How To Cook Frozen Orange Chicken
Want to know the BEST mode to cook Trader Joe'south orange chicken? Use an air fryer, of form! This Trader Joe'southward orange chicken air fryer recipe makes deliciously crunchy orangish chicken. You lot'll dearest how easy air fryer frozen orangish chicken is to make- air fry it in 12 minutes! Come up see why Trader Joe's Mandarin Orangish Craven is consistently voted a customer favorite at Trader Joes!
Why is Trader Joe's orange chicken so good? Judging by its popularity, Trader Joe's Mandarin Craven (AKA Trader Ming'southward Mandarin Chicken) might exist the all-time frozen orange chicken effectually. (Lamentable, Costco!)
It actually is just as good as takeout from your favorite Chinese restaurant. (Though definitely not an authentic Chinese dish.)
Lucky us, nosotros don't even need to leave the firm to enjoy this indulgent comfort food. This frozen orange chicken air fryer recipe cooks up to crispy perfection. The hot circulating air does an amazing chore getting our Trader Joe'south Chinese food from freezer to plate FAST.
In full disclosure, this frozen popcorn orange chicken isn't the virtually nutritious matter we could exist eating. Air frying actually doesn't make it any healthier than blistering in the oven. (Simply do we demand to clasp maximum nutrition out of EVERY. SINGLE. THING. we eat to enjoy overall skilful health? Nope!)
Since I don't have this often, I wanted to try it earlier creating a fakeaway orangish craven recipe or two. I figured I'd share what I did for those who (like me) want a break from the kitchen once in a while.
Of course, I'll as well share some healthier options in the Dietitian Tips section below, because that's what I practice! 😊 Let's get to it, shall we?
Jump to:
- 📋 Calories, Net Carbs, Protein
- ⭐ Benefits
- 🥘 Ingredients
- 🍊 Mandarin Orangish Chicken Sauce
- 🍽 Equipment
- 🔪 How to Make Trader Joe's Orange Chicken in Air Fryer
- ️⏲ Cooking Time and Temperature
- 🤔 Is Trader Joe's orange chicken pre-cooked?
- 🐔 When to Add Sauce
- ️🌡️ Leftovers
- 🥗 Side Dishes
- 💭 Skilful Tips from a Dietitian
- FAQs
- 👩🏻🍳 Other Air Fryer Frozen Craven Recipes
- The Disclaimer…
- 📖 Recipe
📋 Calories, Net Carbs, Protein
One serving of Trader Joe'south Orange Chicken has 533 calories, 38 grams internet carbs, and 35 grams protein. Nutrition data is for one-tertiary of the chicken with ane-third of the sauce. If you only eat one-fifth of the package (as suggested on the label), you're getting 320 calories, 23 grams net carbs, and 21 grams protein.
⭐ Benefits
Why make this frozen orangish craven in an air fryer? Here are a few reasons:
- Like shooting fish in a barrel: I of the benefits of (highly processed) air fryer frozen foods recipes is that you get consistent results hands. Fifty-fifty kids can make this i! (Well, at least the kids who are erstwhile enough to use the air fryer.)
- No deep frying: There'south no need to add additional oil to the chicken, as you lot would if you cooked it on the stove.
- Cooks faster: The air fryer typically takes less time to preheat than the oven. Additionally, your chicken will be washed in 12 minutes (versus twenty minutes in the oven). It's super convenient!
- Appetizer or principal dish: This orange chicken works well every bit an appetizer or an entrée. To make it an appetizer, put the craven on a platter with toothpicks for picking up individual pieces. Alternatively, make a Trader Joe'southward orangish chicken bowl past adding rice and veggies.
- Dairy gratis: This frozen orangish craven doesn't work well for well-nigh special diets. If you're looking for no dairy though, this 1 is a proficient fit.
- Delicious: We thought this air fried frozen orange chicken tastes even better than the oven-baked version.
🥘 Ingredients
What do you need to make Trader Joe'southward orange chicken in the air fryer? Here's the roundup:
- One package Trader Ming's Standard mandarin Orange Craven
You don't even need cooking spray! How's that for a simple shopping list?
You become the frozen breaded craven and 2 packets of orange sauce in the bag. So now you lot might be wondering what are the ingredients for Trader Joe's frozen Standard mandarin Orange Chicken? Is Trader joe's orange chicken white meat?
