Panda Express Chow Mein is $4.60 for a medium side and carries 510 calories. It is one of the two heaviest items on the menu, but it is also vegetarian — which Fried Rice, at almost identical calories, is not.
Panda Express Chow Mein is the most ordered side on the board and the one most people misjudge on calories. This page covers what it costs in each size, the full nutrition, what actually goes into it, and how it compares to Fried Rice. Prices for the rest of the menu are on our Panda Express menu, and current Panda Express coupon codes apply to any order containing it.
Chow Mein is a standard side, so it costs the same as any other side inside a Bowl, Plate or Bigger Plate. Choosing it over Super Greens adds 420 calories at no extra cost, which is the single biggest calorie swing available on the menu
Full macros: 20g fat, 860mg sodium and 6g fibre per medium serving. Build any combination on the nutrition calculator.
The two heaviest sides on the menu, ten calories apart, and the choice comes down to two things rather than calories. Chow Mein carries more protein and six times the fibre. Fried Rice contains egg; Chow Mein does not, which makes Chow Mein the only substantial vegetarian side available.
| Measure | Chow Mein | Fried Rice |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 510 | 520 |
| Protein | 13g | 11g |
| Fat | 20g | 16g |
| Carbs | 80g | 85g |
| Fibre | 6g | 1g |
| Sodium | 860mg | 850mg |
| Contains egg | No | Yes |
| Price | $4.60 | $4.60 |
Neither is a light choice. If calories are the concern, half Chow Mein and half Super Greens costs the same and lands at 300.
Four things: wheat flour noodles, onion, celery and cabbage, wok-tossed in a soy-based sauce. That is the whole build. There is no meat, no egg and no seafood, which surprises people who assume chow mein must contain something beyond the vegetables.
The reason copycat versions rarely taste right is heat rather than ingredients. Panda Express uses commercial wok burners running far hotter than a domestic hob, which produces the slight char that home versions cannot replicate. The noodles are also par-cooked and held, not boiled to order.
| Element | What It Is |
|---|---|
| Noodles | Wheat flour, par-cooked |
| Vegetables | Onion, celery, cabbage |
| Sauce | Soy-based, garlic, sesame oil |
| Cooking method | Wok-tossed, high heat |
| Allergens | Wheat, soy, sesame |
Contains no milk, egg, nuts or shellfish by recipe, but shared woks mean cross-contact is possible. Full breakdown on the allergen menu.
By recipe, yes. Panda Express Chow Mein contains no meat, no egg and no fish or oyster sauce, which makes it the only substantial vegetarian side on the menu besides plain rice and Super Greens. That is genuinely unusual, most chain chow mein contains egg noodles or a meat-based stock.
The caveat is the wok. Chow Mein is cooked on the same equipment as every meat entrée on the line, so it is vegetarian by ingredient rather than by preparation. For anyone avoiding meat by preference that is fine; for anyone avoiding it strictly, it is not.
| Diet | Suitable? |
|---|---|
| Vegetarian, by ingredient | Yes |
| Vegan, by ingredient | Yes |
| Strict vegetarian or vegan | No, shared woks |
| Gluten free | No, wheat noodles |
| Low carb | No, 80g carbs |
Contains no milk, egg, nuts or shellfish by recipe, but shared woks mean cross-contact is possible. Full breakdown on the allergen menu.
510 calories for a medium side and 765 for a large. That makes it the second heaviest item on the menu after Fried Rice at 520.
$4.60 for a medium side and $6.00 for a large. Inside a Bowl, Plate or Bigger Plate it is included at no extra cost, like every other standard side.
Yes by recipe — wheat noodles with onion, celery and cabbage, no meat or egg. It is cooked in shared woks alongside meat entrées, so it is not suitable for strict vegetarian diets.
Wheat flour noodles, onion, celery and cabbage, wok-tossed in a soy-based sauce with garlic and sesame oil. Nothing else.
Chow Mein at 510 against Fried Rice at 520 — effectively the same. Chow Mein has more protein and six times the fibre, and contains no egg. Neither is a light choice.
Yes, at no extra cost. Half Chow Mein with half Super Greens is 300 calories rather than 510, which is the easiest saving on the menu.
Codes shown are based on typical U.S. Panda Express Official Website as of August 2026 and may vary by location. Check your local restaurant or Panda Express app for the latest prices.