National Orange Chicken Day
July 15
About National Orange Chicken Day
National Orange Chicken Day takes place on Wednesday, 15 July 2026, celebrating one of the most popular dishes in American Chinese cuisine. The day honours the sweet, sticky, citrus-glazed fried chicken made famous by Panda Express, and it gives fans of the dish a reason to order a plate, attempt a homemade version, or simply appreciate a takeaway favourite.
How to Celebrate National Orange Chicken Day
Orange chicken is best enjoyed rather than merely observed, so the day is all about getting stuck in. Here are some ways to mark the occasion:
- Order from Panda Express – The chain that made the dish famous is the natural place to start. Pick up a plate or a bigger family meal and taste the original recipe that inspired the day.
- Cook it from scratch – Plenty of reliable copycat recipes exist online. Cube boneless chicken, coat it in a light cornflour batter, fry until golden, then toss it in a sauce of orange juice, zest, garlic, ginger, sugar and a pinch of chilli flakes.
- Host an orange chicken cook-off – Invite friends or family to each make their own version and vote on the best. It is a fun, low-cost way to spend an evening and compare techniques.
- Try a healthier twist – Swap deep-frying for an air fryer or oven-baked chicken, and lighten the sauce with honey or a little less sugar for a version you can enjoy without the guilt.
- Pair it properly – Serve your orange chicken over steamed rice or chow mein, with a side of stir-fried greens to balance the sweetness.
- Share your plate online – Photograph your homemade or takeaway orange chicken and post it with the day’s hashtags. Food days thrive on people showing off their creations.
- Introduce someone new to it – If you have a friend who has never tried orange chicken, today is the perfect excuse to order an extra portion and win them over.
- Explore the regional roots – Read up on the Hunan and tangerine chicken dishes that loosely inspired the recipe, and appreciate how it became a distinctly American creation.
What is National Orange Chicken Day?
National Orange Chicken Day is an annual food holiday celebrating orange chicken, a Chinese-American dish of battered, fried chicken pieces coated in a sweet and tangy orange sauce. It is a light-hearted occasion enjoyed mainly by food lovers, home cooks and fans of the dish across the United States. The day recognises both the popularity of orange chicken as a takeaway staple and its cultural place in the story of American Chinese food.
When is National Orange Chicken Day?
National Orange Chicken Day falls on 15 July every year. In 2026 that lands on a Wednesday, making it a midweek treat and an ideal excuse to break up the working week with a comforting plate of orange chicken. The date is fixed, so it never moves from year to year.
The History of National Orange Chicken Day
The story of the day begins with the dish itself. Orange chicken as we know it was developed in 1987 by chef Andy Kao, who was working as an executive chef for Panda Express. Kao created the recipe around the time the company opened its first location outside California, at the Ala Moana Center in Hawaii. Trained in French cuisine, he drew on a sweet, tangy and slightly spicy flavour combination associated with Chinese cooking and coated fried chicken in a glossy citrus sauce.
Kao’s first attempts used bone-in, skin-on chicken, but he quickly learned that American diners preferred boneless, bite-sized pieces. That adjustment helped turn the dish into the easy-to-eat takeaway favourite it remains today. While orange chicken is sometimes linked to tangerine or “dried citrus peel” chicken from China’s Hunan province, the Panda Express version is very much an American invention, sweeter and stickier than its loose inspiration and rarely found in traditional Chinese restaurants.
The awareness day arrived much later. The holiday is generally traced to around 2016 and 2017, when it began to be promoted online and observed each 15 July. It joined a long list of single-dish food days that give people a fun, shareable reason to celebrate the foods they love. If you enjoy these food-focused occasions, you might also like National Fried Chicken Day, which honours another beloved fried favourite earlier in the month.
Fun Facts About National Orange Chicken Day
- Panda Express sells well over 100 million pounds of orange chicken every year, and in 2021 the figure reportedly topped 115 million pounds.
- Orange chicken has been said to account for around a third of all Panda Express sales, making it the chain’s defining dish.
- The recipe was created in 1987, the same year Panda Express opened its first restaurant outside California in Hawaii.
- The dish’s creator, Andy Kao, was classically trained in French cuisine before developing one of America’s most recognisable Chinese-American meals.
- Despite its Chinese-inspired flavours, orange chicken is rarely found in mainland China and is considered a distinctly American creation.
- The signature sauce typically combines real orange juice and zest with garlic, ginger, sugar and chilli flakes for its sweet, sticky and slightly spicy finish.
Why National Orange Chicken Day Matters
Beyond the obvious pleasure of eating a great plate of food, the day celebrates the way immigrant cooks and entrepreneurs have shaped American cuisine. Orange chicken is a reminder that some of the most loved dishes are inventions born from cultural blending and clever adaptation. The day also supports local restaurants and takeaways, encourages home cooking, and gives people a small, joyful tradition to share with friends and family.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is National Orange Chicken Day?
It is an annual food holiday celebrating orange chicken, the battered, fried chicken dish coated in a sweet and tangy orange sauce that became a signature of American Chinese cuisine.
When is National Orange Chicken Day in 2026?
It takes place on Wednesday, 15 July 2026. The date is fixed and falls on 15 July every year.
Who invented orange chicken?
Orange chicken was created in 1987 by chef Andy Kao while working for Panda Express, around the time the chain opened its first restaurant outside California in Hawaii.
Spread the Word
Join the celebration and share your best orange chicken photos on social media with #NationalOrangeChickenDay and #OrangeChickenDay2026. Tag your friends and challenge them to take part, whether they order out or cook a batch at home.
Related Awareness Days
- National Fried Chicken Day – Celebrates another deep-fried favourite and falls on 6 July, just over a week earlier.
- National Chicken Finger Day – Another July chicken-themed food day, perfect for fans of crispy, dippable poultry.
- World Kebab Day – A global celebration of another popular takeaway dish, marked earlier in July.
Links
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