What oil does Panda Express fry in?
Panda Express cooks with soybean oil (most entrees, wok cooking, chow mein, fried rice).
The 5 cleanest things to order at Panda Express
Learn this once: a salad with grilled protein and the dressing left off is nearly always the lowest seed oil order anywhere. So the list below sticks to real meals, salads included, never just a water.
| Item | PUFA |
|---|---|
| Chili Sauce | 0.0g |
| Teriyaki Sauce | 0.0g |
| Super Greens | 1.0g |
| String Bean Chicken Breast (1 serving) | 4.0g |
| Grilled Teriyaki Chicken | 4.0g |
Lower PUFA is cleaner. These are estimates from published nutrition data and disclosed oils; preparation varies by location.
Why the frying oil matters
Most fast-food chains fry in seed oils like soybean, canola, corn, or a blend of them, which are high in polyunsaturated fat (PUFA). A handful still use beef tallow or other stable fats, which are far lower in PUFA. The oil a kitchen fries in is the single biggest driver of how much seed oil ends up on your plate. See the full breakdown on the Panda Express report card, or where it lands on the Seed Oil Index.
Frequently asked
Does Panda Express use beef tallow?
No. Panda Express cooks with soybean oil (most entrees, wok cooking, chow mein, fried rice), not beef tallow. See which chains fry in real fats on Tallow Watch.