After my husband played Metal Gear Solid 3 he asked “How does it taste?” about just about everything for a few months afterward. So yep, this is all about PF Chang’s frozen dinners and “How does it taste?”
Well, let’s start with the basics. All these dinners are pretty pricey. I’ve gotten them from Kroger and Harris Teeter and they were $9.99 at both grocery stores. I’ve read online that they come as cheap as $7.50 but that’s still a bit steep. I can get the Trader Joe’s “Trader Ming’s” orange chicken for about $5 a bag, and I make 4 servings out of the Trader Joe’s, because the sauce packets are separate you can make up only a half-bag if you want. The PF Chang’s bags have the sauce in cubes all mixed in with the veggies and meat so it would be very hard to separate it out.
The dinners are pretty easy to make, and fairly quick. Most of them have the base instructions of just throw in a pan (I use a wok) at medium-high heat for 12 minutes, cover and stir occasionally. They don’t come with any rice, so sometimes I start up some steamed rice before starting the entree. They’re supposed to be 2 servings but with rice it could easily be split up into 3 or 4.
Orange Chicken
This one turned out pretty good, and fairly close to the restaurant’s orange chicken. It’s hard not to compare this one to Trader Joe’s since we do eat that one quite often. It certainly doesn’t have the crispiness that Trader Joe’s has, but it’s still good. The PF Chang’s might be nice every now and then especially because it’s got some veggies in there that Trader Joe’s doesn’t have in theirs, but I think we’ll stick with Trader Joe’s most of the time. I think the carrots and water chestnuts turned out well, but I’m not hot on edamame. At 450 calories per serving (not including any rice you might add) it’s also one of the heavier entrees they offer.
Beef with Broccoli
This one wasn’t quite as good as the orange chicken. The broccoli came out soft and overcooked, probably because of being frozen. I don’t think broccoli reheats very well after freezing. The meat also seemed extremely fatty. I had a bit of bone fragment in mine as well. Again the meal was extremely filling, especially when you add the rice. I don’t think I’ll buy this one again, since I make a pretty good beef and broccoli anyway.
General Chang’s Chicken
My favorite so far. You probably don’t need steamed rice with this one, since it’s 410 calories per serving with just the meat/veggies/sauce, and completely filling anyway. This is P.F. Chang’s version of General Tso’s chicken. The sauce in it was spicy for a frozen Chinese dinner. I think the sauce was the best part of it. There was broccoli in it, again not as crisp and fresh as I would like, and red peppers, which my husband hates (but I love). But the sauce and the chicken were just great. I would get this one again, though not often, because it still is quite expensive for a frozen meal.
Sweet and Sour Chicken
My husband’s favorite. Again at 410 calories per serving, I thought it would be filling already, so I didn’t make any steamed rice with it. But my husband said he would have preferred some rice with this one, to help soak up all the sauce. I ate all the bell pepper bits in the bag, since he doesn’t like them. Again it doesn’t have the crispiness that chicken made separate from the sauce would have, but it’s still good. It’s my second best behind the General Chang’s chicken. I made it again 2 weeks later, this time with rice, and I still like it.
Shanghai Style Beef
I liked this one a lot better than the beef with broccoli. I’m sure they probably use the same kind of beef in both, but at least this one didn’t have any bone pieces in it. Still pretty fatty though. The sauce in this one is great though, almost as good as the General’s chicken. It comes with some string beans, red peppers and onions. The string beans may have gotten overcooked (I do always follow the directions) because they weren’t very crisp at all. They kind of squeaked when I ate them. I always like red peppers but the texture is never the same after they’re frozen. And I think the onions in this were better than in others, though they should be the same. It’s really the sauce that makes this one great though. This one is one of the leaner ones at only 320 calories per serving, and I think we’ll be getting this one again in the future.
Ginger Chicken and Broccoli
The ginger chicken and broccoli cooks up similar to the rest, covered on medium high for 10 minutes and then uncovered for 3 minutes. I had never tried this one in the restaurant so I can’t compare how the frozen tastes to it. But I didn’t like this one much. The sauce isn’t spicy at all. The broccoli, as with the rest, always gets pretty mushy and bland. The chicken is pretty much the same as the rest, but without a good sauce it’s really not worth it. This one is a bit lighter than some, at 320 calories per serving. But since we had a guest over I split it up between 3, and added some rice. As usual I ate the red peppers from my husband’s dish.
