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Panda Express Chow Mein - BEST copycat recipe ever that tastes EXACTLY like Panda Express. So good and easy, healthier, cheaper, and takes 15 mins!!
Chinese Takeout
When it comes to Chinese food in the United States, no restaurant is more iconic than Panda Express, who has over 1650 stores here.
How does it sound if you could make all the things you get at Panda Express for a fraction of the price, and even healthier as well?
Look no further, as I am going to share a series of popular and super easy Chinese recipes with you all.
Getting The Best Panda Express Copycat Recipe
Panda Express is famous for its Chow Mein and I am sharing the copycat recipe with you today. Everyone loves Chow Mein, greasy Chinese noodles tossed with lots of vegetables, stir-fried over very high heat in a wok.
Furthermore, to make sure that I do justice to the real deal, I recently went to Panda Express twice. I made sure to talk to the cook and drill down the recipe, and I got it down to a T.
Ingredients To Make This Copycat Recipe
- Noodles
- Onion
- Cabbage
- Celery
- Soy sauce
- Oyster sauce
- Oil
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients.
Tips For The Best Chow Mein
- A perfect chow mein should be loaded with lots of wok hei (breath of wok)—the ingredients should be flash cooked over high heat in a wok, so the noodles and vegetables are slightly burned and charred
- I am sure you have seen the cook at Panda Express tossing and cooking the noodles behind the counter, all done in a matter of minutes. To get good wok hei, you need lots of oil and a wok (but skillet will do).
- The chow mein should never be soggy or wet, and no water should be added during the cooking process.
See It For Yourself
So, below is the real Panda Express on the left and my version on the right. The chow mein tastes exactly like Panda Express, the only difference is the noodles used.
Panda Express noodles are specially made for them only and not available at the stores. For the closest replacement, use yakisoba.
This is a super easy recipe to make at home and you can get all ingredients from regular stores. Make a big batch of Panda Express Chow Mein—it’s so good, so easy, healthier, cheaper, and you can have as much as you want!
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe is only 362 calories per serving.
What To Serve With This Recipe
For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
I hope you enjoy this post as much as I do. If you try my recipe, please leave a comment and consider giving it a 5-star rating. For more easy and delicious recipes, explore my Recipe Index, and stay updated by subscribing to my newsletter and following me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for new updates.
Other Recipes You Might Like
Panda Express Chow Mein Copycat
Ingredients
- 1 lb. (500g) yakisoba
- 3-4 tablespoons oil
- 1/2 yellow onion, sliced
- 8 oz. (230g) cabbage, sliced
- 2 oz. (60g) celery, cut into small pieces
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons oyster sauce
Instructions
- Discard the seasoning packets from the yakisoba noodles. Loosen the noodles and set aside.
- Heat a wok or skillet over high heat and add the oil once it's heated. Add the onion, cabbage, and celery to the wok, stir-fry, and toss continuously until the vegetables are soft and slightly charred.
- Add the noodles and stir a few times before adding the soy sauce and oyster sauce. Stir continuously to combine all the ingredients in the wok. Dish out and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi Bee,
You gave us the Panda Express Chow Mein. Thanks. Can you gave us the Panda Express Beijing Beef? My family loves the Beijing Beef .
MarlaMah
https://rasamalaysia.com/beijing-beef-recipe/
Hi Bee,
I just wanted to say Thank You for this copycat Panda Express recipe! We love Panda chow mein (my kids like it because it doesn’t have meat), and I admit to using a different recipe from another blog first, claiming it was “even better” than the original. Unfortunately, it tasted nothing like Panda’s, and my kids wouldn’t touch it. I found your recipe and decided to try again. Such a big hit, and it really does taste so close to the Panda recipe! And I can’t believe how simple it is to prepare! Since then, I’ve made it several times, and it’s always so delicious. Thanks, Bee!
