Best High-Protein Asian Orders for Cutting vs Bulking (4 Chains)

You want the order you can paste into the app checkout, not a lecture about “lean protein.” Cool.

Below are high-protein picks split into cutting (lower calories, still a lot of protein) and bulking (higher calories, still protein-forward) at 4 popular Asian-ish chains.

A quick heads up: for two of the chains (Teriyaki Madness and P.F. Chang’s), I can’t list calories and protein here because their item nutrition isn’t included in the data provided for this post. I’ll still give you the exact order wording, just without numbers.

Cutting orders (high protein, lower calories)

Panda Express cutting order

Order this: Plate-style build: Cantonese BBQ Brisket + Mixed Vegetables

• About 460 calories, 47g protein (410 cals, 44g protein brisket + 50 cals, 3g protein mixed veggies)

If you need it closer to the Instagram-style “double chicken and greens” vibe, note that Teriyaki Chicken and Super Greens aren’t in the provided Panda Express data, so I’m not going to slap numbers on that combo here.

WaBa Grill cutting order

Order this: Double High Protein Chicken Salad

• 470 calories, 82g protein, 10g carbs, 10g fat

This is one of those orders that feels like it shouldn’t be real on a chain menu, but it is. It’s also easy to keep consistent when you’re cutting because you don’t have to customize anything.

Teriyaki Madness cutting order

Order this: Large Chicken Breast Teriyaki + Steamed Veggie Base

No macros listed here (they aren’t included in the provided data for Teriyaki Madness). The order itself is still the move: you’re pushing the base to veggies and keeping the protein obvious.

P.F. Chang’s cutting order

Order this: Ginger Chicken with Broccoli

No macros listed here (they aren’t included in the provided data for P.F. Chang’s). If you’re eating in-restaurant, you can also ask for sauce on the side to make the meal easier to scale.

Bulking orders (high protein, higher calories)

Bulking doesn’t mean “eat random.” You’re basically trying to add calories without letting protein fall behind.

Panda Express bulking order

Here’s what we can do with the Panda Express numbers we actually have.

Order this (high-protein base): Cantonese BBQ Brisket + Orange Chicken

• About 920 calories, 60g protein (410 cals, 44g protein brisket + 510 cals, 16g protein orange chicken)

This isn’t the exact “bigger plate with fried rice” from the Instagram post, because fried rice and teriyaki chicken aren’t in the provided Panda Express data. The brisket plus orange chicken combo still bulks calories fast while keeping protein respectable.

WaBa Grill bulking order

Order this: WaBa Plate (White Meat Chicken & Steak)

• 880 calories, 61g protein, 120g carbs, 15g fat

If you want to push calories higher without changing the main, add a side that doesn’t mess with protein too much.

Teriyaki Madness bulking order

Order this: Large Chicken Breast Teriyaki + Fried Rice + Extra Chicken Breast

No macros listed here (they aren’t included in the provided data for Teriyaki Madness). This is basically “same protein, bigger base, plus more protein,” which is exactly what a clean bulk order should look like.

P.F. Chang’s bulking order

Order this: Chang’s Spicy Chicken + Fried Rice Side

No macros listed here (they aren’t included in the provided data for P.F. Chang’s). This is the classic pattern: a higher-calorie entree plus a starchy side.

Macro table you can screenshot (chains with full nutrition here)

These are straight from the chains’ published nutrition info for the items included in this post.

Easy swaps that change the macros fast

These are simple “instead of X, get Y” lines using items we have nutrition for.

• Instead of Orange Chicken, get Cantonese BBQ Brisket (saves 100 calories, adds 28g protein).
• Instead of Orange Chicken, get Mandarin Chicken (saves 260 calories, adds 15g protein).
• Instead of a heavier side, get Mixed Vegetables (50 calories, 3g protein) to keep your plate big without blowing calories.

And for WaBa Grill, use sides to steer calories without losing the plot.

• Instead of adding another bowl, add a Side of Salmon (150 calories, 22g protein).
• Instead of guessing, add a Loaded Miso Soup Side (with White Meat Chicken) (150 calories, 14g protein).

How to pick “cut” vs “bulk” when the menu is confusing

Here’s the quick filter that works at most Asian fast-casual spots.

If you’re cutting:

• Start with a salad or veggies base.
• Choose the most obviously “plain protein” option you can find (grilled chicken, brisket, salmon).
• Add calories only if protein is already handled.

If you’re bulking:

• Keep the same protein, then add rice, noodles, or a second entree.
• You’re better off doubling protein than doubling sauce.

Want this personalized to your targets?

LeanBites is an iPhone app (free to try) that scores menu items at restaurants you already eat at, ranking higher options with more protein per calorie.

You do a quick onboarding with your goal (lose fat, build muscle, maintain), activity level, cravings, and foods you don’t eat. Then it sets daily calorie and macro targets and stops recommending anything you excluded.

It’s not a food diary. It’s for choosing what to order.

Practical move: next time you’re ordering delivery, use LeanBites to compare the protein-per-calorie score between two entrees you already like, then keep the winner as your default.