Trader Joe’s Mandarin Orange Chicken Review

Trader Joe's Mandarin Orange Chicken
Trader Joe’s Mandarin Orange Chicken

In every Trader Joe’s store the frozen aisle has one product that seems to have a halo around it, a stamp of glory that shines in the fluorescent and seems to reek out, yelling ‘BUY ME, TAKE ME HOME, IT’S A HEAT UP IN THE OVEN’ and that is the infamous Orange Chicken. Many refer to it as the holy grail of Trader Joe’s most precious gem and treasure, and many affirm the statement. What is it native to this one Thai frozen item that everyone so seeks after and praises? We shall examine the Trader Joe’s Orange Chicken Frozen.

If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you know that I love Asian food so anytime I can get something from the frozen section at Trader Joe’s, I will review it. I really loved the Trader Joe’s Steamed Soup Dumplings but hated the Trader Joe’s’ Beef Pho.  So, it’s definitely hit or miss at Trader Joe’s. 

Let’s start by stating the obvious: this is, fundamentally, deep-fried chicken chunks smothered in a sauce. And not just any sauce, but one that’s unabashedly and overwhelmingly sweet. But, of course, simplicity doesn’t automatically denote inferiority. After all, some of the world’s best dishes revolve around straightforward ingredients.

So, the question is, does the Orange Chicken from Trader Joe’s manage to elevate these simple components into a gourmet experience?

I love fried chicken like the next person and then smothering it in a nice sweet and sour sauce kicks in all the primal brain functions for eating fat, salty, and sweet.

Trader Joe’s Mandarin Orange Chicken Back

Upon opening the bag, you’re greeted with frozen, battered chicken pieces that are reminiscent of any generic frozen nugget or tender. There’s nothing particularly remarkable about them at first glance. 

The magic, as one might argue, is in the accompanying sauce packet. When combined and cooked as per the instructions, the meal takes its final form: a glistening, aromatic dish that undoubtedly appeals to the eyes.

Trader Joe’s Mandarin Orange Chicken Cooked

The Trader Joe’s Mandarin Orange Chicken comes in a bag, frozen. It’s basically frozen, deep fried pieces of chicken, and inside the bag are two more bags of sauce that are frozen. You can make it in two different ways, in the oven (or air fryer) or on the stovetop. Since it was more than I could eat in one sitting I made it both ways over a couple of days.

I’ll say the oven method is better and probably better for you since you don’t need to add any more oil. So you bake the chicken pieces in the oven and then when they are hot and crispy, you toss them in a skillet with the sauce until they are coated with sauce. Then serve.

Here is the rub for me. These are basically KFC  popcorn chicken with some hot and sour sauce poured over them! But stay with me, I’m not dissing them! Like I said before, I love fried chicken and the Trader Joe’s Mandarin Orange Chicken is pretty good for what it is. What it isn’t is authentic Chinese food.

Trader Joe’s Mandarin Orange Chicken Nutrition

The difference between what I had at Wild Ginger and Trader Joe’s is night and day. The Wild Ginger rendition was very well executed. The breading was not crunchy, but soft and pillowy but in a good way. The sauce was more orangey and you could taste the spice and orange. I didn’t get much orange in the Trader Joe’s version.

Texture-wise, the deep-fried chicken provides a satisfying crunch. It’s not gourmet by any stretch, but it’s not meant to be. It serves as a vessel for the sauce, and in that role, it functions adequately.

However, the sauce – oh, the sauce – is where things take a turn. It’s sweet. Horribly sweet. The name “Orange Chicken” might evoke images of a subtle, zesty glaze delicately balancing the sweet and savory, perhaps with a touch of tanginess from the citrus. But Trader Joe’s interpretation leans heavily into the sweet spectrum, almost bordering on syrupy. There’s an overwhelming sense that sugar is the main player here, with orange taking a backseat role. Some might find this cloying sweetness off-putting, especially if expecting a more nuanced flavor profile.

It had a good amount of heat though, which I appreciated. Also Mandarin Orange Chicken is a Whole 30 nightmare. Breaded chicken in a sweet sauce and then served with white rice. It’s enough to turn you into a diabetic!

So, if there are clear criticisms about this product, why is it Trader Joe’s most popular item?

The answer lies in the combination of convenience, nostalgia, and the power of branding.

  1. Convenience: In our fast-paced lives, there’s a growing demand for food that’s both quick to prepare and delicious. Trader Joe’s Orange Chicken checks both boxes. Within minutes, you have a dish that’s ready to be served, making weekday dinners a breeze.
  2. Nostalgia: For many, the flavor profile might remind them of guilty pleasure fast-food versions of orange chicken they’ve had in the past. It’s comfort food, reminiscent of simpler times and carefree meals.
  3. Branding: Trader Joe’s, as a brand, has cultivated a loyal following. Their products often come with a stamp of trust and quality. Shoppers are inclined to try, and even love, what Trader Joe’s offers simply because of the brand’s reputation.

Final Verdict

In conclusion, the Orange Chicken from Trader Joe’s is a perplexing product. While its overly sweet sauce might not be everyone’s cup of tea, it has managed to capture the hearts of many. It stands as a testament to the fact that popularity doesn’t always equate to gourmet or complex. Sometimes, it’s the simplest pleasures, even with their flaws, that win the day. Whether you’re a fan or a critic, one thing’s for sure: Trader Joe’s Frozen Orange Chicken is here to stay, reigning supreme in the world of quick-fix dinners.

So, having said all that, I am going to rate these 6 bells!

