Highest-Protein Panda Express Orders Under 600 Calories: A Fast-Casual Protein Guide

Panda Express is one of those places where you can build a shockingly good high-protein meal, or you can accidentally assemble a 1,200-calorie orange-chicken-and-fried-rice shrine to poor planning. The menu gives you options. Unfortunately, options are where humans go to make decisions like “sure, let’s add chow mein,” as if noodles have ever cared about your goals.

The good news: Panda Express has several strong high-protein orders under 600 calories. The better news: most of them involve Grilled Teriyaki Chicken, Super Greens, Black Pepper Sirloin Steak, Broccoli Beef, and sometimes shrimp. The bad news: Chow Mein is 600 calories by itself, Fried Rice is 620 calories, and White Steamed Rice is 520 calories, which means the side dishes can walk in and consume your entire calorie budget before the protein even gets to take off its jacket. Panda Express lists Bowls as 1 side + 1 entree, Plates as 1 side + 2 entrees, Bigger Plates as 1 side + 3 entrees, and A La Carte as individual entrees and sides.

For this guide, I’m using Panda Express’s current U.S. nutrition information. Panda says its nutrition values are based on standard recipes and serving methods, but actual values can vary because the food is handcrafted in small batches and affected by portion size, preparation, supplier, regional, and seasonal differences. Translation: your scoop was not dispensed by a tiny nutrition robot in a lab coat.

Best Overall: Two A La Carte Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Orders

The highest-protein Panda Express order under 600 calories is two A La Carte Grilled Teriyaki Chicken orders. One Grilled Teriyaki Chicken serving has 275 calories and 33g of protein, so two servings come to 550 calories and 66g of protein. That is the cleanest protein win on the menu, assuming your location lets you order two individual entrees.

This is not a “balanced meal” in the Instagram wellness sense. It is two servings of chicken. It has the emotional warmth of a meal-prep container, except with better sauce potential and less sadness. But if the goal is highest protein under 600 calories, this order shows up, kicks down the door, and asks why everyone else brought rice to a protein fight.

Do not casually add Teriyaki Sauce if the 600-calorie line matters. Panda lists Teriyaki Sauce separately at 70 calories and 0g protein, which would push this order to 620 calories. Tiny sauce packet, big little betrayal.

Best Actual Plate: Grilled Teriyaki Chicken + Black Pepper Sirloin Steak + Super Greens

The best full Plate under 600 calories is Grilled Teriyaki Chicken, Black Pepper Sirloin Steak, and Super Greens. This build lands at 585 calories and 61g of protein: Grilled Teriyaki Chicken gives 275 calories and 33g protein, Black Pepper Sirloin Steak adds 180 calories and 19g protein, and Super Greens add 130 calories and 9g protein.

This is probably the best “normal person” order on the list because it includes a side and two entrees, not just a poultry pile pretending to be dinner. You get chicken, steak, vegetables, and enough protein to make the Chow Mein section look like it showed up to work in flip-flops.

The Super Greens are doing real work here. They are only 130 calories and still bring 9g of protein, plus fiber and vegetables, which is useful because eventually your body does ask for something besides meat and sodium.

Best Shrimp Plate: Grilled Teriyaki Chicken + Wok-Fired Shrimp + Super Greens

Another excellent under-600 Plate is Grilled Teriyaki Chicken, Wok-Fired Shrimp, and Super Greens. This comes to 595 calories and 59g of protein. The shrimp adds 190 calories and 17g protein, which makes this a strong chicken-and-seafood option that still technically sneaks under the calorie line like it has fake ID.

This order has variety, which is nice if you do not want your meal to feel like a gym bro discovered a wok. Chicken, shrimp, greens, sauce, heat, vegetables — it feels like actual food instead of protein arithmetic.

The sodium, however, is not shy. Wok-Fired Shrimp alone has 1,140mg sodium, and the FDA Daily Value for sodium is 2,300mg, so this order is protein-smart but not exactly whispering “spa cuisine.”

Best Lower-Calorie Plate: Grilled Teriyaki Chicken + Broccoli Beef + Super Greens

For a slightly lower-calorie Plate, order Grilled Teriyaki Chicken, Broccoli Beef, and Super Greens. This build gives you 555 calories and 57g of protein. Broccoli Beef adds 150 calories and 15g protein, which is shockingly useful for something that sounds like it should be mostly broccoli standing near beef for emotional support.

This is one of the best balanced picks because you get chicken, beef, and vegetables without needing to invite rice or noodles into the situation. It is also less calorie-tight than the shrimp plate, which gives you a little breathing room for chili sauce or hot mustard if you want flavor without letting Teriyaki Sauce knock the calorie total over the fence.

Best Bowl: Grilled Teriyaki Chicken + Super Greens

The best Panda Express Bowl under 600 calories is simple: Grilled Teriyaki Chicken with Super Greens. This lands at 405 calories and 42g of protein. That is excellent protein efficiency for a fast-casual bowl, and it avoids the tragic side-dish trap where Chow Mein shows up with 600 calories and acts like it is just “a base.”

