ROSEMEAD, Calif. — Panda Express has partnered with plant-based manufacturer Beyond Meat for a meatless version of its flagship product: The Original Orange Chicken.
Beyond the Original Orange Chicken is being offered as an limted time offer (LTO) in New York City and Southern California, and it is the latest example of operators responding to plant-based meat alternatives. In a report earlier this year, Chicago-based Technomic, a CSP sister company, predicted plant-based proteins will grow about 35% on menus by the end of 2022.
Beyond Meat created a proprietary plant-based chicken product that resembles the original in flavor, shape, size and texture.
Chef Jimmy Wong, executive director of culinary innovation for Panda Express, developed the restaurant’s product—with crisp pieces of fried chicken in a sweet, tangy sauce—with Beyond Meat.
“Creating a fresh new take on a classic favorite is a great and accessible way to introduce plant-based proteins to our guests and perhaps even drawing a new audience to Panda,” Wong said
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