Buy This Dollar Tree Seafood For An Affordable, High-Protein Food

Shopping at Dollar Tree for groceries might not be your first impulse; summer barbecue supplies, yes, but food? Not necessarily. That's a lingering concept about the discount chain that should end right here, though, because as long as you follow these Dollar Tree food shopping tips, you can't go wrong. While you peruse the grocery aisles, perhaps picking up garlic powder or cayenne peppers from its oft-overlooked spice section, make your way to the tinned goods area, which abounds with your typical tuna and chicken, but also surprisingly includes a high-protein seafood: Pampa Smoked Oysters.

These oysters, which are packed in sunflower oil and include slices of carrot, onions, and chili peppers, not only contain 7 grams of protein per can, but they're a steal for just $1.25. A similar offering at Walmart, like the Bumble Bee smoked oysters, costs $3.22 for 3.75 ounces, or 85 cents per ounce (if you're lucky; in some parts of the country, a single can costs $8), while these 3-ounce tins cost just 42 cents per ounce — less than half.

As if that weren't already an incredible deal, the Internet has the fairly unanimous opinion that these cheapie oysters are really, really good, with one reviewer on the Dollar Tree product page calling them the best they have ever tasted. A content creator on TikTok also gushed about the $1.25 oysters, expressing his surprise after a blind taste-test, and calling the flavor and texture "amazing."

Besides just eating them out of the tin, there are actually a lot of ways you can use these inexpensive, protein-rich tinned oysters from Dollar Tree. First up, consider pairing them simply with a cracker of your choice (Saltines are a great option); this allows the oyster flavor to shine while also offering a crunchy counterpoint to the softness of the seafood and vegetables, so you have a juxtaposition of textures. If you like spice, dab a bit of hot sauce onto the cracker, too. In this same vein, you might also add the Pampa oysters to your tinned fish charcuterie board, alongside sardines, mussels, and salmon, plus a variety of pickled vegetables, crackers and crostini, and dips.

You can also use these tinned oysters in place of crab in a dip, for a super-savory, slightly fishier flavor profile that also works well with the typical crab dip ingredient list, like cream cheese, mayo, and green onion. Or replace the protein you usually use in your pasta with these little gems, whether it's a creamy carbonara or a light angel hair pasta tossed with olive oil and garlic. They're also well-suited for seafood soups and stews; use them in place of clams for a delicious smoked oyster chowder.