A few years back, Trader Joe’s came out with mini chicken and mini beef tacos that replaced a long time fan favorite. The supplier had to have changed, because they were a disaster of epic proportions. (Ok, that may be a little over the top…but they weren’t good. At all.) Now, TJ’s is back with a new version of its Mini Chicken Tacos. The question is, do they right the wrongs of the 2022 version?
At first glance, the new version is already more appetizing looking with “grill marks” on the outside. I air fried them according to directions — 350F for 8 minutes, turning half way through. Let them sit for a minute to crisp up. Three tacos make up 1 serving and clock in at 260 calories, 11 grams of fat.
They make a point of noting on the box that it’s made with chicken breast. And it’s true, where the old version was pasty, this is actually recognizable as chicken. They cook up evenly, no wet spots or exploding filling in the tortilla from where the filling might soak through. The sauce, while it does have chipotles on the ingredient list, wasn’t spicy at all (to me, YMMV). Flavor is good, but I do think you need a little salsa or guacamole to go with. I could always use more chicken in them, but hey.
For me, these are respectable for frozen and a major improvement over the last version. They stay crispy even after they’ve totally cooled, so they remain snackable. But I think beef would be the real test. Can they come up with a version that’ll make us all forget about the original Mini Beef Tacos? (Which honestly, were probably fine to good, but have become legend in our minds. LOL).
It’s worth noting these are marked gluten free and the sodium isn’t super over the top, which it sometimes/often is in their frozen food (TJ’s birria, I’m sure you’re delicious, I just can’t justify that much sodium!).
Would I buy them again? Yes, probably for football snacks. But I’ll be holding out hope for a beef version.
Check out some other We Tried’s from Trader Joe’s:
Crispy Potato and Poblano Tacos
Crispy Potato and Poblano Tacos