No, Trader Joe's orangish chicken uses night meat chicken. Here is the ingredients listing for TJs Mandarin Orangish Craven from the package:
- Chicken night meat
- Water
- Corn starch
- A blend of unbleached enriched flour and barley flour
- Whole eggs
- Vegetable oil
- Salt
- White pepper
- Light-green onion
- Garlic
- Ginger
Does Trader Joe'southward orange chicken accept MSG?
At that place'south no added monosodium glutamate (MSG) in Trader Joe's orangish chicken. However, a small amount of naturally occurring MSG may (or may not) be present. IMVHO, this is not a big bargain.
Nosotros know there'southward no added MSG because information technology'southward non listed in the ingredients for Trader Joe's Mandarin orange craven or the Mandarin chicken sauce. Notwithstanding, MSG naturally occurs in many ingredients (including healthful foods like cheese and tomatoes). Foods that naturally comprise MSG may not claim "no MSG" or "no added MSG" on the packaging.
🍊 Standard mandarin Orange Chicken Sauce
What'southward in the orange sauce for Trader Ming's Mandarin Orange Craven? Hither is the ingredients list from the package:
- Sugar
- Water
- Vinegar
- Light soy sauce
- Modified food starch
- Nighttime soy sauce
- Garlic
- Green onions
- Ginger
- White pepper
- Sake
- Mandarin orange peel
- Orange juice
- Red chile
- Soybean oil
Something interesting here (at to the lowest degree to me lol) is that the listing on the package reads "Battered Chicken (chicken ingredients), Sauce (sauce ingredients), Soybean Oil." Ingredients on U.Southward. food packaging are listed in descending club by weight. And then, though there's more "sauce" than oil by weight, there may actually be more than oil than the first sauce ingredient.
This means we could be getting primarily oil past weight, with saccharide (the first sauce ingredient) in second identify.
Honestly though, I don't think information technology matters much whether the Mandarin sauce has more oil or sugar by weight. It'due south not really a health bounty either way. Hahaha
🍽 Equipment
You volition need an air fryer and meat thermometer to follow this recipe. I apply a 10-Quart Kalorik Digital Air Fryer Oven. If you're using a Ninja Foodi, Pampered Chef Air Fryer, Actifry, Cosori, Nuwave, Instant Vortex, Cuisinart, Philips, Power Air Fryer, etc. your cooking times may vary slightly.
I have a large air fryer with two trays, and I used both trays for this recipe. If you lot have a smaller air fryer, y'all will demand to cook the frozen orange craven in batches. Your air frying time for each batch may be a bit shorter in this case. That's because the chicken will be in the position closest to the heating element for the entire cook time.
🔪 How to Make Trader Joe's Orange Chicken in Air Fryer
Let'south learn how to make Trader Joe'due south orangish craven! Yous practice not have to defrost Trader Joe'due south orange chicken. Y'all can cook it from frozen!
Start past filling a medium-sized basin with water and putting the frozen sauce packets in in that location. The sauce will thaw out while the chicken cooks. There's no need to mess up a pot or pan.
Preheat your air fryer to 400F (200F) for v minutes. Advisedly remove the hot trays from the air fryer.
Spread the craven out in a single layer on two heated air fryer baking trays. (Y'all may demand to cook the chicken in multiple batches if you have a small air fryer basket.) Put the trays dorsum in the air fryer.
️⏲ Cooking Time and Temperature
How long to put Trader Joe'south orange chicken in the air fryer? Air fry frozen orangish chicken for 12 minutes in an air fryer preheated to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200C). Flip the chicken and switch the position of the racks in the air fryer oven halfway through cooking time (half-dozen minutes).
Check the chicken with a meat thermometer after cooking. It should have reached a rubber minimum internal temp of 165F (74C).
The chicken pieces come in varied sizes; air fry the larger pieces a little longer if needed. (I didn't need to exercise this.)
🤔 Is Trader Joe'due south orange chicken pre-cooked?
Is Trader Ming's orange craven fully cooked? I could not find a credible source regarding whether TJ's Mandarin craven is fully cooked. Unfortunately, this information is not provided on the bag either.
Though the breading on TJ's orange chicken appears cooked, there is a risk the craven underneath could be undercooked or raw. (It's the same with frozen chicken nuggets, BTW.)
To be rubber, you should melt your frozen orangish chicken to a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit (74C). Use a meat thermometer to bank check a couple of the larger pieces of craven. At that place'southward no reason to risk food poisoning if you can preclude it, IMO.
🐔 When to Add Sauce
Clip the thawed sauce packets and coat the chicken pieces AFTER your air fryer Trader Joe's chicken has finished cooking. The orange sauce looks very watery initially, but the battered chicken will absorb a lot of it. Now it's set up to bask!
