Highest Protein Items at El Pollo Loco (September 2026)
El Pollo Loco's fire-grilled chicken makes protein easy to find. The Queso Crunch Double Chicken Burrito Bowl has the most protein in the guide at 78 g, and a Fire-Grilled Chicken Breast has 34 g for 200 calories. Salad and tostada numbers do not include dressing.
Top picks
Best overall protein pick
Queso Crunch Double Chicken Burrito Bowl
78 g protein · 1080 cal · 7.2 g per 100 cal
Best low-calorie pick
Chopped Chicken Breast Side
23 g protein · 120 cal · 19.2 g per 100 cal
Best GLP-1-friendly pick
Street Corn Salad
52 g protein · 390 cal · 13.3 g per 100 cal
All El Pollo Loco items by protein
Sorted by protein per 100 calories. Tap a column to sort.
| Chopped Chicken Breast Sideside | 23 | 120 | 19.2 | 0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fire-Grilled Chicken Breastchicken | 34 | 200 | 17 | 0 |
| Street Corn Saladsalad | 52 | 390 | 13.3 | 5 |
| Mexican Caesar Saladsalad | 52 | 420 | 12.4 | 5 |
| Fire-Grilled Chicken Thighchicken | 21 | 200 | 10.5 | 0 |
| Chicken Tortilla Soupsoup | 23 | 240 | 9.6 | 3 |
| Tacos al Carbón (3)taco | 46 | 510 | 9 | 5 |
| 2 pc Breast & Wing Meal (Corn Tortillas, Pinto Beans & Rice)meal | 58 | 660 | 8.8 | 8 |
| Double Chicken Bowlbowl | 74 | 930 | 8 | 11 |
| Chicken Avocado Tacotaco | 24 | 330 | 7.3 | 2 |
| Queso Crunch Double Chicken Burrito Bowlbowl | 78 | 1080 | 7.2 | 12 |
| Original Pollo Bowlbowl | 41 | 580 | 7.1 | 9 |
| Broccoli (Small)side | 2 | 30 | 6.7 | 2 |
| Double Chicken Tostadasalad | 65 | 990 | 6.6 | 8 |
| Guacamole Chicken Burritoburrito | 59 | 920 | 6.4 | 9 |
| Pinto Beans (Small)side | 9 | 140 | 6.4 | 6 |
| Salsa Verde Chicken Quesadillaquesadilla | 51 | 810 | 6.3 | 4 |
| Queso Loaded Chicken Quesadillaquesadilla | 56 | 1040 | 5.4 | 3 |
| Original BRC Burritoburrito | 13 | 410 | 3.2 | 4 |
| Shredded Chicken Nachosnachos | 34 | 1090 | 3.1 | 13 |
“—” means the source doesn’t list that number. Items without protein or calories are never ranked.
Best orders by goal
Muscle gain
The most protein per order. Calories are higher, so these suit big eaters and heavy training days.
- Queso Crunch Double Chicken Burrito Bowl
78 g protein · 1080 cal · 7.2 g per 100 cal - Double Chicken Bowl
74 g protein · 930 cal · 8 g per 100 cal - Double Chicken Tostada
65 g protein · 990 cal · 6.6 g per 100 cal - Guacamole Chicken Burrito
59 g protein · 920 cal · 6.4 g per 100 cal - 2 pc Breast & Wing Meal (Corn Tortillas, Pinto Beans & Rice)
58 g protein · 660 cal · 8.8 g per 100 cal
Fat loss
Lots of protein for the calories, and 600 calories or less.
- Chopped Chicken Breast Side
23 g protein · 120 cal · 19.2 g per 100 cal - Fire-Grilled Chicken Breast
34 g protein · 200 cal · 17 g per 100 cal - Street Corn Salad
52 g protein · 390 cal · 13.3 g per 100 cal - Mexican Caesar Salad
52 g protein · 420 cal · 12.4 g per 100 cal - Fire-Grilled Chicken Thigh
21 g protein · 200 cal · 10.5 g per 100 cal
GLP-1 friendly
Smaller portions with at least 20 g protein, 10 g sugar or less, and no more than 35% of calories from fat. Higher fiber ranks higher.
- Street Corn Salad
52 g protein · 390 cal · 13.3 g per 100 cal - Chicken Tortilla Soup
23 g protein · 240 cal · 9.6 g per 100 cal - Chopped Chicken Breast Side
23 g protein · 120 cal · 19.2 g per 100 cal
Under 500 calories
The highest-protein orders (15 g or more) that stay under 500 calories.
- Street Corn Salad
52 g protein · 390 cal · 13.3 g per 100 cal - Mexican Caesar Salad
52 g protein · 420 cal · 12.4 g per 100 cal - Fire-Grilled Chicken Breast
34 g protein · 200 cal · 17 g per 100 cal - Chicken Avocado Taco
24 g protein · 330 cal · 7.3 g per 100 cal - Chopped Chicken Breast Side
23 g protein · 120 cal · 19.2 g per 100 cal
Build a 40g+ protein meal at El Pollo Loco
Simple ways to order for more protein.
Queso Crunch Double Chicken Burrito Bowl78 g protein · 1080 cal
How to order: The Double Chicken Bowl has 74 g protein for 150 fewer calories.
Double Chicken Bowl74 g protein · 930 cal
How to order: 33 g more protein than the Original Pollo Bowl (74 g vs 41 g).
Double Chicken Tostada65 g protein · 990 cal
How to order: Dressing is not included. Creamy Cilantro Dressing adds 330 calories.
2 pc Breast & Wing Meal (Corn Tortillas, Pinto Beans & Rice)58 g protein · 660 cal
How to order: Corn tortillas save 80 calories over flour (660 vs 740).
Queso Loaded Chicken Quesadilla56 g protein · 1040 cal
How to order: The Salsa Verde Chicken Quesadilla has 51 g protein for 230 fewer calories.
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest protein item at El Pollo Loco?
Queso Crunch Double Chicken Burrito Bowl has the most protein on our list, with 78 g of protein and 1080 calories.
What is the best low-calorie, high-protein option at El Pollo Loco?
Chopped Chicken Breast Side gives you 23 g of protein for 120 calories. That’s 19.2 g of protein per 100 calories.
Does El Pollo Loco have a high-protein or GLP-1 menu?
Yes. El Pollo Loco offers the “Protein Menu.” You can also use our GLP-1-friendly picks on this page, which favor smaller portions with more protein and less sugar.
How can I get 40 grams of protein at El Pollo Loco?
Order Queso Crunch Double Chicken Burrito Bowl (78 g protein). The Double Chicken Bowl has 74 g protein for 150 fewer calories.
Where does this El Pollo Loco nutrition info come from?
We use El Pollo Loco’s official nutrition information only, and last checked it on September 24, 2026. We compared 20 menu items. Menus change, so check the official source before you order if you need exact numbers.
Source
Nutrition data from El Pollo Loco’s official nutrition information, checked September 24, 2026.
Last updated September 24, 2026. How we check our data.
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