Ranking the 15 Panda Express Menu Items from Worst to Best

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Can’t get enough Panda Express? Neither can we. Everyone’s got their go-to order, which can be a reliable option if you don’t want to try anything new. After all, it seems like everyone has a favorite plate combination from Panda Express — even I have fallen victim to the routine of grabbing the same three menu items every time I visit. But if you’re looking to branch out a little bit, well, I’ve got you covered.

I made it my mission to find and rank Panda Express’ dishes — aside from its Premium offerings. I made my way through plates, sides, and rolls, and ranked each based on its taste, texture, whether it lived up to expectations or not, and how broad its customer appeal is. 

The teriyaki chicken sounded promising, but it didn’t live up to my expectations. It tasted like bland, unseasoned chicken. There was no flavor present at all, and what should have been a well-glazed cut of chicken tasted more like meat with the slightest hint of teriyaki. Besides the flavor, the texture was also not right — it was overcooked, stringy, soft in all the wrong ways, and hard to eat. It was pretty clear that any teriyaki flavor that once existed had been cooked out.

The one potential saving grace for this dish is that you can always load up on the mandarin teriyaki packets, but honestly, I would say that going for a totally different chicken dish is your best bet. Nothing can fix overcooked chicken — though at least at home you can try to rescue dry chicken yourself.

You might be surprised to see a popular side like fried rice at the bottom of this ranking — but quite frankly, you can do better. The fried rice is lacking in flavor. It doesn’t taste seasoned at all. The vegetables were lacking, and I was disappointed that the peas were undercooked and the carrots were overdone. The texture of the rice was also one-note. Texture is something Panda Express really excels at with its other menu items, which is part of the reason why this one lands at the bottom of the list.

The rice itself was cooked well, but the lack of flavor was a turnoff. While any good fried rice recipe should include eggs, you ideally want large, well-seasoned pieces. This fried rice only had tiny bits of eggs scattered throughout it, which didn’t help it at all. I think the one merit it has is that it would taste good paired with other sides. That way, the fried rice could soak up the sauce from the other components of your meal.

I had a hard time deciding whether or not I liked the apple pie roll. I think Panda Express fans probably find it to be a love-it-or-hate-it item too. It’s basically a sugar-coated egg roll, which is a little weird at first, but it does make for a good, crunchy, and flaky exterior. The sugar coating is nice, but it falls off pretty easily, which may leave you with just an apple-filled egg roll. The filling inside isn’t particularly unique, though I did appreciate that it had both jammy filling and small apple bits. 

I think it’s a fun dessert that’s definitely worth trying out, but there are other fun menu items that you should experiment with first. As of the time of writing, this is the only dessert on Panda Express’ menu, so if you’re looking for something sweet, at least let me reassure you that it’s not a bad option! 

The honey chicken is a mixed bag. It’s sweet, of course, but it also has a nice savory aftertaste that makes it really unique. It has a lot of flavor, but the problem I had with it is that it was hard to eat a lot of it. I think the first few bites were the best. While I enjoyed it at first, it was too sweet to finish. 

When paired with a few other menu items, like white rice or a spicy side, I think the honey chicken would taste better. On its own, it’s a little overwhelming. I didn’t find myself wanting to go back to it as much as I did other, higher-ranking menu items. Also, the green beans were pretty overcooked — though to be fair, I don’t know if that’s the norm, or if the batch I ordered had just been sitting out for a while.

The mushroom chicken is interesting. I didn’t hate it, but I thought it could have had a little more flavor. I will say that it tasted overwhelmingly like mushrooms — like cream of mushroom soup. So if you’re a mushroom lover, dive right into this one and don’t look back! 

I give props to Panda Express for also adding a lot of texture-enhancing veggies to this dish. The chicken is also absolutely drenched in sauce, which is another bonus for those who enjoy the flavor of mushrooms.

This wok-fried chicken is great for those who are looking for a lighter option, but it’s admittedly not quite as much of a drool-worthy bite as Panda Express’ fried chicken dishes. For some, that’s a fair trade-off. I don’t exactly think that the mushroom chicken is for everyone, which is why it fell back just a bit on this ranking, but I commend it for being a relatively solid menu option. 

