Back in 2020, Panda Express took a hard look at its recipes to see where the kitchen could boost nutritional value, reduce sodium and sugar, and clean up the ingredient lists. That marked the beginning of the Panda Promise, an initiative that continues to shape the menu.
“We looked at the recipes to see how we could elevate them, make them better with better ingredients. For our first step on the journey, we eliminated high fructose corn syrup,” said Evelyn Wah, vice president of brand innovation at Panda Restaurant Group. “But reducing sodium and sugar had to be done in incremental levels to make sure we’re still delivering the flavors guests know and love.”
Through extensive testing and tweaking and close work with Panda’s supplier partners, the American Chinese chain reached a major milestone six years later. This summer, 2,500-unit Panda Express crossed its target thresholds for eliminating synthetic food dyes and artificial flavors menu-wide. And over half of the entrées boast at least 8 grams of protein.
Building strong supplier relationships
Although Pasadena, California-based Panda Express calls its menu “American Chinese,” it is based on Chinese cooking techniques and is flavored with condiments like soy sauce, oyster sauce, and hoisin — all typically high in sodium and/or sugar. And imported Asian ingredients sometimes contain artificial ingredients. Cleaning up the supply chain without sacrificing the bold flavors Panda is known for took some doing.
“We have longstanding relationships with suppliers from around the world, and they really understood what our intention was and the DNA of the brand, so they worked with us as we continued to revisit the recipes and make them better,” said Wah. “In some cases, we moved into new types of ingredients, especially with our LTOs, to make sure that we're delivering on the Panda Promise standards.”
Wah admits that in some cases, ingredient costs have gone up to meet the Panda Promise goal of eliminating artificial flavors and synthetic dyes, “but ingredient quality is something we believe is worth investing in,” she said.
Earlier this year, the government issued the latest edition of the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, calling for a ban on ultraprocessed foods and rallying for transparent ingredient labeling. Although Panda Express reached its “clean label” goal soon after, Wah said the timing is purely coincidental.
“While there’s a national spotlight now on food policy, the Panda Promise started because we saw the shift with our guests in that they really wanted to enjoy food with true ingredient quality intersected with flavor. Where we’re at with the Panda Promise right now is the culmination of that journey.”
Fresh produce also requires strong supply and distributor partners — the chain sources millions of pounds of fresh vegetables a year for its wok-fired dishes. “We use 35 million pounds of broccoli alone for our Broccoli Beef, one of our top dishes,” said Wah. The produce is also sourced from around the world to deliver at that massive scale, and Panda’s supply chain management and food safety quality assurance teams work closely with growers and distributors to make sure it maintains freshness and quality.
A new LTO embodies the Panda Promise
In June, Panda Express launched Cantonese BBQ Brisket, a limited-time item that was served nationwide.
“We were super proud of this because it really delivered against the Panda Promise and introduced a new protein to the menu. Plus it provides 44 grams of protein per serving, which is the most we’ve ever done,” said Wah.
To source the brisket, a new cut of beef for the chain, Panda Express procured samples from several suppliers to test in the recipe, ultimately choosing a trusted meat partner that aligned with the Panda Promise.
The cut of brisket and sauce makes the dish American Chinese barbecue.
The beef is slow-cooked until tender, then hand-sliced into thick, bite-sized portions. The kitchen uses both parts of the brisket — the point and the flat — to combine the richness of the point’s fatty marbled pieces with the leaner slices from the flat in the same dish. The brisket is then seared in the wok and tossed with a Cantonese-inspired char siu-style sauce, fitting the framework that defines Panda’s American Chinese menu.
Char siu is an authentic Cantonese preparation of roasted, marinated pork with a sweet, savory glaze that creates its signature red color. Panda translated that tradition for beef, creating a sauce that blends the flavors of classic American barbecue sauce with aromatic Chinese spices. The resulting umami-packed char siu is made with soy sauce, sugar, onion, garlic, spicy fermented soybean paste, mirin (rice wine), paprika, and sesame oil; it’s used in the recipe to marinate and flavor the brisket. All the ingredients meet the guidelines set forth in the updated Panda Promise.
“Protein is not just a trend anymore. It's something that has real longevity, and it's something that we're always thinking about, and we will continue to celebrate protein with a couple of different platforms on the menu,” said Wah. One of those platforms is Wok Smart, a section that includes dishes that deliver at least 8 grams of protein for less than 300 calories. Panda Express also offers curated balanced protein plates, including the Double Protein Plate with 76 grams of protein and a serving of supergreens for an extra nutrition boost.
What’s next
Panda Express is also revamping the drinks side of the menu in sync with the Panda Promise. The line of Crafted Beverages features real sugar and real fruit juice; Strawberry Dragonfruit is the newest flavor to launch this week. The all-natural line also includes Pomegranate Pineapple and Watermelon Mango Lemonades and a Peach Lychee Refresher.
“The culinary team, which includes a mixologist, developed the beverages and we did a lot of testing with guests. They really loved them,” said Wah.
In July, Panda Express also brought back the top selling Hot Orange Chicken as a limited-time offer. Coming in the second half of the year, the chain plans to return another fan favorite, said Wah, but details are still being worked out.