The pros: Trader Joe's Chicken Shu Mai is pretty good. The quality of the shu mai reminded me of the bags of the shu mai I used to buy from the Asian market. Simple preparation. Came out fine in the microwave. Super tasty sauce.
The cons: I found the microwave directions to be off. Mine needed 3 minutes instead of the 1-2 suggested on the box. Also, I recommend that you put the bag of sauce in a bowl of hot water to at least bring it up to room temperature. Sodium seems high, but that is likely due to the sauce being figured into the nutritional value. Sauce should also be sold in a bottle. Sadly, it isn't.
The verdict: For $2.99 you are getting 3 generous servings of Shu Mai. The chicken filling is more of a minced chicken, so if you were hoping for chunks of chicken this won't be for you. The finely mixed chicken also has onions, green onions, and carrots mixed in. The pasta came out well in the microwave.
I was truly leery of putting this in the microwave after eating Trader Joe’s Sriracha Seafood Potstickers since they came out beyond rubbery (although they were excellent coming from a pan). It did take longer than expected. I kept putting in for a minute at a time. From the freezer they were ice cold at a minute and even two minutes. By three minutes they were done. The sauce is super tangy and umami. I would totally buy a bottle of this. I didn't use the entire packet eating this and will use the rest of another dish that didn't come with a packet of the tangy soy sauce.
Do I recommend this? Yes. These were tasty and the sauce was a bonus. Just remember if you pick up Trader Joe's Pork Shu Mai, you'll have to bring your own sauce.
Here is the visual rundown of what you can expect if you purchase this item:
The box of Trader Joe's Chicken Shu Mai in the freezer aisle:
The nutritional information:
The ingredients:
How to prepare:
Out of the package you get:
Before going into the microwave you get:
After coming out of the microwave you get:
Would I buy this again? Yes. It's not on the weekly rotation, but it is something I would repurchase. It was quick and tasty from the microwave. Comparing to getting Shu Mai at a restaurant this is a bargain.
Want to see more items I've reviewed from Trader Joe's? Click on Thoughts & Reviews of Trader Joe’s for a searchable list.
Did you try it? Let me know what you think in the comments section!
Where is the expiration date what does the code mean on the box 😐
Hey Yolanda! I don't currently have a box in my household. I'll try to see if I can pick another one up and see if I can find out. If you need an answer quicker, then I'd reach out to Trader Joe's here: https://www.traderjoes.com/contact-us/product-feedback
I hope that helps!
Does anybody know if these are exclusively made and packaged in USA?
Hey Jen! I think the best place to get an answer to this question would be with the company directly as I have no way of verifying. Here is the best place to reach out to them: https://www.traderjoes.com/contact-us/product-feedback
I hope that helps and thanks for stopping by!