CHICAGO (NewsNation Now) — Panda Express’s plant-based orange chicken has quickly become a fan favorite! The fast-food chain recently introduced the limited-time alternative and it sold out in all of its California locations.
The plant-based orange chicken is made in partnership with Beyond Meat and was crafted to closely mimic the chain’s popular chicken-based dish. It is mostly made from fava beans and peas.
The meatless alternative debuted on July 26 and sold out in 13 locations in California and New York City The company says it sold more than 1,300 pounds on launch day.
“This is a necessity…with all the global warming and all the environmental issues that we have, we have to have a more sustainable solution for our food,” Dariush Ajami, chief innovation officer at Beyond Meat told NewsNation affiliate KTLA.
People took to social media to share their excitement about the new menu item.
Dozens of fast-food chains have also joined the meatless trend. Pizza Hut, Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks, Burger King and KFC have rolled out vegetarian versions of their meat-based items.