Easy air fryer orange chicken frozen recipe. How to cook frozen Trader Joes or PF Changs to tender meat on the inside with a crispy breading. Smothered with sauce it is one of our favorite family friendly dinners. Faster than our easy Crockpot orange chicken pieces and crunchy!

A fork holds a piece of orange-glazed chicken, perfectly crispy from the air fryer, over a bowl filled with more pieces and mixed vegetables like carrots and peas. Parsley is sprinkled on top for garnish.
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I bet you love these Panda Express bites huh? Well Ninja Foodi orange chicken frozen comes out almost as good and it’s super fresh cooked in your own kitchen! Just one easy air fryer recipe we have on The Typical Mom. (affiliate links present)

What is the best way to cook frozen orange chicken?

In the past we made a homemade version of our Instant Pot orange chicken recipe, but it doesn’t come out crispy at all. If you want to brings this bag from Trader Joe’s to the next level of YUM you should try air frying it, right out of the bag. NO defrosting required, just set the heat to cook, toss with sauce and enjoy!

We have made TONS of different air fryer dinner recipes, but this may be a favorite. It is easy whether you choose the store brand in the bag or a box or PF Changs in the freezer section of your grocery store. it is the crunchy outside and tender meat in the center texture you want right?? You’ll get it right with our step by step directions below.

If you love extra crispy food and quick recipes, here are some resources to start with:

A close-up photo of a hand pulling out the basket of an open air fryer on a light-colored surface. The interior of the air fryer basket is empty and features a mesh design, perfect for cooking your favorite dishes like bang bang shrimp. The edge of the air fryer has a latch mechanism for securing the basket.

Trader Joe’s Air Fryer Frozen Orange Chicken

This and PF Changs is the brand that was use, but there are several out there. Most frozen brands are of a similar weight so they’d use the same timing. You may need to adjust by 2 or so minutes to get it just the way you want it.

  1. Bag from your favorite brand with orange sauce packets included
  2. Air fryer basket and that is it!

If you want to make it a bit more homemade you can make your own sauce and use a bag of frozen popcorn chicken instead. Then toss together and serve on a bed of Ninja Foodi rice. If you need a gluten free version this might be safer than bagged. Then you can adjust everything to your own needs, and make as spicy as you’d like too.

A bag of P.F. Chang's Orange Chicken sits enticingly beside a Power Air Fryer XL, ready to transform into crispy perfection. The packaging tempts with images of battered chicken breast in a zesty orange sauce, promising a restaurant-quality dish at home using your air fryer.

These are the ingredients you will need if you want to make this separately and then add it to your own protein. It is like a copycat Panda Express sweet and sour sauce in case your bag does not have enough to your liking. You will need:

Homemade Orange Chicken Sauce Ingredients

  • 1 c. orange juice
  • 1/2 c granulated sugar
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1/4 tsp minced ginger and minced garlic
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • red pepper flakes are optional for a bit of heat

Bring ingredients to a slow rolling boiling over medium heat in a pot on the stovetop. Then whisk in 1 tbsp of corn starch and allow that to thicken.

Add in some zest from 1 orange to enhance orange flavor to your liking. Then make homemade popcorn chicken bites. Toss when the meat is cooked and crisped nicely. OR just use the 3 ingredients for the sauce in our other versions made in different pots with marmelade.

An air fryer basket filled with mixed, breaded orange chicken pieces, carrots, and green edamame beans. The food appears crispy and is evenly distributed in the basket.

This way is a lot easier because it already has the sauce and diced vegetables inside the bag. Choose which direction you want to go, both are great.

How to cook frozen orange chicken in air fryer

  1. Preheat air fryer to 350 degrees F for 5 minutes.
  2. Spray basket with non stick spray.
  3. Add the chicken and other contents of bag into basket (in a single layer) and close.
  4. Then cook for 10 minutes or until heated through to your liking.
    • it is best to shake 1-2 times during this time
  5. Toss with sauce when done
  6. Serve topped with sesame seeds and/or green onions with orange zest on top.

in Ninja Foodi

With this machine you just need to use the lid that is attached for the right function, and the air crisp button. If you wanted to make your own sauce you could make air fryer frozen chicken nuggets first and then use that as a dip or toss to coat so they are sticky sweet and perfect. Kinda’ a cheater version of sorts. ๐Ÿ˜‰

How long does it take to cook frozen food in an air fryer?