The meat in the broccoli beef is soft and tender — a win for the first beef dish on this ranking. However, I noticed right away that this item wasn’t quite as flavorful as it could have been. 

Some of the beef pieces were pretty saucy while others had very little flavor overall. It felt like the dish just wasn’t primed with enough sauce to give every bite flavor. The broccoli picked up more of the sauce than the beef did, which meant it also had a little more of a spicy kick to it. The broccoli was also super well-cooked; it was juicy and flavorful across the board, which lent a lot to the dish overall. I thought the broccoli was pretty delicious, but the higher-ranking beef dishes did the meat more justice. 

The chicken egg roll has a nice flavor and texture on the inside. The outside is a little softer and chewier than the other rolls that Panda Express offers, which pushed it down in the ranking. I wish there could have been a little more textural variety between the exterior and filling of the roll. 

I have to admit that the chicken egg roll is just a little bit bland. However, I will also say that it leaves a lot of room to experiment with. You can order some side sauces for it; Panda Express has plenty to choose from. If you think of the chicken egg roll as more of a base for your favorite Panda Express sauce, then it’s worth ordering — but before you hit “add to cart,” read on to see another roll option that I think is a better appetizer. 

The kung pao chicken is super spicy — deliciously so. It’s got a lot of kick to it and you can feel that bright, punchy, and fiery flavor hit your tongue as soon as you take a bite of chicken. The heat continues to build as you eat it. 

I think it’s a really fun pairing for dishes that don’t have quite as much spice to them. For example, I think it would add much-needed flavor to Panda Express’ fried rice, which would make that particular entrée worth ordering. The white rice would also help redistribute some of the heat — if you’re looking for a side with a little less kick. I think some of the other menu options have slightly more well-rounded flavors on top of just being spicy, but the kung pao chicken is still a solid contender.

Panda Express’ Beijing beef is bright and fun. It’s got great citrus notes, is light and flavorful, and has a little bit of punch and kick to it. While it could have been just a little bit spicier in some places, it was still delicious overall. The peppers and onions were honestly just as amazing as the beef; they added so much crunchy texture to complement the meat and held the sauce well. The sesame flavor also came through strongly on both the meat and veggies. 

The Beijing beef is so well-balanced, savory, and full of complex flavors — it’s really an underrated menu option. The beef was also cooked perfectly, which is yet another bonus. If you’re not at least giving Beijing beef a try on your next Panda Express order, you might not be making the most of its menu. 

Who doesn’t love a light and fresh veggie spring roll? I would definitely recommend adding Panda Express’ version to your next meal; it’s the star of the appetizer section. Each roll has a deliciously crunchy texture and exterior, which holds up well as you eat it. After all, nobody likes a spring roll that falls apart as soon as you get to the middle. Panda Express more than delivers on the promise of a stable yet soft and flaky roll. 

I love that so many different elements were incorporated into the filling for extra texture and color, and that the vegetable mix was crunchy and juicy all at the same time. Best of all, the small order of veggie rolls automatically comes with two, making them great for sharing — not that you’re going to want to share these with anyone, though.

The sauce on the SweetFire chicken breast is, quite frankly, delicious. It’s so good, in fact, that I have notes that read “really, really good sauce” and “great sauce” on two separate lines. Another highlight of the menu item is that it includes peppers, onions, and pineapple. The pineapple is truly one of the best parts of this dish. It’s sweet, juicy, and offers an amazing contrast to the heat from the other veggies and the chicken, seeing as how well it soaks up the sauce. 

The heat builds as you eat, so there’s not a lot of kick right away. If you’re looking for something super spicy, the SweetFire chicken isn’t quite it. But I liked the fact that it offers more of a spicy aftertaste. Also, Panda Express’ crispy fried chicken is practically unbeatable — they’re like tiny flavor poppers that are hard to stop eating.

Let’s take a brief intermission to talk about Panda Express’ drink menu. Simply put, it’s amazing. Let me be clear: There is no bad pick when it comes to its Panda Crafted beverages. To make things simpler, I’m placing the drinks, as a whole, in the fourth spot overall. There are four to choose from: a pomegranate pineapple lemonade, watermelon mango refresher, mango guava tea, and peach lychee refresher. The pomegranate pineapple is refreshing and flavorful, with a slightly bitter and punchy aftertaste from the pomegranate. The watermelon mango refresher tastes like a glass full of summer. It’s got that candy-like taste to it that kind of reminds me of a Jolly Rancher. But I actually like that about the watermelon drink; it’s bright, fun, and fruity, and balanced by the rest of its components. 

