Trader Joe’s Butter Chicken

June 29, 2009 | Reviewer: Abi

Trader Joe's Butter Chicken Price: $3.49
Serving: 2/3 box, 8.333oz

All info below is for the whole box, not a 2/3 of a box serving.

Calories: 405 per box
Calories from Fat: 105
Fat: 18%, 12g
Saturated Fat: 30%, 6g
Trans Fat: 0%, 0g
Cholesterol: 33%, 98mg
Sodium: 59%, 1410mg
Protein: 27g
Carbohydrates: 17%, 50g
Fiber: 12%, 3g
Sugar: 3g
Weight Watchers Points: 9 POINTS

Trader Joe says: Butter Chicken with Basmati Rice

Abi says: I never order butter chicken at Indian restaurants. Part of this is that I did not understand that the butter part of the name really referred to the tenderness of the meat, not that it would be sitting in a pool of butter* and I am addicted to Anything Tikka Masala. And buttery spinach. And dal. And samosas with chutneys. But when you’re looking for lunch in San Francisco’s SOMA district those are not options. Sure, we have great hamburgers and artisan cheeses, but good Indian food? Zip.

Thank goodness for Trader Joe’s and the amazing microwavability of frozen Indian foods (you can see my other suggestions in an article in the Arizona Star or just check out the 5 star category on Heat Eat Review for our picks), because butter chicken is now on my list of things to eat if an Indian restaurant is out of Anything Tikka Masala, Vindaloo or Curry. Okay, so Butter Chicken is maybe 4th of my list of preferred chicken preparations in restaurant settings.

But it is number one (okay, maybe number two) when it comes to frozen chicken-containing Indian meals, mostly because I fear that my favorite meal ever no longer exists.

Why do I rate Trader Joe’s Butter Chicken so highly?

First, because the sauce was piquant without overwhelming my tastebuds. I love spicy foods, but I also like being able to taste my dessert. Trader Joe’s Butter Chicken is like the Goldilocks of Indian chicken dishes – not too spicy and not boring either – so, just right. Maybe this is because it is made in Canada, a nation full of moderate folks who know how to combine yogurt and ginger and tomatoes and butter into something lip-smacking.

Second, the rice is nice. I know, there have been raging debates on Heat Eat Review about the merits (or unmerits) of including rice in a frozen meal. Let me state for the record that rice at lunch = awesome and rice at dinner = they should have left out the rice because I’m at my house and I can just make rice for myself. I ate this for lunch at the office and was quite pleased that it included rice that was fluffy and aromatic.

Third, the chicken is more than decent. So often the chicken in frozen meals is, well…scary. Unfortunately, this decent chicken is also minimally present. Sure, there’s a whole lot of sauce, but when it comes to chicken the picture on the box shows almost 3x the amount of chicken that comes in this meal. Goodbye, 5 star rating.

If you’re looking for something decently spiced and nicely priced, I recommend keeping a box of Trader Joe’s Butter Chicken with Basmati Rice in your freezer. If you’re looking for a hearty dinner, then you’ll definitely need to add some side dishes. May I recommend Trader Joe’s Jaipur Vegetables and Garlic Naan?

*One of my favorite Indian restaurants in Silicon Valley describes it as “Shredded tandoori chicken in a tomato, butter and fenugreek sauce” which could be pretty much anything.

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comments

8 Responses to “Trader Joe’s Butter Chicken”

Flo on July 6th, 2009

Serving: 2/3 box, 8.333oz

This annoys me. Why would anyone package a box with a serving size 2/3 of a box. What is one to do with the other 1/3 of the box?

It is just an attempt to make the nutritional information a bit more appealing, don’t you think?

Why not make the box larger and have two full “servings”, or make it smaller and be a single serving?

Truth in labeling, NOT!
Gigi on July 7th, 2009

Sounds great!-
Was the chicken all breast or mixed?
Shannon on July 7th, 2009

I hate that I have never been to Trader Joes… HATE.
Maywither Dragon on July 7th, 2009

i’ll eat the 1/3 that’s left over, everybody just mail their leftovers to me
Que3st on July 21st, 2009

Abi
Have your tried the latest addition on Trader Joe’s the Paneer Tikka Masala with Spinach Basmati Rice. this is owesome!
Que3st on July 21st, 2009

Oh! and forget to mention the Chicken Tikka w/Jeera Rice. that is good too!
Jenbeee on July 29th, 2009

I liked this one OK, but it didn’t taste like butter chicken at all – more like curry chicken. You should be tasting tomato, garlic, ginger, and fenugreek, not so much coriander and cumin. Tandoor chef’s version is more accurate.
Lydia on August 25th, 2009

I was impressed with the flavor..not hot but full of spices and herbs. The rice was fluffy and good and the chicken was buttery soft but I had one bone in my serving.