Panda Express Chow Mein – Copycat Recipe

These bouncy chow mein noodles are the perfect side dish for any dinner loaded with delicious noodles, crunchy cabbage, Asian-inspired savory sauce, and bold flavors. Just like the famous fast food chain makes them!

The chow mein is my go-to side at Panda Express and now you and I can make the copycat version right at my own kitchen. 

You only need a handful of simple ingredients to make these flavorful noodles. You can even throw some chicken in it and make it a complete meal. 

Making the famous chow mein at home helps me control the salt, oil, and sugar content better and I believe it makes a healthier version of the meal.

If you are not a big rice fan and want to skip take-out tonight, give this recipe a try! But don’t tell me I didn’t want it how good and addictive it is…

What Is In Panda Express Chow Mein?

Chow Mein is a noodle dish, a Panda Express resto chain staple side dish, that they offer in combo plates.

It is a noodles-based stir-fry with tangy sweet and salty sauce, sauteed veggies, and chow mein type of noodles. It is completely vegan too, as it has no dairy, no eggs, and no animal proteins.

One of my favorites at Panda Express, after orange chicken, of course. 

Chow Mein vs Lo Mein

Chow mein noodles are not the same as lo mein noodles. The main differences are cooking methods and textures.

Chow mein is dryer and thinner and is pre-boiled and then stir-fried to make a more saucy and oily texture, while lo mein is not stir-fried but simply tossed with the sauce, once cooked, and is less oily than chow mein.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Side or main dish ready in 25 minutes. Stir fry is a quick, high heat, cooking style that is perfect for busy weeknights.
• Homemade. You can tell me Panda Express is your guilty pleasure and I get it, I love it too, but nothing beats homemade food, even if it is a copycat. No msg, even though classic Chinese (and Asian in general) good street food will always have a pinch, I skipped it and enjoyed natural flavors.
• Leftovers are great for a few days.
• The sauce is bursting with flavors, every time I make this recipe it turns out delicious. While cooking the sauce caramelizes the veggies and coats every bit of noodles, so the finished dish is satisfying and slurpable.

What Ingredients Are In Panda Express Chow Mein?

Do not freak out because of some Asian names of the ingredients, they are not pricey and quite easy to find either online or in the Asian aisle at big grocery stores.

• Lo Mein noodles. Direct substitutes are dry chow mein noodles and yakisoba noodles for a portion of authentic Chinese food. Ramen noodles will work too but will taste a bit different from the original Panda Express dish. To make this dish gluten-free, search for zero-gluten chow mein noodles. Regular chow mein noodles contain eggs, so if making this recipe vegan, go do vegan noodles.
• Veggies: cabbage, celery stalks, and onions (white or yellow, but not red). Cabbage is the staple ingredient in this noodle stir-fry and you can’t skip it. You can add more veggies though if you want to make the dish more filling. I’ll share some options below. You have to slice everything thinly and the cabbage at an angle in ribbons, and the celery pieces should be 1/2 in.
• Vegetable oil to cook the veggies. Pick your favorite, I would suggest a neutral oil without a strong aroma or flavor, like avocado oil, canola oil, or peanut oil.

Chow Mein Sauce Ingredients

Asian sauces are rich and flavorful but somehow simple and customizable and also take 1 minute to make. I use this recipe, but you can tweak it to make it sweeter, saltier, or with more umami flavor.

• Light low-sodium soy sauce – all ingredients are quite salty so you may want to use a lighter version of the soy sauce. Soy sauce is the main ingredient for the classic chow mein sauce so if you pick the wrong one, you may ruin the dish. Do not go with dark soy sauce – it is too overpowering.
• Garlic, minced
• Granulated sugar or brown sugar. Brown sugar adds a more subtle, caramel-like sweetness and goes well in Asian-style savory dishes.
• Hoisin sauce
• Sesame oil significantly deepens the flavor, but ultimately is optional.
• Rice vinegar or Chinese cooking wine for more tang and to lighten up thick umami flavors of different sweet and salty sauces in the mix.

You can mix the sauce in a small bowl ahead of time, and make more as it is a tasty sauce for any Asian-flavored cooking.

I don’t add any pepper but you can use either black pepper or its milder version – white pepper. White pepper is one of the secret ingredients of authentic Chinese cuisine. 

Garnish

• Scallions (green onions) and sesame seeds for garnish, optional

You’ll Need

• a pot to pre-cook the noodles, OR
• a large skillet, or a non-stick pan, or better, a wok to cook the veggies, and the sauce, and finish cooking the combined dish. You can always boil the noodles in the same skillet, and then dry it and add oil to cook the vegetables.

How To Make Panda Express Chow Mein Recipe

This easy chow mein recipe comes together super quickly with minimal prep time and fast sauteing of the veggies, it is almost a one-pan meal that you can serve and eat immediately or make ahead for a few weeknight dinners.

1. Boil and drain the noodles according to package directions and set aside.
2. To add depth of flavor, you can even cook noodles in chicken broth.
3. Combine the cabbage, celery, and onion with the vegetable oil, in a large skillet or wok over and saute over medium-high heat. Cook while stirring for about 3-5 minutes until the vegetables are just softened. 
4. Add the soy sauce, minced garlic, sugar, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, and rice vinegar. Cook while stirring for 1 minute.
5. Toss in the cooked noodles and gently stir with the sauce until everything is combined and the noodles are evenly coated in the sauce.

At this point do not overcook it, as the noodles are already boiled and they can become too soft and soggy. OR undercook the noodles in step 1 (1-2 minutes short of package cooking time) and stir-fry all the ingredients together for an additional minute.

How To Store Chow Mein Noodles?

Store leftover chow mein noddles in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Simply reheat in a microwave with a bit of oil to keep the noodles from drying out.

Stir-fried chow mein freezes well in a simple freezer bag for up to 2-3 months.

Tips and Tricks

• Panda Express chow mein can be quite oily. But you can add more vegetable oil or even some butter. 
• If you can’t find the ingredients at your local grocery store, try an Asian market.
• If the store-bought noodles came with any flavoring in packets, do not use those. Discard.
• Wok is much better for stir-fry as the sides are heated too and helps cook the ingredients more evenly and faster.
• If the sauce stays runny even after cooking it for a while, add some cornstarch – it quickly thickens any sauce. Good sauce consistency is when the sauce can evenly coat the back of a wooden spoon.

Popular Questions

Can I Make Chow Mein Noodles In Instant Pot?

Yes! Set the pressure cooker to saute mode and saute veggies in oil, then add pre-mixed sauce, noodles, and some broth and pressure cook on high for 5 minutes.

What Is Chow Mein Sauce Made Of?

The original Panda Express chow mein sauce is kept in secret, but you can make a tasty chow mein sauce by mixing light soy sauce, hoisin, brown sugar, a dash of sesame oil, and some oyster sauce. You can also add garlic and rice vinegar.

Is Chow Mein From Panda Express Unhealthy?

Chow mein at the restaurant is pretty high in sodium but when we make homemade chow mein noodles we can use low-sodium sauces, less fat, and add healthy greens and veggies packed with nutrients and fiber.

What Makes Chow Mein Taste Like Chow Mein?

Chow mein literally translates as stir-fried. So stir-frying chow mein noodles in the sauce after pre-cooking them is what gives them a chewy, crunchy, and oily taste that is easy to recognize.

If you love this copycat recipe, you’re going to love these copies of your other restaurant favorites too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!

More Great Chinese Food Recipes

Orange Chicken Recipe – Panda Express Copycat

Cashew Chicken Recipe

Air Fryer Teriyaki Chicken

Air Fryer Spring Rolls

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