️🌡️ Leftovers
Leftover cooked orangish chicken will final iii-4 days in the refrigerator in a covered container. Notwithstanding, the chicken may lose some crispiness if it's been covered in sauce.
If you know you won't be finishing the purse, try air frying half of information technology at a time. Since the frozen orange chicken comes with two sauce packets, you can use 1 on a one-half batch. Go on the uncooked frozen orange craven and the other sauce bundle in the freezer until you lot are ready to cook and consume information technology.
How to reheat Trader Joe'south orange chicken? Reheat cooked orange chicken in the microwave for 1-2 minutes. The sugary orange sauce on the chicken may burn down if reheated in the air fryer.
🥗 Side Dishes
What to serve with Trader Joe's frozen orange chicken? My two favorite sides for orange chicken are jasmine brown rice and steamed broccoli. Here are a few more ideas for orange chicken side dishes:
- Air Fryer Frozen Vegetables
- Wild Rice
- Quinoa
- Air Fryer Pot Stickers (frozen)
💭 Skilful Tips from a Dietitian
This is a level 3 recipe (weight maintenance and active lifestyles). Is Trader Joe's orange chicken good for you? I'yard going to exist totally honest here and say it's not the all-time choice. This product is an ultra-candy food with that sweet and fat philharmonic that tin exist difficult non to overeat.
The purse of Trader Joe's orange chicken states information technology contains 5 servings. IMVHO, it realistically serves more like 2-three, and the diet info I've provided reflects this.
If y'all want a healthy orange craven, I highly recommend checking out my bootleg Air Fryer Orangish Craven recipe. It's sweeter than Trader Joe's version, only has no added saccharide. Additionally, it has no refined grains, more chicken, and a (deliciously) more than pronounced orange season. YUM
If you don't want to brand orangish craven from scratch, there'southward a few ways to brand Trader Joe's orangish craven better. Showtime, I'd consider adding some fresh orangish zest to the sauce to give the orangish flavor a heave. (That's a tip to amend flavor IMVHO, not and then much diet.)
Second, make certain to add some veggies to your plate. Trader Ming's frozen orange chicken really isn't meant to be a complete meal. Adding some loftier volume, low calorie veggies to your plate is a skilful way to help y'all feel total on a smaller portion of orange chicken.
Third, you lot could consider calculation less orange sauce to the chicken. Trader Joe's orangish sauce is generally added sugar and added oil. Unfortunately, the breaded chicken tends to "suck up" a lot of the sauce, so it might not feel like enough if you utilise less.
P.Due south. My yummy Air Fryer Orange Chicken is saucier than Trader Joe'due south version, fifty-fifty when you use both sauce packets. I like to take enough sauce for the rice. 🙂
FAQs
How much does Trader Joe's orangish chicken cost?
At the time of writing, a purse of Trader Joe's orange chicken costs $4.99 in stores. Price may vary past location. (And whoa infant- information technology is really overpriced on Amazon. Lol)
Is there Trader Joe'south vegan craven?
Does Trader Joe's sell vegetarian orange chicken? Yep! Trader Joe'southward Chickenless Orange Chicken is a (vegan) found-based culling to Trader Joe'southward Standard mandarin chicken.
Is Trader Joe's orange chicken gluten free?
No, Trader Ming's Mandarin Craven is not gluten free. The chicken is battered in wheat flour and the sauce contains wheat also. If you lot don't want to make it from scratch, you could try pairing gluten-free orange sauce with your favorite GF breaded chicken.
Is Trader Joe'due south orangish chicken keto?
Information technology'south not, though I have an air fryer keto orange chicken recipe in the works- stay tuned!
How to cook Trader Joe's orange craven in skillet?
Yous can melt Trader Joe's orange chicken on the stove summit in a heated skillet with some oil. If you're wondering whether it's amend in oven or skillet, my vote goes to oven. Baked orange chicken needs no oil and requires less tending than stove summit orange chicken.
Can yous microwave Trader Joe's orangish chicken?
The Mandarin orange chicken sauce may exist heated in the microwave (remove information technology from the plastic packaging start). The chicken, however, should be air fried or oven baked. Information technology volition lose much of its crispy texture in the microwave.
Does Trader Joe'due south orangish chicken expire?
How long does Trader Joe's orange chicken last in the freezer? According to the FoodKeeper App, frozen entrees last well-nigh 12 months in the freezer before deteriorating in quality.