Shrimp Lo Mein
I should start out by saying I’m not much of a shrimp person. I’ll eat it, but it’s not something I would seek out the way I do with some ribs, or a good steak. But I figured for OCD sake I should probably review all the varieties. The noodles in this one cook up surprisingly well. Most frozen noodles never reheat quite right, but these aren’t bad at all. The veggies featured in this one were bok choy, celery, carrots and mushrooms. I think it could have used less celery, and more bok choy and mushrooms. The shrimp wasn’t really cooked the way I like it. I like my shrimp very well cooked, usually hibachi style so that it’s almost a little burnty on the outside, or breaded and fried. These ones just got boiled up which made them soft and chewy. I thought the sauce was a bit bland, especially compared to some of the better sauces like in the General Chang’s chicken. This one had 360 calories per serving, and I didn’t serve it with rice because it already had noodles in it. This one had a crazy amount of salt in it, I guess to make up for the blandness. We won’t be getting this one again.
Thanks for the review. My husband tried the beef with broccoli tonight and really enjoyed it, though he wasn’t impressed with the beef either. He did think the sauce was quite good and the texture of the broccoli wasn’t bad.
We made the shrimp lo mein tonight, and it was awsome. I get them at walmart and they are generally a few dollars cheaper than they are at Harris Teeter.
I liked the ginger chicken and broccoli too, although it’s not quite as good as the one you get in the resturant…..
The Beef with Broccoli was disgusting. It tasted nothing like the resturants…the sauce was totally different and the beef was like rubber. I would never buy it again, nor recommend it.
Tried the Shanghai Beef for dinner tonight…or, shall I say, after tasting the Shanghai Beef we had grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner. This stuff is awful. The beef was so fatty I didn’t even want to swallow it. Don’t waste your money.
I tried the Orange Chicken. I really liked it but I thought the sauce was a little too sweet and there was too much of it. Next time, I’m going to probably take out 1/3 of the sauce blocks before cooking. I think this will cut down considerably on the calories as well. We don’t have a P.F. Changs where I live so it’s been awhile since I’ve been to one, so I’m not going to compare them to the restaurant versions. Comparing to other frozen meals though, I think they’re much better quality. I paid $7.99 but I just found $2 off coupons which I think make it a great deal at $5.
Product “sweet and sour chicken” was colorful and tasty however it was skimpy on the chicken (8 Chunks) I suggest charging a buck more and increase the meat portion. also tried the shrimp lo mein try a better quality shrimp possibly burrerfly a larger size shrimp and charge a bit more these are suggestions only thanks you are on the rite track
Thanks for your work here! I just tried the Shrimp Lo Mein tonight with a large batch of rice and put the Lo Mein on top. We split it between my family of four and it was great! Everybody loved it and I’m so looking forward to trying the Orange Chicken and General Chang’s Chicken!! Thanks again!
I love P.F. Changs, mainly because I can identify the meats that they cook with in the restaurant and they taste great. The Beef? with Broccoli was absolutely disgusting. I don’t know what mystery meat the Chefs used in this version of BWB but I can tell you it is NOT the same cut used in the restaurants. Do you know what someone with COPD sounds like when they are trying to cough something up? Well, the beef in this frozen dinner is what I would imagine comes out of a life-long smoker when they finally hock up a nice one.
Eric, that was just NASTY. I love BWB and like changs version.there’s no way it could compare with fresh meat,but it’s still good.I am about to cook BWB in fact in a few mins LOL.. that was nasty,yah know I am a smoker trying to quit and that was all around gross and offensive!
Your lungs are offended and grossed out at your constant assaults with multiple daily cancer sticks!
Lol., it really does look like that though.. You prob. Got a good batch.. But mine looked like what he described.. Fatty mystery meat
By far the best Asian style frozen entree’s on the market…
Finally a supporter! I agree.
I have to say the Chang Chicken is really good. I tried the orange chicken, and the sauce was disgusting, but perhaps its just orange chicken I dont like.
Don’t bother. My spouse and I have been going to PF Changs for years. THeir food is nothing less than excellent. We live in New YOrk City and since there are no PF CHANGS in Manhattan (hint, hint), we decided to purchase two of the frozen dinners and try it out. We were not expecting it to be nearly as good as the fresh meal we would purchase at a PF Chang restaurant, but we were hopeful it would be good.
We were wrong. First off, one of the meals is not enough for two people. We bought two of the frozen entrees a chicken and the shrimp. There was very little shrimp. THere was more in the way of chicken, but both had more vegetables than anything else. And, as for the taste, well I would have been better off taking my $16. ($7.99 for each entree), going to the local chinese restaurant and getting some take home.
it was O.K. but not great, and not worth $16.
The sweet and sour chicken was horrible-NOTHING like the restaurant. Dont waste your money.
