January 27, 2025 (press release) –
It’s one of our most cherished traditions: at the beginning of every year, we reach out to our customers and ask them to vote for their favorite products in the Trader Joe’s Customer Choice Awards. As the years have gone on, some products have so consistently won in their category (or even multiple categories) that we felt the time was right to take them out of contention, so that other products might get their turn in the spotlight. At the same time, we wanted to make sure these overachievers were given their due recognition—something permanent.
So, back in 2023 we created the Trader Joe’s Product Hall of Fame and inducted its first class of honorees, each at least a five-time winner of their respective categories.
Here in this hallowed Hall, you’ll find some of the very best of the very best that Trader Joe’s has to offer. We invite you take a tour, at your leisure, and learn a bit about each product’s proud legacy. You might just find yourself inspired to head to your neighborhood TJ’s and try them for yourself…
Trader Joe's Chili & Lime Flavored Rolled Corn Tortilla Chips
Introduced at Trader Joe’s: December 2018
Hall of Fame Induction: January 2025
Awards Won: Favorite Overall, Favorite Snack
Now far and away the most recent product ever inducted into the Trader Joe’s Product Hall of Fame, and by a seven-year margin, it’d be fair to call Trader Joe’s Chili & Lime Flavored Rolled Corn Tortilla Chips the Rookie of the Decade. Covering four different bases of flavor with their tantalizing tanginess, scintillating citrus-iness, spectacular spice, and world-class crunch, these Rolled Tortilla Chips always knock it out of the park—especially when you make a line drive to dunk them into some guacamole. Swing by your Trader Joe’s to catch a bag, today!
Trader Joe's Mandarin Orange Chicken
Introduced at Trader Joe’s: January 2004
Hall of Fame Induction: January 2023
Awards Won: Favorite Overall, Best Entrée
It would be hard to imagine Trader Joe’s without Trader Joe’s Mandarin Orange Chicken. Beloved for its ease of preparation, spectacularly sweet & savory profile, and unbeatable value, this fun and flavorful phenom made a clean sweep of Favorite Overall and Best Entrée multiple years in a row. Our customers have made it more than clear: this Orange Chicken always takes home the gold.
Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
Introduced at Trader Joe’s: August 2010
Hall of Fame Induction: January 2023
Awards Won: Best Desserts/Sweets
A crowning achievement of confectionery, Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups were instant favorites among our customers from the moment they made their debut. By placing a rich, Dark Chocolate twist on a classic candy combo, these sweet treats elevate both elements of its familiar formula to entirely new dimensions. Join us in raising a glass to these Cups: may they always be our customers’ cup of tea.
Trader Joe's Peanut Butter Filled Pretzel Nuggets
Introduced at Trader Joe’s: December 1992
Hall of Fame Induction: January 2023
Awards Won: Best Snack
Some snacks get by on flash and panache—and we love them all the more for it. Other snacks, like Trader Joe’s Peanut Butter Filled Pretzel Nuggets, are masters of the fundamentals. Having put in more than 30 years of work with the kind of reliably delicious, lunch-pail snacking that the whole team can depend on, these veterans of the snack section have been a long time coming into the Hall of Fame, and we’re delighted to see them get their due. Thank you for always being the kind of sweet and salty snack that our customers really dig, Nuggets!
Trader Joe's Unexpected Cheddar
Introduced at Trader Joe’s: August 2011
Hall of Fame Induction: January 2023
Awards Won: Best Cheese
Ironically enough, it isn’t the least bit surprising to see Trader Joe’s Unexpected Cheddar achieve this accolade. As a smooth, creamy Cheddar that shares some saporous similarities with aged Parmesan, our Unexpected Cheddar could have reached iconic status for its one-two punch of sharp and tangy flavor alone. But its sheer versatility is what sets it over the top, be it as part of a charcuterie plate, a baked macaroni and cheese dish, or one knockout of a grilled cheese sandwich. Pound for pound, our Unexpected Cheddar is exactly what you’d expect a champion to be.
Trader Joe's Soy Chorizo
Introduced at Trader Joe’s: July 2008
Hall of Fame Induction: January 2023
Awards Won: Best Vegan/Vegetarian
When the chips (or tacos, or frittatas) are down, Trader Joe’s Soy Chorizo is exactly the kind of vegan protein you want to have on your team. Because it's an all-around favorite among vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores alike, deploying this perfectly seasoned Soy Chorizo in your quesadillas, omelets, and breakfast hashes is always a winning play. In an increasingly competitive field of plant-based options, we’re glad to see this Chorizo secure its status as MVP—Magnificent Vegan Protein, that is.
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