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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!!
Table of Contents
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 easyChinese recipes with you all.
Other Recipes You Might Like
Chow Mein
Soy Sauce Chow Mein
Chicken Lo Mein
Shrimp Chow Mein
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 aT.
Ingredients to Make This Copycat Recipe
Noodles
Onion
Cabbage
Celery
Soy sauce
Oyster sauce
Oil
Tips for the Best Chow Mein
A perfectchow 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 getgood 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, belowis 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 regularstores. 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!
How Many Calories per Serving?
This recipe is only 362 calories per serving.
What Dishes to Serve with This Recipe?
For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
Panda Express Chow Mein - the BEST copycat recipe ever that tastes EXACTLY like Panda Express. So good, so easy, healthier, cheaper, and takes 15 mins!!
4.58 from 57 votes
Print
By Bee Yinn Low
Yield 2people
Prep 10 minutesmins
Cook 5 minutesmins
Total 15 minutesmins
Ingredients
1lb. (500g)yakisoba
3-4tablespoonsoil
1/2yellow onion(sliced)
8oz. (230g)cabbage, sliced
2oz. (60g)celery, cut into small pieces
2tablespoonssoy sauce
1 1/2tablespoonsoyster sauce
Instructions
Discard the seasoning packages of the yakisoba noodles. Loosen up the yakisoba and set aside.
Heat up a wok or skillet over high heat, add the oil when it's heated. Add the onion, cabbage, and celery into the wok, stir fry and toss continuously until the vegetables become soft and some of them are slightly charred.
Add in 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
You can also use Chinese chow mein or egg noodles. Follow the cooking instructions on the packaging before stir-frying.
Course: Chinese Recipes
Cuisine: Noodles
Keywords: Panda Express Chow Mein
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Panda Express Chow Mein Copycat
Amount Per Serving (2 people)
Calories 362Calories from Fat 199
% Daily Value*
Fat 22.1g34%
Saturated Fat 2.9g18%
Cholesterol 5mg2%
Sodium 1732mg75%
Carbohydrates 36.5g12%
Fiber 5.5g23%
Sugar 8.4g9%
Protein 6.5g13%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
Some may argue that Panda Express chow mein is a LO mein, but looking over these qualifications above, you know that is actually IS a chow mein. Panda got it right. The noodles are stir-fried, they are a little oily, there is little sauce used, and they aren't easy to slurp.
Panda express uses Stir Fried Wheat Noodles similar to these. I used these Chow Mein noodles for this recipe. You can find them in your local grocery store where they have a dedicated section for Asian ingredients.
Simple sauce: While chow mein sauce is unbelievably easy to make, it still brings a complexity of flavors to the dish. The careful combination of ingredients like soy sauce, sesame oil, oyster sauce and sugar results in a chow mein sauce that has hints of both savory and sweet notes.
Combine soy sauce, light sesame oil, oyster sauce, granulated sugar, cornstarch, and chicken broth to make the signature sweet and savory sauce that makes chow mein taste authentic.
The other critical ingredient that Panda Express uses in their Chow Mein is oyster sauce. Oyster sauce is a thick, dark brown sauce made from the extract of fresh oysters along with sugar, salt, and water.
The Chow Mein Noodles: Chow mein noodles are yellow and made with wheat and egg. You can find them in most grocery stores. And they often come both fresh or dried.
Chow Mein means stir-fried noodles in Chinese. It is prepared by stir-frying boiled noodles with some vegetables and meat or tofu. The Panda Express Chow Mein used to be flavored with chicken broth, but they've long abandoned that practice.
With chow mein, you cook noodles and add them to your wok of other ingredients, cooking everything together in one pan. However, with a chop suey recipe, you will cook the noodles or rice and other ingredients separately before combining them in a bowl, serving up the noodles or rice with the sauce served over the top.
“Lo mein usually uses the fat, chewy noodles, while chow mein uses the thin type of noodles that sometimes contain egg.” Lo mein uses fresh noodles that are boiled for a few minutes, while chow mein uses dried noodles that are parboiled for five to six minutes.
Chow mein can provide vital nutrients such as carbs, protein, and veggies. Healthy Chow Mein Suggestions: Choose whole-wheat noodles, lean protein sources, and veggies in plenty. Use low-sodium soy sauce or light soy sauce.
The #1 worst Panda Express order is…the Chow Mein and Orange Chicken. The combination of Orange Chicken, a dish inspired by a Chinese dish called chen pi niu rou, and classic chow mein stir-fried noodles is nothing short of delicious. Unfortunately, if it's a nutritious meal you're on the hunt for, this one isn't it.
Is Panda Express owned by McDonald's? No. Husband and wife co-founders Andrew and Peggy Cherng still own and run their privately-held company, The Panda Restaurant Group.
In American Chinese cuisine, it is a stir-fried dish consisting of noodles, meat (chicken being most common but pork, beef, shrimp or tofu sometimes being substituted), onions and celery. It is often served as a specific dish at westernized Chinese restaurants. Vegetarian or vegan chow mein is also common.
Chow Mein. The Panda Express spokesperson confirmed that chow mein isn't made with any animal products, however, it is also tossed in woks that may contain cross-contamination. If that's okay with you, you'll get to enjoy a tangle of wheat noodles with softened onion slivers, celery, and cabbage.
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Introduction: My name is Rubie Ullrich, I am a enthusiastic, perfect, tender, vivacious, talented, famous, delightful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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