Review: Trader Joe's - Cuban Style Citrus Garlic Bowl

Trader Joe's Cuban Style Citrus Garlic Bowl is their take on arroz con pollo ("rice with chicken") and features yellow rice, diced red bell peppers, and onions, black beans, sweet plantain chunks, and cilantro, topped with chopped marinated chicken thigh and a citrus-and-garlic-infused sauce (AKA mojo criollo). 

I paid $3.49 for the 11-oz bowl.

This looks a lot more interesting to me than it turned out. The chicken, which there was a good amount of, didn't offer much flavor and wasn't juicy or tender.

The bell peppers, onions, and black beans were similarly very plain with the typical mushy texture of microwaveable meals.

The plantains came in fairly large chunks/discs and added a much needed pop of sweetness.

The rice was sticky and plump but again, not much there was not much flavor to be had there either.

The citrus-garlic sauce tried to hold everything all together with a mild citrus note throughout that wasn't really garlicky.

Overall, Trader Joe's Cuban Style Citrus Garlic Bowl was a miss for me. While there was a decent variety of textures, it just needed more flavor in general.

Nutritional Info - Trader Joe's Cuban Style Citrus Garlic Bowl (312g)
Calories - 400 (from Fat - 160)
Fat - 18g (Saturated Fat - 2g)
Sodium - 540mg
Carbs - 44g (Sugar - 13g)
Protein - 16g