Trader Joe’s Chicken Sausages - Flavors + Taste

Chicken sausages are a great alternative to traditional sausage for anyone who doesn’t eat pork or who’s simply trying to cut down on their fat or sulfite intake. Made from a naturally leaner meat, chicken sausages can be just as tasty as pork sausage. Keep reading to find out all about the chicken sausage varieties offered by Trader Joe’s.

Contents

1
2 The 12 Flavors of Trader Joe’s Chicken Sausages
3 Where Can You Find Trader Joe’s Chicken Sausages?
4 What Is In Trader Joe’s Chicken Sausages?
5 Trader Joe’s Chicken Sausage Nutrition Facts
6 Is Trader Joe’s Chicken Sausage Pre-Cooked?
7 Cooking Instructions For Trader Joe’s Chicken Sausage
8 Trader Joe’s Chicken Sausage Recipes
9 Trader Joe’s Chicken Sausage Reviews
10 FAQ
11 Conclusion

The 12 Flavors of Trader Joe’s Chicken Sausages

As with most things at Trader Joe’s, their chicken sausages come in more varieties than we would have ever dreamed possible. From Italian-style to mango jalapeño, TJ’s has a sausage for everyone’s palette.

The 12 varieties of Trader Joe’s Chicken Sausages are:

Jalapeño Mango Chicken Sausage ($4.49)
Spicy Jalapeño Chicken Sausage ($4.29)
Sweet Apple Chicken Sausage ($4.29)
Smoked Andouille Chicken Sausage ($4.29)
Sweet Italian Style Chicken Sausage ($3.99)
Smoked Apple Chardonnay Chicken Sausage ($3.99)
Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Sausage ($4.49)
Spicy Italian Chicken Sausage ($3.99)
Garlic Herb Chicken Sausage ($3.99)
Organic Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage ($6.99)
Chicken Breakfast Sausage ($4.49)
Maple Chicken Breakfast Sausage ($4.69)

Where Can You Find Trader Joe’s Chicken Sausages?

Some of Trader Joe’s Chicken Sausages are pre-cooked and ready to simply heat and serve, while others are raw and sold fresh. Regardless, all of TJ’s Chicken Sausages are found in the meat section, typically past the produce and before the dairy section. They are kept in the same section as other meats such as steak, chicken, and bacon. They are not stored in the frozen section.

As with all Trader Joe’s products, Trader Joe’s Chicken Sausages are sold exclusively by Trader Joe’s and can only be purchased in person at a TJ’s location. Trader Joe’s does not sell any of their products online.

What Is In Trader Joe’s Chicken Sausages?

Trader Joe’s Chicken Sausages come in many different varieties, and the ingredients vary between each product. However, all TJ’s Chicken Sausages name chicken as their main ingredient.

Here is a list of the specific ingredients in each variety of Trader Joe’s Chicken Sausage:

Jalapeño Mango Chicken Sausage:

Spicy Jalapeño Chicken Sausage: chicken, water, roasted red peppers, sea salt, sugar, spices, onion powder, garlic powder, jalapeño peppers
Sweet Apple Chicken Sausage: chicken, pure maple syrup, natural milled cane sugar, dried apples, salt, lemon juice, spices
Smoked Andouille Chicken Sausage: chicken, sea salt, mustard, evaporated cane sugar, natural flavoring, dehydrated garlic, paprika, filtered water, pork casing
Sweet Italian Style Chicken Sausage: chicken, red and green peppers, water, seasoning
Smoked Apple Chardonnay Chicken Sausage: chicken, dehydrated apples, salt, roasted onion, celery juice powder, white pepper, nutmeg, thyme, ginger, chardonnay, rosemary, pork casing
Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Sausage: chicken, water, salt, turbinado sugar, spices, tomato powder, dehydrated onion, dehydrated garlic, paprika, basil, parsley, diced tomatoes, unsulfured sundried tomatoes
Spicy Italian Chicken Sausage: chicken, parsley, salt, fennel, red pepper, mustard, anise, paprika, pork casing
Garlic Herb Chicken Sausage: chicken, salt, parsley, basil, roasted marjoram, oregano, black pepper, white paper, pork casing
Organic Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage: organic chicken, water, sea salt, organic spices, organic garlic powder, organic paprika, potassium lactate, organic basil, organic garlic, celery powder
Chicken Breakfast Sausage:

Maple Chicken Breakfast Sausage: chicken (no added antibiotics), maple syrup, brown sugar, salt, paprika, spices, vinegar, caramelized sugar

Trader Joe’s Chicken Sausage Nutrition Facts

Here, we will break down the critical nutrition information for each variety of Trader Joe’s Chicken Sausage and give you an assessment of how healthy (or not) each type is.

Jalapeño Mango Chicken Sausage

Serving size: 1 link
Calories: 130 calories
Fat: 3 g
Cholesterol: 70 mg
Sodium: 650 mg
Carbohydrates: 9 g
Sugar: 6 g
Protein: 16 g
Iron: 4% DV
Potassium: 4% DV

The Bottom Line: With high sugar, high sodium, and high cholesterol content, these are honestly one of the least healthy TJ’s chicken sausage options. Next!

