Trader Joe’s Shrimp Scampi

My husband and I are big shrimp fans. One of the great things about shrimp is that they’re easy to prepare at home, without having to go out and spend a lot of money at a restaurant. Most grocery stores have a selection of raw or cooked plain shrimp, ready-to-heat breaded shrimp, and a range of other shrimp options.

During a recent shopping excursion at Trader Joe’s, which is a cousin to Aldi, I found shrimp scampi in the freezer aisle. I picked some up, along with some TJ’s Atlantic salmon with with lemon herb butter, for a nice at-home seafood dinner.

The package describes this as “shrimp in a seasoned garlic & lemon butter sauce.” The box says this was produced in the U.S.

We bought this with our own money for review. I paid $8.99 for a 13-ounce package of Trader Joe’s Shrimp Scampi at my local TJ’s at the time of writing. That’s about 69 cents per ounce. With three servings per box, that comes out to around $3 per serving.

The box offers some serving suggestions:

The possibilities are endless! Toss with pasta, serve over rice, or pair with crusty bread.

For extra flair, garnish with parsley, sliced lemon, chili flakes or toasted breadcrumbs.

If you’re looking out for allergens, this contains milk and shrimp.

The full ingredients list is lengthy and includes a few processed items such as maltodextrin, natural flavors, guar gum, and xanthan gum.

One package contains three servings. One 123-gram serving has 330 calories, 31 grams of total fat (40% DV), 20 grams of saturated fat (100% DV), 680 mg of sodium (30% DV), 2 grams of total carbohydrates (1% DV), no dietary fiber, no total sugars or added sugars, and 11 grams of protein.

The box has directions for cooking this from frozen on either the stovetop or in a conventional oven.

To cook on the stovetop, place package contents in a single layer on a large non-stick skillet. Add 2 tablespoons of water and cover. Cook over medium heat for 8-10 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees and flesh is opaque. Stir and flip shrimp regularly for even cooking.

To bake in the oven, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place package contents in a single layer in an oven-safe dish and bake for 15 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees and flesh is opaque.

I chose to cook this on the stovetop. When you pour the frozen shrimp into whatever you’re cooking them in, each individual shrimp has a thick coating of frozen sauce. As the shrimp cook, the sauce melts and you end up with a generous amount of rich, seasoned, buttery sauce.

The shrimp scampi is flavorful, and the shrimp are a good size. The package we bought had exactly 16 shrimp. With three servings per package, that came out to about 5 and 1/3 shrimp per serving. It’s not a large amount, so you’ll want to serve this with other things.

I’ve made homemade shrimp scampi that tastes just as good — if not better — and is probably a bit cheaper per serving. However, if you want easy shrimp scampi, this fits the bill.

The Verdict:

Trader Joe’s Shrimp Scampi cooks from frozen and is about as easy as it gets. It’s a bit pricey, but it tastes as good as other store-bought shrimp scampi, and it’s convenient to prepare.