Trader Joe's Orange Chicken

Trader Joe's Mandarin Orange Chicken is the best-selling product in the store and the gap between how good it tastes and how easy it is to make does not feel rational: 20 minutes in the oven and you have something crispy on the outside, tender inside. Coated in a sauce that hits sweet and tangy without being cloying. At $4.99 for enough to feed 2 people, it's cheaper than any takeout option and faster than most delivery apps. Cooking instructions are simple enough that someone who has never used an oven can manage it. Only decision is whether you want it crispier (more time) or saucier (less time, more sauce packet). Not trying to be authentic Chinese food and not pretending to be, it's frozen chicken in a bag with a packet of orange sauce. Honesty is part of why it works. Trader Joe's in general has figured out that their store-brand products need to be good enough to replace the name-brand version and cheap enough that trying them is not a risk. Orange chicken is the clearest example of that strategy because nobody walks past it in the freezer aisle without at least considering it. Packaging uses the same cheerful illustration style that Trader Joe's uses for everything, hand-drawn with bright colors, and it stands out in a freezer section dominated by corporate photography. I eat it about twice a month and I am not embarrassed about that, which is probably the highest compliment you can give a frozen meal.