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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!
Panda Express Chow Mein is a side dish that you can get at Panda Express. It’s made with noodles and vegetables. This Chow Mein recipe is a very close replica of the restaurant’s signature side dish. Make a healthier version of this Chow Mein at home for a fraction of the price!
This easy Chow Mein recipe uses fresh, simple ingredients from right in your own pantry, and it can be on your table in less than 30 minutes! It’s one of those recipes that makes enough to feed the whole family, so if there are leftovers, you can store them in a sealed container. The noodles reheat beautifully and you can eat from this dish for up to a week!
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).
If you want to get creative, you can add:
- Chicken, beef, or shrimp
- Carrots
- Red bell pepper
- Snow peas
- Shitake mushrooms
- Bean sprouts
- Green onion
- Egg
- Tofu
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. Enjoy your reheated chow mein!
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:
Frequently Asked Questions About Chow Mein
Chow mein is a noodle made from wheat flour and egg.
In this recipe, we use soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, and garlic to make chow mein sauce.
Lo mein is healthier simply because the noodles used in lo mein aren’t fried.
Panda Express Chow Mein (Copycat)
Video
Ingredients
- 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 or Chinese Egg 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
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, and black pepper. Set aside.
- Remove Yaki Soba from packages and discard included flavoring packets. Rinse noodles well, drain, and set aside.
- Heat oil in a large wok or skillet. 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 Yaki Soba noodles and soy sauce mixture with the vegetables and 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.
- Feel free to add more vegetables or a variety of vegetables to your chow mein. Just because Panda express only uses onions and celery doesn’t mean you have to limit yourself!
- Don’t overcook the noodles. Overcooking them can cause them to break. You want them to be just heated through.
So every Chinese menu is backwards? Lo mein has noodles. Chow mein does not. This recipe does sound good and fairly simple to make Lo mein at home.
My daughter used to call it ‘Panda Experts’, so my knockoff version we’re calling Panda Experts Noodle Bowls! This was a definite hit. I used a 3-part mix of dark soy sauce, regular soy sauce, and shaoxing cooking wine for the 1/4 cup soy sauce. Also, don’t forget the MSG. I then coated chicken cubes and shrimp separately with a generous mix of 1:2 cornstarch and flour mixed with salt, msg, garlic powder, and ginger powder. After the noodles are out of the wok and it’s wiped clear, you can put these in over medium high heat with new oil. Cook each coated protein separately, and then I put them in a bowl, adding a sweet and spicy Asian style wing sauce to give a great Panda Express-like flavor.
Can I use ramen noodles or spaghetti if I can’t find yakisoba noodles?
I am unsure if any of these reviewers have actually tried Panda’s noodles. This recipe — although grateful for the time and effort it took to post it on a blog — is not it. It is not even close to it. The flavor is by far mediocre, and I had to make several adjustments to save the batch. As a seasoned cook who loves trying new recipes, this one was the biggest disappointment in a very, very long time.
My kids are annoyingly picky and noodles from Panda Express are one of the only things they love. I didn’t have a lot of hope but they actually really liked this. It was easy and delicious. I didn’t have any vegetable oil, so I used olive oil and it worked. I also doubled the sauce recipe based on other comments but I probably shouldn’t have done that. It was a little too salty, I’m sure the recipe as written would’ve been better (my mistake). I don’t know what the person who wrote the novel in the comments was talking about – it had enough vegetables (similar to panda Express portions) and the sauce tasted just like panda Express. Also adding garlic at the end makes sense since it doesn’t need a long time to cook. I used cabbage from a bag of shredded cabbage, purple cabbage, and carrots. Anyway, I’m very happy to have found this recipe because now I have a meal I can make regularly that my kids will actually enjoy.
I used fresh chow mien noodles which I boiled for 3 minutes before stir-frying. Good, basic recipe, though next time I’d add more of the soy sauce mixture because it could use a bit more moisture.
What should I do with the yakisoba seasoning? I don’t want to discard it because I want to do my part for the food waste effort. How would I make this recipe waste-free?
We haven’t tried using them for anything else, but if you come across any ideas let us know!
Thanks for the information you shared about Panda Express Feedback I appreciate your efforts and taking the time and sharing this content.
Awesome recipe! I used red cabbage, carrots, and celery; coconut aminos instead of soy sauce, spaghetti noodles and no brown sugar. Very easy and tasty! Saving to my favorites 🙂
I made this recipe exactly as published, except that I only had 10 oz of noodles, so I used 2/3 of the listed quantities.
There are several problems with this recipe:
1. Even 10 oz of noodles are a LOT of noodles, and you actually used 17 oz of noodles. In your pictures, it looks like about 2 oz of noodles. Very unrealistic representation.
2. Not enough veggies. I kept the ratios the same as you listed, yet the cabbage and celery “disappeared” in the huge vast of noodles.