This is the order for someone who wants Panda Express but does not want to turn lunch into a carbohydrate warehouse. It is filling enough for many people, especially because Super Greens bring volume and fiber, but it still leaves room under 600 calories if you want to add soup or a low-calorie sauce.

Add Teriyaki Sauce and the order becomes 475 calories and 42g protein. That still works, but remember: the sauce adds 70 calories and zero protein, because sauces love arriving with confidence and no useful contribution.

Best Soup Combo: Grilled Teriyaki Chicken + Super Greens + Hot & Sour Soup Bowl

For a warmer, more filling order, get Grilled Teriyaki Chicken with Super Greens and add a Hot & Sour Soup Bowl. The total is 575 calories and 52g of protein. The soup bowl adds 170 calories and 10g protein, which makes this one of the best high-protein combos under 600 calories.

This is a great order when you want actual meal volume instead of just chicken and vegetables staring at you from a plastic container. It gives you protein, greens, broth, and enough hot-sour chaos to make the meal feel less like a macro spreadsheet.

But the soup bowl has 1,260mg sodium, so this combo is salty. Not “panic immediately” salty, but definitely “maybe don’t add soy sauce like a tiny packet of ocean water” salty.

Best Appetizer Combo: Grilled Teriyaki Chicken + Super Greens + Chicken Potstickers

A solid combo is Grilled Teriyaki Chicken with Super Greens plus Chicken Potstickers. That comes to 565 calories and 48g of protein. The Chicken Potstickers add 160 calories and 6g protein, which is not a protein miracle, but it makes the meal feel more fun and less like you are auditing vegetables.

The potstickers are better than the Cream Cheese Rangoon or Vegetable Spring Rolls for protein efficiency. Cream Cheese Rangoon has 190 calories and 5g protein, while Vegetable Spring Rolls have 240 calories and only 4g protein. Delicious little fried things, yes. Protein heroes, absolutely not.

Best Beef-Forward Order: Three Black Pepper Sirloin Steak Entrees

If you want beef and can order A La Carte, three Black Pepper Sirloin Steak servings come to 540 calories and 57g of protein. One serving is 180 calories and 19g protein, making it one of the strongest protein-per-calorie entrees Panda has.

This is a weird order, yes. Three steak servings and no side feels like something a person orders after saying, “I’m tracking macros,” while everyone else silently agrees not to ask questions. But it works.

For a more normal version, get Black Pepper Sirloin Steak, Broccoli Beef, and Super Greens. That Plate lands at 460 calories and 43g protein, which is less protein than the chicken-heavy orders but still very solid, and it feels like an actual meal instead of a beef filing cabinet.

Best Cub Meal: Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Cub Meal

The best Cub Meal for protein is the Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Cub Meal, which has 400 calories and 28g of protein. It includes chow mein, Super Greens, grilled teriyaki chicken, apple crisps, and bottled water.

This is not the highest-protein option, but it is a neat prebuilt order if you want something portion-controlled. Compared with the Orange Chicken Cub Meal at 580 calories and 22g protein, the Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Cub Meal is clearly the better protein move. Orange Chicken continues its long career of being delicious and nutritionally dramatic.

The Side Dish Problem: Super Greens or Bust

The biggest Panda Express protein hack is choosing Super Greens as your side. Super Greens are 130 calories and 9g protein, which is wildly useful compared with the other full-size sides. Chow Mein is 600 calories and 15g protein, Fried Rice is 620 calories and 13g protein, and White Steamed Rice is 520 calories and 10g protein.

That means the standard carb sides can use almost your entire 600-calorie budget before the entree even arrives. Chow Mein is not a side here. It is a noodle-shaped financial decision.

If your goal is high protein under 600 calories, Super Greens are the move. Not because they are glamorous. They are vegetables in a steam-table environment. Let’s stay calm. But they let you spend calories on protein instead of letting noodles drive the bus into a ditch.

What About Half Rice and Half Super Greens?

Half rice and half Super Greens can work if your calorie limit is flexible, but it is not the best strict under-600 move right now. Using Panda’s full-side nutrition numbers, half White Steamed Rice is about 260 calories and 5g protein, and half Super Greens is about 65 calories and 4.5g protein. Add Grilled Teriyaki Chicken and you land around 600 calories and 42.5g protein.

That is fine if your rule is “600 or less.” But if your headline says “under 600,” the bowl is standing exactly on the line like it is arguing with a bouncer.

The cleaner order is full Super Greens with Grilled Teriyaki Chicken. It gives you 405 calories and 42g protein, which leaves room for soup, potstickers, or sauce without your calorie target bursting into flames.

The Orange Chicken Problem

Orange Chicken is Panda Express royalty. It is famous. It is beloved. It is also not a great high-protein under-600 order.

A standard Orange Chicken serving has 510 calories and 16g protein. That fits under 600 by itself, but the protein return is weak compared with Grilled Teriyaki Chicken, which gives 33g protein for 275 calories. Hot Orange Chicken is even heavier at 550 calories and 17g protein.

This is the painful truth: Orange Chicken is delicious, but it is not a protein strategy. It is crispy sweet chicken candy wearing a savory costume. Enjoy it when you want it. Do not invite it to a protein contest and act shocked when it gets tackled by Teriyaki Chicken.

