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If you’re looking to make your own Chinese food at home instead of spending money on takeout, then this copycat Panda Express Chow Mein recipe is perfect for you!
I love the chow mein at Panda Express. It pairs perfectly with every single entree on the menu and it is just SO GOOD. I came up with this recipe years ago when we were doing our family’s traditional Christmas Eve Chinese Take-Out party. I needed enough chow mein to feed a crowd and we weren’t near a Panda Express, so I created this recipe and it was a HUGE hit. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but it really does taste JUST like the Panda Express chow mein! Don’t believe me? Check out all the comments below! All it takes is a few simple ingredients from right in your own pantry, and it can be on your table in less than 30 minutes.
Panda Express Chow Mein Ingredients
The ingredients in Panda Express Chow Mein are simple. I love how Panda Express doesn’t complicate things. Of course, if you are making this on your own you can take your own creative liberties and add extras to your liking. Here’s the basic ingredients:
- Chow mein noodles: Prepared according to package instructions. Yakisoba noodles, lo mein noodles, or even ramen noodles can also be used. If using ramen, I have found they work out best if they are undercooked by a minute.
- Onion (white or yellow onion)
- Celery
- Cabbage
- Chow Mein Sauce
Chow Mein Sauce:
For this chow mein sauce we only use a few simple ingredients:
- soy sauce
- brown sugar
- garlic
- ginger
- black pepper
You can also add a little oyster sauce or a splash of cooking Chinese cooking wine to the sauce for more depth of flavor. If you want to make more of a saucy sauce (not like Panda Express and more of a lo-mein style), you can double the sauce recipe, and add a cup of chicken broth. Heat the sauce on the stovetop until sugar is dissolved and slowly add a slurry of cornstarch and water until the sauce slightly thickens JUST enough to lightly coat a spoon. Then add the sauce to the noodles to taste (you may not want to use all of it).
Chow Mein vs Lo Mein
Sometimes, it is difficult to tell the difference between chow mein and lo mein, but after I go through the three main differences, you will easily know which is which. The biggest difference is simply knowing that one is stir-fried and the other is tossed in sauce.
Chow Mein:
- Translation: Translated, “chow mein” means “fried” or “stir-fried” noodles.
- Preparation: Chow mein noodles are parboiled and then stir-fried in a wok with vegetables and other ingredients until the noodles cooked through
- Texture: Because chow mein noodles are stir-fried, the noodles become slightly crispy and a bit oily. The fried texture makes it so it can’t really be “slurped”. Some think that chow mein noodles are strictly crunchy, deep fried noodles, like the kind that comes in a canister, but that is only one type of chow mein noodle. The most common kind of chow mein noodle is the stir-fried kind, like they use at Panda Express.
- Sauce: There is very little, if any, sauce with chow mein noodles.
Lo Mein:
- Translation: Translated, “lo mein” means “tossed” noodles.
- Preparation: Lo mein noodles are parboiled until soft and then tossed with sauce and other ingredients.
- Texture: The texture is more soft in a lo mein noodle. It feels similar in texture to a spaghetti noodle. A lo mein noodle is easy to slurp.
- Sauce: Lo mein is tossed in a good amount of sauce.
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. In my opinion, it all comes down to that “slurp” test! Now, can you make this recipe a lo mein if you wanted to? Absolutely! It is DELICIOUS as a lo mein! Just boil up your noodles separately and double the sauce. Toss together and serve.
What Kind Of Noodles Are Best?
You can use various types of noodles for chow mein, and as long as you stir fry them in some oil, you’re good to go! We prefer Yakisoba because it consistently provides the right texture, but you can also cook dry lo mein noodles, drain them well, and then stir fry them in oil. Ramen noodles are another option. Whichever type you choose, remember to discard any included flavor packets. If you don’t have any of these noodles available, you can still use simple spaghetti or linguini noodles by stir-frying them.
Suggestions for this Recipe
- This simple recipe makes several good sized servings, so if you find yourself with leftovers, store it in a sealed container in the fridge. The noodles reheat beautifully and you can eat from this dish for up to a week!
- Use a large wok, skillet, or deep-walled non-stick pan to make stir-frying easier.
- In this recipe, you can add a shake or two of sesame oil to the vegetable oil to add a deeper flavor, but make sure to use it sparingly. The sesame oil flavoring can overpower the rest of the flavors. I have made it both ways (with and without sesame oil) and they both taste great.
- This recipe calls for celery, onion, and cabbage but you could add shredded carrots, pea pods, broccoli, or any of your favorite veggies to this dish.
Storing and Reheating Chow Mein
To store leftover chow mein, cool it down to room temperature and place it in an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 4-5 days. To reheat, use the microwave for quick warming, the stovetop for better control, or the oven for larger portions. For microwave and stovetop, add a touch of oil, if needed, and heat until it’s heated through. In the oven, cover with foil and bake at 350°F for 20-30 minutes. Keep an eye on it to prevent overcooking. You may need to add a bit of water or sauce to maintain moisture.
More Panda Express Recipes
Pair this Chow Mein with some of our other Asian-inspired recipes like Kung Pao Chicken, Chinese Barbeque Pork or any of these other Panda Express recipes:
Panda Express Chow Mein (Copycat)
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- ground black pepper, to taste
- 2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 (5.6 ounce) packages Yakisoba noodles or Chinese Egg Noodles (Found in the produce section of the grocery store. Usually, the 3 packages are sold together in one 17oz. pack)
- ⅔ cup celery chopped diagonally
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
- 2 cups chopped cabbage
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, and black pepper. Set aside.
- Remove noodles from packages and discard included flavoring packets. Rinse noodles well, drain, and set aside.
