What is the best high protein order at El Pollo Loco?

High protein at El Pollo Loco: 31 menu items ranked (2026 guide)

The best protein for the calories at El Pollo Loco is the Chicken Breast, 4.3 oz: 34 g of protein for 200 calories, or 17 g per 100 calories. The most protein in one item is the Red & Green Chile Cheesy Enchilada Double Chicken Bowl, 28.9 oz, with 81 g (1,090 calories). Numbers are from the El Pollo Loco nutrition guide dated 2026-09-24.

Menu: 119 items in the El Pollo Loco nutrition guide dated 2026-09-24
31 food items have 20 g of protein or more, 24 have 30 g or more

Food with the most protein per calorie (at least 20 g protein)

#	Item	Calories	Protein	Protein per 100 calories	Net carbs	Fat	Sodium
1	Chicken Breast, 4.3 oz	200	34 g	17 g	0 g	8 g	820 mg (36% DV)
2	Street Corn Salad, 14.3 oz	390	52 g	13.3 g	12 g	14 g	1,600 mg (70% DV)
3	Mexican Caesar Salad, 13.4 oz	420	52 g	12.4 g	13 g	17 g	1,530 mg (67% DV)
4	Chicken Thigh, 3.1 oz	200	21 g	10.5 g	2 g	12 g	420 mg (18% DV)
5	Chicken Legs (2), 3.1 oz	220	22 g	10 g	0 g	15 g	760 mg (33% DV)
6	Chicken Tortilla Soup, 13.7 oz	240	23 g	9.6 g	16 g	9 g	1,260 mg (55% DV)
7	Tacos al Carbón (3), 9.5 oz	510	46 g	9 g	45 g	15 g	760 mg (33% DV)
8	2 pc Breast & Wing Meal w/Corn Tortillas Pinto Beans & Rice, 17.9 oz	660	58 g	8.8 g	69 g	14 g	2,070 mg (90% DV)
9	2 pc Breast & Wing Meal w/Corn Tortillas Charro Beans & Rice, 17.9 oz	710	60 g	8.5 g	67 g	19 g	2,200 mg (96% DV)
10	2 pc Breast & Wing Meal w/Flour Tortillas Pinto Beans & Rice, 18.1 oz	740	59 g	8 g	77 g	18 g	2,490 mg (108% DV)
11	Double Chicken Bowl, 24.2 oz	930	74 g	8 g	76 g	33 g	2,670 mg (116% DV)
12	2 pc Breast & Wing Meal w/Flour Tortillas Charro Beans & Rice, 18.1 oz	790	62 g	7.8 g	76 g	23 g	2,610 mg (113% DV)
13	Red & Green Chile Cheesy Enchilada Double Chicken Bowl, 28.9 oz	1,090	81 g	7.4 g	82 g	44 g	3,540 mg (154% DV)
14	Red Chile Cheesy Enchilada Double Chicken Bowl, 28.9 oz	1,090	81 g	7.4 g	81 g	44 g	3,560 mg (155% DV)
15	Green Chile Cheesy Enchilada Double Chicken Bowl, 28.9 oz	1,100	81 g	7.4 g	81 g	45 g	3,530 mg (153% DV)

