What Are Mandarin oranges and How Can I Use Them?

Mandarin oranges is easier to cook with than it looks. Here's how to choose, use, and store them, what to substitute, and 127 recipes to get you started.

What are mandarin oranges?

Mandarin oranges are the small, sweet, easy-peeling cousins of the everyday orange. The skin slips off in one piece and the segments pull apart cleanly, with a flavor that is more honeyed and less acidic than a navel.

In American kitchens, the canned version does most of the work. Those tidy little segments, packed in light syrup or juice, are already peeled and free of membrane, ready to scatter straight onto a plate.

Fresh mandarins, including clementines and tangerines, are a winter snacking fruit. For cooking, the can is what most recipes mean.

Cooking With Mandarin Oranges

Their best trick is showing up whole. The segments hold their shape and add a bright, juicy pop, which is why they carry so many cold salads. Quick & Easy Frog's Eye Salad folds them into a sweet pasta salad, and they are the crown on a Pig Lickin' Cake.

Desserts and baking are their other home. Sheila's Mandarin Orange Cake blends the segments, syrup and all, right into a tender, moist batter.

On the savory side they bring sweetness to stir-fries and rice. Mandarin Orange Chicken and Caribbean Rice both use the segments to balance salt and heat, and they finish a Cantonese Sweet & Sour Chicken with little bursts of citrus.

Drain canned segments well before folding them into anything, or the extra syrup throws off the moisture and the sweetness.

Pairing and Common Mistakes

Mandarins are gentle and sweet, so they play well with creamy and salty partners. They love whipped topping and toasted almond in desserts, and soy, ginger, garlic, and a little chili in savory dishes. A handful adds sweet contrast to a green salad with spinach or arugula.

The first mistake is stirring the delicate segments too hard. They are soft and break into mush, so fold them in last and gently.

The second mistake is forgetting the syrup. Canned segments come sweetened, so taste before you add extra sugar, and reserve the drained syrup to sweeten a dressing or glaze.

Substitutes

Fresh clementines or tangerines are the closest stand-in; peel and separate them, and pull off any stray membrane. They are a little firmer and more tart than canned.

Supreme a navel orange (cut the segments free of their membranes) for a fresh, slightly larger substitute. For the canned kind in a recipe, a drained can of mandarin segments from any brand works the same.

In baking where you want the soft texture, jarred citrus segments or even drained canned peaches can stand in, though the flavor shifts away from orange.

Buying and Storing Mandarin Oranges

Canned mandarin oranges keep in the pantry for a year or more; check the date on the can. Look for segments packed in juice or light syrup rather than heavy syrup if you want less added sugar.

Once opened, move leftovers to a covered container and use them within three or four days.

Fresh mandarins should feel heavy for their size with glossy, slightly loose skin, which signals juiciness. Avoid any that feel light and dry or have soft spots.

Keep fresh ones on the counter for about a week, or in the crisper drawer for two to three weeks. Let them warm up a little before eating for the fullest, sweetest flavor.

Nutrition

Quick facts

Where to find mandarin oranges: Mandarin oranges are usually found in the canned goods section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.

Food group: Mandarin oranges are a member of the Fruits and Fruit Juices US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.

In Chinese

橘子

British (UK) term

Mandarin oranges

en français

mandarin segments d'orange

en español

gajos de mandarina

How much do mandarin oranges weigh?

Related

Fruits and Fruit Juices

Recipes using mandarin oranges

There are 127 recipes that contain this ingredient.

Mandarin Cake

Flour-free mandarin cake made with whole boiled tangerines, ground almonds, and eggs. Naturally gluten-free with an intense, moist citrus crumb that melts on the tongue.

Orange Glazed Sole

Delicate sole (or other whitefish) glazed with an orange almond glaze. Quick, easy and sophisticated.

Mandrin Orange & Green Salad

Mandarin orange and mixed greens salad with toasted pine nuts and a white wine vinaigrette. A quick five-ingredient low-calorie side salad ready in 10 minutes.

Mrs. Picky's Pig Pickin Cake

When you want to take a wonderful cake to any social event, make a pig pickin cake.

Sheila's Mandarin Orange Cake

Sheila made this Mandarin Cake this morning to take to our Paella lunch with Spanish friends. They go crazy for it.

Favourite Mandarin Orange Cake

Mandarin orange cake layers a fluffy box cake with crushed mandarins and juice, then frosts it with a no-cook whipped topping, vanilla pudding, and crushed pineapple filling. Easy retro potluck favorite.

