Easy air fryer orange chicken frozen recipe. How to make frozen Trader Joes or other brand to tender meat on the inside with a crispy breading. Smothered with sauce it is one of our favorite family friendly dinners. If you need something faster than our easy Crockpot orange chicken here is your solution.

I bet you love these Panda Express bites huh? Well air fryer orange chicken 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, originally published 1/21)
Frozen Orange Chicken Air Fryer
We have made TONS of different air fryer dinner recipes, but this may be a favorite. it is easy whether you choose the Trader Joe’s orange chicken in the bag or box or PF Changs is your preference.
Yes you can make this simple Instant Pot orange chicken recipe, but it’s not crispy. This brings it to the next level of YUM.
FIRST – You should sign up for my free newsletter so you get new posts emailed to you twice a week and never miss out on anything! If you love air fryer recipes too, here are some resources to start with:
- My Favorite Air Fryer is a Cosori or for a dual machine, the Foodi.
- You can find more easy air fryer recipes here, we have Ninja Foodi recipes as well; bookmark them both!
- This is the best air fryer cookbook. It’s important to know and remember how to preheat air fryer for best results.
- Here’s a printable free air fryer cooking time chart here for your fridge.
- It has temp. and times for making the best frozen foods for air fryer too.
- Then join our Facebook page below where you can share and find more ideas you’ll love.

Foster Farms Frozen Orange Chicken Air Fryer
This is the brand that was used, 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.
- Bag of frozen orange chicken
- 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 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.

Homemade Orange Chicken Sauce
These are the ingredients you will need if you want to make this separately and then add it to your own protein.
- 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.

How to cook frozen Orange chicken in air fryer
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. Preheat air fryer to 350 degrees F for 5 minutes. Spray basket with non stick spray. Add the chicken and other contents of bag into basket and close.
- Then cook for 10 minutes or until heated through to your liking.
- Serve topped with sesame seeds and/or green onions with orange zest on top.
- You could use air fryer frozen chicken nuggets and make your own sauce.
- Make chicken tenders, or air fryer chicken tenders no breading and brush this sweet and sour sauce on.
Making homemade bite size crispy chicken pieces with chicken breasts and orange sauce will take an additional 20 minutes. I’ve provided both for you here in this post.

How to cook frozen General Tso chicken in air fryer
You would make this version the same way as this. It just has a different sauce is all really. 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:
- Frozen chicken wings in air fryer are to die for, we’ve made air fryer frozen chicken breast too.
- Homemade air fryer french fries are easier to make than you might think.
- We make air fryer fish all the time too. It stays nice and flaky tender inside while giving it a bit of crisp along the edges.
If you want to use the sauce recipe in this post but use larger pieces, cook frozen chicken tenders in air fryer and brush that on as another idea. You can follow our air fryer sesame chicken directions for an all over homemade recipe. Print recipe below and enjoy.

Trader Joe’s Frozen Orange Chicken Air Fryer
If you too love this store and buy it often, use these instructions too! 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.
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Air Fryer Orange Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 bag orange chicken frozen
- 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 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.
- If your chicken and sauce is separate then just cook chicken for 10 shaking basket halfway through and pour sauce on when done.
- * Homemade recipe you will air fry 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.
Barb Laskowski
Wednesday 27th of January 2021
Hi Justine, I'm assuming that the Kung Pao Chicken from TJ's would be done the same way? Thank you!
The Typical Mom
Wednesday 27th of January 2021
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!