We want to help you figure out which orange chicken brand will give you an authentic, delicious taste, and leave you wanting more. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories, 50% of the chain's customers ordered the dish, it's won best entre seven years in a row, 8 Chinese food chains across the US everyone should try, I tried 18 of Trader Joe's award-winning foods, and would buy at least 14 of them again, I tried Trader Joe's award-winning entre, but some of the runner-ups were as good as the winner, I tried Aldi's famous frozen chicken breasts, and I get why their fan club has nearly 15,000 members. To do this, we have compiled a list of different frozen orange chickens that are commonly found in stores, and ranked them from worst to best. The beautifully orange-brown chicken blended the citrus of the mandarin and the tenderness of the chicken meat incredibly, garnering quite the following for this brand. This orange and yellow bag of frozen chicken is about 22 ounces, and has been a competitor for Trader Joe's Customer Choice awards for several years, being hyped as one of the greatest items the store has offered. They have numerous frozen foods to choose from, one beingSchwan's Mandarin Orange Chicken. The chain describes its orange-peel chicken as "lightly battered" with a "sweet citrus-chili sauce" and "fresh orange slices" and based on what I tried, that seems accurate. There are several brands that make exceptional frozen orange chicken. It may come as a shock that there is a vegan option of frozen orange chicken on this list, but Gardein Mandarin Orange Crispy Plant-Based Chick'n can fit into any aspiring or current vegan's weekly meals. If you're looking for a good orange mandarin chicken, Yangs 5th Taste will satisfy your taste buds. If youre vegan, you have to try the Gardein mandarin orange chickn. Through the Crazy Cuisine Brand, Day-Lee Foods offers a variety of frozen Asian entrees, including another frozen Mandarin Orange Chicken pack to combine with vegetables, as well as rice or noodles. But, just in case youre curious about the origins of orange chicken, lets learn about it first. Next up was InnovAsian. Each package comes with crispy plant-based chickn and an orange sauce to toss in the chickn. Flavor-wise, the grocery chain's sauce is much much less spicy than Panda Express', but it still had a nice, even blend of tangy orange flavor and a sweetness that didn't taste syrupy or artificial. Frozen food delivery services such as Schwan's Home Delivery have been around since 1952, and have delivered frozen meals options to homes for almost 70 years now. as well as other partner offers and accept our. Chang's meal to be just right. Yangs 5th Taste Mandarin Orange Chicken will have you yearning for more after you take a bite of this oven-baked orange chicken. Kumquats bring more acidic and bright notes to the dish. If you've never tried orange chicken before, here's a little backstory: Taiwanese American chef Andy Kao is, Medianews Group / MediaNews Group via Getty Images. We are happy to let you know that this dish manages to capture the essence of good Chinese orange chicken while managing to keep a balanced, sensible meal. Orange chicken is a popular dish that's been around for decades, but there's still some debate about the best place to get it. But if you don't mind not having crunch to your chicken, the sauce and veggies are reasonably tasty, albeit not mind-blowing. Plus every chicken morsel was fried to perfection and had a tender, juicy center. That said, Trader Joe's orange chicken left me feeling equally as satisfied. Of course, it didn't; it was basically steamed in a microwave! This was my first time trying the frozen version of P.F. The first thing that springs to mind when you think of food delivery is likely something like a pizza, or some other take-out food. Chang's, although I've eaten at the restaurant once or twice before. I tried orange chicken from Trader Joe's, Panda Express, and P.F. This order also came with a side of rice at no extra cost. Unfortunately, for me, the sauce didn't quite work. For me, that's a no-go. This was cheaper than some of the options at $5 (regular price $7.99), but by comparison, the Trader Joe's option was $5.99 and had two more servings in the package. Chang's would expand to offer frozen meals in stores, and have an entry on this list, that being P.F. Join the mailing list and receive our free newsletter! As the popularity of frozen foodshas risen, so has the number of meal options. We're so happy you're here. It was an interesting sensation where you get this hit of orange-ness up front, but none of the tangy taste on the back end. Specifically, they wanted to give people more Asian-based food options so their only exposure to it wouldn't be through dining out, or trying to make it at home. But to be fair, that price gets you a more sophisticated version of this takeout classic. But when choosing a go-to orange chicken, it really comes down to preference. the supermarket freezer section is stacked, The Most Popular Trader Joes Product Is a Freezer Aisle Favorite. However, Orange chicken lovers who have tried this product are majorly disappointed by this chicken, with many reviews on Schwan's website having multiple things to complain about regarding the chicken. The bags of Mandarin Orange Chicken sport a fiery colored covering, and are branded as juicy, crispy, and doused in a mandarin orange sauce. Search, watch, and cook every single Tasty recipe and video ever - all in one place! Without being super heavy or oily, this meal reminded me of a typical fried-chicken entre. But you dont have to order takeout to get restaurant-quality orange chicken. The sauce's jelly-like texture oddly paired with the fried meat, and there was also way too much the chicken was practically swimming in it. Although Panda Express' was great, Trader Joe's orange chicken won based on affordability. The sauce is tangy and a little sweet but not TOO sweet. These tasty morsels are one of the most popular items at Trader Joes. Fortunately, we were wrong, and this was one of the better vegan products we have tried. If you like yours on the sweeter side, you may find P.F. If you want some healthy chicken, you're best going for something that is grilled. If you're familiar with Asian take-out and cuisine, then it's almost impossible for you not to have heard of P.F. We could definitely pick up the hints of citrus in the sauce, as well