5 Ways To Upgrade Trader Joe's Beef Tacos

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The aisles of Trader Joe's are filled to the brim with quick and easy dinner, snack, and dessert options for those who don't feel like cooking — or just want a great meal without putting in too much effort. One such item is its frozen Mini Beef Tacos, which feature mini corn tortillas stuffed with ground beef. 

Although this sounds like a perfect bite (who doesn't love a mini version?), they're actually a pretty controversial item. One of the major complaints from customers is that these tacos aren't just mini in size, but also skimp on both flavor and filling. For one, Reddit is seriously disappointed in these Trader Joe's tacos because customers feel that the chain isn't delivering on its promise of "a firm, crisp-chewy exterior enclosing a tender, beefy filling" (via Trader Joe's). Additionally, some on Reddit prefer the beef's sister, the Mini Chicken Tacos. 

But what if you're craving a taco snack as you wander through the aisles of Trader Joe's and want to take a chance on the beef tacos? While they might leave a subpar impression on their own, there are plenty of ways to upgrade their flavor. Whether it's dipping sauces or sides, we've gathered a list of all of the best ways to make the Mini Beef Tacos better — when you start with a solid base, all you need are a few additions to level up.

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In typical Trader Joe's fashion, the product page for its Mini Beef Tacos provides customers with a great place to start when searching for upgrades. The page describes the tacos as delivering "savory satisfaction, whether you enjoy them as-is, or with any of our taco-ndiments," (via Trader Joe's), one of which is guacamole, the obvious addition for any taco. The combination of creamy and cool avocados with crispy mini tacos straight off the air fryer is sure to hit every time.

If you're in Trader Joe's already and want to grab some guac as you snake through the aisles, the chain has plenty of options, both simple and more complex in flavor, depending on how adventurous you're feeling. One classic choice is Trader Joe's Chunky Homestyle Guacamole, which mixes avocados with tomato, onion, lime, jalapeño, and cilantro. As the name suggests, this guac is on the thicker side, so you'll love it if you enjoy biting into pieces of avocado. For a more unique (and spicier) option, the chain also offers a Mango Habanero Guacamole, which is the perfect balance of sweet and spicy to add to your mini tacos.

For the home chefs who want more of a part in preparing their meal, guacamole is also fairly simple to make. Like Trader Joe's Homestyle Guac, you'll only need a few ingredients: avocado, plus whatever add-ins and spices you prefer. Our quick and easy guacamole calls for lime, red onion, tomato, and cilantro.

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Where there's guacamole, there's likely also salsa, which makes another great addition to really level up your Mini Beef Tacos. A dollop of salsa on top of each taco is the perfect way to cool down some of that post-cooking heat. Additionally, the fresh and juicy vegetables in the salsa will pair perfectly with the seasoned beef — salsa is even listed in the taco's product description as a recommended pairing.

So what kind of salsa will work best? Trader Joe's has a few great options, ranging from basic to more unique. For a classic salsa roja, try the Salsa Taqueria, which has the "goal of bringing the taco stand salsa experience right to your table at home" (via Trader Joe's). If you're partial to a less spicy and more chunky salsa pairing, the chain offers a Mango Pineapple Pico de Gallo and even a more traditional Pico de Gallo with mild spice levels.

But much like guacamole, you can also assemble your own salsa. Pico de gallo is fairly straightforward to make and only requires tomatoes, onions, jalapeño, lime juice, and salt. You can also make a salsa verde, which features tomatillos instead of tomatoes. A greener, tomatillo-forward salsa could offer a great pairing for the beef within each mini taco – that fat and acid combination is to die for.

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For a cheesier addition to make your mini tacos even more luxurious, queso is the obvious choice. You could dip the bites into a bowl of the melty cheese, or pour it over the top if you want to drown them in cheesy deliciousness. There are many options to indulge in queso, one of which is readily available at Trader Joe's. The chain's White Queso Dip is a great find, and 50% of its recipe is white cheddar cheese — in combination with cream, jalapeños, onion, and bell peppers, of course.

If cheddar cheese isn't your queso jam, there are plenty of other options. Most grocery stores offer jarred queso dips, like Target, with its Good & Gather queso dip, or Whole Foods, which actually offers a classic queso blanco or a salsa con queso if you want to combine the flavors of both additions. 

At home, you can customize your queso to any cheesy preferences. Some recipes for the dip feature shredded quesadilla cheese, some choose pepperjack, while others lean into the processed vibe and go for Velveeta. Queso itself is more Tex-Mex than it is a part of authentic Mexican cuisine, but the spicy version typically incorporates the same jalapeños as the Trader Joe's version (or swaps them out for green chiles). Our white queso (with a little green) even adds in some salsa verde for another twist. Regardless of how you choose to make or buy it, adding queso can only make your mini tacos taste better.

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While some are fine snacking on the mini tacos, others take issue with the fact that they're not substantial enough for a full meal. It could be their mini size, or it could be an apparent lack of enough beef filling, but regardless, if you're looking to create a more filling bite, combine the tacos with other staples of Latin cuisine: beans and rice.

This combination will require more prep time than just throwing the tacos in the oven or air fryer, but overall, beans and rice are both fairly simple to make in any number of different preparations. Trader Joe's actually sells its own version of Spanish Style Rice. This microwaveable product is seasoned with garlic and tomato, and is ready to eat in under five minutes — perfect for plopping on a plate alongside your mini tacos. If you want to whip up a rice dish yourself, one example, authentic Mexican red rice (arroz rojo), is made with tomato, onion, and garlic.

Turning to the beans, refried beans lovers rejoice, because Trader Joe's has its own version of those that makes adding them to your mini tacos almost effortless. For a more hands-on approach, cook the beans yourself. One user on TikTok, who paired her mini tacos with beans and rice, crafted chipotle black beans – basically canned black beans boiled with spices until they're soft and delicious. You could even try slow cooker refried black beans if time isn't of the essence when concocting your dinner.

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People seem to agree the Mini Beef Tacos are "lacking flavor" (via Reddit), despite the fact that Trader Joe's claims to fill them with seasoned ground beef. While you can't go into the production line and add more seasonings, there are some things you can do to kick up the flavor levels if you feel they're lacking.

One option can be found right in Trader Joe's, and it's taking advantage of one of the many fun seasoning blends that the chain has to offer. An obvious choice would be to use its Taco Seasoning Mix by sprinkling it over the mini tacos before air frying or baking them. If you're looking for more of a spice factor, opt for the Chile Lime Seasoning blend, made from salt, chile powder, and lime juice powder (a Tajín seasoning dupe). Other great options include the Cuban Style Citrusy Garlic Seasoning Blend or the Everything But The Elote Seasoning Blend for a cheesy twist.

Outside of Trader Joe's, sazón is a seasoning typically associated with Puerto Rican dishes, but it features many of the flavors that appear across Latin American cooking. It's often used to flavor rice and meats, but in the case of elevating the flavor of Mini Beef Tacos, you could sprinkle some sazón over each prior to cooking. The spice blend typically includes achiote (or annatto seed powder) and some variation of seasonings, including saffron, garlic, onion, cumin, coriander, oregano, and cilantro.