That depends on what you are making. With this breaded and frozen meat the overall cook time is 9-12 minutes depending on the size of your pieces. As you well know there is quite a variety when you used bagged. Smaller bits will get crispier while those big ones may take a bit longer. Just take the “bitties” out earlier and add another minute or two so they’re all perfect.

air fryer orange chicken

How can you make orange chicken healthy?

You don’t have to make this breaded. Instead if you buy bottled sauce you can make a batch of our air fryer chicken tenders no breading and brush sauce on the last minute so it sort of caramelizes and browns. And/or you can dip in it to coat well and enjoy that way!!

When you cook the chicken this way you’ll get that deep fried texture but without all the extra calories and fat. We have lots of other Ninja air fryer recipes we love and make often, but here are a few you should try next:

How do you reheat leftovers?

I would use this same machine! A microwave will warm it faster but the texture will be quite soft especially after sitting in a container in the fridge overnight. Instead preheat to 380F and spray basket. Pour in pieces and shake after 1 minute, cook for another minute and that should do it!

Other easy dinner ideas you’ll love

A close-up of sweet and sour air fryer chicken with crispy breaded pieces, sliced carrots, edamame, and a glossy sauce. Garnished with chopped parsley.
Air Fryer Orange Chicken recipe
5 from 1 vote

Air Fryer Orange Chicken

By The Typical Mom
How to cook air fryer orange chicken frozen from Trader Joes or PF Changs in Ninja Foodi with bottled or homemade sauce.
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Servings: 4
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Equipment

  • 1 air fryer

Ingredients 

  • 1 bag orange chicken, frozen, with sauce packets inside bag
  • 1 spray olive oil

Instructions 

  • Preheat air fryer to 350 degrees F for 5 minutes.
  • Spray basket with non stick spray. Pour contents of bag into basket and close.
  • Cook for 10 minutes, shaking basket 2x, or until heated through to your liking. As you well know there is quite a variety of chicken pieces when you used bagged. Smaller bits will get crispier while those big ones may take a bit longer and you may want to spray larger ones to crisp up better.
  • Pour sauce on when done.

Video

Notes

Frozen Orange Chicken Using Popcorn Chicken and Homemade Sauce
Semi-homemade recipe – you will air fry a bag of frozen popcorn chicken for about 8 minutes at 340 degrees F or until heated through, shaking basket halfway thru. Then make homemade sauce heating on stovetop until a rolling bowl, then pour on top and enjoy.
Homemade sauce: 1 c. orange juice + 1/2 c granulated sugar + 2 tbsp rice vinegar + 1/4 tsp minced ginger + 1/4 tsp minced garlic + 2 tbsp soy sauce + 1/4 tsp garlic powder & red pepper flakes. Once boiling whisk in 1 tbsp cornstarch until thickened and zest from 1 orange to enhance orange flavor.

Nutrition

Serving: 2oz, Calories: 1kcal, Protein: 1g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 1mg, Sodium: 1mg, Potassium: 1mg, Vitamin A: 1IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 1mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Entree, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Chinese
Tried this recipe?Mention @thetypical_mom or tag #thetypicalmom!

About The Typical Mom

Justine is the creative mind behind The Typical Mom and The Typical Family on YouTube. She began blogging about easy recipes, budget friendly activities for kids, and fun family travel destinations in September 2012.

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2 Comments

  1. Hi Justine,
    I’m assuming that the Kung Pao Chicken from TJ’s would be done the same way?
    Thank you!

    1. You know what, I have never bought that one but I would assume so. If the sauce is separate just warm that slightly in the microwave, use timing here for meat, shaking basket half way thru and toss with sauce at the end. lemme know!