If you love Trader Joe's Orange Chicken then this recipe is for you! Here's a quick way to elevate a Trader Joe's "must have" with aromatics like fresh ginger, garlic, and onion.
On a busy weekday after a long day of grad school classes and work, I am ready for dinner. When quick weeknight meals are essential, I call upon one of my freezer favorites, Trader Joe's Orange Chicken! The sweet and tangy sauce paired with crispy pieces of fried chicken is a perfect hack for takeout. While I love the classic, I found that my additions of fresh garlic and ginger bring out the flavors in the sauce and the fresh vegetables and aromatics flavor the rice to produce a great weeknight dinner!
For this recipe you'll need ginger, garlic, green bell pepper, onion, carrots, leftover quinoa rice (or other leftover rice), and 1 bag of Trader Joe's Orange Chicken. When making this recipe, it is important that you use (1) leftover rice and a (2) neutral cooking oil such as vegetable, canola, or corn oil.
(1) Leftover rice is preferred when making fried rice because it cooks quickly and is a great way to re-purpose day(s) old rice. When I make this recipe, I use leftovers from my batch of quinoa "sneaky" rice that I make using white rice and quinoa to add extra nutrients, grains, and texture!
(2) Neutral cooking oil is a great for shallow frying! Since we need to fry the chicken first, we need to use an oil that has a high smoke point (no one needs fire alarms going off!) and can maximize the crispiness of the chicken. Other oils, like olive oil are great for sauteing and roasting, but not so much for frying because they have a low smoke point which means we'll end up with chicken pieces that have a slightly bitter flavor from the frying process.
Freshly grated ginger and garlic come together with green bell pepper, onion, and carrot to elevate this simple weeknight meal. If you have other fresh or frozen vegetables that you'd like to add, go ahead! This recipe is a great foundation to build upon what YOU have in your kitchen!
Recipe: TJ Hacks - Orange Chicken
Estimated Time: 30-40 minutes
Feeds: 3-4 people
Ingredients
2 cups cooked leftover quinoa rice or other rice
1 teaspoon grated ginger
3 cloves grated garlic
1 diced onion
1 diced and de-seeded green pepper
1 cup diced carrot (2 large carrots)
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 pound Trader Joe's Orange Chicken pieces (approx. 1/2 a bag)
1 sachet Trader Joe's Orange Chicken sauce
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
Directions
1. Remove 1 sachet of Orange Chicken sauce from the Trader Joe's Orange Chicken bag. Place the sachet in a bowl filled with hot water to thaw.
2. In a large non-stick pan with high sides, heat 1/4 cup vegetable oil on medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add 1/2 pound of Trader Joe's Orange Chicken pieces in a single layer. Cook chicken for 8-10 minutes, turning the chicken halfway to brown on both sides.
3. When chicken is golden and crispy, remove the chicken from the pan and place on a plate.
4. To the remaining oil, add the diced carrot, onion, and green pepper. If the vegetables are sticking to the pan, add 1 tablespoon of oil to help the vegetables not stick. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper to taste. Saute the vegetables for 5-6 minutes until the vegetables have softened and the onions have slightly caramelized.
5. Add the grated ginger and garlic to the softened vegetables. Cook on medium heat for 1 minute or until fragrant, stirring frequently so that the garlic and ginger do not burn.
6. Add 2 cups leftover quinoa rice to the sauteed vegetables, breaking up large rice pieces and stirring to evenly combine. Let the rice and vegetables toast for 3-4 minutes or until rice is heated through on medium heat.
7. Shift the rice mixture to one side of the pan or remove to a large bowl. In the empty side of the pan, add back in the cooked chicken and thawed Trader Joe's Orange Chicken sauce. Let the sauce come up to a simmer and mix together the chicken, sauce, and vegetables. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
8. Remove from the heat and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- This recipe can be doubled to use 1, 1 pound bag of Trader Joe's Orange Chicken. You will need a larger pan and doubled the ingredients to cook enough for 6-8 people.
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