Panda Express Chow Mein recipe tastes exactly like the restaurant’s signature side dish. Make a healthier version of Panda at home for a fraction of the price!
Panda Express Chow Mein
Panda Express Chow Mein is one of our favorite dishes when we’re craving Chinese food but it can be inconvenient, not to mention pricey to grab take-out all the time. So why not make it at home? This chow mein recipe uses fresh, simple ingredients from right in your own kitchen. It’s so simple to throw together when the mood strikes, and tastes just as good (if not better) than the restaurant version.
You can make chow mein or lo mein with this recipe; it just depends on the way you like your noodles. Most of the great lo mein dishes are made with fresh noodles, while chow mein can be made with dried or fresh. Chow mein noodles are generally prepared to be a bit crispier than lo mein noodles, which are very soft. I actually prefer this recipe made with soft noodles, but give either one a try and pick your favorite!
Suggestions for this Recipe
- Craving good Chinese, but don’t have any refrigerated Yaki Soba noodles on hand? Italian pasta noodles such as linguine, fettuccine or even spaghetti are a great substitute in a pinch.
- 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 on this dish for up to a week!
- 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.
Main Dishes to Serve with Panda Express Chow Mein
Pair this Chow Mein with some of our other Asian inspired recipes and you can have a full-on family style Chinese take-out night at home for a fraction of the price of going out.
- P.F. Chang’s Mongolian Beef
- Panda Express String Bean Chicken Breast
- Jared’s Gerenal Tso’s Chicken
- Orange Chicken
- Crock Pot Cashew Chicken
- Kung Pao Chicken
- Lettuce Wraps
- Chinese Barbecue Pork
- Ham Fried Rice
How to Make Panda Express Chow Mein
Our Version of Panda Express Chow Mein
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger grated
- ground black pepper to taste
- 2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 5.6 oz packages refrigerated Yaki Soba noodles (Found in the produce section of the grocery store. Usually the 3 packages are sold together in one 17oz. pack)
- 2/3 cup chopped celery chopped diagonally
- 1 medium-sized onion thinly sliced
- 2 cups chopped cabbage
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In a small bowl combine soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and black pepper. Set aside.
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Remove Yaki Soba from packages and discard included flavoring packets. Rinse noodles well, drain, and set aside.
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Heat oil in a large wok or skillet.
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Add celery and onion and saute for about 1-2 minutes or until onions start to become soft and transparent.
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Add cabbage and saute an additional minute or so.
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Toss Yaki Soba noodles and soy sauce mixture with the vegetables over medium-high heat for an additional 2-3 minutes or until noodles are heated through.
Jenn says
I have been searching for this recipe forever! Can’t wait to try it.
Bethy says
Jenn did you ever try it?
JP says
Recipe awful. Tasted like pasta with soy sauce on it. No flavor. Panda pasta looks like spaghetti not ramen. Very disappointed
Dezi A says
Yum! Thanks so much for sharing. Pinning now, hopefully it won’t be long before I try it.
Bethy says
Dezi It’s been 8 years. Have you tried it yet?
Emma Green says
Oh man I am so excited to try this! I can’t get enough of this stuff every time I go to panda! Thanks for posting, I can definitely see this recipe becoming my go-to!
Loie says
I tried this today with an orange chicken recipe. The chow mein is better than Panda’s!! It was delicious! And so super easy! Now I just have to find a better orange chicken recipe and we are all set!
Celeste says
As easy, very yummy orange chicken recipe:
Cut uncooked chicken breast into 1 – 1 1/2 inch squares, roll in beaten egg, then bread crumbs and fry in pan (I use olive oil). Brown on both sides and put into casserole dish. Once finished with all the chicken pieces, pour Panda’s orange sauce over chicken. Cover pan with tin foil and bake on 350 for 30 minutes. This is my son’s favorite recipe.
Frances says
Where can I find the Panda’s orange sauce?
Erica says
I have found it at the grocery store.. just in the Asian section near the sauces.
Mrs says
You can buy it at panda if you can’t find it elsewhere. They sell them near the register.
DeeAnn Robinson says
I had this in my comment, but I’ll add it here as well. Here’s my original recipe that’s pretty good, only takes a couple of minutes, and is a lot cheaper then buying the bottled stuff.
Orange Chicken Sauce
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.
Joset says
CHINESE ORANGE CHICKEN
Prep Time
40 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Total Time
50 minutes
Yield
4 servings
Not even Panda Express can beat this homemade orange chicken!
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 cup 2 tablespoons cornstarch, divided
2 large eggs, beaten
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds
1 green onion, thinly sliced
FOR THE MARINADE
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup distilled white vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 teaspoon Sriracha, or more, to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
To make the marinade, whisk together chicken broth, orange juice, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, orange zest, Sriracha, ginger and white pepper in a large bowl.
