Trader Joes chicken Piccata expiration date

Q: Does Trader Joes food expire?

From a business standpoint, Trader Joes relies on a fairly high turnover rate of their products and inventory, so to some extent these so called dates are not needed. Since they have no control over how the product is stored or used, its equally useless to include these dates for the benefit of a customer.

I bought some "fully cooked chicken breast strips" that are seasoned and has grill lines on them. They're quite tasty. Ingredients also include salt, potato starch, and vinegar.

Table of Contents Show

Does Trader Joe's food expire?
Do Trader Joe's frozen meals expire?
Is Trader Joe's chicken piccata fully cooked?
Does Trader Joe's frozen chicken expire?

The label says "best before" a date that is 5 weeks from now. I don't think there is enough salt or vinegar to preserve these since the chicken tastes like normal chicken and these aren't "cured" or pickled or the like. My understanding is cooked chicken usually goes bad after about 5-7 days.

How is this possible?

asked Aug 5, 2020 at 16:02

Keep in mind that the best before date is only valid until the package is opened. Once it is opened, you must treat the chicken strips as if they were fresh and consume them within a few days.
Most likely the chicken is using 'modified atmosphere packaging' (MAP). It's a very common method used to extend shelf life of meats and vegetables but since it doesn't look a whole lot different than regular packaging, many consumers aren't aware of it. Wikipedia has explained the process fairly well. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modified_atmosphere

answered Aug 6, 2020 at 15:12

SueSue

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You know I am in love with any kind of dinner that is easy, tasty, and not too bad for you.

so I decided to try their Chicken Parmigiana.

I choose to make it in the oven. You are able to microwave it, but I had the time and I wanted the chicken to crisp up, so I baked it in the oven for about 20 minutes.

This is what the chicken looked like right out of the oven!

The cheese was all bubbly and the chicken was super crispy!

I need pasta with my chicken parmigiana. I am surprised it only came with the meat and the sauce, but the good thing is pasta is very cheap and you are able to choose what kind of pasta you would like!

The chicken only took about 20 minutes. I had to wait for the pasta to be done! But, it was a good thing because it allowed the meat to rest before plating.

I realize now that I should have showed the salad I had, too. I always feel like you need at least a little veggie to make it a complete meal. Meat, pasta, and cheese is not enough!

Let's get on with the review!

Did it come Fresh, Refrigerated, or Frozen: Refrigerated

Did it look like the photo on the packaging when you were done? It looked even better! My cheese was very bubbly and the chicken breast was a lot thicker than shown in the photo.

Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes. I went for the oven preparation. All you need is a cookie sheet to set the plastic tray on.

(NOTE: If you do not use a cookie sheet under the black tray, it will melt onto your oven! A friend did this and she never wanted to eat their meals again - But I believe she cannot blame Trader Joe's because she was not paying attention and was baking without reading the instructions! Get it together, Girl!)

What did you particularly like or dislike about the meal? I liked the flavor of the seasonings and the chicken was lean, but it is a bummer that you need to add pasta and a veggie to complete the meal.

Recipe alterations or any changes you made: I did not alter the recipe, but I added pasta and a salad to make the dinner complete.

Would you make it again? Oh definitely! The chicken breasts were super crispy and the marinara sauce had good flavor. Boil some water for the pasta and get a salad together and you have a complete dinner in about 20 minutes!

Would you recommend it to others? Oh yes! Delicious, fast, easy - exactly the kind of dinner I am looking for at the end of a long day!

What should I review next? Let me know down below!

Have you tried the Chicken Parmigiana? What did you think?

Also, let me know if you have had a tray meltdown in the oven.

I would love to hear your story!

Love,

Heather

Does Trader Joe's food expire?

From a business standpoint, Trader Joe's relies on a fairly high turnover rate of their products and inventory, so to some extent these so called dates are not needed. Since they have no control over how the product is stored or used, its equally useless to include these dates for the benefit of a customer.

Do Trader Joe's frozen meals expire?

So how long do things last in the freezer? Catherine: Most of our items, they do have about a two year shelf life. You can still consume it after two years, but the quality of the ingredients, There'll be some frozen buildup on the vegetables inside, that sort of thing.

Is Trader Joe's chicken piccata fully cooked?

And there you have it – piccata. Just that easy, bro. So while it's understandable that there isn't more to this piccata, it's also a shame because what it has to offer is so good. The breaded chicken breast is pre-cooked, but retains its tenderness and moisture even after reheating.

Does Trader Joe's frozen chicken expire?

Properly stored, frozen raw chicken breasts and pieces will maintain best quality for about 9 months in the freezer, although they will usually remain safe to eat after that.

trader joes chicken piccata expiration date