👩🏻🍳 Other Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Recipes
Looking for more air fryer recipes with frozen chicken? Here are instructions to air fry frozen chicken from Trader Joe'southward or your favorite store:
- Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Wings (with Trader Joe's frozen chicken wings)
- Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Nuggets
- Frozen Chicken Tenders in Air Fryer
If you lot're bored with chicken, my Air Fryer Breaded Fish Fillets use Trader Joe'southward Oven Set up Breaded Cod Fillets. And then easy and good!
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The Disclaimer…
All recipes on this website may or may not be appropriate for you, depending on your medical needs and personal preferences. Consult with a registered dietitian or your physician if y'all demand help determining the dietary pattern that may be all-time for yous.
The nutrition information is an estimate provided as a courtesy. Information technology will differ depending on the specific brands and ingredients that you use. Calorie data on nutrient labels may be wildly inaccurate, so please don't sweat the numbers likewise much.
For more data on how the 3 recipe levels may help with a weight management goal, refer to my overnight oats no sugar post. Let's become cooking!
📖 Recipe
Get out a rating by clicking the ⭐ beneath!
Trader Joe's Orangish Craven (Air Fryer Frozen Orange Chicken)
This Trader Joe's orange chicken air fryer recipe makes deliciously crunchy orange craven. Air fry frozen orangish chicken in 12 minutes!
- 22 ounces Trader Joe's Frozen Orange Chicken (624 grams)
- sesame seeds, chives, sliced scallions (optional, for garnish)
Prevent your screen from going dark
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Preheat your air fryer to 400°F (200°F) for five minutes.
-
Fill a medium-sized bowl with warm water and put the frozen sauce packets in at that place. The sauce will thaw while the craven cooks.
-
Spread the chicken out in a single layer on two heated air fryer blistering trays. Put the trays back in the air fryer.
-
Air fry frozen orange craven for 12 minutes at 400°F (200°C) in the preheated air fryer. Flip the chicken and switch the position of the trays in the air fryer oven halfway through cooking time (i.due east., 6 minutes).
-
Check the chicken with a meat thermometer after cooking. It should accept reached a condom minimum internal temp of 165°F (74°C). Air fry some of the larger chicken pieces a picayune longer if needed.
-
Clip the thawed sauce packets and stir them into the air fried chicken. Garnish your air fryer Trader Joe'due south orangish chicken if desired.
Save this Recipe Saved!
This is a level 3 recipe (weight maintenance and active lifestyles). Is Trader Joe'south orangish chicken healthy? I'thou going to exist totally honest here and say information technology'southward not the best choice. This product is an ultra-candy food with that sweet and fat combo that can be difficult not to overeat.
The pocketbook of Trader Joe'south orangish chicken states it contains five servings. IMVHO, information technology realistically serves more like ii-3, and the nutrition info I've provided reflects this.
If you want a good for you orange chicken, I highly recommend checking out my homemade Air Fryer Orange Chicken recipe. Information technology's sweeter than Trader Joe's version, but has no added sugar. Additionally, it has no refined grains, more than chicken, and a (deliciously) more than pronounced orange flavor. YUM
If yous don't desire to make orange craven from scratch, in that location's a few ways to make Trader Joe'south orangish chicken better. Beginning, I'd consider calculation some fresh orange zest to the sauce to give the orange flavour a boost. (That'due south a tip to ameliorate flavor IMVHO, not and so much nutrition.)
Second, make certain to add some veggies to your plate. Trader Ming's frozen orange chicken really isn't meant to be a consummate repast. Adding some loftier volume, depression calorie veggies to your plate is a good way to help you feel full on a smaller portion of orange chicken.
Third, y'all could consider adding less orange sauce to the craven. Trader Joe's orange sauce is mostly added sugar and added oil. Unfortunately, the breaded craven tends to "suck up" a lot of the sauce, so it might non feel like enough if you use less.
P.South. My yummy Air Fryer Orange Chicken is saucier than Trader Joe'due south version, even when you use both sauce packets. I similar to have enough sauce for the rice. 🙂
Diet information is for one serving (ane-3rd of the packet of orange chicken and sauce).
Calories: 533 kcal Carbohydrates: 40 g Poly peptide: 35 g Fatty: 26.7 g Saturated Fat: five.8 g Sodium: 550 mg Fiber: two k Vitamin C: half dozen.vii % DV Calcium: 3 % DV Iron: thirteen % DV
Source: https://summeryule.com/trader-joes-orange-chicken-air-fryer-frozen/
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