Breakfast
~20–25% of dayThigh + broccoli
450 mg Na
230 cal
23 g protein
2 g fiber
1 g sugar
~20% of a 2,300 mg day
Load into calculator
Items · Breakfast (3)
- 420mg
- 30mg
- 0mg
Chicken 18 items
El Pollo Loco Low Sodium Guide
SoCal fire-grilled chicken staple. Pieces + broccoli beat quesadillas; watch brine sodium on the breast.
Interactive sodium calculator + lower-sodium order guide.
Lowest Sodium Option
Fire-Grilled Chicken Wing
The lowest-sodium entrée on this menu.
Watch Out For
Original Pollo Bowl
Suggested Meal Plans
Tap a card to load it into the meal calculator · sized for a ~2,000-cal day
Lunch
+ diet sodaThigh + beans + diet soda
920 mg Na
340 cal
30 g protein
6 g fiber
1 g sugar
~40% of a 2,300 mg day
Load into calculator
Items · Lunch (3)
- 420mg
- 460mg
- 40mg
Dinner
Heartier2 legs + broccoli
790 mg Na
250 cal
24 g protein
2 g fiber
1 g sugar
~34% of a 2,300 mg day
Load into calculator
Items · Dinner (3)
- 760mg
- 30mg
- 0mg
Cal
0
Sodium
0 mg
Protein
0 g
Fiber
0 g
Sugar
0 g
Sodium vs 2,300 mg daily value 0%
Load a meal plan or tap menu rows to build a plate.
Menu nutrition
Tap a row to add · tap headers to sort
<600 600–1k >1k
Official El Pollo Loco Nutrition Guide PDF (valid as of June 2026): Breast 4.3 oz = 200 cal / 820 mg Na / 34g protein; Thigh 3.1 oz = 200/420/21; Leg 1.6 oz = 110/380/11; Wing 1.3 oz = 70/150/10; Original Pollo Bowl = 580 cal / 2030 mg Na; small rice 630 mg; Salsa Fresca 85 mg. Review: 2026-07-16.
No salt & smarter picks
Best bets
Lowest sodium highlights
Water
drink · 0 cal
0g protein
0% of Daily Value (2300mg Na)
Safest Order Tip
Solid lower-sodium pick for this category.
Unsweetened Iced Tea
drink · 0 cal
0g protein
0% of Daily Value (2300mg Na)
Safest Order Tip
Solid lower-sodium pick for this category.
Broccoli
side · 30 cal
2g protein · 2g fiber
1% of Daily Value (2300mg Na)
Safest Order Tip
Solid lower-sodium pick for this category.
Diet Coke
drink · 0 cal
0g protein
2% of Daily Value (2300mg Na)
Safest Order Tip
Solid lower-sodium pick for this category.
How to order
Order tips
- · Prefer thigh/leg/wing over breast when sodium-tight (breast is 820 mg alone).
- · Broccoli (30 mg) over rice (630 mg small).
- · Salsa Fresca 85 mg; Avocado Salsa 150 mg — both fine in small amounts.
- · Skip Original Pollo Bowl (2030 mg) and Double Chicken Bowl (2670 mg).
Avoid / high sodium
Original Pollo Bowl · Double Chicken Bowl · Street Corn Loaded Chicken Quesadilla (2440 mg)
Common questions
El Pollo Loco low-sodium FAQ
What is the lowest sodium item at El Pollo Loco? +
Water is the lowest-sodium item we track at El Pollo Loco: 0 mg sodium and 0 calories. Every item on this page is ranked by official sodium mg so you can compare before you order.
What is the safest full meal at El Pollo Loco? +
The Thigh + broccoli is the lowest-sodium full meal we mapped for El Pollo Loco — about 450 mg sodium and 230 calories (Fire-Grilled Chicken Thigh, Broccoli, Water). Load it into the meal calculator above to adjust it.
What should I avoid at El Pollo Loco? +
The highest-sodium traps at El Pollo Loco are Original Pollo Bowl, Double Chicken Bowl, Street Corn Loaded Chicken Quesadilla (2440 mg). Treat these as occasional orders if you are watching sodium.
How much sodium should I eat in a day? +
The FDA daily value is 2,300 mg of sodium per day — about one teaspoon of salt. Many heart-health guidelines suggest 1,500–2,000 mg. A single fast-food combo can exceed that, which is why every El Pollo Loco item here lists its sodium mg.
Sources
Not medical advice. Verify on brand tools for your location.
Guides
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