Key Takeaways
- Panda Express is bringing back a fan-favorite dish that customers have been asking the chain to make permanent after its limited run last summer.
- The sweet and spicy addition will be available on menus nationwide from July 9 through Sept. 30.
When it comes to Panda Express, no meal from the fast casual chain is complete without an order of cream cheese rangoon, a bowl of orange chicken, and chow mein. While there are the tried-and-true staples we turn to time and time again, Panda Express occasionally introduces a new item that creates a stir. Earlier this spring, it introduced an all-new Firecracker Steak and Shrimp, a spicy surf and turf take on its popular Firecracker Shrimp, featuring steak bites, shrimp, and vegetables in a fiery, umami-packed sauce. And now, Panda Express has announced that another revamped classic will come back to menus—and it’s one fans have been begging for.
Panda Express Brings Back Hot Orange Chicken
Panda Express
Just like the temperature outside, Panda Express is heating things up this summer and bringing back a fan-favorite menu item that it introduced last year: Hot Orange Chicken. This limited-time item, originally debuted in 2024, is a spicy upgrade to Panda’s legendary Original Orange Chicken. While the original is beloved for its sweet tang and touch of heat, the returning iteration features a bold combination of sweet and fiery flavors for an extra spicy kick.
Striking the perfect balance of sweet and spicy, Panda Express’ Hot Orange Chicken cranks up the heat with two different types of chili peppers. While the Original Orange Chicken recipe uses one scoop of crushed chili flakes, the Hot Orange Chicken recipe calls for a whopping six scoops of crushed chili flakes and a ladle of the dried chili peppers used in Panda’s Kung Pao Chicken.
To say the initial release of Hot Orange Chicken was successful is an understatement. From the overwhelming praise on social media, it’s evident that fans absolutely loved the dish. Many begged the chain to make the “best thing on the menu” a permanent item. “PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE keep this on the menu forever!” wrote one fan.
“Please make it permanent! It’s a 20 out of 10,” another pleaded.
It seems like Panda took the hint about fans’ love for the dish. Starting July 9, Panda Express will be serving up Hot Orange Chicken nationwide through the end of September.
If you’re a fan of the Original Orange Chicken or just looking to spice things up, Panda Express’ Hot Orange Chicken is the perfect way to add some sizzle to your summer dining. Just be sure to stop in before it disappears from menus on Sept. 30—and don’t forget the egg rolls and fortune cookies while you’re there.
