Panda Express menu prices in 2026 depend on the restaurant, but published menus put a Bowl near $9 to $11, a Plate near $10 to $12.50 and a Bigger Plate near $11 to $14. Premium entrées add $1.25 to $1.50.
This guide covers every section of the menu, from bundles and Cub Meals to catering trays, with calorie ranges and ordering notes. Prices come from menus published at different dates and venues, so read them as ranges, not promises. Menu pages across the web often disagree with each other. One site lists the Double Protein Plate at 875 calories while another lists 760. Where sources conflict, this article shows the range and names the number to confirm.
Panda Express Menu Prices at a Glance
The core system never changes: pick a side, pick your entrées and pay for the size. The number of entrées is the only difference between a Bowl, a Plate and a Bigger Plate, and that shapes the value question.
| Meal | What you get | Typical price |
|---|---|---|
| Bowl | 1 side, 1 entrée | $9 to $11 |
| Plate | 1 side, 2 entrées | $10 to $12.50 |
| Bigger Plate | 1 side, 3 entrées | $11 to $14 |
| Cub Meal | Kid-size meal | $7.20 to $7.30 |
| Family Meal | 3 entrées, 2 sides | $35 to $45 |
Prices differ because venues set their own. One airport menu lists a Bowl at $10.20, while a federal food court menu lists the same Bowl at $9.10. Mall, campus and street locations can land anywhere in between.
Panda Bundles
A Panda Bundle is a regular meal with a medium fountain drink added. Reporting from Chowhound says bundles are mainly offered through the app and online, so you may not see them on the menu board inside the restaurant.
Reported bundle prices vary widely. One 2026 menu page lists a Plate Bundle at $12.90 and a Bigger Plate Bundle starting at $14.90. Chowhound reported $15.20 and $16.80 for the same two bundles at the time of its article.
The bundle only wins if the drink premium is smaller than buying the drink separately. Chowhound’s own math showed a $10.90 Bowl plus a drink reaching $13.80 at the counter. Compare the app total against the counter total.
Bowl
The Bowl is the smallest build-your-own meal: one side and one entrée. Published calorie ranges run from about 190 to 1,130, depending on the menu version and which entrée and side you pair together at the counter.
Bowl pricing sits between roughly $9 and $11 in the sources reviewed. Chowhound cited about $8.60 in an older piece and $10.90 as a starting price in a newer one, which shows how fast the number moves.
The Bowl suits a light lunch or a single diner who wants a controlled portion. It is a weak value per entrée, though, because the side and entrée share one price. Larger sizes spread that cost across more food.
Many diners miss that sides can be split. The menu lets you choose one side or take half and half, so a Bowl can carry half Super Greens and half Fried Rice without any extra charge.
Plate
The Plate adds a second entrée to the Bowl, still with one side. Published calorie ranges run from about 240 to 1,640, and listed prices run from about $10.10 in an older report to $12.50 in a recent one.
Chowhound noted that Reddit users on the r/PandaExpress thread treat the Plate as one of the better deals on the menu. The reason is simple: the second entrée costs far less than the first one did.
A Plate works well for two different flavors, such as a sweet entrée and a lighter one. Pairing Orange Chicken with Broccoli Beef balances a 490 to 510 calorie dish with a 150 calorie one.
Premium entrées raise the bill. Each premium entrée adds $1.25 to $1.50 to the total, so a Plate with two premium picks can cost nearly $3 more than the same Plate built with two standard entrées.
Bigger Plate
The Bigger Plate holds three entrées and one side, with a limit of three entrées per plate. Calorie ranges reported on menus run from about 320 to 2,150, which covers a light veggie build up to a heavy one.
Listed prices run from about $11.20 in older reporting to roughly $13.65 on a recent airport menu. The gap between a Bowl and a Bigger Plate is only a few dollars, even though you receive two more entrées.
Daily Meal made a point that changes how most people order. Two Bigger Plates deliver six entrées and two sides, while one Family Meal delivers three entrées and two sides, and the two plates usually cost less.
Some diners split a Bigger Plate into two meals at home. The Rather Be Shopping guide describes this habit, and it works best when you choose three different entrées and take a half and half side.