Show all 31 food items that qualify

#	Item	Calories	Protein	Protein per 100 calories	Net carbs	Fat	Sodium
16	Chicken Avocado Taco, 6.3 oz	330	24 g	7.3 g	15 g	19 g	780 mg (34% DV)
17	Queso Crunch Double Chicken Burrito Bowl, 25.8 oz	1,080	78 g	7.2 g	84 g	43 g	3,180 mg (138% DV)
18	Original Pollo Bowl, 18.2 oz	580	41 g	7.1 g	74 g	10 g	2,030 mg (88% DV)
19	Street Corn Double Chicken Burrito Bowl, 25.8 oz	1,080	75 g	6.9 g	83 g	46 g	3,230 mg (140% DV)
20	Double Chicken Tostada, 21.2 oz	990	65 g	6.6 g	74 g	45 g	1,740 mg (76% DV)
21	Guacamole Chicken Burrito, 15.9 oz	920	59 g	6.4 g	56 g	48 g	1,980 mg (86% DV)
22	Salsa Verde Chicken Quesadilla, 11.6 oz	810	51 g	6.3 g	49 g	44 g	1,570 mg (68% DV)
23	Grande Avocado Chicken Bowl, 22.2 oz	790	49 g	6.2 g	79 g	26 g	2,270 mg (99% DV)
24	Chipotle Guacamole Chicken Burrito, 17.3 oz	1,010	60 g	5.9 g	73 g	50 g	2,340 mg (102% DV)
25	Chipotle Chicken Quesadilla, 11.6 oz	930	51 g	5.5 g	49 g	57 g	1,720 mg (75% DV)
26	Classic Chicken Burrito, 10.4 oz	480	25 g	5.2 g	61 g	13 g	1,450 mg (63% DV)
27	Queso Guacamole Chicken Burrito, 18.7 oz	780	40 g	5.1 g	79 g	30 g	2,440 mg (106% DV)
28	Classic Chicken Tostada, 17.4 oz	820	42 g	5.1 g	74 g	38 g	1,430 mg (62% DV)
29	Cheese Quesadilla, 5.5 oz	530	25 g	4.7 g	36 g	30 g	950 mg (41% DV)
30	Shredded Chicken Nachos, 17.0 oz	940	33 g	3.5 g	72 g	52 g	1,890 mg (82% DV)
31	Chips & Queso Blanco (regular), 11.2 oz (2 sizes on the menu)	1,010	23 g	2.3 g	84 g	61 g	1,490 mg (65% DV)

Net carbs are total carbs minus fiber. % DV is the FDA Daily Value for adults.

Most protein in a single item

#	Item	Calories	Protein	Protein per 100 calories	Net carbs	Fat	Sodium
1	Red & Green Chile Cheesy Enchilada Double Chicken Bowl, 28.9 oz	1,090	81 g	7.4 g	82 g	44 g	3,540 mg (154% DV)
2	Red Chile Cheesy Enchilada Double Chicken Bowl, 28.9 oz	1,090	81 g	7.4 g	81 g	44 g	3,560 mg (155% DV)
3	Green Chile Cheesy Enchilada Double Chicken Bowl, 28.9 oz	1,100	81 g	7.4 g	81 g	45 g	3,530 mg (153% DV)
4	Queso Crunch Double Chicken Burrito Bowl, 25.8 oz	1,080	78 g	7.2 g	84 g	43 g	3,180 mg (138% DV)
5	Street Corn Double Chicken Burrito Bowl, 25.8 oz	1,080	75 g	6.9 g	83 g	46 g	3,230 mg (140% DV)

Single items up to 1,600 calories, largest size on the menu.

What you trade for a top spot

Medians for the top 10 items of the main list compared with the other 21 that also qualify:

Sodium: the top 10 have a median of 1,395 mg (61% DV), the other 21 have 2,030 mg (88% DV). The FDA Daily Value for sodium is 2,300 mg for the whole day.
Saturated fat: 4.2 g median in the top 10 against 15 g in the rest (Daily Value 20 g).
Calories: 405 median in the top 10 against 930 in the rest. Protein per 100 calories favors lean items, so here the top of the list is also the lighter end of the menu.

How we ranked

We took every item in the El Pollo Loco nutrition guide dated 2026-09-24 and kept the numbers exactly as printed. Food items with at least 20 g of protein and 200 to 1,600 calories, ranked by protein per 100 calories, so a bigger portion does not win just by being bigger. Drinks, sauces, add-ons, single toppings (a slice of cheese, a grilled chicken topping) and catering sizes are left out of the main list. When an item comes in several sizes, the table shows one size and says how many there are. Items whose calories do not add up from protein, carbs and fat were dropped as likely misprints in the guide.

Custom orders change the numbers: a sauce, a dressing, a bun or a side can add more than the item itself. The guide does not list ingredients or allergens, so this page does not either. Menus change, so check the guide date above against the one at the restaurant.

Keep exploring

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High protein Carrabba's Italian Grill
High protein Charleys Cheesesteaks
High protein Checkers
High protein Chopt

Sources

El Pollo Loco nutrition guide, dated 2026-09-24. elpolloloco.com (accessed 2026-10-12). Calories and nutrients are as the chain publishes them.
FDA, Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels. fda.gov (page updated 2024-03-05, accessed 2026-09-15). Used for % DV.

Restaurant names are shown only to identify menus. Bioma has no ties to any restaurant on this page. How we verify.