18 Of The Tastiest Items On The Panda Express Menu

Panda Express is a well-known American fast food chain that has been around for almost forty years now, being established in 1983. 

The restaurant serves American Chinese cuisine and is known for being the largest Asian-segment chain of restaurants across the United States. 

The Chinese-inspired cuisine from Panda Express has gained a fair amount of popularity over the years, so it makes sense that you might be considering giving the restaurant a try if you haven’t already.

If you aren’t familiar with Panda Express but are hoping to venture to the fast food chain at some point, we are going to be going through the menu and looking at some of the best dishes to be found, so keep reading if you are interested to know what to look out for on the Panda Express menu!

Additionally, if you’re a fan of Panda Express, you might want to explore Panda Express copycat recipes to recreate some of your favorite dishes at home.

1. String Bean Chicken Breast

Consists of chicken breast and string beans with onions, which are wok-tossed in a mild, ginger soy sauce. 

If you are a fan of chicken and veggies, you can’t go far wrong with String Bean Chicken Breast. 

The dish is made up of tender chicken breast alongside sweet, slivers of onion and crunchy green beans.

This sweetness from the onions contrasts well will the kick of heat from the ginger soy sauce, though this doesn’t become overbearing thanks to the mild nature of the sauce. 

Packed full of protein- not to mention delicious- the String Bean Chicken Breast Panda Express dish might not be the most exciting, but it ticks all the right boxes when it comes to a tasty menu item. 

2. Grilled Teriyaki Chicken

Consists of hand-sliced, grilled chicken that is served with a sweet teriyaki sauce. 

One of the more underrated Panda Express dishes, the grilled teriyaki chicken features juicy and tender chicken with a subtly sweet flavor thanks to the aforementioned teriyaki sauce. 

The use of chicken thigh over chicken breast for the meat is an ingenious one, as thighs are less likely to dry out quickly, like breasts are prone to. 

The teriyaki sauce itself manages to maintain the perfect balance of both salty and sweet and combines perfectly with the chicken to create a delicious dish.

3. Honey Walnut Shrimp

Consists of large shrimp fried in a tempura batter and wok-tossed in a honey sauce that is topped off with glazed walnuts

This dish is the perfect combination of tender shrimp wrapped in crispy tempura batter with sweet walnuts, and a creamy sauce. 

The walnuts offer a distinctive crunch, whilst the honey sauce provides some sweetness that blends well with the seafood taste of the shrimp (though it doesn’t veer on the side of too fishy in terms of the taste). 

As well as that crunch, the walnuts also offer some texture, as does the thick and crispy batter. This combination of crunchy walnuts and the crispy batter makes for an excellent texture too. 

Although there are no vegetables within this dish, it is certain to be enjoyed by fans of shrimp who enjoy a mixture of sweet and salty flavors. 

4. Black Pepper Angus Steak

Consists of Angus steak that is seared in a wok with onions, mushrooms, green beans, and red bell peppers along with a black pepper sauce

This is definitely an item on the Panda Express menu that is sure to please meat lovers! 

Made up of cubes of thick tender steak and packed full of tasty vegetables, the dish is finished off with a savory black pepper sauce that brings the entire meal together. 

The boldness of the sauce with the sweet nature of the onions and bell peppers, along with the earthy mushrooms and crunchy green beans, makes for a taste sensation!

Steak might not be the first dish to come to mind when considering American Chinese cuisine, but the Black Pepper Angus Steak dish from Panda Express is certainly a welcome addition. 

5. Veggie Spring Roll

Consists of a mixture of green onions, celery, cabbage, carrots, and Chinese noodles wrapped in a crispy wonton wrapper. 

If you are looking for a vegetarian option when you venture to Panda Express, we would suggest their Veggie Spring Rolls over their Super Greens. 

That isn’t to say that the Super Greens dish isn’t an enjoyable one, but the Veggie Spring Roll offers a combination of tasty crunchiness with soft vegetables along with flavorsome noodles in order to create a particularly delicious appetizer. 

6. Crispy Almond Chicken Breast

Consists of chicken breast pieces covered in deep-fried, rice-puff breading which are wok-tossed with green onions, soy, garlic, ginger sauce, and sliced almonds.

This is one of the newer additions to the Panda Express menu, but it is definitely one of the best. 

This dish features tender pieces of chicken covered in a batter that is a little different from some of their other battered foods, as it is battered with rice puff breading to create a somewhat softer exterior. 

If you’re a fan of the crunchiness, you don’t have to worry, as the sliced almonds within the sauce provide more than enough of a crunch as well as some excellent texture. 

