I Tested the Orange Chicken Sandwich at Panda Express—Here’s What I Thought

Panda Express is a staple for a quick lunch at the mall or on a road trip. You know and love the fried rice and egg rolls, but this chain’s gift to us all is the orange chicken that chef Andy Kao invented in 1987. The dish quickly became a fixture on Chinese restaurant menus all across the country—all thanks to Panda Express.

Panda takes a lot of pride in its orange chicken recipe, so it was only a matter of time before the next iteration of the famous dish came to be… enter the orange chicken sandwich!

Is the Panda Express orange chicken sandwich a food court must-have? I had to find out! This handheld version of an iconic Panda dish is only available at select California and Colorado locations right now, so I hit the road.

What’s on the Orange Chicken Sandwich?

Christina Manian, RDN for Taste of Home

The Panda Express orange chicken sandwich stars a crispy breaded chicken breast tossed in the sweet and spicy orange chicken sauce many of us know and love. Then, it’s topped with crunchy dill pickles and a zippy sriracha aioli, all nestled into a hearty potato roll.

The orange chicken sandwich certainly has a leg up compared to the original orange chicken, because you typically need a fork and a table to savor the classic dish served over sticky white rice. But the orange chicken sandwich? This one you can enjoy on the go.

Heads up—Panda Express now has a rewards program.

Orange Chicken Sandwich Review

To try the sandwich, I opted for the fully-convenient experience and headed for the drive-thru. And while I probably could have snagged it faster by walking into the store, the sandwich was worth the wait.

The first thought that crossed my mind as I opened the cardboard box was that I should have asked for napkins. The orange chicken sauce and sriracha aioli poured out one side of the creation in a very serious way. Meanwhile, the opposite end of the sandwich was almost completely dry. I noticed that the pickles were also pretty concentrated on the super-saucy side.

First Taste

When I first bit into this sandwich, I was pleasantly surprised by the flavor. Immediately, I was hit with the sweet citrus spiciness of the classic orange chicken glaze. Soon after, I felt a second punch of spice from the aioli. The tanginess of the dill pickles, however, swooped in to cut through that zing, rounding out the flavor profile nicely—a smart touch. Though, as a pickle fanatic, I did wish there were more of them.

The Crispy Orange Chicken

I was impressed by the quality of the chicken. Often at fast-food restaurants I steer clear of chicken sandwiches as I’ve had too many “yuck” moments in the past. The chicken on this sandwich, however, blew my expectations out of the water! Not only was the meat flavorful and juicy, but the breading was still crispy, offering a satisfying crunch with every bite. The breading also held to the chicken well without any separation.

While the potato roll wasn’t the highest quality, I thought the density of it was a nice foil to the dish—especially given how saucy it was. It didn’t smush to nothing and provided the sandwich with a nice structure. Its neutral taste also didn’t compete with the other flavors at play, which I appreciated.

Final Verdict

For under $6, this sandwich holds its own against other fast-food chicken sandwiches. It reminded me of the original orange chicken but had enough creative additions to make the dish unique in its own right. The pickles and sriracha aioli served as those special twists that kept me going back for more.

I paired the sandwich with the chow mein and cream cheese rangoons that I had nostalgic memories of and I must say, the sandwich absolutely blew those classics away. They truly paled in comparison to the flavor of this sandwich.

If I’m being honest, as a healthcare professional and self-proclaimed foodie, I was skeptical about trying this sandwich. But I was beyond surprised by the creativity of the flavors, the quality of the chicken, the balance of textures and the structural integrity of the sandwich as a whole.

The messiness factor was the biggest turn off for me—but even with sauce all over my face and pants after devouring this sandwich, I’d still say it was totally worth it!