HEATING INSTRUCTIONS:

For the Chicken

OVEN. Preheat oven to 400°F degrees for 10
minutes. Place chicken pieces on a baking sheet.
Bake for 18-20 minutes (oven temperatures vary),
until crisp and golden.
SKILLET. Heat 1/4 cup of cooking oil in a large
skillet. Add chicken pieces. Cook 8-10 minutes,
turning regularly to evenly heat chicken pieces until
crisp and golden.

For the Sauce

MICROWAVE. Pour sauce into microwave safe
bowl. Microwave for 1 to 2 minutes until sauce
becomes hot. Toss well with heated chicken pieces and serve.
SAUCE PAN. Open the packet and pour the sauce into a
small saucepan. Heat on low heat until warm.

INGREDIENTS

Battered chicken dark meat chunks (chicken dark meat, water, corn starch, flour [unbleached enriched wheat flour, barley flour, niacin, iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid], whole eggs, vegetable oil, salt, white pepper, green onion, garlic, ginger). sauce (sugar, water, vinegar, light soy sauce [soybean, water, salt, wheat flour], modified food starch, dark soy sauce [soybean, water, straw mushroom extractives, salt, wheat flour]. garlic, green onions, ginger white pepper, sake, mandarin orange peel, orange juice, red chile), and soybean oil.

30 Comments

  1. […] Wednesday- Mandarin Orange Chicken.  Not every night can be a ‘made from scratch’ night.  We (the boys included) love Trader Joe’s Mandarin Orange Chicken.  I steam rice in the rice cooker, heat the chicken in the oven and once in awhile we will also make the Trader Joe’s egg rolls to go with it. […]

  2. […] Wednesday- Slow Cooker Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup – I love love love tomato basil soup.  This is such a fantastic recipe (I found this recipe on a great site called Today’s Mama).  My initial pull to try it was that it was a slow cooker recipe.  I am always on a quest for good slow cooker recipes. I love to serve Tomato Basil soup with croutons on top and sometimes I will add rice for a twist.  Delish! […]

  3. I bought this a couple of times and then stopped because I found the chicken pieces were too often sneakily gristle, fat, or sinew filled. I don’t mind realness to my chicken when it’s in chicken-shaped pieces. But for bite sized chunks in a convenience food package, I expect less obstacles to chewing!

  4. They have changed something in the recipe as the sauce is HOT. We ate it tonight and it made our cheeks and noses sweat……..ick

    • I will have to buy a bag soon and check. I wouldn’t doubt they cut back but in all my years dealing with Trader Joe’s I have never seen them shrink the size on something.

  5. Tried this for the first time a couple of weeks ago after reading rave reviews. I followed the instructions assiduously. The chicken was both tough and dry — not my idea of a great product. Am wondering how to prepare the second bag (I bought two) so that we will find it less off-putting. Any ideas?

    • As you can see from my review, I am not a huge fan of this product. It is deep fried chicken nuggets that you heat up and then pour a sugary hot sauce over them. That’s it. The chicken many times is hard and dried out. People love it for one reason, it’s deep fried chicken pieces you can make at home. Period.

    • Maybe turn down the heat. This is my last time buying this product.
      Mine have always been dry and the sauce is minimal. Mine have always had a funny after taste-maybe it’s the product, the fact that my pans are non stick or a combo of both.

  6. Pan Sauteed WITHOUT oil in a cast iron or stick proof pan, the pieces warmed up and browned nicely with a bit of crisp. Then added 1 packet of that sugary sauce. Yes, that is what makes the dish and for sure, not gonna be a frequent item because, well, it just isnt all that healthy. But when i order similar at Chinese take out or elsewhere, we are arent thinking ‘health’ but rather ‘treat’. I might add a bit of fresh ginger and maybe some dried or freshly grated orange peel next time then separately stir fry some veggie to add it so as not to pig out on less than nutritious. It was certainly acceptable tho’ And with stir fry veggies, most likely i will once in awhile serve it to the teenage grandkids as a treat. But they’ll have to suck it up with brown rice!

  7. Yeah it’s basically bourbon/popcorn chicken with a quasi-chinese sauce thrown over it but it’s not that high in salt and relatively fresh plus it goes great with fried rice.

  8. I had this and it was nasty. 1.5/10. I managed to eat a few pieces before tossing the rest out. Not healthy at all and I can’t recommend to anyone who cares about what they are putting in their mouths.

  9. We had it tonight based on rave reviews found on the internet. Chicken was served over trade’s joes vegetable fried rice. That and the sauce were wonderful. The chicken was chewy and grisly with alot of dark meat. Not a nice texture. Can someone tell me what heat oven to 400 degrees for 10 minutes means?? My oven takes about 17 mins to heat to 400 degrees. I would not buy this chicken again. It was sub par.

  10. This one’s good, but it’s really sweet and I’ve gotta be in just the right mood for that. I add broccoli and sesame seeds to mine when I make it.

  11. We use to love this orange chicken, but after requesting that they make the sauce packets larger to cover all the chicken,and that seemed to be denied and the company did nothing, we stopped buying it. Then we just purchased another bag of this orange chicken and the sauce did not taste the same. Both my wife and I were disapointed that the sauce had no real good taste anymore. So now we have not enough orange sauce and the sauce does not taste the same. We are done buying this product for good.

  12. I LOVE these. I love the sauce too. But it’s too filled with scary ingredients. Instead, I use this recipe: I dump a bag full of cauliflower stems in a PAM seasoned skillet. I then dump a bag of Mandarin Chicken nuggets on top. I cover the pan and simmer on medium heat for 10 min. Then I let it percolate for another half hour. The result is fab, and yes, I add Kosher salt. The sauce is delicious, but too much for me and my low-additive life.

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