You’ll Want to Make My Easy 2-Ingredient Trader Joe’s Dinner Once a Week

Ali Domrongchai
Ali Domrongchai
Ali Domrongchai, a Southern-raised, Brooklyn-based food writer, grew up around her family's Thai restaurant that sparked her initial love for food. (Fun fact: her grandparents briefly ran a Thai grocery store in the 70s). In this space, her curiosity on the role that food plays…read more
published Sep 17, 2025
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Trader Joe's storefront with large red sign, red shopping carts lined up outside, and a clear blue sky.
Credit: Photos: Shutterstock; Design: Dorm Therapy

Trader Joe’s is famous for its seasonal and ever-changing selection of new groceries. Every month fans wait for the latest drops to appear on shelves. While the shelves are already showing clear signs of fall, my favorite two-ingredient dinner lately spotlights Korean Style Bibim-Guksu, the dreamy salad that hit stores earlier this summer, and frozen Beef Bulgogi, a tried-and-true aisle staple. 

The amped-up salad is both fresh and filling. Even better than it being just two ingredients, there are very few steps beyond heating up the Beef Bulgogi before you’re ready for dinner. Here’s how I make it. 

Credit: Ali Domrongchai

What Makes This 2-Ingredient Trader Joe’s Beef Bulgogi Bibim-Guksu So Good?

Bibim-Guksu is a Korean cold noodle dish that contains thin rice noodles and a spicy-savory-tangy sauce, often made with gochujang (Korean chili paste), vinegar, and sesame oil. The dish is typically served fresh, with crunchy vegetables and a protein. It’s beloved for its refreshing taste, and Trader Joe’s added a ready-made version to its prepared food section earlier this summer. 

Credit: Ali Domrongchai

The TJ’s version is surprisingly delicious on its own. That being said, I felt like it could use a bit more sustenance to make it a complete meal. So I paired it with another tasty Trader Joe’s fave of mine: the frozen Beef Bulgogi.

The two aren’t typically paired together, but the spicy savoriness of the noodles goes exceptionally well with the sweet savoriness of the Beef Bulgogi. Together, it makes a filling dinner that I’m genuinely excited to eat on weeknights — with leftovers for lunch to spare.

How to Make My 2-Ingredient Trader Joe’s Beef Bulgogi Bibim-Guksu 

Similar to the two-ingredient dumpling salad that captivated TikTok last year, this dish is just so easy to put together. All you have to do is heat the frozen Beef Bulgogi in a saucepan (I’ll typically let it sit on the counter for an hour to briefly thaw before cooking it) to get some color and heat the sauce (it comes fully cooked, just frozen). 

Credit: Ali Domrongchai

Once it’s heated, I assemble the Bibim-Guksu in a bowl by tossing its noodles and veggies in the salad dressing and add the meat on top. And just like that, dinner is done. 

Find it in stores: Trader Joe’s Bibim-Guksu, $4.99 for 10 ounces; Trader Joe’s Beef Bulgogi, $11.99 for 16 ounces

What two-ingredient Trader Joe’s dinners are you making on repeat? Tell us about it in the comments below.

This post originally appeared on The Kitchn. See it there: The 2-Ingredient Cheap & Easy Dinner I Make On Nights I’m Too Lazy to Cook

Ali Domrongchai

Contributor

Ali Domrongchai, a Southern-raised, Brooklyn-based food writer, grew up around her family's Thai restaurant that sparked her initial love for food. (Fun fact: her grandparents briefly ran a Thai grocery store in the 70s). In this space, her curiosity on the role that food plays in building community lead her to pursue a Bachelor’s of Arts in American Studies with a focus on the ways in which pad Thai affects the Thai American experience at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.She joins The Kitchn as an Associate Editor for the Groceries vertical. Before this role, she held staff positions at Food & Wine, Travel + Leisure, and Allrecipes. Her words and recipes have also been featured in Cook's Country, Simply Recipes, and EatingWell. Oh, and most importantly, she can’t go more than a few hours without a sweet treat.

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