P.F. Chang’s Encourages Sharing with their Dairy-Free Options

Updated January 2023! Asian food might seem obvious for dairy-free diners, but P.F. Chang’s is a different beast. They actually use milk in a lot of surprising places. However, they are also known for their allergy-friendly practices. They have staff trained in allergen protocols, they serve gluten-fee orders on separate plates, and they can quickly offer guidance on 15 different food allergens. But to help get you started, we’ve gathered the dairy-free menu items at P.F. Chang’s below, and included the gluten-free options, allergen notes, and a separate vegan menu.

P.F. Chang’s Dairy-Free Menu Guide with Allergen Notes & Vegan Options

P.F. Chang’s is very friendly to special diet guests and has good allergen protocols. But their menu contains far more dairy than your average Asian restaurant. Be aware of special order requirements in parentheses () next to the menu items, and see the Heads Up notes to help fill in the blanks.

Where’s the Milk? P.F. Chang’s has quite a few “contains milk” warnings for an Asian restaurant. It’s because sweet whey (milk protein) is an ingredient in the protein base that they use to make many of their sauces.

Other Allergen & Dietary Notes: The items listed below are made without egg, soy, peanut, and tree nuts, unless otherwise noted. All items below contain wheat, unless they are listed as gluten-free. For vegan options, see the Vegan Menu Guide at the bottom of this post.

Shareables

• BBQ Spare Ribs (contains egg, soy)
• Chang’s Chicken Lettuce Wraps (contains soy; gluten-free option)
• Chang’s Vegetarian Lettuce Wraps (contains soy)
• Chili Garlic Green Beans (contains soy)
• Crispy Green Beans (contains egg, soy)
• Dynamite Shrimp (contains egg, soy)
• Edamame (contains egg, soy)
• Rick’s Northern-Style Spare Ribs (contains soy)

Heads Up! The Kung Pao Brussels Sprouts, Shishito Peppers, and the Tempura Calamari do contain milk.

Soup & Salad

• Chang’s Spicy Chicken Noodle Soup (no wheat – inquire about gluten-free)
• Egg Drop Soup (contains egg; gluten-free option)
• Wonton Soup (contains egg, soy)

Heads Up! The Hot & Sour Soup at P.F. Chang’s does contain milk. The Mandarin Salad can be custom ordered without dairy, and topped with Shrimp, Chicken, or Salmon to make it a meal. All three proteins are listed as milk-free and egg-free, but they do contain soy and wheat.

Dim Sum

• Peking Duck Spring Rolls
• Steamed Handmade Pork Dumplings (contains egg, soy)
• Steamed Handmade Shrimp Dumplings (contains egg, soy)

Heads Up! All Pan-Fried versions of the Dumplings do contain milk. The Vegetable Spring Rolls, Pork Egg Rolls, and Crab Won Tons also contain milk.

Sushi

Heads Up! All sushi rolls at P.F. Chang’s now contain milk. At most locations, you can custom order a Regular or Spicy Tuna Sushi Roll without dairy.

Entrees

• Buddha’s Feast – Stir-Fried or Steamed (contains soy)
• Crispy Honey Chicken (contains egg, soy)
• Crispy Honey Shrimp (contains egg, soy)
• MaPo Tofu (contains soy)
• Stir-Fried Eggplant (contains soy)
• Sweet & Sour Chicken (contains egg, soy)

Heads Up! The list of entrees that contain milk is much longer than the milk-free options. It does include surprises, like Mongolian Beef, Short Ribs, Miso Salmon, all Kung Pao, and others. It is due to sweet whey used in the base of many of their sauces.

Noodles & Rice

• Noodles (contains soy)
• Pad Thai with Shrimp and/or Chicken (contains egg, peanut, soy; gluten-free option)
• Steamed White Rice (gluten-free option)
• Steamed Brown Rice (gluten-free option)

Heads Up! All Fried Rice and Lo Mein dishes at P.F. Chang’s contain milk. Their Singapore Street Noodles also contain milk. The Korean Glass Noodles are listed as milk-free on their own, but containing milk when a protein is added. According to the company, the sauce in the Korean Glass Noodles does contain milk, so it is not a dairy-free option, with or without protein added.

Lunch Rice Bowls

• Crispy Honey Chicken Bowl (contains egg, soy)
• Crispy Honey Shrimp Bowl (contains egg, soy)
• Sweet & Sour Chicken Bowl (contains egg, soy)

Heads Up! Like the main entrees, the rest of the lunch bowls do contain milk – even if they don’t sound like they should!

Kid’s Menu

• Kids Honey Chicken (contains egg, soy)
• Kids Sweet & Sour Chicken (contains egg, soy)
• Fruit Cup (gluten-free option)
• Steamed Broccoli (gluten-free option)
• Steamed Carrots (gluten-free option)
• Steamed Snap Peas (gluten-free option)

Heads Up! The Kids Lo Mein and Fried Rice do contain milk.

Dessert

Heads Up! P.F. Chang’s does not have any dairy-free desserts at this time.

P.F. Chang’s Vegan Menu Guide

Vegan Appetizers

• Chang’s Vegetarian Lettuce Wraps
• Chili Garlic Green Beans

Vegan Entrees

• Buddha’s Feast (Stir-Fried or Steamed)
• MaPo Tofu
• Stir-Fried Eggplant

Vegan Sides

• Steamed White Rice
• Steamed Brown Rice
• Noodles
• Fruit Cup
• Steamed Broccoli
• Steamed Carrots
• Steamed Snap Peas

This Post is for Informational Purposes Only

Menus, ingredients, kitchen procedures, management, food sourcing, and restaurant protocols are subject to change at any time. Always read the menu and discuss your dietary needs with the staff before ordering. Make sure they can accommodate your situation. This post is for informational purposes only, and should not be construed as advice.

There is always a risk for potential cross-contamination of allergens in any commercial kitchen. If cross-contamination is an issue for you, always speak with the manager to ensure that your meal can be safely prepared. Listings here do not guarantee that a restaurant is safe enough for your individual needs. Only you can make that decision.

Each location of a chain restaurant has different management and staff, and some might have different owners. This means differences in processes, ingredients used, menu options, and food sourcing can occur. Always verify the safety of your order for your needs at your current location.

Where to Find P.F. Chang’s

They have locations in 40 U.S. states. See the website below for their addresses, hours, contact information, and allergen menu matrix (in the nutrition section).

Website: www.pfchangs.com