Trader Joe's Kung Pao chicken in air fryer

Name: Trader Joe's Kung Pao Chicken in Air Fryer
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 14 min
Ingredients: 1 package Trader Joe's Kung Pao chicken

You won't believe how easy it is to cook Trader Joe's kung pao chicken in the air fryer from frozen! This convenient heat-and-eat meal includes juicy pieces of chicken and veggies tossed with crunchy peanuts in a spicy, sweet, and tangy kung pao sauce. Start to finish this recipe takes as little as 15 minutes to make for a quick and satisfying dinner!

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Need dinner in a flash but want something that *actually* tastes good, too? Trader Joe's frozen meals are here to save the day! You probably aren't surprised to learn that we love to cook Trader Joe's kung pao chicken chicken in an air fryer. It's one of our favorite quick and easy dinner solutions for busy weeknights and lazy weekends!

These super convenient packages of ready-to-cook meals are easy to make AND happy to be very economical. (There are 4 servings per bag so you can feed the whole family with just 1 or 2 packages, depending on the size of your crowd.) But best of all, this kung pao chicken tastes AMAZING!

the package of the only ingredient used in this recipe

In just one bag you get a delicious combination of tender dark meat chicken thighs and veggies, including bell peppers and crisp water chestnuts. After air frying for less than 10 minutes it's time to pump up the flavor with a handy packet of crunchy peanuts and fiery kung pao sauce. Then cook for another few minutes and dinner is ready in only about 15 minutes total.

That's right: Everything gets cooked and stirred together in the air fryer! So there are no additional dishes necessary and each bite is perfectly coated in the rich, spicy and glossy sauce.

vegetables and peanuts on the chicken in the air fryer

adding kung pao sauce to the chicken and vegetables

Serve the chicken and vegetables with Asian-inspired side dishes like fluffy rice, noodles, or potstickers (AKA Chinese dumplings). You can also pair with cauliflower rice or enjoy as a full meal by itself for a satisfying low carb meal!

Frequently asked questions

Is Trader Joe's kung pao chicken already cooked?

Yes! The chicken and vegetables in this heat-and-eat frozen meal are all cooked before packaging. But Trader Joe's kung pao chicken still needs to be thoroughly reheated in the air fryer to an internal temperature of 165 degrees for it to be safe to eat.

Is Trader Joe's kung pao chicken gluten free?

No, it is not. The TJ's kung pao sauce includes soy sauce that also contains wheat.

What is kung pao sauce made of?

Trader Joe's frozen version uses many of the Chinese cuisine ingredients you find in most kung pao sauces. These include soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and rice vinegar. What gives this kung pao sauce it's signature spicy flavor is plenty of dried chili powder and whole fried red chilis.

Is kung pao chicken spicy?

Yes, it is! The chilis make the sauce deliciously fiery, and are a good deal hotter than jalapeno peppers. But the heat is tampered a bit by the addition of umami soy sauce, tangy vinegar, and sugar. All together the flavor is a yummy combination of savory, sour, spicy and lightly sweet.

That being said, those that are sensitive to spicy foods likely will not be big fans of this dish.

Can you cook frozen chicken in an air fryer?

Absolutely you can! Packages of ready-to-heat meals are great to cook from frozen, so there's no need to bother thawing first.

I do suggest lining the basket with a square of parchment paper or parchment liner designed specifically for the air fryer. This helps cut down on mess inside the appliance and makes overall cleanup much easier. Be sure to add the parchment after preheating the fryer, right when you are ready to add the frozen chicken and veggies.

Is it better to air fry frozen or thawed?

It's always a good idea to air fry precooked food straight from the freezer while it is still frozen. Thawing first causes moisture to release, which means the chicken and veggies are likely to be soggy even when air fried.

More Trader Joe's chicken recipes

Hope you will like this Trader Joe's Kung Pao chicken in air fryer recipe as much as we do. Rate the recipe if you made it and leave a comment below if you have any questions or suggestions.

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