The sauce itself is also wonderfully flavorful, thanks to the sweetness of the green onions and the saltiness of the soy and garlic combining perfectly. There is also a nice kick of spice thanks to the addition of ginger.

The combination of textures and flavors in this dish makes it stand out as one of the best that Panda Express has to offer. 

7. Broccoli Beef

Consists of tender chunks of beef with fresh broccoli covered in a soy and ginger sauce. 

Broccoli Beef is a classic Panda Express dish, and for good reason! This tasty menu item is made up of tender, thinly sliced beef alongside broccoli.

This combination of soft beef with crunchy, well-textured broccoli offers a bit of a bite thanks to the crunchiness of the vegetable mixing in with the beef. 

The meal is brought together by the ginger and soy sauce, giving it an extra burst of saltiness that is perfectly proportionate to the tastes and textures of the broccoli along with the beef. 

8. Beijing Beef

Consists of crispy, somewhat beef with onions and bell peppers, accompanied by a spicy, tangy, and sweet sauce. 

The Beijing Beef Panda Express dish is an excellent choice for those who enjoy a little bit of an extra kick thanks to the sweet and spicy red sauce that covers the beef, bell peppers, and onions.

 The beef is perfectly tender, whilst the peppers and onions enhance the overall flavor of both the meat and the sauce without becoming overpowering. 

The beef is battered, but it is not quite as crispy as some of the other options on the Panda Express menu, as it is a breaded batter.

That being said, the Beijing Beef doesn’t need to be super crispy, as the softness of the batter works well with the tanginess of the sauce and the vegetables. 

9. Chicken Egg Roll

Consists of chicken and glass noodles with green onions, cabbage, and carrots in a crisp, wonton wrapper. 

You can’t discuss Panda Express food without discussing their take on the classic Chinese American cuisine that is the egg roll! 

Their version of the egg roll is combined with chicken and a somewhat pasty like combination of carrots, noodles, green onions, and cabbage. 

The Chicken Egg Roll has a fantastic level of crunch to it thanks to just how crispy the wonton wrapper is. The combination of this crunchiness with the soft mixture of vegetables, noodles, and chicken for the filling makes for a satisfying appetizer. 

The only issue with the chicken egg roll is that you only get one! 

10. Mushroom Chicken 

Consists of tender chicken alongside zucchini and mushrooms that are wok-tossed and served with a light, ginger-flavored soy sauce. 

This dish is one that is similar to the aforementioned String Bean Chicken, though it has a different assortment of vegetables as well as a strong, earthy flavor due to the inclusion of mushrooms. 

The Mushroom Chicken menu item features zucchini that has been sliced up into thin discs, with mushrooms that are hearty and meaty.

The ginger soy sauce increases the saltiness of the flavor in a way that works well with the mushrooms, zucchini, and chicken whilst not becoming overpowering. 

11. SweetFire Chicken Breast

Consists of crispy chicken with pineapples, red bell peppers, and onions, all topped off with a sweet chili sauce. 

This is another option that is best suited for those who enjoy a bit of spice with their meal, thanks to the sweet chili sauce. 

This sauce is both sweet and sour- as well as being a little spicy- offering a bit of savoriness and sweetness to the dish alongside that spice. 

The pineapple also adds to the sweet factor, whilst the onions and red peppers also air on the side of sweet without being overbearingly so. 

The chicken is covered in a crispy coating, which offers a nice bit of texture to the dish alongside the softness of the pineapple and the veggies.

The sweetness of the sauce and the pineapple might not be to everyone’s tastes with this dish, but if that is the kind of flavor that you enjoy- along with a bit of heat- then the SweetFire Chicken Breast is sure to be a hit. 

12. Cream Cheese Rangoon

Consists of crispy wonton wrappers that are filled with cream cheese and then served with a sweet and sour sauce. 

The Panda Express Cream Cheese Rangoons combine flavors and textures excellently to create a uniquely delicious dish. 

The exterior of the rangoons are made from crispy wonton wrappers, whilst the interior is filled with warm and soft cream cheese.

Not only are these two opposing textures- one being crispy and the other being smooth-, but they are also opposing flavors thanks to the crunchy, savory taste of the wonton wrapper along with the light yet recognizable flavor of the cream cheese.

The accompanying sweet and sour sauce is not poured onto the rangoons, so you have to choice as to whether you want to use it. It does add a bit of bite to the dish though, thanks to the sauce’s tanginess. It also acts as a contrast to cream cheese. 

Whilst the combination of flavors here might not be to everybody’s tastes, there is no doubting that the Cream Cheese Rangoons are a favorite for many Panda Express customers. 