Caribbean Rice

Tropical rice side dish loaded with mandarin oranges, crushed pineapple, toasted coconut, slivered almonds, and mango chutney. Ready in 30 minutes.

Mandarin Orange Chicken

This is my rendition of a recipe from an old Campbell's Soup cook book.

Pig Lickin' Cake

A delicious and super moist cake made with mandarin oranges, pineapple and whipped topping.

Quick & Easy Frog's Eye Salad

A delicious kind of salad made with mandarin oranges, pineapple chunks, flaked coconut and whipped topping.

Beef Baked in a Barrel

Showstopping ground beef flambeed with brandy, mixed with pineapple and mandarin oranges, then baked inside hollowed-out pineapple shells. A retro dinner party centerpiece that earns its 5-star rating.

Veggie Vomit

Veggie vomit is a Halloween gross-out lime jello salad with grated cabbage, carrots, crushed pineapple, and mandarin oranges. Kids love the gross name; the salad tastes great.

Orange Gelatin Dessert

Orange gelatin dessert with vanilla ice cream stirred into the Jello and layered with mandarin oranges. A creamy, dreamsicle-flavored retro treat with just 4 ingredients.

Hot Fruit Compote

Baked hot fruit compote with plums, peaches, and mandarin oranges in a brown sugar-lemon glaze. A warm, easy dessert or brunch side from pantry staples.

Fruit Compote in Rose

Fruit compote in rose wine: layered pineapple, peaches, pears, bananas, oranges, and grapes set in watermelon gelatin and rosé. Feeds 25 at a buffet.

Brigitte's Fruit Salad

Fresh fruit with sliced almonds, a splash of rum, and a golden broiled meringue topping. Part fruit salad, part baked Alaska. A showstopping warm dessert ready in 20 minutes.

Sunburst Chocolate Cake

Light chocolate layer cake filled with whipped citrus cream and mandarin orange segments. Made with egg substitute and skim milk, this stunning low-fat dessert tastes far more indulgent than it is.

Joyce's Delight

Creamy ambrosia fruit salad with mandarin oranges, pineapple chunks, coconut, mini marshmallows, and sour cream. A no-cook, make-ahead holiday side dish.

Unbelievable Fruit Salad

Fruit salad with mandarin oranges, pineapple, blueberries, and seedless grapes folded into a whipped cream and sour cream base with grated chocolate candy bars.

Sweet-N-Sour Stir-Fry

Vegetarian sweet and sour stir-fry loaded with snow peas, broccoli, enoki mushrooms, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, and tropical fruit (pineapple, mango, mandarin orange) over rice.

Five Cup Fruit Salad

Five cup fruit salad with mandarin oranges, pineapple chunks, sour cream, mini marshmallows, and flaked coconut. A creamy, no-cook retro side dish that chills overnight.

Chicken with Mandarin Oranges

Boiled chicken in cream of mushroom sauce with mandarin oranges, sliced mushrooms, and water chestnuts. A retro casserole-style dinner with sweet citrus and savory cream sauce, served over rice.

Very Sunshine Ice Cream Pie

Sunshine ice cream pie with layers of vanilla ice cream and orange sherbet on a graham cracker crust, topped with mandarin oranges and toasted coconut. No-bake summer dessert.

Orange-Glazed Ham

Orange-glazed ham for two in 10 minutes flat: sliced cooked ham and celery microwaved with mandarin oranges in a quick cornstarch-thickened ginger sauce. Weeknight dinner, dorm-room friendly.

Eggnog Mold

Eggnog gelatin mold sets chilled eggnog with ground almonds, then unmolds onto a platter with mandarin oranges and whipped topping. A nostalgic holiday dessert.

Rosamarina-Fruit Salad

Rosamarina fruit salad folds orzo pasta into sweetened whipped cream with grapes, mandarin oranges, pineapple, and crunchy pecans. A creamy, chilled side with bright citrus notes from fresh lemon zest.

Pork Chops & Oranges

Baked pork chops with cream of mushroom soup, soy sauce, mandarin oranges, and Chinese mixed vegetables. A sweet-savory retro casserole with mid-century chop suey roots.

Summer Fruit Rice Cakes

Rice cakes topped with reduced-fat cream cheese, mandarin oranges, kiwi, and fresh strawberries. A colorful, low-fat no-cook snack ready in 10 minutes.

Fruit Waffles with Pineapple Maple Syrup

Homemade pineapple maple syrup thickened with cornstarch, served over waffles with pineapple chunks, mandarin oranges, and raisins. A fruity waffle topping.

