Panera Bread is a popular fast casual restaurant chain that serves soups, salads, sandwiches, and baked goods. One of their most popular menu items is their chicken, which comes grilled or crispy in sandwiches, salads, and more. But what exactly is in Panera’s chicken? Let’s take a closer look at the ingredients.
Grilled Chicken
Panera’s grilled chicken starts with 100% chicken breast fillets that are marinated then grilled. The marinade contains the following ingredients:
| Water |
| Vegetable oil (soybean, canola) |
| Distilled vinegar |
| Sugar |
| Salt |
| Spices |
| Onion powder |
| Garlic powder |
| Natural flavor |
The grilled chicken is then placed on sandwiches or salads. Panera’s chicken sandwiches also contain the following common ingredients:
– Brioche bread
– Leaf lettuce
– Tomatoes
– Pickles
– Mayo
– Mustard
The grilled chicken itself contains no artificial flavors, colors, preservatives, or sweeteners. It’s simply real chicken breast seasoned and grilled.
Crispy Chicken
Panera’s crispy chicken starts the same way, with 100% chicken breast fillets. The fillets are then breaded and fried to give them a crispy texture.
The crisp coating contains:
| Bleached wheat flour |
| Water |
| Wheat flour |
| Salt |
| Leavening (sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate) |
| Spice |
| Hydrolyzed corn protein |
| Garlic powder |
| Onion powder |
| Extractives of paprika |
| Soybean oil |
The chicken is fried in a blend of soybean and canola oils. Like the grilled chicken, the crispy chicken contains no artificial flavors, colors, preservatives, or sweeteners.
The crispy chicken is served on sandwiches with the same ingredients as the grilled chicken sandwiches.
Rotisserie Chicken
Panera also offers rotisserie chicken available by the quarter or half. The rotisserie chicken starts with chicken legs and thighs rubbed with:
| Sea salt |
| Sugar |
| Spice |
| Onion powder |
| Garlic powder |
| Natural flavor |
The chicken legs and thighs are then slow-roasted for several hours in a rotisserie oven. The rotisserie chicken contains no additional ingredients beyond the dry rub.
Chicken Salad
Panera also utilizes its chicken in some of its salads and sandwiches, like the chicken cobb salad and the classic chicken salad sandwich.
The chicken salad contains:
| Chicken breast meat |
| Celery |
| Mayonnaise (soybean oil, water, egg yolks, distilled vinegar, contains less than 2% of salt, sugar, spice, lemon juice concentrate, calcium disodium EDTA) |
| Lemon juice concentrate |
| Parsley |
| Onion |
| Black pepper |
| Salt |
Again, the chicken salad contains no artificial flavors, colors, preservatives, or sweeteners – just simple, real ingredients.
Soups and Broths with Chicken
Some of Panera’s soups also contain chicken. This includes:
– Chicken Tortilla Soup
– Broccoli Cheddar Soup with Chicken
– Chicken Noodle Soup
– Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
The chicken in the soups starts from chicken thigh and leg meat. It is cooked in broths containing ingredients like vegetables, salt, and spices. Exact recipes vary by soup.
Ingredients to Avoid
When customizing your Panera chicken order, there are a few ingredients you may want to avoid:
– Added sodium – Opt for low-sodium versions of soups and sandwiches when available. Panera chicken already contains natural sodium.
– Sugary dressings and spreads – Skip jelly, sweet chili sauce, etc. and opt for mustard or vinegar-based dressings.
– Refined carbs – Skip the bread on sandwiches and order a salad instead, or opt for whole grain bread options.
– Fried toppings – Avoid fried onions, tortilla strips, etc. and add more veggies instead.
Cooking Methods
As covered, Panera prepares its chicken using the following healthy cooking methods:
– Grilling – Adds flavor without needing much added oil or salt.
– Baking/Roasting – Rotisserie ovens lock in chicken’s moisture and flavor.
– Poaching – Gently cooking chicken in broth, as for the soups.
Frying is kept to a minimum and only used for the crispy fried chicken options.
Quality Standards
All of Panera’s chicken meets the following quality standards:
– No artificial hormones or steroids
– Minimally processed with no artificial ingredients
– Free from artificial trans fats
– Free from artificial colors and flavors
– Sourced from chickens raised in better environments
Panera announced in 2016 that it would transition to serving only 100% clean chicken by 2020, free from antibiotics and fed an all-vegetarian diet. They appear to have met this commitment with their current chicken offerings.
Nutritional Profile
The grilled chicken and rotisserie chicken provide lean protein with minimal saturated fat content. A 6 oz chicken breast at Panera provides around 200 calories, 38g of protein, and 3.5g of fat.
The crispy fried chicken is slightly higher in calories and fat due to the breading and frying method. A fried chicken sandwich at Panera provides about 470 calories, 30g protein, and 16g fat.
For comparison, a beef hamburger with cheese from McDonald’s contains about 500 calories and 26g fat.
So while not the leanest option on the menu, Panera’s crispy chicken is still lower in calories and fat compared to many fried fast food items.
Ingredients to Summarize
To summarize, the main ingredients in Panera chicken include:
| Chicken breast, leg, and thigh meat: hormone-free and antibiotic-free |
| Salt, spices, oils: for marinades and cooking |
| Onions and garlic: provide flavor |
| Breading: whole grain flour, wheat flour, spices (for crispy chicken) |
| Celery, lettuce, tomato: fresh veggie toppings |
While the crispy chicken option adds more carbs and fat, Panera’s grilled chicken provides a lean source of protein from chicken raised without unnecessary antibiotics or hormones. Those looking for a healthier sandwich can customize to avoid sugary sauces, fried toppings, and refined carbs.
Conclusion
Panera utilizes high-quality chicken as the protein in many of its soups, salads, and sandwiches. Their chicken offers a flavorful protein option without artificial additives or sweeteners. While fried chicken and high-carb toppings can add calories, customizing your order and opting for grilled preparations can keep Panera chicken relatively healthy. With antibiotic-free, humanely raised chicken and wholesome herbs and spices, Panera chicken provides a go-to protein for the chain’s many health-conscious diners.