The mango guava tea has a very tropical flavor to it, and mango is definitely at the forefront. The guava provides a nice complexity and sweetness that really helps bring out the mango notes. This drink is definitely sweet, but not overly so. The tea base adds richness and complexity.

The peach lychee refresher is another winner. It really does taste just like a ripe summer peach — sweet, fragrant, but not overwhelming. This refresher has a nice combination of peach and lychee and you can taste both fruits clearly in the drink. It’s a unique beverage that would be hard to find elsewhere.

The chow mein is a hit every single time. I could order an entire plate of this stuff and nothing else and never get sick of it. It’s flavorful, filling, and a little greasy — it’s the pinnacle of Panda Express’ menu items. It’s what keeps me coming back to Panda Express, and I will always argue that it’s a base plate item that you should never, ever skip. 

The cabbage is crunchy and the perfect pairing for the noodles, which are perfectly fried. They’re soft and slurp-able but still have that al dente exterior that comes with the kiss of a frying pan. If I had one complaint, it would be that the cabbage-to-noodle ratio is a little too high. But otherwise, the dish is savory, a little salty, and soaked in sauce in a way that only fast food noodles can be. Chef’s kiss.

Call me odd, but I’d stand in line for hours just for a plate full of super greens. You might be thinking, “How in the world did super greens come second out of every other item on the menu?” But I’ll say it with a straight face: They are one of the best things you could possibly order. If they’re not already your favorite, they really should be. Why? Because they’re cooked perfectly. The broccoli is crisp and crunchy, yet full of juicy flavor, the kale will convert even the strictest of picky eaters, and cabbage is light and full of bite. But let’s be real here: Nobody’s going ham over a plate full of pure, unseasoned veggies. The secret is in the sauce — the garlic sauce, that is. 

The garlic sauce is so punchy, aromatic, warm, and inviting. The super greens don’t even taste like they were made in a fast food restaurant — they taste like they were cooked in a home kitchen. They’re soaked in sauce, which makes them one of the most flavorful options on Panda Express’ menu. It’s easy to drool over a plate of these greens after you try them, or just after you get a whiff of their garlicky aroma. The super greens might look unassuming, but their name is fitting — they’re quite literally a Panda Express hero.

Okay, who doesn’t love Panda Express’ orange chicken? It’s the menu item I see ordered there more often than anything else. People love it so much that Panda Express even created a limited-edition vegan version of its orange chicken (I’ll miss you forever, Beyond Orange Chicken). The sauce is so good and you can buy a whole bottle of it online. There’s nothing as iconic as the Panda Express original orange chicken, and I’m here to reassure you that it’s still as good as ever. That’s probably because, drum roll please … Panda Express invented orange chicken. 

It’s zingy, tart, and fresh. The chicken is absolutely coated in sauce and fried to perfection. Despite being drenched in caramelized, tangy orange sauce, the chicken itself somehow still retains its chewy, fried texture. The pieces of chicken are small enough and have the perfect crisp yet tender goodness that makes every bite perfect. Best of all, the orange chicken is perfect pairing for practically any other menu item. Its bright and bold flavor pairs so well with the savoriness of the chow mein or the garlicky super greens. You literally cannot get enough of Panda Express’ orange chicken, I promise you that.

So, how does one choose the very best dishes at Panda Express? First of all, I had to leave out the Premium menu items, as they tend to rotate out more than other menu items — sorry, shrimp lovers. I made sure to rank each dish objectively; this meant considering if each dish would appeal to a wide audience or just a select few. The frontrunners are dishes that I believe everyone who visits Panda Express will truly love (okay … almost everyone).

I ordered each dish without modifications (including sauces) and tried them one after another. I also sampled each dish multiple times and made sure to sample each component of it to rank it appropriately. Price was not a factor in my ranking since Panda Express primarily uses a plate system. All items ranked were available at multiple Panda Express chains near me.