I am a HUGE PF Changs fan and tried the Shrimp Lo Mein tonight. 1000 mg. of sodium per serving scared me, but I forged ahead. The meal was tasty, but not something I’d do again. I’ll put my $9.99 toward a real entree from PF Changs next time … no one can recreate their food. Not even them!
no more frozen for me but think the food is great in any of their restaurants ….please open one in Manhattan.
Message to the China Town lover. THE PLACE TURNS MY STOMACH.
Just tried the orange chicken and I wished I can get my refund from Sam’s. No fozen food>>>
Ditto on the orange chicken…it was nasty. Chicken did not taste of anything but chewy dough. I live so far from any PF Changs that I get such cravings that it is my first stop out for dinner. I saw the ads and said “mistake”. Just tried it and ouch so full of sugar and no way to bake or stir fry as it is all mixed together into one gooey sweet mess. ugh. I won’t ever buy one of these PF Chang dinners again. Money back? Just rather get a coupon to dine at PR Changs which is my fav chain.
Awful, PF should not have went frozen. Very bad idea. Really liked the restaurant and felt douped by the 10.00 frozen meal that was so awfull it made me and my spouce sick.
I wrote the company and told them how awful it was and
they sent me a coupon for another free awfull meal. WOW!
Thanks PF.
Laura
Learn how to spell SPOUSE.
I wrote them telling them how well we LIKED the food.I was sent a $2 coupon. so mehhh,your not too special 😛
Learn how to spell you’re.
Haha! Jane, that was great.. How can you correct someone’s spelling when you can spell.. ?! Love it
Very, very horrible. I can’t believe they can even label this as food. It comes out more like a soupy mixture that is simply soggy at best. Even if the taste was there, its not a meal for two… its not hardy, these are probably the lowest grade vegetable and shrimp combo I’ve ever tasted. I also have bad indigestion from it.
Why is the orange chicken noticeably spicy now? Please, someone inform me!
I don’t understand all the complaints. I think they’re very misleading to newcomers. The meat is nothing like mystery meat! That’s one of the dinner’s strongest points. Plus, you can find dinners in the P.F. Chang’s frozen line that have a reasonable calorie count. And though they might be pricey for some, they could serve two people. Aside from what I think is newfound spiciness in the orange chicken, I have nothing but nice things to say about this frozen dinner line.
Ty Caroline I completely agree! Guys I am a frugal living writer I am telling you,unless you eat like a PIG this meal is for TWO.As americans we need to watch how much we eat as it is,and the meat is sub par to FRESH meat.But if your looking for fresh stay out of the frozen isle and get your butt in the kitchen to prepare RAW foods!
Yeah, right on, Stephanie!
I am completely hooked on the general changs chicken. omg, my husband and i both are totally in love with it. ive never tasted of anything so good that was frozen, and i do buy a lot of frozen dinners. this is the only one i have tried. when i go to buy a different kind i always end up with the general changs chicken because its to good to try anything else. i think the chicken is so juicy and delicious. the broccoli always turns out so good in mine, i do like it a lil on the soft side. anyway, the sauce makes this frozen dinner the best ever. if you are going to try a frozen dinner from p.f. chang then please go with the general changs chicken first.
I have tried several and really have enjoyed them. Great quality!
Beef with broccoli-
Nice flavor & texture. Do we need this much sodium & sugar? Would pair well with a rice side, to absorb the extra sauce.
Orange chicken-
Seriously, why is this not marketed as a dessert? I’m sure no amount of rice (not included) could make up for the ridiculous sweetness.
No, I wouldn’t get it again. General Chang Chicken with broccoli and red peppers was so sweet I could feel a diabetic attack coming on. 33 grams of sugar per serving! This should be made with Stevia and monk fruit.
I too love PF Changs and so far have tried the Shanghai Style Beef and the Sweet and Sour chicken (both served with white rice) and thought they were both pretty damn good for a frozen entree.
Some of these reviewers act as if they’re expecting to get resturant quality ingredients out of a meal in a bag. It is what it is and I, for one, think they’re better than any other similar frozen entrees.
The only word of warning is it is BARELY enough for 2 servings. In fact, both of the meals I’ve had I’ve polished off myself in one sitting. I definitely could’ve stopped but I think had I only eaten half I would still be hungry.
Great reviews BTW!
