This Panda Express chow mein is a wonderfully tasty copycat recipe that's super quick and easy to make for weeknight dinners. You can mix and match the chow mein with any of your favorite takeout recipes. If you are a fan of Chinese flavors, this chow mein is a must-try.
Chow mein makes a great base for any of your favorite Chinese takeout recipes. I like to pair it with Panda Express string bean chicken or Panda Express orange chicken. Enjoy!
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I'm not sure if it's the distance to a Panda or any other of my favorite restaurants or the boredom brought on by the long Minnesota winters. Either one could have inspired me to master these noodles at home, along with other tasty Panda copycat recipes!
I've been making this ridiculously delicious Panda Express chow mein noodles for so many years now that it's literally second nature! They're so tasty that no one complains about these Chinese noodles being a go-to side dish for many, many dinners!
Try my hibachi fried noodles or teriyaki noodles for more great Asian noodle recipes! Pair your noodles with any of my Panda Express entrees for a complete meal your family will love!
🥘 Ingredients
If you do a lot of Asian cooking, you may keep these ingredients on hand. Otherwise, they should be fairly easy to find at the grocery store. You can learn how to make kecap manis from scratch right here!
- Chow Mein Noodles - 12 ounces of chow mein noodles. I used the Wel-Pac brand found in the Asian aisle at Walmart - yakisoba noodles work too!
- Vegetable Oil - 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil.
- Onion - ½ cup of sliced onion (about ½ a large yellow onion).
- Celery - ½ cup of thinly sliced celery (about 2 medium ribs).
- Green Cabbage - ½ head of cabbage, thinly sliced.
- Cooking Wine - 1 ½ teaspoons of sherry cooking wine.
- Soy Sauce - 2 tablespoons of soy sauce. (I recommend reduced-sodium soy sauce).
- Oyster Sauce - 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce or an oyster sauce substitute.
- Kecap Manis - ½ tablespoon of kecap manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce).
- Ginger - 2 teaspoons of ginger (fresh, grated - or ½ teaspoon dry ground ginger).
- Sesame Seed Oil - 1 teaspoon of sesame seed oil or a sesame oil substitute.
Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!
🔪 How To Make Panda Express Chow Mein
You'll love how easy it is to make this 20-minute chow mein recipe. Grab a large pot, a colander, a skillet (or wok or frying pan), and a spatula.
This recipe makes 6 hearty servings of chow mein.
- Cook chow mein noodles. Cook 12 ounces of chow mein noodles at a boil, remove from heat, and drain before completely cooked.
- Rinse the noodles. Rinse the noodles with cold water to prevent continued cooking, then coat them with a bit of oil (optional) to keep them from sticking together. Set aside.
- Heat the pan. Bring a large skillet, frying pan, or wok to high heat and add 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil.
- Add the veggies. When your oil is hot, add ½ cup of sliced onion, ½ cup of thinly sliced celery, and ½ head of sliced cabbage. Cook for about 1 minute (2 minutes if you like your vegetables more tender).
- Mix in the noodles. Add the noodles and stir to break them up, and combine them with the cooked vegetables.
- Make the sauce. Add 1 ½ teaspoons of cooking wine, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce, ½ tablespoon of kecap manis, and 2 teaspoons of freshly grated ginger. Mix well until the noodles are soft.
- Add sesame oil. Add 1 teaspoon of sesame seed oil and toss to coat all of the chow mein and vegetables before serving.
- Garnish and serve. Garnish with green onion and/or sesame seeds, if desired. *A small teaspoon portion of brown sugar can be added for additional sweetness (we have mixed opinions in the household of whether or not the brown sugar makes the recipe closer to Panda!).
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Notes
- You can use Yakisoba noodles as an easy swap for the chow mein noodles.
- If you want a vegetarian option, you can ditch the oyster sauce for a vegetarian oyster sauce made from mushrooms.
- For an authentic flavor truer to Panda, try using vegetable broth to boil your noodles in.
- For a deeper flavor, add just a touch more sesame seed oil. Be careful not to add too much, as a little goes a long way.
- A small teaspoon portion of brown sugar can be added for additional sweetness.
🥡 Storing & Reheating
Leftovers can be kept refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Freezing
Once your chow mein has cooled off, you can transfer it to a freezer bag. Squeeze out any excess air and seal it tightly. Freeze for up to 3 months and place it in the fridge overnight to thaw out before reheating.
Reheating
If you're in a hurry, chow mein still tastes delicious when reheated in the microwave. If not, it tastes the best when reheated in a skillet or wok on the stovetop.
Just heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat, add the leftovers, and cook (stirring occasionally) for about 3-4 minutes until hot.
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❓ Recipe FAQs
The signature recipe for chow mein at Panda Express is not gluten-free because it is made with wheat noodles which contain gluten. That's the great thing about recreating the recipe at home. You can swap the chow mein noodles for rice noodles or another gluten-free noodle variety.
