Trader Joe’s dish dethrones longtime favorite in annual award

“This year, we added a twist by retiring 5 products that have won many times in multiple categories over the last 13 years, thus making room for some other products to shine,” Trader Joe’s wrote.

The orange chicken has been a reoccurring best entree in the Customer Choice Awards over the years, but in 2023, the butter chicken and basmati rice claimed the top spot in the category. The grocery chain’s runner-up entree item was the chicken tikka masala.

The following items were new to the list: chili lime rolled tortilla chips (favorite snack); sparkling honey crisp apple juice (favorite beverage); cheddar with caramelized onion (favorite cheese); kale cashew pesto (favorite vegan/vegetarian item); and bananas (favorite produce).

Both the mini ice cream cones (favorite dessert) and scented candles (favorite home, bath and body products) held on to their titles from the previous year. The chili lime rolled tortilla chips were also considered Trader Joe’s best overall item, followed by runner-up items hashbrowns, steamed chicken soup dumplings, everything but the bagel seasoning blend, and chocolate croissants.  

While the orange chicken didn’t make the cut this year, it wasn’t forgotten. Trader Joe’s debuted a Trader Joe’s Product Hall of Fame, which honored the store’s overall customer favorites. Among them were the orange chicken, dark chocolate peanut butter cups, peanut butter-filled pretzel nuggets, unexpected cheddar and soy chorizo.