Panda Express Black Pepper Sirloin Steak: Calories, Ingredients, Taste & Nutrition Guide
If you want something savory at Panda Express but don’t feel like getting another fried chicken entrée, Panda Express Black Pepper Sirloin Steak is one of the more interesting choices on the menu.
It is a wok-seared beef entrée made with sirloin steak, vegetables and a black pepper sauce.
Unlike battered items such as Beijing Beef, the steak isn’t coated in a thick fried batter. That makes the dish feel quite different when you eat it.
I wanted to look beyond just the calorie number here, because there is more to this entrée than “180 calories.”
The portion size, protein, sodium, ingredients, vegetables, allergens and what you pair it with can all change how the meal looks nutritionally.
And yes, there is some confusion online about the name too.
Some older articles call it Black Pepper Angus Steak, while Panda Express’ current U.S. nutrition page lists Black Pepper Sirloin Steak. The current official nutrition information is the better reference for the numbers below.
What Is Panda Express Black Pepper Sirloin Steak?
Panda Express Black Pepper Sirloin Steak is a beef entrée built around sirloin steak, baby broccoli, mushrooms, onions and bell peppers, finished with a savory black pepper sauce.
The official ingredient statement gives a more detailed picture. It lists sirloin steak, baby broccoli, mushrooms, onions, bell pepper, soybean oil, tomato paste, miso paste, soy sauce powder, modified corn starch and black pepper powder.
It also includes smaller amounts of garlic, chili pepper powder, yeast extract, onion powder and other ingredients used in the sauce and preparation.
So the dish isn’t just steak covered in pepper.
You get a mix of beef and vegetables in every serving, and the sauce provides the salty, savory flavor that ties everything together.
Panda Express also describes the dish as part of its Wok Smart selections at current locations, alongside items such as Broccoli Beef, String Bean Chicken Breast, Grilled Teriyaki Chicken and Super Greens.
Panda Express Black Pepper Sirloin Steak Calories
According to Panda Express’ current official nutrition information, a 5.1 oz serving contains 180 calories.
Here is the complete nutrition breakdown:
| Nutrition | Amount |
|---|---|
| Serving size | 5.1 oz |
| Calories | 180 |
| Total fat | 6 g |
| Saturated fat | 1.5 g |
| Trans fat | 0 g |
| Cholesterol | 45 mg |
| Sodium | 590 mg |
| Carbohydrates | 12 g |
| Dietary fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 7 g |
| Protein | 19 g |
These numbers are for the entrée by itself. They don’t include Chow Mein, Fried Rice, White Steamed Rice, Super Greens, a drink or another entrée.
That’s an important little detail because a person might search for “Panda Express steak calories” and assume 180 calories is the calorie count for their entire meal. It isn’t.
How Much Protein Is in Black Pepper Sirloin Steak?
One of the biggest nutritional points about this entrée is its protein.
A 5.1 oz serving provides 19 grams of protein.
That’s a substantial amount considering the entrée itself contains only 180 calories.
The steak also has 6 grams of total fat and 12 grams of carbohydrates. The carbohydrate number is relatively modest for a Panda Express entrée, although the sauce and other ingredients contribute some carbohydrates.
The dish also contains 2 grams of dietary fiber, which comes partly from the vegetables.
So if you’re building a meal around protein, the steak gives you a fairly straightforward starting point.
But I wouldn’t call any single restaurant entrée a complete diet on its own. Your side and drink still matter.
What Are the Ingredients?
The official Panda Express ingredient statement lists these primary ingredients:
- Sirloin steak
- Baby broccoli
- Mushrooms
- Onions
- Bell pepper
- Soybean oil
- Tomato paste
- Miso paste
- Soy sauce powder
- Modified corn starch
- Black pepper powder
- Garlic
- Chili pepper powder
- Yeast extract
- Onion powder
- Paprika oleoresin
- Other sauce and preservation ingredients
Panda Express also states that formulations can change and that ingredient substitutions may affect nutritional values.
That’s why I recommend using the current Panda Express ingredient list rather than an old blog post when you’re checking ingredients.
What Does Black Pepper Sirloin Steak Taste Like?
The flavor is mostly savory, peppery and slightly salty, rather than sweet.
The mushrooms add an earthy flavor, while onions and red bell peppers provide sweetness and crunch. Baby broccoli gives the dish a little more texture, especially when the vegetables haven’t been sitting too long.
The black pepper sauce is what really defines the entrée.
Interestingly, an older real-world review of Panda Express’ Black Pepper Angus Steak found the pepper flavor to be milder than the reviewer expected.
The reviewer described tender Angus steak with vegetables and a savory sauce, and compared some of the flavor to Italian sausage and pizza.
That’s obviously a personal tasting experience, not a laboratory measurement, but it gives you an idea of how the combination can come across differently to different people.
That review was published in 2020, so I wouldn’t use it as proof of the exact current recipe. It’s better treated as a historical customer case study.
A Real-World Case Study: The 2020 Black Pepper Angus Steak
Here’s an interesting example from when the dish was being marketed as Black Pepper Angus Steak.
In April 2020, The Impulsive Buy reviewed the entrée after ordering it as part of a Panda Express Family Meal. The review described Angus steak with baby broccoli, onions, red bell peppers and mushrooms in a black pepper sauce.
The reviewer expected a very strong black pepper taste but found the pepper more restrained. They also liked the combination of tender beef and crunchy vegetables.