Spicy Jalapeño Chicken Sausage

Serving size: 1 link
Calories: 100 calories
Fat: 6 g
Cholesterol: 55 mg
Sodium: 400 mg
Carbohydrates: 2 g
Sugar: 0 g
Protein: 11 g
Iron: 4% DV

The Bottom Line: These are a great healthy alternative to TJ’s other, less healthy jalapeño chicken sausages! They’re honestly one of the healthier sausages available at TJ’s, with negligible amounts of sugar and fairly high protein. They’re also gluten free, like all TJ’s chicken sausages!

Sweet Apple Chicken Sausage

Serving size: 1 link
Calories: 120 calories
Fat: 6 g
Cholesterol: 50 mg
Sodium: 340 mg
Carbohydrates: 7 g
Sugar: 5 g
Protein: 11 g
Iron: 4% DV

The Bottom Line: With high sugar per serving, plus high carbs and high fat, these honestly aren’t one of the healthier options. But hey! At least they’re gluten free!

Smoked Andouille Chicken Sausage

Serving size: 1 link
Calories: 180 calories
Fat: 9 g
Cholesterol: 75 mg
Sodium: 960 mg
Carbohydrates: 2 g
Sugar: 1 g
Protein: 21 g
Iron: 8% DV
Calcium: 2% DV
Vitamin A: 15% DV
Vitamin C: 2% DV

The Bottom Line: Unfortunately, with how high the sodium and cholesterol content is on these sausages, they turn out to be on the not-so-healthy list, too. That said, they are super low in sugar and high in protein. So, they’re not a lost cause by any means.

Sweet Italian Style Chicken Sausage

Serving size: 1 link
Calories: 110 calories
Fat: 6 g
Cholesterol: 55 mg
Sodium: 450 mg
Carbohydrates: 2 g
Sugar: 1 g
Protein: 11 g
Iron: 6% DV

The Bottom Line: These chicken sausages are a good middle-of-the-road option healthwise. They’re low in sugar and carbs, pretty good on protein, and decent on calories. Eat up!

Smoked Apple Chardonnay Chicken Sausage

Serving size: 1 link
Calories: 140 calories
Fat: 6 g
Cholesterol: 65 mg
Sodium: 500 mg
Carbohydrates: 3 g
Sugar: 2 g
Protein: 16 g
Iron: 4% DV

The Bottom Line: These chicken sausages also come in toward the middle of the pack. They score points for being relatively low on sugar and high on protein, but they’re also high on sodium and cholesterol. It’s your call! We hear they’re one of the tastiest TJ’s sausages, so maybe the extra sodium is worth it.

Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Sausage

Serving size: 1 link
Calories: 110 calories
Fat: 6 g
Cholesterol: 50 mg
Sodium: 400 mg
Carbohydrates: 3 g
Sugar: 1 g
Protein: 11 g
Iron: 2% DV

The Bottom Line: Finally! These are one of the healthiest options on this list. With barely any sugar, plus fairly low cholesterol and high protein, these chicken sausages are a decent find healthwise.

Spicy Italian Chicken Sausage

Serving size: 1 link
Calories: 140 calories
Fat: 8 g
Cholesterol: 55 mg
Sodium: 590 mg
Carbohydrates: 0 g
Sugar: 0 g
Protein: 17 g
Iron: 6% DV
Vitamin A: 9% DV
Vitamin C: 3% DV

The Bottom Line: Another fairly healthy option, these spicy sausages have no sugar and pack a punch with their protein content. They also offer notable amounts of vitamins and minerals, plus zero carbs. Yum!

Garlic Herb Chicken Sausage

Serving size: 1 link
Calories: 130 calories
Fat: 7 g
Cholesterol: 65 mg
Sodium: 510 mg
Carbohydrates: 0 g
Sugar: 0 g
Protein: 17 g
Iron: 6% DV
Vitamin A: 3% DV
Vitamin C: 2% DV

The Bottom Line: Aside from being a little high on the sodium and cholesterol, these are actually one of the healthiest chicken sausage options available at Trader Joe’s. With zero sugar, zero carbs, and a noteworthy amount of protein, these are a great addition to a healthy meal.

Organic Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage

Serving size: 1 link
Calories: 110 calories
Fat: 6 g
Cholesterol: 60 mg
Sodium: 410 mg
Carbohydrates: 1 g
Sugar: 0 g
Protein: 12 g
Iron: 4% DV
Vitamin A: 4% DV
Vitamin C: 2% DV

The Bottom Line: Sugar free, gluten free, and organic? Say no more! These chicken sausages are high up on the list of healthy sausage options at Trader Joe’s, offering fairly low sodium, low calories, and a decent amount of protein to boot. In fact, we might just call these the healthiest all around.

Chicken Breakfast Sausage

Serving size: 2 links
Calories: 70 calories
Fat: 2 g
Cholesterol: 50 mg
Sodium: 300 mg
Carbohydrates: 1 g
Sugar: < 1 g
Protein: 11 g
Iron: 2% DV
Potassium: 6% DV

The Bottom Line: These simple, raw breakfast sausages are also on the healthier side, with negligible amounts of sugar, decent protein, fairly low sodium, and low calories. A great breakfast staple to keep in the freezer!

