Panda Express Honey Sesame Chicken Breast: Calories, Ingredients, Taste & Nutrition Guide
If you like sweet chicken but don’t always want the strong orange flavor of Orange Chicken, Panda Express Honey Sesame Chicken Breast is an interesting option to look at.
It combines crispy chicken breast with green beans, yellow bell peppers and a sweet honey-sesame sauce.
I have looked at the current Panda Express nutrition information and ingredient information to make this guide useful for anyone searching for Honey Sesame Chicken Breast calories, protein, ingredients, carbs, sugar, sodium, price and taste.
One thing worth pointing out is that nutrition information can change over time.
Panda Express itself says nutritional values are based on standard recipes and serving methods, and actual values can vary because of portion sizes, preparation, ingredients and other factors.
What Is Panda Express Honey Sesame Chicken Breast?
Honey Sesame Chicken Breast is a Panda Express chicken breast entrée made with battered chicken breast strips, green beans, yellow bell peppers and a honey-sesame style sauce.
The combination is quite different from the better-known Orange Chicken. Orange Chicken has a stronger citrus and sweet flavor, while Honey Sesame Chicken Breast is more focused on honey sweetness and the toasted flavor associated with sesame.
According to Panda Express’ ingredient information, the dish includes chicken breast strips, green beans, yellow bell pepper, water, vinegar, starches, ginger, garlic, sesame oil and sesame seeds.
The proprietary batter contains wheat flour, while the sauce includes ingredients such as sugar and organic honey.
So, if you’re looking for a simple description, think of it as crispy chicken breast + vegetables + sweet honey sauce + sesame flavor.
Panda Express Honey Sesame Chicken Breast Calories
The current official Panda Express nutrition information lists a 5.3 oz serving at 340 calories. It contains:
| Nutrition | Amount |
|---|---|
| Serving size | 5.3 oz |
| Calories | 340 |
| Total fat | 15 g |
| Saturated fat | 2.5 g |
| Trans fat | 0 g |
| Cholesterol | 45 mg |
| Sodium | 540 mg |
| Total carbohydrates | 35 g |
| Dietary fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 16 g |
| Protein | 16 g |
These numbers are for the entrée itself, not the complete meal with rice, chow mein or another side.
That distinction matters because a Panda Express Bowl, Plate or Bigger Plate can have substantially more calories once a side is included.
For example, Panda Express currently lists Chow Mein at 600 calories per standard 11 oz serving and Fried Rice at 620 calories.
So adding a full side can change the calorie total quite a bit.
How Much Protein Is in Honey Sesame Chicken Breast?
A standard 5.3 oz serving provides 16 grams of protein.
For a chicken entrée, that’s a useful amount, especially if you’re building a meal where the other components also contribute protein. The protein comes primarily from the chicken breast.
The entrée also contains 35 grams of carbohydrates, with 16 grams listed as sugar. So although it contains protein, it isn’t a low-carbohydrate food.
This is one reason I wouldn’t describe Honey Sesame Chicken Breast simply as a “healthy chicken” option. It’s better to look at the entire nutrition profile instead of focusing on one number.
Ingredients in Honey Sesame Chicken Breast
Panda Express lists the following ingredients for Honey Sesame Chicken Breast:
- Chicken breast strips
- Green beans
- Yellow bell pepper
- Water
- Distilled vinegar
- Modified food starch
- Corn starch
- Wheat
- Ginger
- Garlic
- Phosphoric acid
- Salt
- Sodium phosphate
- Sesame oil
- Sesame seeds
The company’s ingredient document also explains that the proprietary batter contains wheat flour, salt and spices, while the sauce uses water, sugar, organic honey, salt and spices.
The exact formulation can be updated, so I recommend checking Panda Express’ current ingredient and allergen information if you’re dealing with a food allergy.
Does Honey Sesame Chicken Breast Contain Allergens?
Yes. This is an important point that sometimes gets missed in menu articles.
Panda Express currently identifies wheat, soy and sesame among the allergens associated with Honey Sesame Chicken Breast.
The presence of wheat is especially relevant because the chicken uses a proprietary batter containing wheat flour.
If you have a serious food allergy, don’t rely only on an online menu article. Panda Express notes that ingredients and formulations can change, and its current allergen information should be checked before eating.
What Does Honey Sesame Chicken Breast Taste Like?
The flavor is mainly sweet, mild and slightly nutty from the sesame.
The green beans and yellow bell peppers add a vegetable component that breaks up some of the sweetness. The chicken itself has a crispy coating when it has recently been prepared.
That’s actually something I would keep in mind when ordering this dish. Fried or battered foods can lose some crispness when they sit for a while.
A Real Customer Review Example
There are older published reviews that give a useful picture of how the dish has been experienced in the real world.
In a 2013 review, The Impulsive Buy described the chicken as having a crispy exterior and noted that the honey flavor was mild.
