Food & Beverage

Backed by social media demand, Panda Express returns hot orange chicken

Photo: Panda Express

July 10, 2026

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Panda Express has relaunched the chain's Hot Orange Chicken. The limited-time sandwich will be available July 11, just ahead of National Chicken Day, July 15, according to a press release.

Hot Orange Chicken is Panda's best-selling limited-time menu offer and consistently ranks within the top three most-requested returns from Panda Express on social media, the company said in its news release. The sandwich features a half-cup of scorched dried chilies and Panda's signature orange sauce.

The company's Original Orange Chicken has become a widespread cultural phenomenon and accounts for one-third of all entrées sold at Panda, with the brand serving up 148 million pounds of the dish in 2025 alone.

"Orange Chicken is the dish that put us on the map, and National Orange Chicken Day is proof it took on a life of its own," Evelyn Wah, vice president of brand innovation at Panda Express, said in the press release. "Celebrating it with Hot Orange Chicken felt right because our guests have never let us forget how much this dish means to them, and this is us showing up for that."