This Trader Joe’s air fryer orange chicken cooks up in less than 10 minutes and is perfectly crispy. Serve up trader joe’s mandarin orange chicken (it did make my list of 23 best Trader Joe’s frozen foods) with a side of rice and a vegetable like air fryer cauliflower and broccoli, steamed edamame, easy haricot verts for a quick and healthy dinner. And when you’re up for it, try my homemade healthy orange chicken that’s made with a sticky, sweet orange glaze.
If you love quick and easy Asian-ish meals, try my asparagus and chicken stir fry, teriyaki chicken, moo shu shrimp, or ground turkey stir fry next time.
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
Table of Contents
- Air Fryer Trader Joe’s Orange Chicken Video
- What You’ll Love About Trader Joe’s Orange Chicken in the Air Fryer
- Trader Joe’s Orange Chicken Ingredients
- Orange Chicken Nutrition Facts
- How to Make Trader Joe’s Mandarin Orange Chicken
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Storage Instructions
- How to Serve Trader Joe’s Mandarin Orange Chicken to the Whole Family
- What to Serve with Trader Joe’s Orange Chicken Recipe
- More Easy Trader Joe’s Recipes
- Helpful Tools to Make Trader Joe’s Mandarin Orange Chicken
Air Fryer Trader Joe’s Orange Chicken Video
What You’ll Love About Trader Joe’s Orange Chicken in the Air Fryer
- Crispy chicken
- Sweet orange flavor
- Ready in 10 minutes
- Convenient
- Family friendly meal
- Easy main dish, just need to add a carb and veggies
Trader Joe’s Orange Chicken Ingredients
Wondering about Trader Joe’s mandarin chicken ingredients? From the TJ’s website:
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), SOYBEAN OIL.
Orange Chicken Nutrition Facts
The full nutrition facts can be found on the website, but each 1 cup serving has:
- 320 calories
- 16 grams fat
- 330 mg sodium
- 24 grams total carbohydrate
- 1 gram fiber
- 6 grams sugar
- 21 grams protein
How to Make Trader Joe’s Mandarin Orange Chicken
If you’re wondering what the best way to cook Trader Joe’s orange chicken…you’ve found it! In the air fryer. Not only does it get nice and crispy, but it cooks in about half the time as cooking it in the oven would.
- Preheat air fryer. Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees F.
- Air fry mandarin chicken. Place Trader Joe’s orange chicken in a single layer into the air fryer basket and air fry for 8 minutes.
- Add orange sauce. The package instructions call for heating the orange sauce packets in a skillet on the stove top over medium heat and then tossing with the chicken to thicken it a bit.
- Serve. Serve cooked chicken with orange sauce if you are serving it on the side, in a bowl over some rice, with a side of broccoli. Garnish with scallions, sesame seeds, and sweet chili sauce if desired.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Trader Joe’s orange chicken good?
It’s one of the most popular items in Trader Joe’s freezer aisle for a reason! The Trader Joe’s Mandarin Orange Chicken is a fan-favorite product. I think it makes an easy and tasty dinner. (Though I do like my homemade orange chicken sauce better!)
How do you fix Trader Joe’s orange chicken?
The package directions call to bake the chicken and then toss it in a skillet with the packets of orange sauce.
Is Trader Joe’s orange chicken fully cooked?
Yes, the frozen orange chicken is fully cooked, so it technically just needs to be reheated.
How many people does the Trader Joe’s orange chicken serve?
It’s hard to answer this as appetites vary so much, but generally, I find the portions in Trader Joe’s frozen foods to be a lot smaller than what you might typically eat. So the orange chicken lists 5 servings, but I think 2-3 is a better estimate.
Storage Instructions
Store leftover orange chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
How to reheat
Reheat leftovers in the air fryer or a hot oven for best results. (Microwaving them won’t keep them crisp.)
How to Serve Trader Joe’s Mandarin Orange Chicken to the Whole Family
I get it, feeding kids can be tough! But following the Division of Responsibility and knowing your job and your child’s job makes it SO much more enjoyable. You’ll be able to feed your kids any meal, which will help ensure that they are eating a variety of nutritious foods – with plenty of play food sprinkled in. 😉
I served the orange sauce on the side, so that they could add the sauce if desired. The more opportunities we can give them to play a role in food and meals, the better!
All of my articles on feeding kids can be found here and if you want a FULL list of all of the videos I have with hacks, tips, scripts, and ideas for feeding kids, check out my instagram or tiktok page.
What to Serve with Trader Joe’s Orange Chicken Recipe
I keep it really classic with rice and broccoli.
- Rice – Use your favorite variety and make it fast and convenient with the frozen Trader Joe’s rice that needs just a minute or two in the microwave.
- Cauliflower rice – If you’re looking to add in extra veggies.
- Cauliflower fried rice – The best of both worlds – veggies and flavor!
- Fried rice – A great way to add extra flavor and TJ’s has a frozen one.
- Vegetable – Sauteed snap peas, air fryer broccoli, or haricot verts.
More Easy Trader Joe’s Recipes
If you like this Trader Joe’s air fryer orange chicken recipe, you might also like some of these other easy Trader Joe’s recipes:
- Ultimate Guide to Trader Joe’s Dumplings
- Best of Trader Joe’s Recipes
- Trader Joe’s Cheese Board
- Trader Joe’s Bool Kogi Rice Bowls
- Trader Joe’s Pollo Asado Quinoa Bowls
- Trader Joe’s Tikka Masala Lentils
Menu Plans by My Everyday Table can help you out.
The plan addresses three major issues when it comes to weeknight dinners: having a plan, time, and one family meal.
You’ll save time, save money, waste less food, and feel calm when 5pm hits because your dinner is already planned.
Helpful Tools to Make Trader Joe’s Mandarin Orange Chicken
- Air Fryer – You can’t make Trader Joe’s orange chicken in the air fryer without an air fryer. I’ve had this air fryer for years and it’s held up well.
- Glass Storage Containers – Store any leftover TJ’s orange chicken in these glass containers.
Trader Joe’s Orange Chicken in the Air Fryer
- Prep Time: 0 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Total Time: 8 minutes
- Yield: 2–3 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Air Fryer
- Cuisine: Chinese
Description
Trader Joe’s air fryer orange chicken cooks up in half the time! Serve this fan-favorite with rice and broccoli for a quick meal.
Ingredients
- 1 package Trader Joe’s Mandarin Orange Chicken
- rice for serving
- broccoli for serving
Instructions
- Prep rice and/or broccoli sides.
- Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees F.
- Place chicken pieces into air fryer basket in a single layer (you may have to cook in batches) and cook for 8 minutes.
- Heat orange sauce packet in a large skillet and toss in chicken to coat. Let it cook for a minute, stirring, so that it thickens up and is glossy.
Keywords: trader joe’s orange chicken air fryer, Trader Joe’s air fryer orange chicken, Trader Joe’s mandarin orange chicken
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Cam
This is a favorite at our house! And making it in the AF is so quick. It is better when you pan fry it with the sauce, but sometimes I’ll just drizzle it if I’m lazy. 🙂
★★★★★
Emily
Agree 100%!