Trader Joe’s Mandarin Orange Chicken
There are many great mysteries in this world, and one of them is this: Why would a frozen dish rival most of its restaurant equivalents? It simply doesn’t make sense. Fresh food is ALWAYS better, right? Frozen food is ALWAYS the lesser alternative?
Well, for whatever reason--whether it be wild luck or skill on the part of Trader Joe, or perhaps some kind of evil magic ritual--this orange chicken might be my absolute favorite in the world. And this is coming from a guy who’s WILD about Chinese food. Most other Chinese is way better at a restaurant, as one might expect, but orange chicken tends to vary wildly in style and taste. TJ’s orange chicken, however, is always perfect in every way. Maybe I’m going out on a limb here; maybe Chinese food connoisseurs with more refined palettes will mock me for this. But from where I’m standin’, this stuff is “the bomb,” as kids might say.
The packaging recommends preparing this chicken in the oven. While I’ll admit, I haven’t experimented with this a lot, my own preferred method is in a pan. Put a little oil in there (I prefer avocado oil), get it nice and hot, and dump in the chicken. Flip it around every once in a while to fry all parts evenly, and turn the heat down as you go so you don’t burn the oil. The longer you fry, the crispier it gets, and I personally like it reeeeal real crispy. Then when it’s done, crank up the heat, dump in the orange sauce, and stir. It will bubble and thicken really fast; you can probably turn off the heat after only a few moments. Continue to stir until the sauce is all thick and sticky and completely coating the chicken, and you’re done!
Pair this with one of Trader Joe’s fried rice options, which are very easy to throw into a pan and fry up in a matter of minutes (I put both oil and butter in a pan and get it really hot to help prevent sticking). Their chow mein is fine, but I prefer to use Ajinomoto brand Yakisoba, which can be found in large boxes at many grocery stores. Slap all that together and you’ve got yourself restaurant-quality Chinese food at a fraction of the price, and probably enough to feed several people (or 1.2 Arlos).
This is one of my most treasured recommendations. I hope it leads you to happiness.