Balanced Protein Plates
Balanced Protein Plates are pre-set meals built around higher protein. One menu guide reports that Panda Express developed them with registered dietitian Kylie Sakaida, and several sources describe them as a 2025 addition to the menu.
| Plate | What is on it | Protein |
|---|---|---|
| Double Protein | 2 Grilled Teriyaki Chicken, half rice, half Super Greens | 76g |
| Harmonious Macros | Grilled Teriyaki Chicken, Broccoli Beef, Super Greens | 57g |
| Bold and Flavorful | Kung Pao Chicken, Black Pepper Steak, Super Greens | 45g |
| Power Packed | Black Pepper Steak, Broccoli Beef, Super Greens | 43g |
| Protein and Fiber | String Bean Chicken, Kung Pao Chicken, Super Greens | 38g |
Prices for these plates range from about $10.90 to $12.80 for the standard builds and up to $14.30 for the steak builds, according to different guides. Treat these as ballpark numbers and check the app for your restaurant.
Calories are where sources contradict each other most. The Double Protein Plate appears at 875 calories on some pages and 760 on another, and the Power Packed Plate shows 490 on one page and 980 on another.
Availability also varies by location. Some sources call the plates online-only, while others call them location dependent. If you want one, open the app before you drive over and confirm your restaurant actually offers it.
Panda Cub Meal
The Panda Cub Meal is the kids’ option. It includes a junior side, a junior entrée, a fruit side and either bottled water or kids’ juice. Listed prices run from $7.20 to $7.30 across the sources reviewed.
Reported calories run from about 300 to 740, depending on the entrée and side chosen. Published Cub Meal entrées include Orange Chicken, Grilled Teriyaki Chicken and Broccoli Beef, plus a build-your-own option for fussier eaters.
| Cub Meal | Reported price |
|---|---|
| Orange Chicken Cub Meal | $7.30 |
| Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Cub Meal | $7.30 |
| Broccoli Beef Cub Meal | $7.30 |
The fruit side is the detail parents tend to like, because it replaces a second starch. A child who finishes the tray gets a main, a side, fruit and a drink for a price close to a small Bowl.
Panda Crafted Beverages
Panda Crafted Beverages are the flavored teas, refreshers and lemonades sold separately from fountain drinks. Reported flavors include Mango Guava Flavored Tea, Peach Lychee Flavored Refresher, Pomegranate Pineapple Flavored Lemonade and Watermelon Mango Flavored Refresher.
Prices run from about $3.30 to $3.90 across the guides reviewed, and reported calories run from about 130 to 240 depending on the flavor and cup size. Large cups sit at the higher end of both ranges.
One menu guide warns that crafted beverages may not be included in every bundle price. If a bundle advertises a fountain drink only, swapping in a crafted drink may cost extra at your restaurant, so ask first.
Crafted drinks are sweet, so they change the calorie math of a meal. A 160 calorie lemonade is small beside a 1,000 calorie plate, but it adds up quickly next to a 300 calorie Wok Smart meal.
5 Person Family Meal
The Family Meal feeds four to five people and includes three large entrées and two large sides. Reported prices climb from about $32 on an older menu to $35 and $45 on newer ones, depending on the venue.
At $45 for five people, the meal works out near $9 per person. That sounds cheap, but it is not much lower than what a Bowl costs by itself at many locations, so the saving is modest.
An older menu listed an extra $3.75 for each premium entrée in the Family Meal. Premium upcharges therefore run higher here than on individual plates, so a family that wants steak or shrimp should read the board closely.
The better value for a group of four is often two Bigger Plates. That order gives six entrées against the Family Meal’s three, and the plates usually cost less together, though you must also split two sides across more people.
Appetizers and More
Appetizers at Panda Express are small, so they work as a quick add-on to any meal. Published calories sit between 150 and 200 per order, and one airport menu priced each item at $2.30 apiece.
| Item | Calories | Example price |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken Egg Roll | 200 | $2.30 |
| Veggie Spring Rolls (2) | 190 | $2.30 |
| Cream Cheese Rangoon (3) | 190 | $2.30 |
| Apple Pie Roll | 150 | $2.30 |
Chicken Egg Roll
The Chicken Egg Roll is listed at 200 calories on published menus. It is a crisp, fried roll filled with chicken and vegetables, and it pairs well with a lighter entrée if you want something crunchy.
