Panda Express String Bean Chicken Breast is one of the lighter fare options of Panda entrees. Tender pieces of marinated chicken are wok fried then tossed with stir fried string beans and onion in a garlic ginger soy sauce for a delicious Chinese food takeout dinner made at home!
I love all things Panda Express, and can't think of a dish that I would be able to say 'I don't like it'! In fact, Panda has to be my go-to fast food restaurant as it is the only one that I will stop at for a quick meal when in the cities!
Thankfully, my family is completely in agreement with me. It is the family favorite, which is why I have so much fun testing out my Panda Express copycat recipes!
This green bean chicken stir fry is one of the best lighter calorie meals that was on the Panda Express menu. Plus, it's even better when made fresh at home!
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🥘 Ingredients
- Chicken Breast (boneless, skinless - cut against the grain into thin slices)
- Peanut Oil (or vegetable oil)
- White Onion (peeled and cut into 1 inch wedges)
- Green Beans (fresh string beans, washed and trimmed - cut long green beans in half if needed)
- Garlic (finely minced or crushed)
- Ginger (finely minced or crushed)
Chicken Marinade
- Hoisin Sauce (or use black bean sauce with a teaspoon of brown sugar)
- Soy Sauce
- Sesame Seed Oil
- Shaoxing Wine (or rice wine, or cooking wine - may use another tablespoon to deglaze your wok or pan)
- Cornstarch
🔪 Step-By-Step Instructions
- Start with making your chicken marinade, a step that can be done in advance the night before cooking your green bean chicken stir fry.
- In a medium size mixing bowl, combine the sliced boneless, skinless chicken breast with the marinade ingredients. Add the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, Shaoxing wine, and corn starch. *You can use rice wine, cooking wine or sherry as a Shaoxing substitute in the recipe. Also, black bean sauce would be a more authentic ingredient to use rather than the hoisin sauce, but it is not one that I keep on hand or is available at my local markets.
- Mix the marinade ingredients with the chicken until the sauce is smooth. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or cling film and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, and up to overnight.
- Heat your wok, large skillet, or frying pan with the peanut oil over high heat until the oil shimmers and is just beginning to smoke.
- Transfer the strained, marinated chicken breast pieces into the wok and fry it until the pieces are cooked through. You may need to do this in batches, so that your chicken meat is not crowded while cooking.
- Remove the chicken from your wok when done. Then transfer to a plate to set aside while stir frying the vegetables. Clean any debris out of your cooking oil, if needed, and discard the remaining marinade.
- Next, add the onions to your heated wok and stir fry for a minute before adding the green beans. You may want to use another tablespoon of your cooking wine to deglaze the wok or frying pan in this step. The onions and string beans can be added at the same time, if you don't want your onion to be tender.
- Add the string beans (green beans) to the wok with the onions and continue to stir fry for another minute or two, until they have reached your desired level of tenderness.
- Next, add the finely minced or crushed garlic and ginger, and toss to combine with the vegetables.
- Finally, return the chicken to the wok and toss to coat all of the stir fried ingredients. When the chicken is warmed through, your Panda Express String Bean Chicken Breast stir fry is ready to serve.
Garnish with sesame seeds, if desired and serve with some Instant Pot Basmati Rice for a great family meal! Or stick with the Panda Express menu items and make some of my Easy Fried Rice (that is truly better than the restaurant version!). Enjoy!
Looking for more fabulous Panda Express copycat recipes? I’ve made enough that it was time to add a dedicated Panda Express Recipes page. Now you can find all of your favorite entrees, sides, and appetizers quickly!
🐼 Panda Express Chicken Entrees
All my Panda Express Recipes
- Panda Express Orange Chicken
- Panda Express SweetFire Chicken Breast
- Panda Express Mushroom Chicken
- Panda Express Kung Pao Chicken
📋 Recipe
Panda Express String Bean Chicken Breast
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breast (boneless, skinless - cut against the grain into thin slices)
- 2 tablespoon peanut oil (or vegetable oil)
- 1 cup white onion (peeled and cut into 1 inch wedges)
- 1 lb green beans (fresh string beans, washed and trimmed - cut long green beans in half if needed)
- 1 tablespoon garlic (finely minced or crushed)
- 1 teaspoon ginger (finely minced or crushed)
Chicken Marinade
- 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce (or use black bean sauce with a teaspoon of brown sugar)
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame seed oil
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine (or rice wine, or cooking wine - may use another tablespoon to deglaze your wok or pan)
- 2 teaspoon cornstarch
Instructions
- In a medium size mixing bowl, place the sliced chicken breast in bowl and add sauce ingredients (hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sesame seed oil, Shaoxing wine, cornstarch). Toss to thoroughly coat the chicken. Cover the bowl with cling film and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. *The chicken can be marinated overnight if you want to do this step ahead of time.
- Heat your wok, large skillet, or frying pan with the oil over high heat. The oil should shimmer, and be just starting to smoke when hot enough. Place strained marinated chicken breast pieces into the oil and cook the chicken, quickly searing the pieces and removing them when cooked through. Cook the chicken in batches, if needed. Transfer to a plate when cooked and set aside. Discard any remaining marinade.
- Once the chicken has been removed from your wok, add the onion and stir fry for about 1 minute before adding the green beans. *You can add the green beans and onion at the same time, but I like my onions a bit more tender and my green beans slightly crisp.
- Add the string beans and continue to stir fry for an additional 2 minutes, or until the green beans have reached your desired level of tenderness. Add the garlic and ginger, and toss with the vegetables.
- Return the cooked chicken to your wok with the green beans and onions, toss to coat thoroughly and heat the chicken through. Serve immediately.
Equipment You May Need
Nutrition
Angela is an at home chef that developed a passion for all things cooking and baking at a young age in her Grandma's kitchen. After many years in the food service industry, she now enjoys sharing all of her family favorite recipes and creating tasty dinner and amazing dessert recipes here at Bake It With Love!
Doug G says
I was looking everywhere for this panda express recipe for chicken and green beans!
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Super! I'm so glad you found the recipe here! Hope you enjoy it as much as my family does!