6 Budget-Friendly Ways to Elevate Trader Joe's Orange Chicken

The star of Trader Joe's is absolutely, without a doubt, the frozen mandarin orange chicken. The Asian-style entree is delicious enough on its own, but if you want to kick it up a few more notches, there are some super simple ways to elevate it. Here are some of our favorite ideas.

Broccoli is a cheap, tasty veggie that's always reliable in Asian-inspired dishes. Get your greens in and steam some broccoli to toss with your orange chicken. 

Steam some rice, then fry it up with some mixed vegetables, egg, and soy sauce to go along with your chicken. Or make things even easier and grab a bag of Trader Joe's frozen fried rice (which is conveniently located near the orange chicken), or a bag of fried rice from your favorite grocery store.

TJ's orange chicken not spicy enough for you? Drizzle some sriracha all over it until you get the kick your tastebud's desire.

Let's be honest, green onions are more than a garnish here, but they sure do look pretty on the bold color of the orange chicken. They provide a crisp, sharp bite against the citrus flavor, and sesame seeds are a touch that just makes sense.

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Sure, you can cut up your own onion, bell peppers, zucchini, broccoli — whatever you want. Or, like the fried rice situation, you can grab a bag of frozen Asian-inspired veggies from Joe's without ever leaving the frozen foods aisle. Praise be.

Grab some ramen, lo mein, rice noodles — whatever tickles your fancy. Cook them and then toss in some soy sauce and a bit of sriracha. Finally, throw that addictive Trader Joe's orange chicken right on top. Be right back, we're going to TJ's to stock up because the cravings are outta control now.