The reviewer also mentioned that some chicken pieces were thinner and drier than others.
Another 2013 review from Brand Eating described the dish as battered chicken breast with string beans and yellow bell peppers in a sweet honey-sesame sauce.
The reviewer found the chicken fairly moist but noted that crispiness depended on how recently the food had been prepared.
These aren’t controlled laboratory tests, of course. They’re individual customer experiences from specific dates.
Still, they show why two people can have slightly different opinions about the same Panda Express entrée.
Honey Sesame Chicken Breast vs Orange Chicken
The easiest comparison is with The Original Orange Chicken.
Honey Sesame Chicken Breast uses chicken breast and has a honey-sesame flavor profile. Orange Chicken uses dark meat chicken and has a sweet orange-based sauce.
The current Panda Express nutrition page lists Honey Sesame Chicken Breast at 340 calories per 5.3 oz serving.
The important takeaway isn’t that one is automatically better. They are simply different choices:
| Feature | Honey Sesame Chicken Breast | Orange Chicken |
|---|---|---|
| Main chicken | Chicken breast | Dark meat chicken |
| Flavor | Honey + sesame | Orange + sweet/tangy |
| Vegetables | Green beans + yellow bell pepper | No comparable vegetable component |
| Protein | 16 g | Higher calorie profile overall |
| Texture | Battered/crispy | Battered/crispy |
| Sesame | Yes | Yes, according to ingredient information |
| Wheat | Yes | Yes |
Your preference will probably come down to whether you want honey-sesame sweetness or citrus-orange flavor.
Honey Sesame Chicken Breast Youtube Vidoes
What Should You Eat With It?
Because Honey Sesame Chicken Breast already has 340 calories, the side you choose can make a noticeable difference.
If you choose Chow Mein, Panda Express lists the standard serving at 600 calories. Fried Rice is listed at 620 calories. Super Greens, meanwhile, are listed at 90 calories for a 7 oz entrée-style serving on the current nutrition page.
This gives you a simple way to understand how meals can vary.
For example:
Honey Sesame Chicken Breast + Chow Mein
340 + 600 = 940 calories
Honey Sesame Chicken Breast + Fried Rice
340 + 620 = 960 calories
Honey Sesame Chicken Breast + Super Greens
340 + 90 = 430 calories
These calculations are only for the listed standard portions and don’t include drinks, appetizers or additional food.
Honey Sesame Chicken Breast for Kids
Panda Express also lists a smaller Honey Sesame Chicken Breast Cub Meal portion.
The current nutrition information shows a 4 oz portion with 250 calories, 12 grams of protein, 26 grams of carbohydrates, 12 grams of sugar and 400 mg of sodium.
That’s different from the standard 5.3 oz entrée, so parents comparing the two should make sure they aren’t accidentally using the adult nutrition numbers for the Cub Meal.
Why the Nutrition Numbers Online Can Be Confusing
If you’ve searched for Panda Express Honey Sesame Chicken Breast before, you may have noticed different calorie numbers.
That’s not necessarily because somebody is making up numbers.
Panda Express has changed recipes and nutrition information over the years. For example, an older Panda Express nutrition document listed a 5.3 oz Honey Sesame Chicken Breast serving at 420 calories, 22 grams of fat, 40 grams of carbohydrates and 19 grams of sugar.
The current official nutrition page lists the same 5.3 oz serving at 340 calories, 15 grams of fat, 35 grams of carbohydrates and 16 grams of sugar.
This is a good real-world example of why the date of a nutrition source matters.
If you’re writing or reading an article about Panda Express menu nutrition, always check whether the numbers are current.
Final Thoughts
Panda Express Honey Sesame Chicken Breast is a sweet and mild chicken entrée built around crispy chicken breast, honey-sesame sauce, green beans and yellow bell peppers.
The current official nutrition information lists 340 calories, 16 grams of protein, 15 grams of fat, 35 grams of carbohydrates, 16 grams of sugar and 540 mg of sodium per 5.3 oz serving.
The biggest thing to remember is that those numbers describe the entrée only. Your total meal can be much higher depending on whether you add Chow Mein, Fried Rice, a drink or other menu items.
I also wouldn’t rely on old articles for current nutrition numbers.
The historical data shows that Panda Express’ nutrition figures have changed over time, so checking the company’s current nutrition and allergen information is the safest way to get the latest information.
For anyone who enjoys Panda Express chicken breast, honey sesame sauce, sweet chicken, sesame chicken, Panda Express calories, Panda Express nutrition or Panda Express menu prices, this entrée is worth knowing about.
It has its own flavor profile and isn’t simply another version of Orange Chicken.
Note: Menu availability, ingredients, preparation and nutrition information can change by location or over time.
Panda Express itself says actual nutritional values may vary because of ingredients, suppliers, portions and preparation methods.