Hi Tiphanie, thanks for leaving your sweet comment. I am so happy that you liked this Panda Express recipe. Yes, it’s very close to the original. You should try my other recipes, they are all good. https://rasamalaysia.com/recipe-index-gallery/
Is this regular cabbage in your recipe or bok choy? Don’t want to use the wrong thing ’cause I’m so hungry for this yummy dish! :) Thanks!
Cabbage.
hi rasa, would so love to make this but hubby refuses to let me put oyster sauce anywhere near his food (fish phobia!). Would this dish be the same without it or is there something i can substitute for it? *fingers crosses*
Hi Kelly, it won’t taste as flavorful but you can sneak in some chicken bouillon powder if you like. ;)
Yeah, so I totally messed this recipe up. Too bad I made it while I was hungry, b/c it was all wasted and I just chucked it! I assumed Soba noodles were the same as Yakisoba, because I am not asian saavy. It’s not. I didn’t read the comments, just the recipe, so I didn’t know the noodles were supposed to be noodles that were already wet. The noodles ended up gumming up and burning at the bottom, because they were uncooked. I will make this recipe again, but I am bummed that I wasted $7 on Soba noodles that I couldn’t eat. Lesson learned!
Pennywise, I am so sorry to hear that. Yeah, not all Asian noodles are the same. Soba noodles are brown but Yakisoba noodles are usually yellowish in color. It’s best you use a non-stick wok when you make noodles.
Yummy looking recipe but I can’t eat oyster sauce, is there a substitute?
Btw… I just found this site after spotting your INCREDIBLE recipe for Garlic Sesame Noodles on a Lil Luna blog email/newsletter/whatever… Well, my new culinary idol, it was love at first site (See what I did there? Ha! Um. Yeah. Sorry.). Absolutely everything I’ve seen so far, I want to devour immediately. And I truly mean ev-ry-thang. Only one small issue… I’m a vegetarian! One who’s convictions are weakening at the sight of some of your pics! Luckily, at a brief glance, it appears there’s plenty of veggie options or easy tweaks/omissions. Basically, LOVE your recipes!! So happy to have found you!!
Hi Mary, thanks so much for finding my site through Lil Luna, much appreciated. You can also check out my new ebook at https://rasamalaysia.com/easy-asian-takeout/
Hi there! I’m wondering if the key word is “fresh?” The package in your pic says Fresh Yakisoba, and it seems like the standard “ramen” we all know and love (admit it!), uses dried noodles? Very dry, actually. Truthfully… Shhhhhh… I eat about half straight out of the package long before they touch any water/seasonings. =) Anyhoo… could that be the discrepancy? I’m dying to make this and am pretty sure I’ve seen noodles like those pictured for sale in the “Asian foods” section of my regular grocery store. Wouldn’t be hard to grab some if the common 4/$1 “ramen” isn’t doing the trick… I also have a true Chinese grocer about 2 doors down from my apartment– in Des Moines, no less!– so that would be an option as well if they’re slightly more obscure. The noodles are key– wanna get em just right!
Yes, you need fresh yakisoba, not the crispy and hard ones. Go to your Chinese grocer I am sure you will find what you need!
Wow!! Just made this for me and my daughter’s tea and we absolutely loved it. So simple and tasty, never used oyster sauce before and found it to be lovely and sweet with a hint of the ocean!! Thankyou for another low cost, simple, tasty meal : )
Just a quick note, I had a packet of dried udon noodles in the cupboard, never used them before thought I would try these as I can’t locate yakisoba noodles here in the UK and they were great. I followed the packet instructions, cooked them for 4 mins then I rinsed in cold water, drained them and added them to recipe as specified. Next time I might try a different noodle but would use these again : )
That’s a great idea, great that you love the recipe.
Yes Faye, oyster sauce makes everything better, I use it a lot. :)
Hi. Which soy sauce do you recommend and which oyster sauce – they are not all the same and the tastes do differ. I used Kikkoman and the recipe tasted nothing like the Panda chow main.
Don’t use Japanese soy sauce to make Chinese food. I use Kim Lan brand soy sauce and Lee Kum Kee oyster sauce.
can you use shirataki noodles to make this dish???
You can but I think the results will be different.