Veggie Egg Roll
Menus list the vegetable roll as Veggie Spring Rolls, sold as a pair at 190 calories. Because the name changes between menu versions, ask the cashier which version your restaurant sells before you order it.
Fortune Cookies
Fortune cookies are a small finishing touch at the counter. Pricing and availability vary by location, so ask when you order rather than assuming they come with every meal, and confirm before you leave the register.
A La Carte
A La Carte boxes let you buy entrées or sides on their own in small, medium and large sizes. They suit people packing food home or feeding a group that wants one specific dish in bulk.
| Entrée box | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Small | $6.20 | $7.90 |
| Medium | $10.00 | $13.45 |
| Large | $13.10 | $18.25 |
Those figures come from one airport menu, and sides on the same menu were $5.50 for medium and $6.65 for large. Other venues price lower. A federal food court menu listed a small entrée at $5.40.
A La Carte rarely beats a meal. Chowhound reported that buying a separate entrée and side pushes the total past $13, a lot more than a Bowl. Use boxes when you need volume, not when you need a single lunch.
Drinks
The standard drink list covers fountain drinks, bottled soda, bottled tea, energy drinks, vitamin water, juice and bottled water. Prices vary a great deal by venue, so use the figures below as one example only.
| Drink type | Example price |
|---|---|
| Fountain drink | $2.75 to $2.95 |
| Bottled water | $3.25 |
| Bottled drinks | $3.80 |
| Juice | $4.10 |
| OpenWater 16 oz | $5.40 |
Brands named on the menu board include Pure Leaf teas, Red Bull, Vitamin Water, Path Water in two sizes, OpenWater in two sizes, Minute Maid Apple Juice and Tropicana orange juice. Which of these a restaurant stocks changes by location.
I could not find reliable, current prices for every bottled item, so none are guessed here. A cup of water is the cheapest option, and you should ask at the counter about its price rather than assume.
Catering
Panda Express catering uses party packs sized by the number of guests. One federal location listed three sizes, each pairing a set number of entrées with the same number of sides, as the table below shows.
| Pack | Serves | Example price |
|---|---|---|
| Small (2 entrées, 2 sides) | 12 to 16 | $112 |
| Medium (3 entrées, 3 sides) | 18 to 22 | $159 |
| Large (4 entrées, 4 sides) | 26 to 30 | $201 |
Catering menus also list trays of cream cheese rangoon, veggie rolls, chicken egg rolls and shrimp. Tray counts and prices differ by region, so request a written quote from your local restaurant for any order that matters.
Plan catering well ahead, since large orders need lead time. Ask about premium entrées, because a premium upcharge applies to catering boxes too, and confirm the pickup or delivery details before the event date arrives.
The Panda Express Entrée Menu
Entrées are the heart of the menu. Calories below come from published menus, and they differ slightly between versions, so each entry shows the reported range. Check the official nutrition calculator for the exact number at your restaurant.
Orange Chicken
The Original Orange Chicken is the signature dish, reported at 490 to 510 calories. Menupedia states it was created at Panda Express in 1987 by Chef Andy Kao. Some menu boards mark it as spicy.
Grilled Teriyaki Chicken
Grilled Teriyaki Chicken lands at 275 to 300 calories and carries the Wok Smart label, which means 300 calories or less with at least 8g of protein. It forms the base of the Double Protein Plate.
Beijing Beef
Beijing Beef is reported at 470 calories and is marked spicy on several boards. It is a standard entrée with no premium charge, and reviewers placed it at roughly $8 to $11 across meal sizes.
Kung Pao Chicken
Kung Pao Chicken is described as a wok-tossed dish of chicken, zucchini, ginger, garlic and bell peppers in a nutty soy sauce, finished with peanuts. It is reported at 290 to 320 calories and is Wok Smart.
Broccoli Beef
Broccoli Beef is the lowest calorie entrée in the sources reviewed, at 150 calories. It also carries the Wok Smart label, so it works as the lighter half of almost any two entrée plate you build.
Mushroom Chicken
Mushroom Chicken is reported at 220 calories and is Wok Smart. The Takeout writer called it one of the best-flavored entrées on the whole menu, and it carries no premium charge on any meal size you choose.
String Bean Chicken Breast
String Bean Chicken Breast is reported at 190 to 210 calories and is Wok Smart. Some older menu boards listed a tofu version instead, so check whether your restaurant offers the chicken or the tofu option.
