Panda Express' New Chicken Is My Favorite Item I've Ever Ordered From the Chain

Hint: it's a spicy take on a Southern classic.

Typically, no trip to Panda Express is complete without an order of cream cheese rangoon and a bowl of orange chicken. But, the fast food restaurant just released a new spicy dish that might just change your order forever.

Panda Express Launches New Blazing Bourbon Chicken

Panda Express teamed up with Hot Ones to launch a menu item that’s the restaurant’s spiciest dish ever. The pair created the new Blazing Bourbon Chicken—a spicy Taiwanese-inspired take on the Southern classic that’s made with real hot sauce from the “Hot Ones” interview show.

The limited-time menu item is a crispy chicken coated in sweet and spicy sauce, made with soy sauce, real bourbon, honey, garlic, and Hot Ones The Last Dab Apollo hot sauce (which is the hottest sauce on the show). The dish also includes bell peppers and onions and is topped with sesame seeds.

Panda Express’ culinary team has been working to develop the new spicy menu item for a few years—and now it’s available for you to try through January 2. The dish, according to Panda’s culinary team, is inspired by a combination of Bourbon Chicken—a New Orleans dish made with sweet and savory flavors—and Taiwanese popcorn chicken—a crispy bite-sized chicken that’s seasoned with savory and spicy flavors.

The new Blazing Bourbon Chicken is available at select Panda Express restaurants nationwide. You can find the chicken near you on Panda’s site.

Hot Ones has had a pretty banner year with collaborations. This summer, the company worked with Hot Pockets to release four new spicy flavors. And it even had its own limited-time pop-up with GrubHub in New York City to sell spicy wings and chicken sandwiches using Hot Ones hot sauces. But this Panda Express meal might just be my favorite collaboration yet.

Panda Express' Blazing Bourbon Chicken Taste Test

I was invited to Panda Express to try the new Blazing Bourbon Chicken before it hit menus. The spicy dish was served with a side of rice to cut the heat—and, honestly, it was necessary. The Last Dab Apollo is no joke, and even though there likely isn’t that much hot sauce in the chicken, it still packs a spicy punch.

While it does bring the heat, it’s not too overwhelming to actually enjoy. I could eat an entire plate of the chicken and still crave more.

The spicy, sweet bourbon sauce is so delicious that even if Hot Ones doesn’t continue with this collab after January, I’d want Panda Express to remake it with a different hot sauce or spicy flavor because it deserves to stay on the menu. But, for now, you only have a few months to try it, so get to Panda Express ASAP.

Read the original article on All Recipes.