In a gallon size Ziploc bag or large bowl, combine chicken and 2/3 cup of the marinade; marinate for at least 30 minutes, turning the bag occasionally. Drain the chicken from the marinade, discarding the marinade.
Heat remaining marinade in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and stir in 2 tablespoons cornstarch combined with 2 tablespoons water. Cook, stirring frequently, until thickened about 1-2 minutes; keep warm.
Working one at a time, dip the chicken into the eggs, then dredge in remaining 1 cup cornstarch, pressing to coat.
Heat vegetable oil in a large saucepan. Working in batches, add chicken and fry until golden brown and cooked through, about 1-2 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; discard excess oil.
Serve chicken immediately, tossed or drizzled with the marinade, garnished with sesame seeds and green onion, if desired.
Ali says
Yum! I have this on my menu for the week. I’m wondering what that chicken recipe is in the background. I need a good chicken to go with it. 🙂
Erica says
It is Jared’s General Tsos chicken from our site… My favorite!
Amy says
Made this for the fam tonight along with some teriyaki chicken. The Chow Mein was a HUGE hit – even with the hubby who is diabetic and doesn’t eat noodles (he went back for seconds).
Misty says
Finally!!! I have seen other versions, but they include a lot of ingredients that aren’t found in Panda Express’. Can’t wait to try this as my son, 5, loves “Polar Express” as he calls it.
Linzy says
This is sooo yummy! We don’t have a Panda Express in our town and this was perfect!! We certainly got our Panda fix! Defiantly makes this again, and again, and again………………!
Blueknitter says
OUTragouse I have found you neat Lo mein ty for sharing
Kim says
Made this last night with some grilled Asian chicken. It was such a great dinner. My husband is not a big fan of lo mein and he loved this, he had 3 helpings! This is a great copy cat recipe, and it tastes better than the original. We’ll definitely be making this again and again! Thanks for sharing.
Lisa says
Can’t wait to try this recipe. My family loves Panda Express. Just wondering what grocery store do you buy the Yaki Soba noodles at?
Thanks 🙂
Erica says
We just found it at Albertsons. They also have it at Winco.. pretty much any grocery store you go to should have it in their produce section (sans WalMart.. I don’t know why they don’t have it).
Beth says
Neither Kroger nor HEB has it. I’m dying to try this recipe! I hope Randalls has it.
Gary says
It depends what state your in whe have it at Frys in healty food cooler
Jolene says
I added a handful of cashews, a shredded chickens breast and used whole wheat spaghetti noodles…OMG
Jolene says
Added cashews, chicken and used whole wheat spaghetti noodles….OMG
Beth says
Made this for lunch and added some frozen grilled chicken strips and my son and I loved it! Thank you!
wtf says
why are you rinsing the noodles? just put it in the pan and add a little water to let the hot water/steam break up and warm the noodles while incorporating it into the rest of the dish
Erica says
I rinse the noodles because that it what it says to do on the Yakisoba noodle package. I don’t know why the suggest you do it… I just figured it would be a good idea.
Chrystal says
The only Asian noodles I eat are from Panda. I usually eat them every couple weeks and every time I go, I spend my entire meal trying to figure out what noodles they are. LOL
Today, I finally got brave and decided to buy some that I thought were the correct ones to try at home. Now I’m worried cuz I got them off the regular Asian aisle, not the fridge section. I’m praying I have the right kind of noodles. I’m gonna try using your recipe. Wish me luck! Thanks for the recipe!! Can’t wait till dinner.
Erica says
Good luck!!! Let us know how it turns out for you!
Chrystal says
Oh goodness…..YUM!!! This recipe is so similar to Panda! As I stated before, I ONLY eat Panda’s noodles (cuz I’m so picky when it comes to any Asian dishes) and I LOVED this version. My noodles did turn out to be the wrong ones, but they did work. The texture was a little softer like spaghetti noodles, but the flavor was spot on. I saved the recipe and will find the correct noodles now that I have a name and kind of noodle. I am sooooo happy!! Thanks again for the yummy recipe!
Erica says
So glad that you liked them!!! Glad that those other noodles worked too! 🙂
lisa says
you are rinsing the extra starch off of the noodles. this helps with having them NOT stick to the bottom of your pan. I missed this step only one time (second time I made) and they stuck HORRIBLY! This is something I make on a pretty regular basis. We LOVE noodles at our house – no rice for us 🙂
Erica says
I am glad you said something! Thank you for your comment!
Mayra Gonzalez says
So you suggest not to drain the noodles? Will it prevent them from sticking to the pan? Sorry first time making noodles (:
Erica says
On the recipe it says to rinse the noodles well.. then to drain. Where are you seeing not to drain them?
