We finally had a nice couple of days this weekend, so we fired up the grill and cooked up Trader Joe’s Jalapeño Mango Chicken sausage. I couldn’t quite decide what to top it with, so I grabbed the jar of TJ’s pineapple jam out of the fridge and added red onion and a little cilantro.
It turns out, I could have added some extra jalapeño, too. I’m kind of a medium spice gal, and this could have used more kick for me. The sweetness from the mango is upfront, but the way they’ve spiced this, it’s not immediately apparent what cuisine inspired the flavor combo. So it’s versatile…you could totally top this with a little pico de gallo, or some spicy ketchup, and I know you chili crisp lovers are gonna wanna just drizzle it on.
Look for them in the refrigerated case with other meats and sausages.
Nutrition-wise, I’m not mad at it. 130 calories per link, 3 gm of fat. 650 mg sodium is high, but not as obscene as some I’ve seen, so know what you’re getting into.
For me, they’re good, but a little non-descript, like a chicken apple sausage. Meat, sweet, not much heat. You know what I mean? It’s not really committing to a flavor profile. Just hoping you’ll pick Mexican, Viet, Thai…or any other cuisine that brings together jalapeño and mango. I will say, grilling it (even on my gas grill) definitely adds some flavor.
I can’t see doing anything else with them other than having them on a bun, the fancier the better. There’s not enough going on there flavor-wise. So maybe the point of these is the toppings, because the TJ’s pineapple jam, red onion and a little cilantro was pretty good. I could see doing a little cabbage/carrot slaw with some nuoc cham on top. The sausage may be just more of a contributor…the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Would I buy Trader Joe’s Jalapeño Mango Chicken Sausage again? Maybe, for a BBQ / cook out.
Check out some other We Tried’s from Trader Joe’s:
Ube Mochi Pancake & Waffle Mix