Why Panda Express Customers Think Its Orange Chicken Has Changed For The Worse

Panda Express is a chain of fast-casual and takeout restaurants specializing in American-style Chinese food; it was founded by a Chinese-American couple, Andrew and Peggy Cherng, in 1983 in Glendale, California. In 1987, the restaurant’s executive chef, Andy Kao, developed the recipe for what would later become Panda Express’s most popular menu item: orange chicken. But customers have recently been complaining that their favorite dish at this popular chain just isn’t as tasty as it used to be. A Redditor posted that “the last two times [they’ve] eaten it, it [had] a different, stronger flavor,” and suggested that perhaps it could be more soy sauce or vinegar. And a TikToker agreed that “it was very sour, more vinegary, and [has] barely any orange flavor.”

Nobody online can find any official information about any change in Panda Express’s recipe, and the restaurant chain has been ambiguous on the matter. However, some online are claiming that the reason for the change in taste has to do with the stores ceasing to make the orange chicken sauce in-house and opting for a pre-made sauce instead. One Redditor claiming to have worked at Panda Express confirmed this, stating that the sauce “is now made somewhere and shipped to stores.” Another self-identifying employee on Reddit added that “[their store has] big buckets” of the stuff.

Mastering Chinese-style wok cooking takes training and practice, including learning how to season a wok. I, personally, had to take a series of classes from a Chinese-American instructor, watch countless YouTube videos, and live in China to arrive at a home-cook level. The restaurant industry is known for having razor-thin margins, and it’s even more difficult to turn a profit when your entire business model is based on affordability, as it is at Panda Express. It is expensive to hire cooks with specialized professional kitchen experience, like wok cooking. It is also expensive to train staff on how to cook dishes from scratch. Switching to a pre-made sauce can cut a lot of hiring and training costs, thus maintaining relatively lower prices for customers while remaining a profitable business.

One of the biggest challenges for many chain restaurants, though, is maintaining consistency, and one self-identified employee on Reddit observed that “the Orange Chicken is a lot more consistent at [their] store now” since the restaurant adopted pre-made sauce. The change can also streamline operations at the store level, making it easier for employees to replenish supplies and fulfill orders. Another self-identified Panda Express employee on Reddit commented that “from an operations perspective, it’s so much better and takes a huge [workload] off our already very busy teams.” None of this matters to the customers, though, and no chocolate bar collaboration with Compartes can make up for the change to their beloved orange chicken.

Panda Express did respond to a TikToker about the changes to its beloved orange chicken, claiming that it’s an upgraded version and that it’ll refine the pre-made sauce. But the public isn’t buying it, and some are demanding that the restaurant chain return to making the sauce in-house.

@yupizzasheet

Replying to @officialpandaexpress ain’t no way they said “swicy” #pandaexpress #orangechicken #fastfood #foodreview #marketing

♬ original sound – YuPizzaSheet

However, another Redditor who claims to have worked at Panda Express when it was testing the sauce noted that they don’t think the chain will do it, adding that it already spent money on research and development, and “a corporation isn’t going to be too keen on backtracking on money already spent.” Perhaps customers need to reflect on what it really costs to make cheap, quick, consistent food across thousands of locations and have more realistic expectations. Or if they really want better quality, they can try an at-home orange chicken recipe or support independent restaurants where dishes are still made from scratch.