Quick Fruit Salad

Quick fruit salad with peach pie filling, mandarin oranges, pineapple chunks, bananas, and marshmallows. Make-ahead dessert salad overnight.

Orange-Carrot Salad

Orange-carrot gelatin salad with mandarin oranges, crushed pineapple, shredded carrots, and pecans set in orange Jell-O and unmolded on a bed of lettuce. A retro potluck classic.

Orange & Onion Salad

Orange and onion salad with romaine, mandarin oranges, and toasted almonds in a homemade tarragon-Dijon vinaigrette emulsified with egg yolk. Bright, crunchy, and tangy.

Sweet & Sour Turkey

Slow cooker sweet and sour turkey with pineapple, mandarin oranges, and colorful vegetables over fluffy rice. Set it, forget it, and come home to dinner.

Rice, Orange & Pecan Salad

Brown rice salad with mandarin oranges, golden raisins, and pecans tossed in orange juice and apple cider vinegar. A bright, citrusy grain salad served at room temperature that's vegan and gluten-free.

Choose-A-Fruit Ice

Choose-A-Fruit Ice is a flexible fruit sorbet made with your pick of strawberries, raspberries, oranges, or mandarins blended with sugar syrup and lemon. No ice cream maker, four ingredients.

Cream Puff Swans

Cream puff swans made from choux pastry piped into S-shaped necks and oval bodies, filled with sweetened whipped cream and mandarin oranges. A classic French pastry showpiece.

Orange Topped Sugar Rounds

Mandarin orange topped sugar cookies with a sweet cream cheese and honey spread. Five ingredients, refrigerated cookie dough shortcut, ready in 30 minutes.

Mandarin Orange Jello Salad

Retro orange jello gets a creamy upgrade with whipped cream and sweet mandarin oranges in this nostalgic potluck favorite from Gram's kitchen. Ready in minutes with just 6 ingredients.

Hot Fruit Dessert/Crockpot

A delicious fruit dessert made with juicy grapefruits, mandarin oranges, bananas and pineapple chunks.

Easy Mandarin Orange Cake

Easy mandarin orange cake doctors a lemon cake mix with ground hazelnuts, mandarin orange chunks, and fresh orange zest, baked in a tube pan and dusted with sugar or glazed with chocolate.

Frozen Apple Sauce & Fruit Cup

Frozen fruit cups made with applesauce, strawberries, mandarin oranges, grapes, and orange juice concentrate. Healthy no-sugar-added frozen snack for kids and lunchboxes.

Mandarine Rice

Persian-style mandarine rice with saffron, julienned carrots, slivered almonds, and sultanas in a citrus syrup. Soaked rice baked under a jeweled mandarin and saffron glaze.

Fruit Trifle

Layers of soft pound cake soaked in sweet Marsala wine, lush apricot purée, and silky vanilla custard come together in this classic British trifle that's easier to make than you think.

Crunchy Orange Yogourt Pie

This no-bake orange yogurt pie features a toasty coconut bran flake crust, creamy orange jelly yogurt filling, and bright mandarin segments on top. Light, tangy, and ready with minimal effort.

Sole with Mandarin Oranges

Sole fillets baked in white wine, topped with a light butter sauce, and ringed with sweet mandarin oranges broiled until warm. A quick, elegant dinner for two.

Party Creamy Fruit Salad

Party creamy fruit salad parfaits layer strawberries, cantaloupe, grapes, apple, pineapple and mandarin oranges with whipped topping and toasted coconut in sundae glasses. A no-cook summer dessert built for entertaining.

White Chocolate Mousse Cake

A three-layer sponge cake filled with mandarin oranges and orange liqueur, frosted in whipped white chocolate mousse and topped with chocolate curls. Elegant, citrusy, and no-bake assembly.

Beach Bar Chicken & Cashew Salad

Beach Bar Chicken and Cashew Salad layers poached chicken, fresh fruit, mandarin oranges, and cashews over greens with a coconut-yogurt honey dressing. A tropical, make-ahead summer salad.

Romaine & Tangelo Salad

Romaine and tangelo salad with sweet citrus segments, toasted pecans, and a honey poppy seed dressing. Simple, bright four-ingredient winter side salad.

Crunchy Curried Chicken Salad

Crunchy curried chicken salad: cooked chicken and rice tossed with mandarin oranges, celery, and peanuts in a light yogurt-curry-honey dressing. A sweet-savory, mayo-free make-ahead salad.

All 127 recipes