P.F. Chang's Calories: The Best Low-Calorie Dishes to Order

The best low-calorie dishes at P.F. Chang's are the Ginger Chicken with Broccoli (580 cal, 42g protein) and the Asian Glazed Salmon (620 cal, 48g protein), plus a cup of Hot & Sour Soup (120 cal) as a filling starter. The trap is that entrees are built for sharing, so portioning and sauce control matter more than which dish you pick. Order protein-forward, split the rice, and you can walk out under 700 calories with 40g-plus of protein.

P.F. Chang's has a well-earned reputation for being a calorie minefield. The full menu averages 595 calories per item across 70 tracked items, and that number is misleading because it includes tiny things like sauces and tea. The actual entrees mostly live in the 580 to 820 calorie range before you add rice, appetizers, or a cocktail. Good news: the wok-cooked style means there's real protein on the plate, and a few dishes are genuinely lean if you order with intent.

Why P.F. Chang's calories add up fast

Three things blow up the numbers here: oil, sugar-heavy sauces, and rice. The wok cooking that gives everything that char also carries a lot of fat, and the signature sweet-savory sauces stack carbs. A single ounce of Sweet & Sour Sauce is 60 calories and 15g of carbs, and most people use far more than an ounce. Even the seemingly innocent Handmade Dumpling Sauce runs 40 calories per ounce.

Then there's rice. A standard side of white rice at a sit-down Asian restaurant is typically 300-plus calories on its own, effectively doubling a lean entree. If you're serious about staying under a target, the rice is the first thing to cut or split. Log your order before you eat it in TrackBiteX so you can see the sauce-and-rice tax in real numbers instead of guessing.

The best low-calorie dishes at P.F. Chang's

Here's how the tracked entrees and starters stack up. Protein per calorie is what you want to maximize when you're cutting, and the leaner dishes here clear a full gram of protein per 12 to 14 calories.

1. Ginger Chicken with Broccoli (580 cal)

This is the lowest-calorie full entree on the tracked list and it's not close on the balance sheet: 42g of protein for 580 calories and only 28g of carbs. The broccoli adds volume and fiber so you actually feel fed, and the ginger sauce is lighter than the sweet glazes. Skip the rice and this is a legitimately lean restaurant meal.

2. Asian Glazed Salmon (620 cal)

Forty more calories than the ginger chicken but the highest protein-to-calorie payoff of the standard entrees at 48g of protein. Salmon also brings omega-3 fats, so the 32g of fat isn't the same story as fried-and-oiled fat. If you like fish, this is the one to beat when you want to stay full and hit protein.

3. Beef with Broccoli (680 cal)

A step up in calories but still very macro-friendly: 48g protein, only 28g carbs. The higher fat (38g) comes from the beef and wok oil, so this is your pick on a lower-carb day. Broccoli-based dishes across the menu tend to be the smart move because the vegetable does the volume work that rice usually does.

4. Start with Hot & Sour Soup (120 cal)

A cup of Hot & Sour Soup is just 120 calories with 5g of protein, and it's a genuine appetite killer. Ordering it first slows you down and takes the edge off, which is the whole game when the entree is designed to be shared. Compare that to a plate of appetizers that can run 800-plus calories before your main even arrives.

Dishes to think twice about

The Wok-Fired Chicken & Shrimp hits 820 calories with 48g of carbs, the highest of the group. It's not junk (58g of protein is excellent), but it's a lot of food, and adding rice pushes it toward a 1,200-calorie plate. Ma La Chicken (680 cal) is fine on protein but the spicy Sichuan sauce carries sugar and oil.

The real damage usually isn't the entree, it's everything around it. Fried appetizers, lettuce wraps loaded with sauce, fried rice instead of steamed, and cocktails or the 16 oz Fresh Brewed Iced Tea if it's sweetened (80 cal). Switch to unsweetened iced tea or Ginger Tea at 20 calories and you save a chunk with zero effort.