Bob says
Thought it was okay, not terrible, but kids who are giant Panda Express fans wouldn’t touch it. I got to make two dinners.
Not even close to Panda Express.
Patti says
This is the easiest and the BEST! The copycat Panda Express chow mein recipe is right on! I did add a little more cabbage but
I couldn’t stop eating it! Since it was suppose to be for my family’s dinner I now have to make more! YUMMY!!!!
Aria Leonard says
This is going to be a little silly but,
I can’t believe you discard the seasoning packets. The fresh yakisoba three pack seasoning have the most unique and amazing flavor. I’ve been eating them for years, and they are much better then any chow mein. I almost want to tell you to send them to me, I love them that much.
As I said, silly, but it hurt my heart when you said you discard them. If you’ve never actually tried it, I urge you to do so.
Erica says
Sorry to make you so sad! We use the packets in other yakisoba dishes.. just not this particular one. 🙁 Next time I will have to save them and just mix them with other stir-fry dishes!
Pablo says
I did like the instrucctions but it tasted too salty!! What was the problem?
Patti says
added to my comments of June 21, 2013, I did not use the soba noodles I used thin spaghetti.
I have made it four times since and I will continue to make it frequently with the thin spaghetti
Delicious!!!!
george says
This is delicious! Way better than Panda’s 🙂 i substituted the store noodles for stir fried regular spaghetti pasta 😀 it was do flavorful and yummyyyyyyyyy! Thank you
Taunya says
Your website is a real find! It sure was nice to enjoy chow mein that was not covered in oil. Absolutely yummy and very easy. I added tiny broccoli florets, and shredded carrots. And a smidge of sriracha. Anyhoo…thanks! Can’t wait to try some more of your recipes!! 🙂
UmmAutumn says
Made it several times and it is delicious. Follow the recipe to the T!
Tastes a lot like panda. I love it and could eat it as a stand alone meal (although my DH would likely not go for it). 🙂
Snax says
Oh my gosh. I’ve tried so many mock Chinese take out recipes in the past that just didn’t pan out and tasted no good, but THIS. This recipe is magic. Easy, cheap ingredients, easy to make, and easy to add stuff to. I used dollar store spaghetti and it was perfect. I’m still in shock at how good it was. Thank you based Erica. I will never starve at 1:10 am again.
Doris says
Can this work without ginger?
Erica says
Of course… but it wouldn’t taste as good!
tonya says
I have to make this for my daughter. We have been fighting about the lo mein/chowmein name at Panda Express. She even took a picture to prove to me. They’re still wrong!!!!!! lol Looks delicious! And I can call it lo mein!!!
Mike says
You can call it whatever you like, but the only difference between chow mein and lo mein is in how they are cooked. Chow mein means “fried noodles” and lo mein means “tossed noodles” (the hard, crunchy noodles are an American invention).
Joanne M. says
This recipe is absolutely fantastic! I’m allergic to onions (I know- incredibly sad!), and so there are so many things that I would love to eat in restaurants, but cannot. Due to it, I’ve become a pretty great cook (if I say so myself), and modify. Simply omitting the onion was an easy fix, and my husband said he couldn’t taste the difference between mine and when he goes to the shop! Awesome! Thanks for posting!
Erica says
Yay! I am so glad you liked it! Our sister, Emily, is allergic to onions too. You will find that all of the posted recipes by her are onion-free! Just so you know 🙂
Gigi says
I was looking for an easy low mein recipe and this was it. I made this last night and it was delicious!! So easy to make. I didnt use ginger because i had none and i used thin spaghetti because i couldnt find refrigerated noddles. I added oyster sauce and just a tiny amount of sesame oil. My whole family loved it. Served it with some orange chicken. Thanks for the recipe!!
Christine says
I noticed that Panda’s chow mien also has bean sprouts. Do you cook that at the same time as the cabbage?
Lena says
The recipe is great! Thank you for sharing. Like many others who’ve commented previously, I substituted regular thin spaghetti or angel hair pasta instead of the noodles this recipe calls for. I’ve also used pre-packaged cole slaw (without the cole slaw sauce) for the veggies in this. My family loves it! 🙂
Rachael says
Made it for my family tonight – they loved it! Even my picky eater! It was delicious – thanks for posting it.
Kimberly says
Oh help. I just tried making this but my noodles came out rather gummy. I followed the recipe to a tee. Any ideas his to fix it?