Black Pepper Angus Steak
Black Pepper Angus Steak is a premium entrée reported at 180 calories and is Wok Smart. Older menus listed a similar item called Shanghai Angus Steak at 310 calories, so versions differ over time and by place.
Honey Walnut Shrimp
Honey Walnut Shrimp is a premium entrée reported at 360 to 430 calories. Chowhound ranked it the top menu item, while The Takeout writer placed it last, which shows how divided opinions about this dish are.
Honey Sesame Chicken Breast
Honey Sesame Chicken Breast appears on a 2026 Bigger Plate Bundle page at 340 calories. It is a chicken breast entrée with a sweet glaze and sesame seeds, and listings suggest it is a standard pick.
Sesame Shrimp and Beef
Sesame Shrimp and Beef is not on every current menu, and no reliable calorie or price data turned up for it. Rotating items like this often appear as Chef’s Specials, so check the serving line itself.
Hot Orange Chicken
Hot Orange Chicken is a spicier variation of the signature dish. I found no reliable calorie or price data for it either, and restaurants that carry it list it as a limited or rotating item.
Sides
Every Bowl, Plate and Bigger Plate includes one side, and you may take half and half. Calorie ranges below reflect several published menus, which list slightly different numbers for the same four sides at different dates.
Chow Mein
Chow Mein is reported at 510 to 600 calories per full side. It is a wok-tossed noodle side that holds sauce well, but it is also among the heavier choices on the menu, so portion it with care.
Fried Rice
Fried Rice is reported at 520 to 620 calories. It carries more calories than plain rice, so it makes sense when you want extra flavor and prefer to keep the sauce on your entrée to a minimum.
White Rice
White Steamed Rice is reported at 380 to 520 calories, depending on the menu version. It is the plainest base and works well with saucy entrées such as Orange Chicken or Beijing Beef on the same plate.
Super Greens
Super Greens is the lightest side at 90 to 130 calories in the published menus. A half and half order with rice gives you vegetables and a starch for a lower calorie total than a full portion of noodles.
Insider Terms and Ordering Tips
Standard menu guides repeat prices and skip the vocabulary regular customers use. These terms and habits explain how orders are priced and built, and they change what a smart order looks like at the counter.
What Wok Smart Means
Wok Smart is a menu label for entrées with 300 calories or less and at least 8g of protein. It is a quick filter for anyone watching calories without opening a nutrition chart on their phone.
What Half and Half Means
Half and half lets you split a side between two options, such as rice and greens. Some diners also split entrée portions, though that depends on how the team at your restaurant handles the request during service.
What Counts as Premium
A premium entrée carries an extra $1.25 to $1.50 per entrée on a Bowl, Plate or Bigger Plate. Published premium items are Honey Walnut Shrimp and Black Pepper Angus Steak, so a Bigger Plate with both costs about $3 more.
Check the Line for Chef’s Specials
Menus print a reminder to check the line for Chef’s Specials. Those rotating entrées are not always on the board, so look at the serving line itself before you decide what to build for your meal.
Build Your Order in Sequence
The Daily Meal advises choosing your sides first, because staff build plates in a set order. Naming entrées first can confuse the line, and it is easy to leap ahead without realizing you did it.
Panda Rewards Points
The Daily Meal also reports that 250 points can upgrade a Plate to a Bigger Plate, which works as a free entrée. Point values change over time, so confirm the current offer inside the app before you count on it.
A Counter-Intuitive Truth About Value
Many people assume the Bowl is the cheapest way to eat at Panda Express. It has the lowest sticker price, but it costs the most per entrée. A quick calculation shows why the larger plates win.
| Meal | Reported price | Entrées | Price per entrée |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowl | $8.60 | 1 | $8.60 |
| Plate | $10.10 | 2 | $5.05 |
| Bigger Plate | $11.20 | 3 | $3.73 |
These prices come from one older Chowhound report, and the division is simple arithmetic. Current prices are higher, but the pattern holds across every menu reviewed: each added entrée costs far less than the first.
A second outdated habit is assuming the Family Meal always saves money. For a group of four, two Bigger Plates often cost less and deliver twice as many entrées, according to The Daily Meal’s math.
What Changed in 2026
Menu pages published through 2026 highlight Balanced Protein Plates, Panda Crafted Beverages and app-only bundles as the visible changes. These items now sit beside the classic Bowl, Plate and Bigger Plate system on most menu guides.