- Heat oil in a large wok or skillet over medium heat. Add celery and onion and sauté for about 1-2 minutes or until onions start to become soft and transparent. Add cabbage and sauté an additional minute.
- Add noodles and soy sauce mixture to the vegetables. Stir-fry over medium-high heat for an additional 2-3 minutes or until noodles are heated through.
Notes
- In this recipe, you can add a shake or two of sesame oil to the vegetable oil to add a deeper flavor, but don’t overdo it! I am not including it in the recipe because the sesame oil flavoring can become overpowering really quickly if you aren’t careful. I have made it both ways (with and without sesame oil) and they both taste great.
- Don’t overcook the noodles. Overcooking them can cause them to break. You want them to be just heated through.
Excellent site you have here.. It’s hard to find good quality writing like yours nowadays. I honestly appreciate people like you! Take care!!
Can I use spaghetti instead of yakisoba?
Sure!
We just made this tonight! Very delicious! We will make it again!!!
Made this the other night as a side dish for an amazing sweet and sour pork recipes. It is excellent. Loads of flavour
I’ve been making this recipe for 3 years, and everyone loves it!! It is such a simple recipe to follow and it comes out great every single time! I have also boiled the noodles a bit to separate them and that works well.
I am so glad you like this recipe! Thanks so much for the 5-star rating! I will have to try boiling the noodles next time I make it!
This was so flavorful! I added an extra splash of sesame oil and soy sauce at the end and threw in some left over pork and sugar snap peas and it was Awesome! Thank you so much!
Those sounds like wonderful additions! Thanks for sharing and for the 5-stars!
THIS WAS SO GOOD! YUM! THANKS! I couldn’t find the right noodles so I used linguini. Turned out great!
Awesome! I am happy to hear that linguine noodles work well for this recipe. I will have to try it that way next time! Thanks for the 5 stars!
I made the recipe and enlarged a bit. Love it. I used spagetti noodles as we are 2 hours drive away from anyone that has yaki noodles.
So easy, will definitely make again.
Thank you so much for this recipe! I didn’t have sesame oil that other recipes required so this worked out great! The sauce was delicious & this is definitely a keeper! 😊
Why does this recipe call for yakisoba (Japanese wheat flour noodles) instead of Chinese egg noodles for an essentially Chinese dish?
People can use whatever they like (it seems in the comments that people are even happy using Italian pasta), but I feel the recommendation in a copycat recipe for people interested in making chow mein at home should at least be the same Chinese egg noodles that chow mein is made with in restaurants.
I’m from Kentucky and can’t find the Yaki Soba noodles here. So we use the Chinese Egg Noodles(dry). Just have to boil for 5-10 minutes and they are great with this recipe. Can buy at Amazon & Ebay.
Made this tonight! We LOVED it! I added a bit of white ground pepper and onion powder and used cappellini noodles because I couldn’t get my hands on yakisoba noodles. Served it with Trader Joe’s Mandarin Orange Chicken. Ay yi yi. So good! 🙂
So glad you liked it! 😀
I make this pretty consistently for my kids. They LOVE it! Sometimes I’ll add chicken or BBQ pork to make it a full meal. Thank you!
Delicious! This came together so fast, and was heartily enjoyed by my family. Thank you!
This was delish!! I’ve never eaten at Panda Express so I really can’t compare but Chinese food is Chinese food to me. I probably eat Chinese once or twice a year but this will definately go into my rotation as there were no leftovers!! I made your green beans too…. And no leftovers there either!! Stellar job.. Thanks!
Thank you so much! So glad that you liked it 😀 Thanks for taking the time to comment!
This was great, but I thought it was a little bit sweeter than the original. Will definitely make it again though!
After reading through some of the comments about the orange sauce here’s my original recipe that’s a little less fussy and a lot cheaper then buying the bottled stuff:
1 can mandarin oranges
1/2 C sugar
2-3 T cornstarch (depending on how saucy you want it)
3 T soy sauce
Sweet chili sauce to taste
Add all to small sauce pan. Mash oranges with whisk or fork. Whisk over medium high heat until boiling, boil one minute.
This recipe is way better than Panda Express’s! We love it!
So glad you liked it! 😀
This was fabulous!! I used the noodles from the Mr.Noodle packages and added a bit more brown sugar (I like things a little on the sweet side! ????) And like some others, I just added packaged coleslaw…let me tell you, I’ll be making this plenty more times!! Thanks for a fantastic recipe!! ????
I could not find the refrigerated noodles so I bought Chinese noodles will they work for this?
What do you mean by “Chinese noodles”?
Chow Mein means “Stir Fried noodle” So it is a chow mein.
Does anybody know how to make the Black Pepper Chicken from Panda Express? It is my husbands favorite and I would love to be able to make it for him!
Try this recipe: https://sweetcsdesigns.com/panda-express-black-pepper-chicken-copycat-recipe/
I don’t usually make Chinese recipes because I don’t have many of the right ingredients. However, this one seemed pretty straight forward. Unfortunately I could only find dry chow mein noodles which may have changed my experience. I still continued forward, I shared my full experience here:
http://www.stayin-afloat.com/p/chicken-chow-mein_19.html
This was delicious! All our kids loved it! We were out of cabbage, so added stir fried veggies (carrots, broccoli, mushroom and red bell pepper). Also doubled the tasty sauce since we added some grilled chicken. This is truly a family favorite in our house!! Thanks!!!
Suzanne, I love that you added stir fried vegetables. I’m going to do that next time I make it. I’m always looking for ways to get more vegetables in my family’s diet. Thank you for sharing!