Why T.G.I.Friday’s Frozen Orange Chicken is an Epic Fail

You're probably aware that all the wonderful foods you love to order in family restaurants are now available in your grocer's freezer. Yes, that includes a collection of entrees from mega-chain T.G.I.Friday's. Against my better judgment, I let curiosity lure me into buying the chain's frozen microwave-in-a-bag of Sesame Orange Chicken.

And oh doesn't it look delicious. All that chunky white-meat chicken, perfectly steamed veggies and rice, tossed wonderfully with a sweet and spicy orange sauce. How could I resist? Let the record show that I am completely aware that with any pre-packaged food, you're running the risk of introducing all sorts of crap into your system. I decided to take one for the team.

You pop this bad boy, bag and all, into your microwave for somewhere between 4 and 5 minutes (give or take). Cut the top open, and pour the magically cooked contents into a dish. Voila! Dinner. It didn't look so bad. I could distinguish entire chunks of chicken. They seemed intact. The vegetables had good color and hadn't liquefied. But speaking of liquids. There happened to be a lot of that. This entrée was literally swimming in sauce. And where was the rest of the rice? Or the sesame for that matter?

I took a bite, making sure to account for all the ingredients on one forkful. Pure, unadulterated sweetness. In fact, the sweet sauce was an immediate assault to the senses. I happen to like meats seasoned in a sweet and savory manner. But this was just too much. And there seemed not be enough rice to help absorb some of this syrupiness. After I managed to swallow, I discovered the undertones of heat mentioned on the package---distinct spiciness completely buried beneath a chemical saccharine pool.

I decided to give the dish another bite or two-just to give it a chance. I noticed that the breading on the chicken began to separate rather easily after a while, soaking up more of that insane sauce. Something about this slippery separation seemed not right. The veggies in and of themselves, were about the only things holding the dish together.

I realized shortly between bite 2 and 2 ½ , that I would not be able to finish this meal. It was just too sweet. And with such overpowering flavor, I quickly realized why this tiny bag packs a walloping 880mg of sodium. (Yikes!) Nope, not eating anymore of that. I thought what a shame it must be to waste that much sodium on preservatives that taste this horrible. Alas, my taste buds were not tricked by artificial loveliness. Too bad. The Sesame Orange Chicken might have had potential.

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