5 Smart Upgrades for Trader Joe's Most Popular Freezer Detect

The adjacent time you cook Trader Joe'south Mandarin Orange Chicken, ditch the directions and choose ane of these smart upgrades.

Updated February 19, 2022

Meghan Splawn

Trader Joe's Mandarin Orange Chicken was merely voted, again, equally the best product from the grocery store according to customers. Fans will tell you this budget-friendly freezer meal gives yous take-out satisfaction without the delivery time. In fact, TJ'southward Standard mandarin Orange Chicken can be cooked and ready to eat in nether 15 minutes! The purse of breaded and fried tender chicken pieces are frozen and gear up to reheat, and the package likewise includes two packets of the Mandarin orange sauce.

Virtually folks follow the directions for roasting the craven pieces in the oven and heating the sauce in the microwave before tossing the 2 together (the package also includes directions for pan frying the craven). Merely devotees will tell y'all the real joy of Trader Joe'southward about popular item comes in upgrading this beloved basic. Nosotros scoured the spider web and brought you 5 of the all-time glow ups for this popular freezer notice.

1. Play Around with Time and Temperature

Utilizing the oven for Trader Joe's Mandarin Orange Chicken has lots of benefits: the cooking is easily off and yous tin cook vegetables on the other side of the sheet pan. The bag's directions for time and temperature leave a little to be desired though, however, with some folks getting less than crispy chicken. There are two ways to easily improve this method. Use a higher oven temperature (as suggested in this Reddit thread and the New York Times) or bake the craven for longer. Simply Recipes Editor Myo Quinn says she doubles down on the suggested 10 minute cooking fourth dimension, "I'yard not surprised it'south the most popular production. It's delicious. I do have to bake it twice as long as it calls for to get it actress crispy."

ii. Burn down Up Your Air Fryer

Using your air fryer to make Trader Joe's Mandarin Orange Chicken is probably the nearly popular tip—in fact, anybody from the New York Times to TikTokers seem to be in agreement. Heat the air fryer to 400°F and cook the craven straight in the basket for just 10 minutes and get ultra crispy results. The only downside? You may need to cook your chicken in batches depending on the size of your air fryer. You lot want to make sure the pieces are in a unmarried layer with some space between them to allow the airflow that makes this upgrade work.

3. Simmer Downwards the Sauce

Since the Standard mandarin orange sauce comes frozen, Trader Joe's directions suggest heating it in the microwave to thaw (you can also do this in a loving cup of warm h2o) to brand the sauce fluid enough to glaze the chicken. But even Trader Joe's blog suggests actually cooking the sauce for more flavor. The thought is uncomplicated: While the craven is cooking in the oven or air fryer, estrus a skillet or wok on the stove, add the sauce, bring it to a simmer, and cook until reduced. Driving off the extra moisture in the sauce will likewise keep the chicken from getting soggy subsequently you toss information technology all together.

four. Stop Strong

While the sauce is hot, many fans like to boost its flavor—ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes are pop additions that actually brand the sauce taste more like a great Chinese takeout. Chopped light-green onions or sesame seeds are also delicious additions that can be added to the simmered sauce or sprinkled directly over the Standard mandarin Orangish Craven just before serving.

5. Turn information technology Into a Repast

Every bit dear as Trader Joe's Mandarin Orangish Chicken is for being super tasty and easy to melt, information technology isn't really a complete meal on its own. You'll most often run across information technology paired with TJ's fried rice (the two can exist cooked at the same temperature in the oven or one subsequently another on the stovetop) or over rice, simply there are lots of variations that are arguably more fun. Quinn suggests adding broccoli to the same sheet pan while you cook the chicken. "The broccoli gets tossed with the chicken when I add the sauce," she explains. This brand the chicken even more like your favorite fast food orange chicken. Y'all tin also turn the finished craven into family unit-friendly sandwiches: grab a bag of TJ's brioche buns, pre-shredded slaw, and sliced pickles and serve the cooked and sauced chicken on the buns with slaw and pickles. Or cook a pound of pasta and steam some snap peas and toss the pasta noodles with the sauce.