Erica says
Maybe it is the brand of yakisoba? It could have been you rinsed the noodles too long and all the oils came off. Some people have had success just using spaghetti or linguini noodles. That might help? I’m not EXACTLY sure what to tell you because we haven’t really had that problem before :S
Frances says
I am late to the party but fully endorse this recipe. Only recently tried Panda Express and was underwhelmed with their chow mein. Fiddled with this a little per other commenters’ suggestions: no soba noodles (in the MS Delta, are you kidding?) so used 6 oz cooked pasta, sautéed 12oz shrimp first, then onions-garlic-celery plus grated carrots, then a small bag of finely grated cabbage for slaw. When I added the noodles and shrimp I used 1 1/2 times the soy sauce mixture, plus a few drops of sesame oil and a couple of squirts of Sriracha. Topped with cashews. Yum. The nearest Panda Express is 100 miles away but we are content! Thank you!
Joanne Davies says
I can’t eat celery so I made mine with 2 or 3 green onions chopped, I also added one packet of beansprouts. Cooked these first in the oil then I added the noodles and then 1/3 cup of soy sauce, 1/3 cup of rice wine vinegar and about 3 tablespoons of brown sugar. I heated the sauce up first to dissolve the sugar then I added it to the Noodles and beansprouts.m It was AWESOME!!!!!! I also threw in some cooked chicen at the end…Soooooo good!!!
Kesli says
Cant wait to try this recipe looks so yummy!!
Bella says
Hey guys ! I’m making this tomorrow for dinner with the orange chicken . How long does it take for this to bake ? Thanks guys !
Erica says
You are making the Chow Mein right? You don’t bake it at all.. It doesn’t take long to heat everything up together. You only want it on the heat long enough to heat up the noodles
Rachel says
I have to laugh… My boyfriend really wanted us to try and make this for a date night, but the only noodles I had in my house were angel hair spaghetti noodles! Well, we used the rest of the recipe as listed, and just added the boiled spaghetti noodles at the end. Long story short… IT WAS STILL DELICIOUS! We loved it, and although it wasn’t true to Panda, it was scarfed down in no time. Thanks for the delicious recipe! I look forward to using many more of your recipes to keep him happy and well-fed after our wedding. What a wonderful site!
Erica says
Thank you so much for that nice compliment!! haha I am glad you liked it with spaghetti noodles– I can honestly say I have never made them that way before but I am so glad they turned out! 😀
Linda says
Thank you for a great recipe. My girls LOVED it. Can’t wait to try Orange chicken.
Erica says
So glad you liked it! We just made this again tonight too! 🙂 It is always a hit!
Leigh says
So, so yummy! I just used maruchan ramen instead of the yakisoba (….they’re pretty much the same right?) I ended up using an entire head of cabbage to flesh it out a little for my bottomless pit of a husband. Anywho, thanks very much for the recipe, it is now one of my absolute favorites and helps with my Panda Express withdrawal! Great site, too 🙂
Erica says
So glad you and your family liked it! Glad it worked with the ramen 🙂 we did it with spaghetti noodles last time and they were pretty good that way too! Thanks for the compliment!
Gina says
Hi im buying the list for this recipe to taste this weekend for for the official gathering next weekend. Ive been to s couple of asian markets for the yaki soba noodles & they constantly ask me dry or fresh? Im confused.. which one am I looking for?
Emily says
Fresh!
Emma says
I’m so glad that I happened to stumble upon this website! Being sixteen, relatively new to cooking, and constantly busy with work, school and sports teams this is a quick and delicious recipe that I can cook for my family! I have never been to Panda Express, but if it tastes anything like this, I think I’ll check it out!
Erica says
Wow, way to go– cooking for your family! I love that you have a passion for cooking at such a young age. Well done! 🙂
Emma says
I also added in some fresh snow peas from the garden! It was perfect!
Erica says
Great idea!!! yum!!! Thanks for sharing!
Suzanne says
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!!!
Echo says
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!
Chris @ Stayin Afloat says
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
kathy M says
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!
Brena says
Chow Mein means “Stir Fried noodle” So it is a chow mein.
Elizabeth says
I could not find the refrigerated noodles so I bought Chinese noodles will they work for this?
Erica says
What do you mean by “Chinese noodles”?
Carolyn says
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!! ????
Patsy E. says
This recipe is way better than Panda Express’s! We love it!
Erica says
So glad you liked it! 😀
DeeAnn Robinson says
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.
Christine says
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!
Erica says
Thank you so much! So glad that you liked it 😀 Thanks for taking the time to comment!
Jocelyn says
Delicious! This came together so fast, and was heartily enjoyed by my family. Thank you!
Tekesha says
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! 🙂
Erica says
So glad you liked it! 😀
Anita says
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.
Alli says
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.
riley says
THIS WAS SO GOOD! YUM! THANKS! I couldn’t find the right noodles so I used linguini. Turned out great!
Favorite Family Recipes says
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!