Panda puts brisket at the center of its summer barbecue dish

Panda Express plans to introduce Cantonese BBQ Brisket nationwide on June 2, through August 10 or while supplies last. Panda calls it its first brisket dish. The company identifies Guangdong’s char siu tradition as the sauce’s inspiration.

The May 28 announcement describes slow-cooked brisket, hand-cut into thick pieces and flame-seared, using both point and flat cuts. A glaze combines soy sauce, spicy fermented soybean paste, mirin and sesame oil.

There are no vegetables mixed into the entree. Panda says it contains 44 grams of protein per serving, the most of any of its dishes. The release supplies neither a serving weight nor a price.

Panda describes fattier pieces from the point and leaner slices from the flat. The release does not specify where the cooking and cutting happen.

A shift from layered combinations#

Panda has previously built limited-time entrees by combining proteins and textures. Its October 6, 2025 announcement of Crispy Sesame Shrimp & Beef scheduled that launch for October 8. It paired tempura shrimp with crispy beef strips and vegetables in a savory, mildly spicy sauce. Panda connected the recipe to Sichuan Mouthwatering Chicken and to components familiar from Honey Walnut Shrimp and Beijing Beef.

That approach offered several points of recognition in a single dish. Shrimp, beef, vegetables and contrasting textures all contributed to the presentation. The new brisket description instead concentrates on one protein, two cuts and their glaze.

The October announcement also introduced Wok Wednesdays, a weekly game available exclusively in the Panda Rewards app. Panda Rewards members could catch ingredients and toss them in a virtual wok, then unlock purchase-based offers for use that day. Panda used the game to bring preparation into the marketing, making the wok part of both the recipe and the activity. It was a distinct promotional layer beyond the ingredient combination.

Premium beef has a longer history#

Panda’s March 2018 Wok-Seared Steak & Shrimp announcement described Angus top sirloin and shrimp with potatoes, red bell peppers, sugar snap peas and yellow onions. Its positioning drew on a Chinese steakhouse experience, assembled into a wok-cooked entree.

The older dish also belonged to Panda’s WokSmart menu. Panda’s better-for-you marketing promoted it with 19 grams of protein and 230 calories per serving. That supplied a calorie and protein pitch alongside the steakhouse reference. The brisket announcement supplies a protein claim without comparable calorie information.

The 2018 release also described vegetables chopped fresh each day. Components were seared in the wok and combined with a savory, mildly spicy Chinese-inspired steak sauce. Those details supported its steakhouse-dinner positioning: meat, seafood and vegetables combined in one entree. The current recipe leaves the accompaniment separate; Chef Jimmy Wang recommends steamed white rice with the brisket.

Across the three launches, Panda gives customers a familiar meal reference before introducing the Chinese flavors and cooking technique. The references move from steakhouse dinner to crispy surf and turf to summer barbecue. For brisket, that positioning rests on a named cut and a preparation story, with pricing still undisclosed.