When shopping at Trader Joe’s recently, I overheard two customers talking about their favorite TJ’s items. As an avid Trader Joe’s fan knows, there’s no shortage of favorite products to choose from. From trendy, riffed-on snacks and frozen international meals to high-quality, premium ingredients, it’s a treasure trove for anybody who likes food (never mind loves it). It made me curious about what chefs, who are known for loving food, deem their favorite TJ’s products. So I recently asked my chef colleagues which items they never leave the store without. I received plenty of enthusiastic responses, including support for the cultured butter from Brittany and the Platinum Aged Balsamic Vinegar of Modena. But the one thing all the chefs agreed was a must-have? Anchovies—a humble $1.79 ingredient that punches way above its weight. 

Why Anchovies?

These tiny fish fillets might seem like an unexpected favorite, but according to the chefs I spoke with (and Giada herself), they’re an essential pantry staple that adds depth and complexity to countless dishes. “They are full of umami, which is usually associated with foods like soy sauce, mushrooms and Parmesan,” explains Carla Contreras, a New Jersey–based food stylist and former chef with more than 25 years of experience, including stints at Daniel Boulud’s DBGB and the Marriott Boston. “They add a depth of flavor that people can’t quite put their finger on but will instantly identify as delicious.” Umami was a word that came up repeatedly with each of the pros.

Karen Tedesco, a Miami-based professional chef who trained with James Beard Award–winning restaurateur Melissa Kelly and creator of the popular recipe website Familystyle Food, considers them indispensable. “They’re the ultimate secret ingredient in my pantry—it’s a big plus that they have a long shelf life, whether they’re packed in olive oil or salt.” Tedesco uses them “as a condiment to layer flavor, the same way I would add a squeeze of lemon juice, salt or red pepper flakes to season a dish.” 

The Best Way to Use Anchovies, According to Chefs

When it comes to incorporating anchovies into your cooking, the possibilities are endless. “Making a pasta sauce with anchovies, butter and garlic is one of my faves,” says Casey Corn, an Atlanta-based classically trained chef, food anthropologist and host of Magnolia Network’s Recipe Lost and Found. “It gives the sauce a richer flavor than just a simple garlic sauce alone.” She loves how they melt, almost indistinguishably, into foods when they’re chopped up and cooked. “Anchovies play really well with garlic,” says Tedesco. “They’re kindred souls in terms of their bold personality. So any recipe where garlic plays a role is a good bet. Think aioli and other mayo-based sauces like Caesar salad dressing, garlic bread and my favorite—spicy puttanesca pasta sauce.”

Several chefs shared their appreciation for anchovies in tomato-based sauces like puttanesca. Erica Wides, a Brooklyn-based chef, cooking instructor and food media host with 30 years of industry experience, says, “Anchovies bring up the brininess of the olives and capers and add a layer of flavor that hints of the sea.” They also add “richness and depth to the flavor,” adds Contreras, who also loves using them as a base for Caesar dressings. “It makes such a big difference to add a few filets. It’s not the same without them,” she enthuses. A bagna càuda is another classic application, she adds. It’s “a Piedmontese warm dip with anchovies, garlic and olive oil [that’s] extra delicious [served] with cold, crunchy veggies and bitter endives or radicchio leaves.” 

How to Become an Anchovy Lover

If you’re new to cooking with anchovies, don’t be intimidated. If “you already like Caesar salad,” says Corn, “anchovies shouldn’t be too scary!” Wides advises newbies to start by using paste from a tube, adding that it’s “much easier to use and store than a jar or can” and you can gradually add a dab here and there to dishes like tomato sauces, beans, salad dressings and bean soups.

Tedesco also suggests starting small. “At first, use 1 or 2 in a recipe to get used to their presence, then work your way up,” she says, adding, “if you’re just starting to experiment with them…add a small amount of chopped anchovies to hot oil. They will dissolve almost instantly like they’re not even there. But you will notice the ever-so-subtle umami they add to your food.”

Corn agrees that “chopping them up finely and sauteing in olive oil or butter before adding to a dish cuts down on the intensity,” which can be helpful if you’re feeling intimidated. Contreras says you can freeze them if you want to try but are afraid of being beholden to an open tin in your refrigerator. Lay them individually on parchment paper, and once they’re frozen, you can transfer them to an airtight container in the freezer for up to three months, she explains. 

For Members of the Anchovy Appreciation Club

If you already appreciate the miniature umami powerhouses, the chefs shared more fish-forward or unconventional ideas for enjoying them. “Personally, I love anchovies on toast with butter!” shares Corn, who also recommends “gildas—a Spanish pintxo consisting of anchovies, green olives and guindilla pickled peppers [that is] excellent served with a martini.” Wides suggests adding them to beef stews or lamb braises to really enhance the meatiness and rich flavors. 

“Anchovies have a place in any dish that calls for salt,” says Gigi Ashworth, a self-proclaimed “salt tooth” and fish-lover known as the “Salmon queen.” Ashworth, who eats “roughly 12 pounds of salmon a week” and grew up regularly eating tinned fish straight from the can for lunch, shares, “When roasting a rack of lamb, my father and I used to stud the lamb with anchovies, thyme and a little garlic” to give it a more complex saltiness. Likewise, they add saltiness and depth to chicken dishes, quiches, and greens.

Even the oil they’re packed in has potential. Contreras uses every drop, sharing that she uses the olive oil in the tin to make dressings and as a cooking oil when anchovies are already built into a dish, like pasta or risotto. “As you get more familiar,” she encourages, “you may [even] want to play with adding them on top of toasts, pizza or just eating them straight up out of the can for a salty snack.”  

The Bottom Line

Anchovies might not be the first thing you’d think to grab at Trader Joe’s, but these chef-approved flavor enhancers offer a lot of bang for their buck. As Wides puts it, “Anchovies add a mysterious, deep flavor to everything! With their salty, fermented quality, you can make a dish more complex and bring up the umami in it” almost instantly. Whether you’re making a classic Caesar salad or looking to elevate your everyday cooking, our experts want you to give these versatile (and omega-3-packed) little fish a spot in your cart.