I have tried most of the new P.F. Changs Frozen entrees and I have liked everyone that I have tried. It is hard making the meal stretch between two people, especially because my boyfriend likes to eat a lot. What I typically do is make steamed rice, egg rolls or szechuan string beans with it which helps make it a more filling meal. I like the shrimp lo mein primarily because I like the noodles- the shrimp could defiantly be better as far as size and type. I also liked both the beef and broccoli and the shanghai style beef which I thought were very good for being frozen. All in all we have eaten these meals at least twice a month since we had first gotten them and have had mainly positive results.
RIP-OFF ALERT!!!!!! I bought the Gen. Tsao’s which is spicy (if you don’t like spicy you may find it too much so) and OK, but the most important thing you should know is that they totally screw you with their frozen meals!!
You need to go to PF Chang’s for dinner and spend the money! You’ll get more for your dollar than their frozen meals, which couldn’t adequately feed one half of a person ( I’m 6 foot 175 lbs. and not even a big eater), let alone the 2 that they claim. If you go in person, based on the amount they give you for one entree (around 13.99), it would most accurately equal three to four frozen packages worth of beef or chicken (anywhere from 30 to 40 dollars based on where you shop)
Ok, so after tossing some of the broccoli they throw in there (I don’t need 75 pieces of broccoli in a chicken entree), the entire package maybe fills a regular sized cereal bowl. Go to eat in person. DO NOT BUY their frozen products, you will not be left full, and feel screwed over the exorbitant price for what you get.
I had the beef with the broccile.. There was too much fat on the meat and didn’t taste near or as good as the restaurants food.. So i suggest you put a few more minutes in your day and actually go to the restaurant.
It all has the same nasty taste. It tastes nothing like the restaurant. I’m never buying it again
had the mongolian beef – absolutely delish meat so tender very tasty
wish they would have their ribs in the frozen bags
just got them in publix for 5.99 but usually they r 8.99 – I wouldn’t pay that.
We have bought the PF Changs orange chicken and we like it a lot. I googled “crockpot recipe orange chicken” and this is actually a very easy recipe to make in a crockpot. I think the sauce in the PF Chang version is a little too sweet so when I make mine I don’t make it as sweet.
It’s such an easy recipe to make in a crockpot that we usually just make it when we want orange chicken.
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Come on guys. This is mass produced frozen food. Of course it is not going to be in the same league as the restaurant version or home cooked version. If you want a bag of frozen food so you don’t have to cook at night, this is what it is. It is pretty good for a lazy night. If you want crisp vegatables and fresh meat you have to get off your butt and cook.
I have tried these a couple of times and pretty much found the same things. The flavor is there, but the chicken is almost always soggy. I have tried to cook it at a number of different temps, in a number of different pans, but it never gets crisp. I thought about taking out their chicken and throwing my own in, but that mostly defeats the point.
I have eaten a lot of frozen food in my day and i can say with a fair amount of certainty that the pf changs sesame chicken was one of the most disgusting frozen meals i have ever had. The sauce was ok, the broccoli was ok,but the chicken . . .
It was airy and foamy and spongy. If you bit it in half, it looked like a sponge. The breading in fact had meatier texture than the meat
Tried the Mongolian beef tonight. VERY DISAPPOINTED…Not only the flavor wasn’t ANYTHING like ANY Mongolian beef (I.have had the authentic dish from PF Changs) what the he’ll are greenot beans doing in it. Over $6 for the package and my disappointment is HUGE!!! Just one more thing … WTF????? it was edible but as generic as it could be. PF CHANGS made a mistake on this product line..and apparently I’m not the only disappointed customer. GRRRRRRR… >:-(
I dont mean to offend anyone, but I think many of you are missing a few taste buds. These are almost across the range NASTY. I have yet to find many asian frozen foods worth eating though. PFs frozen spring rolls are not bad though. Unfortunately I am what is called a supertaster so I am stuck with being easily disappointed and underwhelmed by most frozen or processed foods. Believe me it is as much a curse as it is a benefit having good sense of taste. Mainly because soooo many frozen foods use way too much pepper in thier foods to attemt to mask inferior or cheap ingredients. Good lord I just noticed how old this thread is, oh well ill post anyway in case anyone else wants opinions on these. I had no idea these were on the market this long. Hard to believe with how nasty they are.
There wasnt even enough beef in my beef and broccoli . i dont like alot of broccoli . I JUST WANT BEEF !
P.F. Chang’s frozen Mongolian Beef is tasty but IMO, tastes nothing like any Mongolian Beef I’ve ever eaten in a Chinese restaurant. It isn’t very sweet, has no green onions, just taste’s”generic” to me. It’s a lot like their Kung Pao Chicken but the KPC is much more spicy and their KPC has no peanuts in it. They substitute some sort of green pea or bean. I don’t care for it. I’m looking for a good “real” Mongolian Beef recipe, with the green onions, sugar, and the small white noodles. We used to have a restaurant here that made incredible MB, but they closed. Does anyone know of a good recipe, the sweet MB??
