This Air Fryer Trader Joe's Orange Chicken recipe takes frozen orange chicken and cooks it until crispy, ready to be topped with that sweet and tangy orange sauce! This air fryer orange chicken recipe is bound to be a weeknight favorite.
Trader Joe's has so many gems throughout its aisles. I have truly never had something bad from there! TJ's excels at prepared foods, both refrigerated and frozen. Their frozen foods options are economical, easy to prepare, and delicious!
One thing I always keep on hand for a quick weeknight dinner is Trader Joe's Mandarin Orange Chicken. The bag can be found in the freezer section and it has frozen chicken chunks that are breaded and sauce packets on the side. Once cooked, this dinner tastes just as good or better than anything you could get at a chinese restaurant-for a fraction of the price.
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When I got my Ninja Foodi last year, I started to cook frozen orange chicken in the air fryer instead of the oven and let me tell you, it's a game changer. I won't do it any other way now! Not only does it cook the chicken perfectly crispy, but there's no need to saute it in oil (which is a step the packaging instructions suggest). Healthier and just as crispy? Sign me up!
What you'll need for air fryer orange chicken
- 1 Bag Trader Joe's Orange Chicken
And that's it! There is no need to spray the chicken with any additional oil as they are already coated and par cooked before they are frozen. And the bag comes with both the frozen chicken nuggets and frozen mandarin sauce.
How to make Trader' Joe's Orange Chicken in the Air Fryer
Place orange chicken pieces in a single layer in your air fryer basket. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may have to work in stages, but I have found that a little overlap between the pieces is fine.
Set the temperature to 390 degrees Fahrenheit and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring halfway through to ensure the chicken pieces get evenly crispy.
While the chicken is cooking, fill a glass bowl or cup with warm water. Place in 2 packets of sauce the orange chicken comes with so that they can thaw.
Once the chicken is fully cooked and crispy, pour into a bowl and pour thawed sauce over top. Stir to completely coat and enjoy.
Recipe Tips
- Make sure all of the chicken pieces are spread in a single layer for even cooking.
- The included mandarin sauce can easily be warmed on the stove or in the microwave.
Trader Joe's Mandarin Chicken Nutrition Facts
One package of Trader Joe's Mandarin Orange Chicken serves approximately 5 people. The nutrition facts below are for 1 serving.
| Calories | 320 |
| Total Fat | 16g |
| Saturated Fat | 3.5g |
| Trans Fat | 0g |
| Cholesterol | 95mg |
| Sodium | 330mg |
| Total Carbohydrate | 24g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1g |
| Sugars | 6g |
| Protein | 21g |
How to Serve
Because this freezer meal is often made when we are looking for something easy, we like to keep it simple by serving it alongside white rice and peas. You can also serve it alongside fried rice (trader joe's sells that as well) for a full on take out at home experience.
Top the orange chicken with sliced green onions or sesame seeds to garnish if desired.
Storage
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can reheat in the air fryer for 3-5 minutes, or microwave.
Recipe FAQs
Set your temperature to between 390 and 400 degrees. This temperature works great for taking the frozen mandarin orange chicken to crispy perfection in less than 10 minutes time.
Yes it is! Similar to cooking chicken nuggets in the air fryer, you just need to cook frozen orange chicken from TJ's until it is hot and reaches your desired crispiness level.
more air fryer frozen foods recipes
- air fryer frozen mini pizza
- air fryer frozen chicken wings
- air fryer frozen burgers
- air fryer frozen mozzarella sticks
- air fryer frozen potstickers
- air fryer frozen hash browns
- Air Fryer Hot Dogs
Air Fryer Trader Joe's Orange Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 package Trader Joe's Mandarin Chicken
Instructions
- Place orange chicken pieces in a single layer in your air fryer basket. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may have to work in stages, but I have found that a little overlap between the pieces is fine.
- Set the temperature to 390 degrees Fahrenheit and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring halfway through to ensure the chicken pieces get evenly crispy.
- While the chicken is cooking, fill a glass bowl or cup with warm water. Place in 2 packets of sauce the orange chicken comes with so that they can thaw.
- Once the chicken is fully cooked and crispy, pour into a bowl and pour thawed sauce over top. Stir to completely coat and enjoy.
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