Panda Express evolves its Original Orange Chicken beyond

For many people, Panda Express is one of their go-to quick service restaurant options. The convenience combined with the American Chinese recipes has made it a popular choice with many people. Now, the Beyond The Original Orange Chicken has more people excited to try that taste of flavorful plant-based food.

In the quick service restaurant world, brands have come to embrace more plant-based food choices. From simple swaps to bold flavors, these menu items appeal to those who follow a particular lifestyle as well as others who choose to be more flexible with food. That versatility is what brings guests coming back for more.

At Panda Express, the quick service restaurant brand appreciates that its American Chinese expertise continually needs to evolve. While menu innovation often focuses on flavors, incorporating more plant-based food choices onto a menu is vital.

According to Andrea Cherng, Chief Brand Officer at Panda Express, “Our team has been overjoyed by the undeniable excitement and incredible demand generated when we first introduced Beyond The Original Orange Chicken last summer as an innovative twist on our most iconic dish. After nearly 40 years of creating original American Chinese dishes, quality and innovation remain at the core of who we are. We’re continuously exploring creative ways to present our guests with the comfort and crave-ability they can expect from Panda while appealing to their evolving preferences and tastes.”

When Beyond The Original Orange Chicken was tested, the response was overwhelmingly positive. Per the brand, “1,300 pounds of Beyond The Original Orange Chicken” were sold on the first day that the new menu option was available.

Given the positive response, it was clear that a larger availability would need to become a reality. Now, the plant-based menu item is available for a limited time. Even though the protein is plant-based, the dish has the same flavors that guest love.

As the “first national Asian restaurant concept to serve Beyond Meat,” it will be interesting to see if the brand adds more plant-based food choices. Given the robust offerings from Beyond Meat, it appears that there could be many ways to adapt the Panda Express menu.

For now, it is time to get a taste of Beyond The Original Orange Chicken. What other plant-based menu items would you like to see added?