How to build a low-calorie order under 700

You don't need willpower, you need a template. Here's a reliable one:

• Starter: Cup of Hot & Sour Soup (120 cal) instead of an appetizer.
• Entree: Ginger Chicken with Broccoli (580 cal) or Asian Glazed Salmon (620 cal).
• Rice: Split a side of steamed white rice with the table, or skip it. This alone saves 150 to 300 calories.
• Sauce: Ask for sauce on the side and use a controlled amount. Every ounce of sweet sauce you skip is 60 calories back.
• Drink: Ginger Tea (20 cal) or unsweetened iced tea.

That combo lands around 700 calories with 45g-plus of protein, which is a strong sit-down meal by any standard. Because portions here are large, another trick is to box half your entree immediately and treat it as tomorrow's lunch. You cut the meal calories in half and get a free second meal, which is math that always wins.

How P.F. Chang's compares to fast food

People assume sit-down Asian food is automatically healthier than the drive-thru. It's not, at least not on calories. A 580-calorie ginger chicken beats a lot of fast-food combos, but P.F. Chang's entrees generally run higher than a single fast-food item. For context, a Chick-fil-A Grilled Chicken Club is 430 calories with 37g of protein, and even McDonald's 6-piece McNuggets sit at 270 calories.

Where P.F. Chang's wins is protein density and vegetable volume when you order right. Where it loses is portion size and the sauce-plus-rice combo. If you're comparing your usual takeout options, it's worth logging a few side by side: an Olive Garden or Cheesecake Factory sit-down meal can dwarf anything here. The point isn't that one restaurant is "good" or "bad," it's that the specific dish and how you build the plate decide everything.

Quick sauce and add-on cheat sheet

Sauces are the silent calorie source at any wok restaurant. Keep these numbers in your head:

• Ginger Tea (8 oz): 20 cal, basically free.
• Handmade Dumpling Sauce (1 oz): 40 cal, 8g carbs.
• Sweet & Sour Sauce (1 oz): 60 cal, 15g carbs.
• Fresh Brewed Iced Tea (16 oz): 80 cal if sweetened, near zero unsweetened.

None of these are dealbreakers alone, but three dipping sauces plus a sweet tea can quietly add 250 calories to a meal you thought was clean.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the healthiest thing to order at P.F. Chang's?

The Ginger Chicken with Broccoli (580 cal, 42g protein) and Asian Glazed Salmon (620 cal, 48g protein) are the best all-around picks. Both are high in protein, moderate in carbs, and pair with a 120-calorie cup of Hot & Sour Soup for a filling, lower-calorie meal. Skip or split the rice to keep the total down.

How many calories are in a P.F. Chang's entree?

Most tracked P.F. Chang's entrees fall between 580 and 820 calories before rice or sides. The Ginger Chicken with Broccoli is the leanest full entree at 580, while the Wok-Fired Chicken & Shrimp tops the list at 820. Adding a side of rice can push any of these several hundred calories higher.

Is P.F. Chang's good for high-protein eating?

Yes, if you pick meat and seafood entrees. The Wok-Fired Chicken & Shrimp packs 58g of protein, and both the Beef with Broccoli and Asian Glazed Salmon deliver 48g. Broccoli-based dishes give you protein plus vegetable volume without a big carb load, which is ideal when you're cutting.

How do I lower the calories in my P.F. Chang's order?

Order sauce on the side, swap fried rice for steamed or skip it entirely, start with Hot & Sour Soup instead of an appetizer, and box half your entree right away. Choose Ginger Tea or unsweetened iced tea over sweetened drinks. These four moves can cut 400-plus calories off a typical order.

Is the Hot and Sour Soup at P.F. Chang's low calorie?

A cup of Hot & Sour Soup is 120 calories with 5g of protein and 12g of carbs, making it one of the lowest-calorie ways to start your meal. It fills you up before the entree arrives, which helps you eat less of the higher-calorie main dish.