Kung Pao Chicken & Brown Rice

Is anyone in the mood for Chinese food? Tonight I cooked up some of Trader Joe’s Kung Pao Chicken, and let’s just say it definitely satisfied my craving for some spice! I’m normally a sucker for Trader Joes’ Orange Chicken and brown rice combo, but the frozen Kung Pao Chicken has a kick to it like no other. If I had to describe this dish in 3 words, they would be: juicy, spicy, and savory. Pull this Kung Pao Chicken out of the freezer for all of the elements of a traditional Chinese dish! Now let’s move on to what makes this dinner so special!

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Spice Factor

I am not one to normally vouch for a spicy dinner considering my palette is sensitive to spicy foods. With that being said, I am probably not a qualified candidate to be giving a spice review on Trader Joes’ Kung Pao Chicken, but I will try my best. For me, this frozen dish had just the right amount of “kick." The seasoned chicken was tender, the vegetables were soft, but the real kicker was the spicy soy ginger sauce and fried chilis. If you prefer a milder dish, just leave out the chilis and sauce; you can even substitute for a sweet chili sauce!

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The Hack That Changed The Game

Here’s where I’m about to share a little secret about how YOU can take this dish to the next level. Since Kung Pao Chicken is typically served on a bed of brown rice, I decided to pick up the bagged rice from the freezer aisle at Trader Joe’s. Here’s where the hack comes in… Instead of following the directions on the box of brown rice and cooking it in the microwave, toss your frozen rice into the pan at the same time as your veggies! Cook for 3 minutes on the stovetop and your rice will be perfectly mixed with all of your other ingredients.

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The Results Are In!

If you can’t tell, I’m a big fan of this Kung Pao Chicken. Although I don’t typically go for frozen Chinese dishes with a bit of spice, I could see myself craving this from time to time. When it’s a busy week, pick up this dinner (and a box of frozen brown rice) to tide you over!