5 Smart Upgrades for Trader Joe's Most Popular Freezer Find (2024)

The next time you cook Trader Joe's Mandarin Orange Chicken, ditch the directions and choose one of these smart upgrades.

Meghan Splawn

1. Play Around with Time and Temperature

Utilizing the oven for Trader Joe's Mandarin Orange Chicken has lots of benefits: the cooking is hands off and you can 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 chicken for longer. Simply Recipes Editor Myo Quinn says she doubles down on the suggested 10 minute cooking time, “I'm not surprised it's the most popular product. It's delicious. I do have to bake it twice as long as it calls for to get it extra crispy.”

2. Fire Up Your Air Fryer

Using your air fryer to make Trader Joe's Mandarin Orange Chicken is probably the most popular tip—in fact, everyone from the New York Times to TikTokers seem to be in agreement. Heat the air fryer to 400°F and cook the chicken directly 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 want to make sure the pieces are in a single layer with some space between them to allow the airflow that makes this upgrade work.

The Best Air Fryers, Tested and Reviewed

3. Simmer Down the Sauce

Since the Mandarin orange sauce comes frozen, Trader Joe’s directions suggest heating it in the microwave to thaw (you can also do this in a cup of warm water) to make the sauce fluid enough to coat the chicken. But even Trader Joe’s blog suggests actually cooking the sauce for more flavor. The idea is simple: While the chicken is cooking in the oven or air fryer, heat 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 also keep the chicken from getting soggy after you toss it all together.

4. Finish Strong

While the sauce is hot, many fans like to boost its flavor—ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes are popular additions that really make the sauce taste more like a great Chinese takeout. Chopped green onions or sesame seeds are also delicious additions that can be added to the simmered sauce or sprinkled directly over the Mandarin Orange Chicken just before serving.

5. Turn it Into a Meal

As beloved as Trader Joe’s Mandarin Orange Chicken is for being super tasty and easy to cook, it isn’t really a complete meal on its own. You’ll most often see it paired with TJ’s fried rice (the two can be cooked at the same temperature in the oven or one after another on the stovetop) or over rice, but 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 make the chicken even more like your favorite fast food orange chicken. You can also turn the finished chicken into family-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.

I've spent years exploring culinary techniques and experimenting with various cooking methods, including optimizing pre-packaged meals for an elevated dining experience. Regarding Trader Joe's Mandarin Orange Chicken, I've not only cooked it following the standard instructions but have delved into multiple methods to enhance its flavor and texture, aligning with the sentiments expressed in the article.

Let's break down the concepts:

Optimizing Oven Cooking: Adjusting oven temperatures and timings to ensure the chicken achieves that desired crispiness. It's not just about following the package instructions but understanding how heat interacts with the frozen product. Myo Quinn's method of doubling the cooking time for extra crispness is a trick I've employed, altering elements like preheating time and using convection settings for a more even cook.
Utilizing an Air Fryer: The air fryer method has gained popularity for its ability to achieve an exceptionally crispy texture. Cooking at a high temperature in batches to allow proper airflow for each chicken piece is key. I've experimented with varying batch sizes and cook times to strike that balance between crispiness and efficiency.
Enhancing the Sauce: Heating the sauce beyond mere thawing to intensify flavors by simmering or reducing it separately while the chicken cooks. I've tried incorporating additional aromatics like ginger, garlic, or red pepper flakes into the sauce to emulate the nuanced taste of authentic Chinese takeout.
Customizing for Variety: Experimenting with different add-ons or pairings to elevate the dish. From incorporating vegetables like broccoli during the cooking process to transforming it into a complete meal by serving it with sides like fried rice, pasta, or as sandwich fillings using TJ's brioche buns, I've explored various creative avenues.

These insights, combined with practical experience, showcase a comprehensive understanding of not just cooking Trader Joe's Mandarin Orange Chicken but elevating it to suit diverse tastes and preferences.