One practical shift is data quality. Many third-party pages recycle old numbers, and the same plate can show very different calories from page to page. The official app and nutrition calculator remain the only safe reference for exact numbers.
I also found a claim that all artificial dyes were removed from the menu in July 2026. Only low-quality sites reported it, so I left it out. Check the official Panda Express site for ingredient news.
Nutrition and Calories
Panda Express menus use a 2,000 calorie day as the general reference. They also note that calorie needs vary and that more nutrition information is available on request, either in the restaurant or on the official website.
Calories
Entrée calories range from 150 for Broccoli Beef to about 510 for Orange Chicken. Sides add 90 to 620 depending on the choice, so the side often moves the total more than the entrée does.
| Item | Reported calories |
|---|---|
| Broccoli Beef | 150 |
| Black Pepper Angus Steak | 180 |
| String Bean Chicken Breast | 190 to 210 |
| Mushroom Chicken | 220 |
| Grilled Teriyaki Chicken | 275 to 300 |
| Kung Pao Chicken | 290 to 320 |
| Beijing Beef | 470 |
| Orange Chicken | 490 to 510 |
Protein
Wok Smart entrées contain at least 8g of protein each. Balanced Protein Plates go much higher, from 38g on the Protein and Fiber Plate to 76g on the Double Protein Plate, based on published menu descriptions.
Healthy Choices
The lowest calorie entrées are Broccoli Beef, String Bean Chicken Breast, Mushroom Chicken and Grilled Teriyaki Chicken. Pair any of them with Super Greens for the lightest build the menu allows, which keeps the whole plate modest.
A heavier plate is not always a mistake. If you want Orange Chicken, pair it with Super Greens and a Wok Smart entrée so the plate still carries vegetables and a lower calorie second entrée.
Nutrition Info
For allergens and exact values, use the official nutrition calculator rather than a third-party table. I could not verify allergen details from the sources reviewed, so confirm them before ordering if an allergy is a concern.
Panda Express Menu Location
Panda Express restaurants appear in malls, airports, university food courts and government buildings, and the menus found for this article came from all of those settings. Each setting can carry its own prices and a slightly different item list.
Menus outside the United States use local currency. When Panda Express opened in Manila, Rappler listed a Bowl at P195, a Plate at P245 and a Bigger Plate at P295, so a US dollar table does not apply there.
To find your nearest restaurant and its real prices, use the store locator in the Panda Express app or on the official site. That view shows what your location actually charges today, not an old national average.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is a Panda Express Bowl in 2026?
Published menus show about $9 to $11, depending on location. Confirm the exact price in the app for your restaurant.
What are premium entrées at Panda Express?
Premium entrées include Honey Walnut Shrimp and Black Pepper Angus Steak, and each adds roughly $1.25 to $1.50 to a meal.
Is Orange Chicken a premium entrée?
No. Orange Chicken is a standard entrée, so it carries no extra charge on a Bowl, Plate or Bigger Plate.
What is the lowest calorie entrée?
Broccoli Beef, at about 150 calories, is the lowest calorie entrée in the sources reviewed.
Does a Bowl come with a drink?
No. A drink comes with a Panda Bundle, which adds a medium fountain drink to a Bowl, Plate or Bigger Plate.
How many people does the Family Meal serve?
The Family Meal serves four to five people and includes three large entrées and two large sides.
What is a Balanced Protein Plate?
It is a pre-set plate built around higher protein, with reported protein from 38g to 76g depending on the plate.
Are Balanced Protein Plates sold everywhere?
Not always. Availability depends on the location, so check the app for your restaurant before ordering.
What is the Panda Cub Meal?
It is the kids’ meal with a junior entrée, junior side, fruit side and a bottled water or kids’ juice.
Where can I find the official Panda Express menu?
Use the official Panda Express website or app, which show the prices and nutrition details for your selected restaurant.
Final Thoughts
The Panda Express menu is simple once the pricing model is clear. Each added entrée costs less than the first, so Plates and Bigger Plates usually beat the Bowl, and premium entrées are the only real price movers.
Treat every price in this guide as a range, because venues set their own. For exact prices, calories and allergens, open the official app, select your restaurant and read the numbers it shows before you order.
