Popular Chinese-American fast-food chain Panda Express has built a rep for serving up robust chicken dishes with a swicy kick. Their Blazing Bourbon Chicken, a Southern-inspired dish with a Taiwanese twist was, to date, their spiciest offering. They've now unveiled a new contender that might just steal the crown: The Panda Express Hot Orange Chicken. This dish adds an extra pepper emoji to its menu and promises to be its zestiest yet.
The Hot Orange Chicken dish is a limited-time offering that takes the massively popular Original Orange Chicken entree and cranks up the spice levels some. Instead of the single serving of crushed chilies like in the classic recipe, the Hot Orange Chicken packs six sizzling scoops of the fiery peppers used in Panda's Kung Pao Chicken. But throughout the experience, you will still get those sweet and citrusy notes that inspired the original meal, but the heat gradually builds so it won't overwhelm your mouth with its spicy kick. It's what many restaurants miss when they offer super-spicy new menu additions. We want to TASTE the food, folks. Numbing our mouths to oblivion is not as much fun if we can't get a balanced combination of flavors and tastes. This dish gives us the best of both worlds.
Panda Express offered a behind-the-curtain video on the Gram about the delish dish. Panda Express's Culinary Innovation Chef Adrian Lok takes his audience on the culinary journey that inspired this fiery dish, going into ingredients and the ideas that inspired it. He even shows off a little of the restaurant's wok-cooking technique which may be a good way for you to pick up some tips so you can work these wok skills into your dinner routine.
Early reviews have been overwhelmingly positive, with fans taking to social media to praise the new dish. Comments like "Game changer" highlight the excitement surrounding this fiery twist on a classic. It comes as no surprise since Asian-inspired swicy heat combos are all the rage these days.
The Hot Orange Chicken is available now nationwide but only until June 23rd or while supplies last. So, if you're looking to add some heat to your next Asian chicken chow-down, head to your local Panda Express and give it a try!