Thanks,
Julien
Pick up Martin Yan’s “Culinary Journey Through China” (look for used on Ebay) – has fairly simple but great recipes. Mongolian Beef is a simple recipe, kind of hard to screw up.
I have tried all of PF Changs frozen family meals not one of them was like the picture and not one of them tasted good… Very false advertising and very expensive don’t waste your money. I feel stupid for going back and keep on trying… I’ve been burned every time and at this point I’m done trying does not taste like the restaurant at all
Honey chicken is hideous…threw it all away…shame on you PF Changs
I bought the orange chicken and fried rice.WHAT A COMPLETE DISAPPOINTMENT. DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT, IT DOES NOT TASTE ANYTHING CLOSE TO WHAT IT TASTES LIKE IN THE RESTAURANT
ARE YOU READY FOR THIS….They are not even made by PF Changs, they are made by Conagra co, who refused to allow be a refund when I call Changs, they emailed them and cc me, they still did not care,…PF Changs is crazy to let Conagra co, make this food and allow them to put there name on it…WOW!!!
Plz dont buy this product, I have tried for varieties, and they were just TERRIBLE!!…fact!
Mongolian style chicken should be called Mongolian style green beans. Hardly any chicken. The real thing did not resemble the package. Meal for two? Ha! You would have two hungry people. Flavor was so so. Won’t try this line again.
Regarding PF Chang’s home menu line of frozen meals. I have tried several. These are truly Asian dishes for “round eyes. “
Bland and tasteless.
Have you looked at the salt content? I bought the single serve Dan Dan Noodles and while it tasted fine, I was shocked when I looked on the box and saw 46% of the daily amt. of sodium!
I will no longer buy anything from Conagra (PFChangs and many other main brands) unless they start adjusting their recipes.
I agree
I have tried P.F. Chang’s frozen Lo mein and it is not good at all. The package claimed that the sauce was from a special recipe. I hope they throw the recipe away! I tried to fix it with ginger, soy sauce, and tiny amount of sugar. It helped but this company needs to find a gourmet Chinese chef and start over!
PF Chang’s frozen food is nasty. I’ve tried three different items, ( third times a charm). I will never do it again. Sucks, sucks, sucks.
Honey chicken tTasted like sponges, terrible one word, another word ,sucks ,the worst don’t waste your money,, I don’t mind spending money but I hate wasting it,When I mentioned sponges I really mean sponges
I almost totally agree with Bob, in that the chicken is like sponges- texturally and possibly taste although i haven’t (knowingly) eaten a sponge. I can’t believe that this is made from chicken meat- possibly some kind of chicken by-product but not chicken meat. No thinking meat eater would believe this was meat. The “chicken” is vile. Wife bought two different flavors and the “chicken” was the same in both packs- spongy triangles that are made to look as if they have been breaded and fried. You have been warned.
btw, we have never eaten at a PF Chang’s but my wife’s boss was very fond of them (they don’t cook and we do so that might mean something) so she took a flyer and bought the meals because they were on sale. money wasted, even at sale price. TRADER JOES ORANGE CHICKEN IS QUITE GOOD, give it a try if this stuff disappointed you (and price point is WAAAAY better- a value for the quality of the meal compared to PF’s “stuff”).
I buy my P.F.Changs from Sam’s Club near me, in Southern CA. My husband & I both enjoyed this meal. The broccoli wasn’t soggy to us. Nor was the meat fatty or boney. I have bought this a few times now, from the same store & lucky for us, it has always been good. I do not have a wok, so I don’t know if the pan has something to do with it. I use a large stainless steel frying pan that has an extra thick layer added on at bottom that helps spread the heat better & keeps it from burning. I haven’t tried any others, yet.
[…] less than a third of what you’d pay in the restaurant or for pickup and delivery. The food blog Magie’s Noms says that if you’re going to try any P.F. Chang’s frozen entry, start with this one. She […]
[…] less than a third of what you’d pay in the restaurant or for pickup and delivery. The food blog Magie’s Noms says that if you’re going to try any P.F. Chang’s frozen entry, start with this one. She […]
PF chang’s Mongolian style beef was unfortunate. My dad loved it and he is 82 and his other favorite foods are hot dogs with Hormel, anything made with lots of sugar, and buffalo wings. This dish, although well put together with tender beef and decent frozen veggies, is just another sugar infused attempt to appease the masses as chef boyardee did back in the day. Will not purchase again.