Seafood: Fine, But Not the Protein King

Panda’s seafood options are mixed. Wok-Fired Shrimp is useful at 190 calories and 17g protein, especially in the Grilled Teriyaki Chicken + Super Greens plate. Steamed Ginger Fish has 200 calories and 15g protein, but it also has 1,990mg sodium, which is less “light seafood” and more “fish deployed by a salt submarine.” Honey Walnut Shrimp is 430 calories and only 13g protein, so it is not a high-protein winner.

Honey Walnut Shrimp tastes good because it is basically shrimp that went through a creamy-sweet spa treatment and came out wearing candied walnuts. Wonderful? Sure. Efficient? No. It is seafood with dessert energy.

Sauces: Small Packets, Big Little Problems

The best low-calorie sauces are soy sauce at 5 calories, chili sauce at 10 calories, hot mustard at 10 calories, and potsticker sauce at 10 calories. But sodium is the little gremlin hiding in the packet: soy sauce has 375mg sodium, and potsticker sauce has 290mg.

The bigger calorie sauces are Teriyaki Sauce and Sweet & Sour Sauce, each at 70 calories and 0g protein. Sweet & Sour Sauce also has 20g sugar, because apparently sauce needed to audition for dessert.

The rule: use chili sauce or hot mustard when you need flavor with minimal calories. Be careful with Teriyaki Sauce if your order is already near 600 calories. Do not let sauce ruin a good order like a tiny packet of spreadsheet sabotage.

Sodium: Panda Express Is Not Whispering

A lot of Panda Express items are salty. Black Pepper Chicken has 1,130mg sodium, Kung Pao Chicken has 1,050mg, Wok-Fired Shrimp has 1,140mg, and the Hot & Sour Soup Bowl has 1,260mg. The FDA Daily Value for sodium is 2,300mg, so stacking salty entrees, soup, and soy sauce can turn a reasonable meal into a sodium group project.

This does not mean you can never eat Panda Express. It means do not build a meal out of salty entree, salty soup, salty sauce, and then act surprised when your water bottle becomes your emotional support animal.

What to Avoid If Protein Under 600 Calories Is the Goal

Avoid Chow Mein, Fried Rice, and full White Steamed Rice as your main side if protein efficiency matters. They are not evil. They are just too calorie-expensive for an under-600 protein order. Chow Mein is 600 calories, Fried Rice is 620, and White Steamed Rice is 520 before you add an entree.

Avoid Orange Chicken and Hot Orange Chicken as “protein” picks. They fit under 600 alone, but the protein return is weak compared with grilled chicken, steak, shrimp, or broccoli beef.

Avoid Honey Walnut Shrimp for this specific goal. It is 430 calories and 13g protein, which is not a protein order. It is shrimp with a dessert lawyer.

Avoid Cream Cheese Rangoon and Spring Rolls if you are trying to maximize protein. They are fun little fried side quests, not useful protein strategies.

Best Panda Express Orders by Goal

Highest protein overall:
Order two A La Carte Grilled Teriyaki Chicken servings for 550 calories and 66g protein. No side, no sauce drama, just chicken doing its job.

Best standard Plate:
Order Grilled Teriyaki Chicken, Black Pepper Sirloin Steak, and Super Greens for 585 calories and 61g protein.

Best seafood Plate:
Order Grilled Teriyaki Chicken, Wok-Fired Shrimp, and Super Greens for 595 calories and 59g protein.

Best lower-calorie Plate:
Order Grilled Teriyaki Chicken, Broccoli Beef, and Super Greens for 555 calories and 57g protein.

Best Bowl:
Order Grilled Teriyaki Chicken with Super Greens for 405 calories and 42g protein.

Best soup combo:
Order Grilled Teriyaki Chicken with Super Greens plus a Hot & Sour Soup Bowl for 575 calories and 52g protein.

Best appetizer combo:
Order Grilled Teriyaki Chicken with Super Greens plus Chicken Potstickers for 565 calories and 48g protein.

Best beef-heavy order:
Order three A La Carte Black Pepper Sirloin Steak servings for 540 calories and 57g protein, assuming your location lets you order that way.

Panda Express Can Be High-Protein, But Super Greens Are Carrying the Strategy

The highest-protein Panda Express order under 600 calories is two A La Carte Grilled Teriyaki Chicken servings, with 550 calories and 66g protein. It is not fancy. It is not balanced. It is chicken in duplicate, which is exactly why it works.

The best actual meal is Grilled Teriyaki Chicken, Black Pepper Sirloin Steak, and Super Greens, at 585 calories and 61g protein. That gives you a real Plate with vegetables and two strong proteins, instead of a sad little chicken-only stunt.

The broader strategy is painfully simple: choose Super Greens as the side, build around Grilled Teriyaki Chicken, add Black Pepper Sirloin Steak, Broccoli Beef, or Wok-Fired Shrimp, and treat rice, chow mein, fried rice, and sweet sauces like calorie goblins wearing Panda uniforms.

Panda Express can absolutely work for high-protein ordering under 600 calories. You just have to stop letting Chow Mein run the meeting.