as a fresh balance of green onions, ginger, soy sauce, and garlic. Simply reheat the chicken in the microwave or oven then ladle and toss the orange sauce over the chicken. This seemed like a pretty solid deal until I realized that an entire multi-serving bag of orange chicken from Trader Joe's is only $4.99. It differs from Panda Express in that way, as it tastes less sugary (of course, it might be just as sugary, but I'm just saying it TASTES less sweet and syrupy). Plus the lip-smacking umami finish lingered on the inside of my cheeks and kept me reaching for more like a bag of salty potato chips would. The addition of orange peel gives the dish more orange essence, for those who like a forward orange flavor. The only thing that disappointed us was the small amount of orange "chicken" that was in each bag we wished there had been more. This frozen orange chicken is listed as not having any preservatives or artificial coloring, and ready to eat after being placed in an oven for less than a half hour. The orange sauce is a unique blend of kumquat juice, orange juice, and orange peel. Chang's was being catered, I definitely wouldn't turn this dish away. So there you have it! Only one contender was a single-serve meal. Add rice and steamed broccoli to make a complete and balanced meal. Tasty, tender, and affordable, we highly recommend you try this product out. Using an air fryer was one of the options on the packaging (although not the "recommended" method, so it went in the oven), and TBH, it may have been crispier if I did air fry it. Which one should you buy for dinners at a moments notice at home? Chang's to find the best one. It is extremely difficult to find satisfying meals that contain no animal products, but in doing so, vegans have the ability to lose weight through their diet, attain lower levels of blood sugar, and decrease chances of heart disease, among several other health benefits. Patty lives in Atlanta with her husband and two children. If you're a foodie and love to cook or bake - you're in the right place. Still, if I went to an office party or a dinner soiree where P.F. You can find Trader Joe's Mandarin orange chicken in the store's freezer section. P.F. If youre looking for a high protein source thats low in fat, Vegetarian plus has you covered! ), but it does also come with water chestnuts, carrots, and other veggies mixed in. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider And although I appreciated the fresh oranges, they seemingly served no real purpose beyond garnish. If you're looking for a good Asian chicken, but also want to be conscious of what you eat, then this bowl is perfect for you. Dinner can be served in under ten minutes. I'll give P.F. P.F. P.F. To combine the components, I used a shallow mixing bowl, which left each piece nicely coated.Good orange chicken is mostly defined by its sauce, which is why Panda Express' balanced mix of sweet, tangy, and savory remains unmatched. If you love traditional sweet-and-sour sauce or the "orange" half of the equation the most, you'd probably enjoy this option. This serving size is ideal for lunch or dinner for two. The best way to finish this orange chicken is to add the sauce to taste, knowing you might not use all of the sauce provided. I prepared the entres according to the preferred instructions as indicated on the package most in the oven, one in a skillet on the stovetop, and one in the microwave. Want a dinner thats ready in under thirty minutes? We applaud anyone trying to live a healthy vegan lifestyle. It could be that I'm so used to the fast-food version of this dish, but the sauce seemed off-balance and was a little too tangy and fruity for my liking. One thing I also really like about TJ's orange chicken is it comes with two separate sauce packets, so if you're a solo eater and you want to make half now and keep the other half frozen for later, you can do that. And a kick of chili came through to give each bite an extra oomph. Reporting on what you care about. However, one aspect that we felt this mandarin frozen chicken lacked was the taste of mandarin orange. For this taste test, I picked up five brands of frozen orange chicken: Trader Joe's Mandarin Orange Chicken, P.F. But if you're looking for something with that familiar orange-and-spice combo, I'd advise ordering from elsewhere. Reviews for this product on Alison's Pantry are overly positive, with people comparing it to Panda Express's orange chicken, and claiming that the flavor of the chicken "is to die for and everyone just loves it," and we agree. Delicious! Read on to find out how the store-bought, fast-food, and upscale orange-chicken options all stacked up. Chang's chicken had terrific breading. We really liked that the rice, vegetables, and chicken were in a single bowl, all ready to go, and easy to prepare. Lets take a look. Thaw the sauce as the chicken bakes, then toss with the chicken to coat in the glossy orange sauce once it comes out of the oven. With a winning combination of sweet, tangy, and umami, Panda Express is clearly the expert when it comes to this iconic dish. One thing I noticed right away was that the portion was pretty small. This is the same for frozen orange chicken meals, and there are numerous orange chicken meals to select from these days. At a glance, the order looks pretty unassuming it's essentially bite-sized morsels of fried dark-meat chicken coated in a sticky, tangy orange sauce with no vegetables anywhere in sight. The box said it was "tempura," and it did look and taste a little more like that Japanese style of frying, very light and crispy. The red peppers added a nice kick to the meal as a whole, and the fried rice was full of flavor. But considering I can get at least two meals out of it for the price of one, Joe can go ahead and take my money. Compared to the other two dishes I tried, this one's breading-to-chicken ratio was just right, as the coating on each piece was thick enough to provide an initial crunch without tasting like fried bread. Lets explore the brands that have the best frozen orange chicken. But when I tried it, I was pleasantly surprised! Chang's would be prepared in a skillet, and Tai Pei would just be microwaved in the packaging. With its popularity only on the rise, there should be no surprise that P.F. Trader Joe's is also the only orange chicken of this array that seems to have real chunks of dark meat chicken.
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