Panda Express brings back Beyond Meat’s plant-based orange chicken

Panda Express and Beyond Meat are reintroducing the Original Orange Chicken, but it will be around for a limited time only. The former is adding it again to its menu lineup as a plant-based menu option for customers who prefer “meatless” meats.

Beyond Meat is the manufacturer of this plant-based orange chicken and Fox Business reported that the company even trademarked this vegan product. The dish has been coated with Panda Express’ signature sweet and spicy orange sauce, and it is now being sold in Panda’s stores across the country.

It is crunchy on the outside and juicy on the inside so the texture is perfect. Panda Express said that it will be offering the plant-based chicken option until supplies last. Customers can buy it at the restaurant’s 2,300 locations in the United States.

The classic orange chicken is one of the best-sellers at Panda Express, and the Beyond Meat orange chicken is the restaurant’s plant-based version. The taste is the same, but the meat has been substituted with one that was made from plant and protein.

Panda Express joined forces with Beyond Meat to develop the plant-based chicken meat and the product was first tested last year in restaurants in New York City and Southern California. It was reported that the meat-free orange chicken sold out in less than two weeks in most store outlets.

Based on the reports, chefs at Panda Express prepared more than 1,300 pounds of Beyond Meat’s orange chicken and that was just the first day. With the good response and high demand, Beyond Meat officially launched Beyond The Original Orange Chicken in 70 Panda Express restaurants in 10 markets. However, it was only available for a limited time in October of 2021.

"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," Panda Express’ chief brand officer, Andrea Cherng, said in a press release as the plant-based chicken menu returns to the restaurant.

She added, "After nearly 40 years of creating original American Chinese dishes, quality and innovation remain at the core of who we are. We are 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."