13. Kung Pao Chicken

Consists of chicken with vegetables, peanuts, and chili peppers

This is another well-known Panda Express dish as well as one that is particularly spicy. It is also one that is quite interesting, thanks to the combination of peanuts with chunks of zucchini, flavorsome bell peppers, and roasted whole chilies. 

The chilies bring the heat as well as some smokiness, whilst the veggies add some texture and contrast the spiciness of the chilies well.

The chicken itself has a soft batter rather than a crunchy one, which feels well suited to the dish as a whole as the peanuts bring more than enough crunch to the dish. 

For a spicy dish that is a little bit unique in terms of flavor combos and textures, then the Kung Pao Chicken is sure to be the choice for you. 

14. Black Pepper Chicken

Consists of marinated chicken with onions and celery in a flavorsome black pepper sauce. 

The Black Pepper Chicken might seem kind of similar to some of the other chicken dishes that we have mentioned here in that it features chicken along with vegetables and a certain type of sauce.

Whilst this is the case, there is a distinctive difference with this particular Panda Express menu and that difference is the black pepper sauce. 

Not only does the black pepper give the dish a different look aesthetically- thanks to the sprinklings of black peppercorns across the chicken and vegetables- but it also gives it a taste that is a little different. 

This is thanks to the pepper offering a bit of a kick that tastes different in comparison to chili-based heat. Pepper spice doesn’t linger as much, and it isn’t as overpowering, making for a milder taste that is still packed full of flavor. 

If you are prone to adding a dash of pepper to every single meal that you eat, then this Black Pepper Chicken is definitely the dish for you!

15. Eggplant Tofu

Consists of tofu that has been lightly browned alongside red bell peppers and eggplant, which are then tossed within a spicy and sweet sauce. 

This is another vegetarian option when it comes to items on the Panda Express menu, and it is one of the best choices as the eggplant makes for an excellent alternative to animal protein.

Unfortunately, the dish is regional, but it is one that should definitely be rolled out nationwide thanks to how well suited it is a vegetarian choice. 

The eggplant within the dish is well braised but still super soft and spongy. Despite this, the dish doesn’t risk becoming too mushy thanks to the crispy, browned pieces of tofu.

The soft eggplant and crispy tofu come together to create a tasty combination of textures. 

The sauce combines spicy and sweet flavors, whilst the thick chunks of bell pepper offer a bit of crunch alongside the crispy tofu. 

For vegetarians and meat eaters alike, there is nothing not to like about the Eggplant Tofu from Panda Express.

16. The Original Orange Chicken

Consists of crispy chicken with a spicy and sweet orange sauce. 

Orange Chicken is the signature dish from Panda Express, and it isn’t hard to see why!

The orange sauce is the star of the show here, with a sweet and zesty taste that perfectly covers the chicken in a sticky, delicious glaze. 

The flavor is incredibly aromatic, to the point of being floral at times and this combines beautifully with the mild heat that comes from the chilies.

The chicken has a crunchy batter that offers a brilliant texture and blends well with the sticky and sweet spice of the orange sauce.

There is no way that you can go to Panda Express without at least trying their signature Orange Chicken dish!

17. Chow Mein

Consists of wheat noodles that are stir-fried with celery, onions, and cabbage. 

When it comes to a staple of American Chinese cuisine, you can’t get any better than a classic chow mein dish and the same can be said for the Panda Express Chow Mein. 

Despite the menu item being a side dish, this chow mein is one of the more famous dishes on the Panda Express menu. 

The noodles are incredibly long in this dish, which might not seem like a big deal, but it makes all the difference as longer noodles mean that you don’t have to spend too much time wrangling the noodles onto your fork! 

The texture of the noodles is also perfect, getting just the right balance so that they are neither too dry nor too wet. 

The celery, cabbage, and onions provide just the right amount of flavor and texture to the meal too, making for a thoroughly pleasing side dish. 

18. Honey Sesame Chicken Breast

Consists of juicy chicken with green peppers and bell peppers and an organic honey and sesame seed sauce. 

The perfect combination of both sweet and savory, the Honey Sesame Chicken Breast features a sweet sauce that is not only heavenly, but that also brilliantly coats the tender chicken chunks with a delicious glaze. 

The sesame seeds only bring out the fantastic flavor, whilst the bell peppers and green peppers bring some crunch as well as some extra tastiness. 

Although it is one of the lesser-known dishes, the Honey Sesame Chicken Breast is a must. 

Final Thoughts

So there you have eighteen delectable Panda Express dishes that are sure to be a tasty treat. 

We have tried to include enough variety here so that there is something for everyone to enjoy, no matter whether you prefer spice, sweetness, or more savory tastes, there should be something that you can find to suit your preferences here. 

So what are you waiting for? Head on over to your closest Panda Express and try out some of these dishes today!