Yes, chow mein freezes well for up to 3 months! Just let it cool, put it in a freezer bag, squeeze out the air, seal it up tight, and pop it in the freezer!
The classic recipe contains cabbage, onion, and celery, but you can make it your own by adding your preferred veggies. Bok choy, carrots, bell peppers, or bean sprouts would make a great addition!
🐼 More Panda Express Recipes
- Fried Rice - A delicious blend of long-grain white rice, savory soy sauce, and crispy vegetables that makes every meal better.
- Mixed Vegetables - A combination of tender vegetables that adds color and flavor to any meal!
- Sweet Fire Chicken - Thai sweet chili sauce gives this classic Panda Express recipe just the right amount of heat.
- Beijing Beef - Crispy strips of wok-fried flank steak tossed with veggies in a savory Beijing sauce!
- Mushroom Chicken - Juicy chunks of chicken with tender mushrooms and zucchini in a ginger garlic soy sauce.
- Teriyaki Chicken - The perfect recipe to satisfy your takeout cravings without having to leave the house!
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📖 Recipe Card
Panda Express Chow Mein Copycat Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 oz chow mein noodles (I used the Wel-Pac brand found in the Asian aisle at Walmart - yakisoba noodles work too)
- 3 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ½ cup yellow onion (sliced, about ½ large yellow onion)
- ½ cup celery (thinly sliced - about 2 medium ribs)
- ½ head green cabbage (thinly sliced)
- 1 ½ teaspoon cooking wine (sherry)
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce (I recommend reduced sodium soy sauce)
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- ½ tablespoon kecap manis
- 2 teaspoon ginger (fresh, grated - or ½ teaspoon dry ground ginger)
- 1 teaspoon sesame seed oil
Instructions
- Cook chow mein noodles at a boil, remove and drain before completely cooked. Rinse with cold water to prevent continued cooking, then coat with a bit of oil (optional) to keep from sticking together. Set aside.
- Bring a large skillet, frying pan, or wok to high heat and add the vegetable oil. When the oil is hot add sliced onion, celery and cabbage. Cook for about 1 minute (2 minutes if you like your vegetables more tender).
- Add the noodles and stir to break them up and combine them with the cooked vegetables. Add cooking wine, soy sauce, kecap manis, oyster sauce and freshly grated ginger. Mix well until the noodles are soft.
- Add the sesame seed oil, toss to coat all of the chow mein and vegetables before serving. Garnish with green onion and/or sesame seeds, if desired. *A small teaspoon portion of brown sugar can be added for additional sweetness (we have mixed opinions in the household of whether or not the brown sugar makes the recipe closer to Panda!).
Notes
- You can use Yakisoba noodles as an easy swap for the chow mein noodles.
- If you want a vegetarian option, you can ditch the oyster sauce for a vegetarian oyster sauce made from mushrooms.
- For an authentic flavor truer to Panda, try using vegetable broth to boil your noodles in.
- For a deeper flavor, add just a touch more sesame seed oil. Be careful not to add too much, as a little goes a long way.
- A small teaspoon portion of brown sugar can be added for additional sweetness.
Leanne says
Is there a Kecap Manis sauce you can buy, or do you have to make it?
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
I prefer to make my own here but you can get it on amazon here.
Leanne says
Is there anything I can use to replace it? Or is it possible to leave it out without it effecting the dish too much? Also, I appreciate the quick reply ☺️
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Hi, equal parts soy sauce and brown sugar will work as well. Hope that helps 🙂
Loretta says
I can hardly wait to make this!!!
Thank you fir all of the wonderful recipes you share.
Rosa Glez says
ME ENCANTO LO HICE CON CAMARONES (MIENTRAS SE HACIAN LE AÑADI LOS VEGETALES) Y FETUSSINI EL FIDEO QUE TENIA AL MOMENTO. EL TOQUE CON GINGER Y EL AZUCAR ESTA SUPER. NO USE AJONJOLI...SERA MI RECETA DE AHORA RN ADELATE...GRX Y EXITOS!
To English: I LOVE IT I MADE IT WITH SHRIMP (WHILE THE VEGETABLES WERE ADDED) AND FETUSSINI THE NOODLE I HAD AT THE MOMENT. THE TOUCH WITH GINGER AND SUGAR IS SUPER. DO NOT USE AJONJOLI ... IT WILL BE MY RECIPE FOR NOW RN ADELATE ... GRX AND SUCCESSFUL!
Olga says
Hi there,
How much sesame oil do you use? It's not listed in the ingredients but says to add in step 4. Thank you!
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
I always start out with a very small drizzle and add more to taste since sesame oil has a strong flavor. It's not a required ingredient, but a favorite in my home. Thanks for asking!
Flavor Quotient / Priyanka says
This is so nice! Looks absolutely amazing! Thanks for the recipe! 🙂
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Oh we love this chow mein! Thanks for stopping in!!