Maple Chicken Breakfast Sausage

Serving size: 2 links
Calories: 90 calories
Fat: 4 g
Cholesterol: 50 mg
Sodium: 430 mg
Carbohydrates: 3 g
Sugar: 3 g
Protein: 10 g
Iron: 4% DV
Calcium: 2% DV
Vitamin A: 2% DV

The Bottom Line: These are another middle-of-the-pack chicken sausage option from TJ’s, leaning toward the not-so-healthy. With maple syrup as their second main ingredient, the sugar content is hard to ignore. Plus, they have a bit more fat and a bit less protein than some of TJ’s other chicken sausage options. But if you’re partial to maple flavors for breakfast, then these just might become your go-to!

Is Trader Joe’s Chicken Sausage Pre-Cooked?

For the most part, Trader Joe’s Chicken Sausages are pre-cooked and only require reheating to be ready to serve and eat. However, TJ’s does carry a couple of raw chicken sausage varieties, such as their Jalapeño Mango Chicken Sausages and their Chicken Breakfast Sausages.

Regardless of which sausage variety you buy, any Trader Joe’s Chicken Sausages can be frozen and will last indefinitely if frozen properly until thawed. If you do not freeze your sausages, then the raw varieties should be consumed within 3-5 days and the pre-cooked varieties should be consumed within 5 days of opening the package. If the package is not opened, they may last longer, but you should pay attention to the expiration date on the packaging. Consuming expired chicken can very easily cause food poisoning

Cooking Instructions For Trader Joe’s Chicken Sausage

One of the best things about buying Trader Joe’s pre-cooked chicken sausages is that they’re super easy to prepare. The fastest way is to stick them in the microwave, but be sure to cover them with something because they can explode easily when heated that way and create a mess.

The most popular way to heat Trader Joe’s pre-cooked sausages is in a pan on the stove top. Simply heat your sausages over medium heat with a little bit of oil or butter until the outside of the sausages is browned to your liking on all sides.

Trader Joe’s Chicken Sausages can also be added to soups, pasta dishes, casseroles, and more. You can put them on the grill or barbeque or even heat them up on an oven tray to cut down on your oil consumption. As long as these sausages are heated up, they’ll be ready to enjoy.

If you buy any of Trader Joe’s raw sausage varieties, these will need to be handled carefully and cooked fully before eating. Raw sausage should be cooked either in the oven at 350 degrees until cooked through (see packaging for specific cook times) or on the stove top in a pan until cooked thoroughly. Cooking times will vary depending on the size and variety of the sausage links.

Trader Joe’s Chicken Sausage Recipes

If one thing can be said about chicken sausages, it’s that they are extremely versatile. You can add them to just about any savory dish and they’re sure to be a welcome addition. Check out this list of Trader Joe’s recipes to try out with your next horde of chicken sausages.

Trader Joe’s Chicken Sausage Reviews

Of all the Trader Joe’s items we’ve researched, there are few more universally popular than Trader Joe’s Chicken Sausages. It’s hard to find a bad review of these things, even if you try.

Here, Mrs Trader Joe’s reviews Trader Joe’s Sweet Italian Chicken Sausages, giving them a 9/10.

David Klein of Mashed calls Trader Joe’s Smoked Apple Chardonnay Chicken Sausages the best variety of all.

FAQ

Are Trader Joe’s Chicken Sausages paleo?

Some of them might be, but most of them are not. The Paleo Diet restricts all added sugar, which many of Trader Joe’s Chicken Sausages contain. However, there are a few varieties that are sugar free. That said, the Paleo Diet also restricts processed foods, which sausage technically is.

Are Trader Joe’s chicken sausages gluten-free?

Yes! All Trader Joe’s Chicken Sausages are 100% gluten free.

Can you eat Trader Joe’s chicken sausage cold?

For the most part, yes. All of Trader Joe’s pre-cooked chicken sausage varieties can technically be eaten cold. However, Trader Joe’s sells a few varieties of raw sausages, which cannot be consumed cold, so make sure to read the packaging closely before deciding how to consume your sausages.

How do you know if chicken sausage is cooked?

All TJ’s Chicken Sausage varieties that are cooked will be marked with the words “fully cooked” on the front of the packaging. Otherwise, these words will not appear and there will be clearly marked “safe handling instructions” on the back label if the meat is raw.

Can you microwave Trader Joe’s chicken sausage?

Yup! Microwaving is a perfectly suitable way to heat up your chicken sausages. Just make sure that if your sausages are raw, you cook them on the stove top or in the oven.

Does Trader Joe’s chicken sausage have nitrates?

No, as far as we can tell, all Trader Joe’s Chicken Sausages are completely nitrate free.

Conclusion

Well, there you have it: an in-depth look at the wide and wonderful world of Trader Joe’s Chicken Sausages. Whether you’re looking for a decadent treat to add to your pasta dish or stew, or if you’re looking for something lean and health to add as a staple into your diet, Trader Joe’s has plenty of options to fill all of your dietary and appetite needs. Enjoy!