked goods all beg for the addition of tahini. Make sure to keep this one on hand. Pro tip: Be sure to whisk in cold water a little bit at a time to get the desired consistency for your application.

Courtesy of Trader Joe’s

Cultured Salted Butter

Theres no arguing that French dairy is superior, and this salted butter made in Brittany is no exception. Much more affordable than Normandy butter, known for its high butter fat content, it’s a great level-up from store brand sticks. Slather it on a thick slice of toasted bread, sprinkle a hint of Maldon salt, and prepare to have your life be changed.

Courtesy of Trader Joe’s

Pappardelle Pasta

Trader Joe’s Pappardelle Pasta are wide noodles made with durum semolina flour and eggs. The pasta is made by hand in small batches and dried slowly at low temperatures—the resulting noodles really hold on to sauce.

Courtesy of Trader Joe’s

Giant Baked Beans in Tomato Sauce

And while you’re at it, snag all the beans, particularly the Great Northern white beans. Though it’s hard to argue the flavor of heirloom beans like the ones from Rancho Gordo, sometimes you need something quick that doesn’t require an overnight soak. This particular large can is great for a quick lunch or aperitivo hour, and reminds me of Mediterranean versions you’d find in Spain and Greece.

Courtesy of Trader Joe’s

White Miso Paste

TJ’s says it best: “White Miso adds depth to soups, sauces, and dressings. You can use it in marinades for meats, fish, and tofu, or as a dip for crudité. Because of its short ferment, it adds balance and pleasant dimension to baked goods, without making them too salty or savory. Miso chocolate chip cookies, anyone?”

What to Skip

Courtesy of Trader Joe’s

Believe it or not, there are areas that TJ’s doesn’t quite succeed in. Some that immediately come to mind to keep out of your red cart are the soy sauce, organic ketchup, shelf-stable ranch dressing, heart of palm pasta, and the frozen cauliflower gnocchi cooked anywhere but an air fryer.