Trader Joe’s Beef and Broccoli Review: How did this get so popular?

Last Updated on May 28, 2025 by clubtraderjoes

Here’s a mystery that’s been keeping me up at night: How does a product become one of Trader Joe’s best-selling frozen entrées for years – we’re talking hall-of-fame status alongside the Mandarin Orange Chicken (which, spoiler alert, I wasn’t exactly writing love letters about either), while genuinely amazing products get the axe faster than you can say “discontinued”?

Remember the Thai lime and chili cashews that had a cult following? Gone. The beloved Speculoos cookie butter cheesecake bites that people hoarded in chest freezers? Also gone, vanished into the Trader Joe’s graveyard of discontinued products. But this beef and broccoli? It’s like the cockroach of the freezer aisle, it survives everything, including what I’m about to tell you about my latest encounter with it.

So buckle up, because we’re about to solve the mystery of how mediocrity achieves legendary status…

The Real Talk

Let’s be honest, fellow members of the “What’s for dinner?” panic club. Some nights, the choice is between ordering $40 worth of Chinese carryout (plus tip, plus the guilt of spending your kid’s college fund on kung pao chicken and spring rolls) or pulling this $7.99 bag from your freezer. But here’s the plot twist, the math might not actually be mathing the way you hoped.

The Preparation Plot Twist

Hold up, fellow microwave warrior, this one actually requires you to use that big shiny box with the burners on top. I know, I know, it’s practically asking you to be a real adult. But trust me on this: microwaving this bad boy will turn your beef into sad little rubber nuggets and your broccoli into green mush that even your toddler would reject. So, stay away from the microwave!

The Stovetop Strategy

Here’s where you earn your culinary stripes (don’t worry, it’s still easier than assembling IKEA furniture). You’ll need a large skillet or wok, yes, the one you bought with good intentions and have used exactly twice. Heat it up, add a splash of oil, and dump in the frozen contents. The magic happens over medium-high heat with some strategic stirring for about 8-10 minutes.

The key is patience, grasshopper. Let it thaw and heat through properly, stirring occasionally like you’re conducting a very important kitchen orchestra. The reward? beef that pretends to be tender and broccoli that still has some self-respect. It’s worth the extra few minutes and the one dirty pan (which, let’s be honest, is still fewer dishes than takeout containers).

Actually, it’s a little more complicated than that. You need to cook the broccoli first then take it out of the wok, then cook the beef for a while then add the broccoli and sauce back and cook for a few seconds and then you are done, but not very complicated.

The Reality Check: Let’s Talk About What You’re Actually Getting

Here’s where things get interesting (and not always in a good way). The beef comes pre-cooked and breaded, think chicken fried steak vibes, but make it Asian-ish. It’s got that deep fried coating that screams “authentic stir fry” about as loudly as a kazoo screams “symphony orchestra.” This is not your local Chinese restaurant’s tender, velvety beef strips.

When you start cooking, brace yourself for that distinctive aroma of… well, let’s call it “budget Chinese buffet that peaked in 1987.” You know the smell – not exactly offensive, but not exactly inspiring confidence either.

The plot twist? Since this meat is already cooked and you’re cooking it again, you’re essentially giving it the double-jeopardy treatment. The result is beef with the tender texture of shoe leather that’s been left out in the sun. Tough doesn’t begin to cover it.

The Silver Lining: Broccoli Does Its Job

Credit where credit’s due, the broccoli florets are actually pretty decent. They’re properly sized, cook up nicely, and maintain that satisfying crunch that reminds you that vegetables can still have dignity, even in frozen form. I guess there are some redeeming values to this dish.

The Sauce Situation

The sauce packet you add at the end is… fine. It leans heavily into the sweet side of the sweet-and-sour spectrum (maybe too heavily if you prefer your Chinese food less dessert-adjacent), but there’s a little kick of heat that keeps things from being completely one-note. It’s not terrible, but it’s not going to make you forget about that amazing place downtown either.

The Health Reality Check (Or: Your Dentist’s Nightmare)

Let’s talk about what you’re actually putting in your body here. Deep fried beef swimming in sticky sweet sauce isn’t exactly what the wellness gurus are prescribing, but the real kicker is in the numbers. Each serving packs 18 grams of sugar, and yes, the bag claims there are six servings, because apparently 230 calories constitutes a full meal in some alternate universe where we’re all hummingbirds.

Let’s be real: this bag serves two people max if you’re doing it over rice with some spring rolls on the side. But here’s the math that’ll make you reach for your calculator in disbelief, that’s 108 grams of sugar per bag. Nine tablespoons. NINE. I hope your dentist isn’t reading this review, because they might send you a concerned text.

For perspective, that’s more sugar than you’d find in a can of soda, except you’re calling it dinner and feeling virtuous about the broccoli!

The Busy Parent’s Perspective

Does it taste like the Chinese restaurant down the street that takes 45 minutes and costs twice as much? Not quite. Does it taste better than the alternative of crackers and juice boxes for dinner because you forgot to meal prep? Absolutely. Sometimes “good enough” is perfect, and this falls squarely in the “thank goodness this exists” category.

Value Village… Or Value Trap?

Here’s where the math gets uncomfortable. At $7.99, this bag costs more than you’d expect for what amounts to grocery store carryout quality food. And speaking of grocery store carryout, if your local Safeway (or whatever corporate grocery chain rules your neighborhood) has a hot food section, you might actually be better off grabbing their beef and broccoli instead. At least then you know exactly what level of mediocrity you’re signing up for, and you don’t have to dirty a pan and the price is very similar for the same amount of food. And the beef is probably not strips of chicken fried steak.

Final Verdict

Trader Joe’s Beef and Broccoli is like that friend who means well but consistently disappoints, you keep giving them chances because the price seems right and the convenience is there, but deep down you know you deserve better. The broccoli shows up and does its job, but the beef phones it in harder than a teenager at their first job.

Is it edible? Yes. Will it fill the hole in your stomach? Also yes. Will it fill the hole in your soul left by your last great Chinese food experience? Absolutely not.

For busy parents and professionals, there are honestly better frozen options out there, even at the same store. This feels like settling when you don’t have to. I know this is an unpopular opinion, because this is one of Trader Joe’s perpetually most popular products, but I would stay away from this. It’s prety bad. It’s almost the same amount of work if you buy some beef, frozen broccoli and something the gyoza sauce and cook it yourself with far better results.

Rating: 5 out of 10 stars (and that’s being generous for the broccoli’s effort)

Perfect for: When you’ve truly given up on joy, emergency “I forgot to plan dinner again” situations, teaching your kids that not all frozen foods are created equal