{"id":15750,"date":"2026-09-26T13:00:37","date_gmt":"2026-09-26T17:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/?p=15750"},"modified":"2026-09-26T13:03:31","modified_gmt":"2026-09-26T17:03:31","slug":"pf-changs-orange-chicken-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/snarklesauce.com\/blog\/2026\/09\/26\/pf-changs-orange-chicken-review\/","title":{"rendered":"PF Chang’s Orange Chicken Review"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Author’s note: Not a paid or sponsored review. I have no affiliation with PF Chang’s<\/a> or Publix. These are my own silly opinions.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of these things is not like the others.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I remember going to a PF Chang’s restaurant 20 years ago and ordering the Orange Chicken. It was stunningly delicious. I loved it.<\/p>\n\n\n

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But this frozen meal does not deserve to be discussed in the same paragraph. It is nothing like the restaurant meal.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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For starters, the “breaded chicken” is both squashy and tough. It’s flaccid on the outside, and chewy on the inside. It appears to be heavily processed, like a cheap chicken nugget. But worse<\/em>. Because at least chicken nuggets are crispy and flavorful.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Some of my chicken had lost their soggy breading by the time the meal was finished cooking. I am not a fan of the distressingly mechanical shape of the nuggets. Although it is<\/em> fitting for the disagreeable processed texture. This is the most un-natural-tasting chicken I’ve had in a while. Borderline awful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Looking for an Asian meal with a better chicken texture? Check out my review of Bibigo Sweet & Spicy Crunchy Korean Chicken<\/a>.)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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I like the vegetables. The carrot sticks are perky, with good color and fresh flavor. The edamame is firm and bright, with juuuust enough softness. I loved the crunchy crispness of the water chestnut slices. I had to stop myself from picking all of them out of the pan and eating them immediately. Delicious.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The sauce is OK. It’s sticky-sweet. By the time the meal finishes cooking, it has a syrupy thickness. It smells wonderful — a teriyaki savory smell. Addictive flavor. The citrus notes are a bit more elusive, although I did find several chewy-soft orange peel fragments. There’s a coy salty-spiciness that I appreciated. Not enough to be truly “hot. But flavorful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Have you tried Sumo Citrus? Here’s my review<\/a>.)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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How to cook the meal<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I do<\/em> appreciate the convenience of this meal. It comes in a frozen bag, and you just dump the contents into a hot skillet and cook for 10-ish minutes. The first five minutes are covered, and the last 4-6 are uncovered while stirring.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Fingers<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

My frozen bits seemed to be in excellent condition — no freezer burn or weirdness. Nothing stuck together in awkward contortions, either. The sauce is in neat-o frozen cubes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I served mine over freshly cooked basmati rice. One cup dry rice was the right amount for the entire 22 ounce bag.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Ingredients in PF Chang’s Orange Chicken Frozen Meal<\/h2>\n\n\n
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\"Ingredients<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Here is my best attempt at typing out the ingredients, from the label:<\/p>\n\n\n\n