Learn how and why you should be air frying the Mandarin Orange Chicken from Trader Joe's instead of cooking it in the oven.
On an ultra hot 90 degree plus summer day, when I don't feel like cooking or heating up my oven it's when I have to go to a convenience meal just to be sure I get food in my body! And I am sure I can cook it in the air fryer.
So what do I turn to? This chicken from Trader Joe's.
I think it's one of the best frozen chicken products you can buy. Right up there with the Lightly Breaded Chicken Chunks from Costco.
Why Air Fry
The beauty of air frying this chicken is that it helps it cook faster than it would in the oven. I can have a batch done in about 10 minutes where it usually takes twice the long to cook it in the oven.
Plus I think the chicken comes out crispier. That is key because you will be putting a sauce on it. The crispier the chicken is to start, the longer it will hold up with the sauce on it and not get soggy. No one wants soggy chicken!
Tips for Air Frying
The temperature you want to air fry the chicken at is 400 degrees for about 10 minutes or until the chicken is golden brown or it's 160 degrees when checked with an instant read thermometer.
You want the chicken to be in a single layer. If you try to cook too much at once it will take longer and the chicken won't get crispy. It should look like the chicken in this photo.
It's also helpful if you shake the basket about half way through cooking to help it cook evenly.
Now I have a dual basket air fryer, so what I do is divide the chicken among the two baskets. It works perfectly.
I then sauce the chicken right before taking the first bite. You can thaw the sauce in the microwave but I find it easy enough to place the unopened pouch of sauce in a bowl with warm water. It doesn't take long for it at all to thaw.
Air Fried Asian Sampler
Looking for some serving suggestions? I came up with this super fun Air Fried Asian Sample meal that has the chicken, along with Tteok Bok Ki Spiced Rice Cakes, broccoli, and gyoza. All made in the air fryer! Check out my video from my Instagram account.
I will be sharing links to the recipes for cooking all of these items shortly.
All Trader Joe's fans make sure to check out these other popular Trader Joe's posts from the blog including How to Air Fry the Butternut Squash Zig Zags for Fries.
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Air Fried Mandarin Chicken from Trader Joe's
Ingredients
- 1 bag frozen Trader Joe's Mandarin Orange Chicken'
Instructions
- You don't need to preheat your air fryer, just take the chicken out of the bag and place into your air fryer.
- Don't crowd the air fryer. Chicken shouldn't be stacked on top each other. If need be work in 2 batches. If you have an air fryer with dual baskets, divide the chicken evenly among the baskets.
- Set the air fryer for 10 minutes at 400 degrees to start.
- While the chicken is cooking, place the sauce into a bowl of hot water to help it thaw.
- Half way through cooking, give the air fryer basket a shake to help the chicken cook evenly.
- After 10 minutes, the chicken should be golden brown. You can check to be sure that it's done. If you are unsure, use an instant read thermometer to check the temperature. It should be at 160 degrees.
- Remove from the air fryer with a pair of tongs that have a silicone end or plastic end so that you don't scratch the air fryer basket. Serve on rice and/or with broccoli or with other Asian foods from Trader Joe's.
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