The nutrition information recorded in that review was 180 calories, 19 grams of protein and 750 mg of sodium for a 5.1 oz serving.
Notice something important here: the current official Panda Express page lists 590 mg sodium, not 750 mg.
That’s a perfect example of why old nutrition information should not automatically be copied into a current Panda Express menu article.
Recipes and nutrition formulations can change.
Black Pepper Sirloin Steak Allergens
This is an area where you should be careful.
Panda Express’ current ingredient statement says the dish contains soy and wheat.
The wheat can be easy to overlook because the dish doesn’t look like a breaded food. The soy comes from ingredients used in the sauce and seasoning.
If you have a serious food allergy, don’t assume that “not fried” or “mostly vegetables and steak” means the dish is automatically safe.
Panda Express also notes that product formulations can change and that substitutions may alter nutritional values.
For a medically significant allergy, checking the current restaurant information before eating is the safer approach.
Black Pepper Sirloin Steak vs Beijing Beef
These two beef entrées are quite different.
Black Pepper Sirloin Steak is wok-seared sirloin with vegetables and savory pepper sauce.
Beijing Beef is a battered, fried beef entrée with a sweeter sauce.
The current Panda Express nutrition information lists Beijing Beef at 470 calories and 14 grams of protein per 5.6 oz serving, compared with 180 calories and 19 grams of protein for Black Pepper Sirloin Steak.
| Nutrition | Black Pepper Sirloin Steak | Beijing Beef |
|---|---|---|
| Serving | 5.1 oz | 5.6 oz |
| Calories | 180 | 470 |
| Protein | 19 g | 14 g |
| Fat | 6 g | 27 g |
| Carbs | 12 g | 46 g |
| Sugar | 7 g | 21 g |
| Sodium | 590 mg | 600 mg |
This isn’t saying one is “better.” They are simply very different menu items.
If you like crispy, sweet and heavily sauced beef, Beijing Beef has a different profile. If you prefer wok-seared beef with vegetables and black pepper, the sirloin steak is the closer match.
What Should You Pair With It?
This is where your total meal can change quickly.
Panda Express currently lists meal combinations such as Bowls, Plates and Bigger Plates, and the calorie range becomes much wider once sides and additional entrées are included.
For example, a Bowl contains one side and one entrée, while a Plate contains one side and two entrées.
If your goal is to keep the meal relatively simple, Black Pepper Sirloin Steak can be combined with a vegetable side such as Super Greens.
If you prefer rice or noodles, the overall calories will naturally be higher.
The key is not to look at the 180-calorie steak in isolation and then forget the rest of the tray.
Is Black Pepper Sirloin Steak Healthy?
I think this question needs a little more explanation than just “yes” or “no.”
From a nutrition perspective, the entrée provides 19 grams of protein for 180 calories, along with 2 grams of fiber and a relatively modest 12 grams of carbohydrates.
But it also contains 590 mg of sodium.
So calling it simply “healthy” doesn’t tell the whole story.
A better way to describe it is that the entrée has a protein-forward nutrition profile, while sodium is something worth paying attention to.
Panda Express itself places Black Pepper Sirloin Steak among its Wok Smart offerings at current locations, describing these selections as options designed around protein and balanced nutrition.
Your complete meal still depends on the side, additional entrée and drink.
Black Pepper Sirloin Steak Cub Meal
There is also a smaller version for the Panda Cub Meal.
The current official nutrition page lists the Black Pepper Sirloin Steak Cub Meal portion at 3.85 oz and 130 calories, with 14 grams of protein, 9 grams of carbohydrates, 4.5 grams of fat and 440 mg of sodium.
That’s considerably smaller than the standard 5.1 oz entrée.
Parents comparing nutrition information should make sure they’re looking at the correct portion because using the adult serving size for a Cub Meal can give you the wrong numbers.
Why You May See Different Calories Online
If you search for Panda Express Black Pepper Sirloin Steak calories, you’ll find websites showing different numbers.
Some third-party databases currently show 180 calories, while other pages show figures around 210 calories.
For this article, I would use the current Panda Express official nutrition page as the primary reference, which currently lists 180 calories per 5.1 oz serving.
This is also why I don’t recommend copying nutrition numbers from an old Pinterest graphic, social media post or random menu website without checking its date.
A menu can change. The number printed online doesn’t become permanently correct just because it was once published.
Final Thoughts
Panda Express Black Pepper Sirloin Steak is a savory beef entrée made with sirloin steak, baby broccoli, mushrooms, onions, bell peppers and a black pepper-based sauce.
The current official nutrition information lists 180 calories, 19 grams of protein, 6 grams of fat, 12 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 7 grams of sugar and 590 mg of sodium per 5.1 oz serving.
The ingredient list confirms that the dish contains wheat and soy, so people with allergies should check the latest Panda Express information before ordering.
What I like about this entrée from a menu-information perspective is that it gives you something different from the usual battered and sweet beef dishes. You get steak, vegetables and a peppery savory sauce instead.
And one last thing — don’t confuse the entrée’s 180 calories with the calories in your entire Panda Express meal. Once rice, noodles, another entrée, drinks or appetizers are added, the total can climb pretty fast.
For anyone searching for Panda Express Black Pepper Sirloin Steak calories, ingredients, protein, sodium, allergens, taste, nutrition facts or menu information, the 5.1 oz serving data above gives you a solid current starting point.
Nutrition and ingredient information can change. Panda Express notes that formulations, ingredients and menu availability may vary, so the restaurant’s current information should be checked when exact dietary information matters.