3. OK, the biggest problem. The sauce. I made the full amount you listed, even though I had 1/3 less noodles. It was NOT NEARLY enough sauce. Also, I’m not sure that a soy sauce based “sauce’ is right for this. It did not look or taste like Panda Express chow mein.
One additional comment. The garlic should be sauteed at the start along with the onions and celery, in order to release the flavors and aroma of the garlic, before adding other ingredients. Having the garlic swim around in the sauce and added last, doesn’t do much as far as the garlic.
The bottom line is that I felt like I was eating a bowl of “sauceless” spaghetti. Definitely didn’t get any kind of Panda Express vibe.
I am sorry this recipe didn’t work for you. Thanks for the tips and info you provided!
I left out celery and cabbage due to not having it on had and paired it with a pepper steak dish. I used sesame oil and I will be making this again and again my family loved it. Thank you for the recipe!
I want to add broccoli and pea pods. When do I add those and how long to cook?
You can add them at the same time as the celery!
I would steam them until bright green, which is a short amount of time that sneaks up on you if you’re not watching. MUCH better and more like a Chinese restaurant than cooking them in the sauce.
My kids said this was better than panda. I did add the tiny bit of sesame oil.
I’m trying to count my macros. I viewed the nutrition facts but it didn’t say what a serving size was. Can you please advise on serving size based on the nutrition listed? Thanks for posting this recipe.
We don’t have an exact serving size, but the total recipe serves 8, so about 1/8 of the recipe.
I LOOOVVE this recipe!! I went with adding a dab of sesame seed oil & used olive oil. I also used konjac noodles & truvia brown sugar to make it keto. Soooo good!!!
We always cook our soy sauce to allow the flavors to blend, bring it to a quick boil, then allow it to cool.
This Panda Express Chow Mein is so delicious. I used Coconut Secret Traditional Coconut Crystals that I bought from Karman Foods for a healthier version. It’s also best paired with Vitasoy Vita Reduced Sugar Chrysanthemum Tea.
made it with two packs of ramen noodles with out the seasoning and was spot on.
Ramen noodles=Perfect. Excellent and easy Dish!
I made the Panda Express Chow Mein and it was truly delicious. Will be making this again for sure.
I’m so glad you liked it! I think it’s even better than Panda’s because it’s less greasy. Thanks for sharing!
I will try this it looks yummy delish and I love making Chinese for friends and family.
Loved this recipe! Next time will add peanuts and sesame seed. We had it for lunch and it only served 3 of us.
I appreciate, cause I found exactly what I was looking for. You have ended my four day long hunt! God Bless you man. Have a nice day. Bye
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!
I also added in some fresh snow peas from the garden! It was perfect!
Great idea!!! yum!!! Thanks for sharing!
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!
Wow, way to go– cooking for your family! I love that you have a passion for cooking at such a young age. Well done! 🙂
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?
Fresh!
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 🙂
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!
Thank you for a great recipe. My girls LOVED it. Can’t wait to try Orange chicken.
So glad you liked it! We just made this again tonight too! 🙂 It is always a hit!
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!
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! 😀
Hey guys ! I’m making this tomorrow for dinner with the orange chicken . How long does it take for this to bake ? Thanks guys !
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
Cant wait to try this recipe looks so yummy!!
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!!!
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!
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?
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
Made it for my family tonight – they loved it! Even my picky eater! It was delicious – thanks for posting it.
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! 🙂
I noticed that Panda’s chow mien also has bean sprouts. Do you cook that at the same time as the cabbage?
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!!
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!
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 🙂
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!!!
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).
Can this work without ginger?
Of course… but it wouldn’t taste as good!
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.
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). 🙂
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!! 🙂
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
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!!!!
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.
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!
I did like the instrucctions but it tasted too salty!! What was the problem?
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!!!!
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
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.
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.
Good luck!!! Let us know how it turns out for you!
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!
So glad that you liked them!!! Glad that those other noodles worked too! 🙂
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 🙂
I am glad you said something! Thank you for your comment!
So you suggest not to drain the noodles? Will it prevent them from sticking to the pan? Sorry first time making noodles (:
On the recipe it says to rinse the noodles well.. then to drain. Where are you seeing not to drain them?
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.
Stir-fry: When using spaghetti or any kind of Asian-style noodles — like soba, udon, or rice noodles — for stir-fry, they should always be rinsed after cooking. The starchy film on the noodles would otherwise make them gummy and clump together when stir-fried. Rinsing does cool the noodles down, but this is fine since they’ll be cooked again in a hot pan. I found this info on thekitchn (https://www.thekitchn.com/when-to-rinse-pasta-and-when-to-skip-it-tips-from-the-kitchn-219366). Apparently, this is mentioned in several websites on the internet. I had never heard this before and can’t verify that it works, but it may be why some folks are having trouble with sticky/gummy noodles.
Made this for lunch and added some frozen grilled chicken strips and my son and I loved it! Thank you!
Added cashews, chicken and used whole wheat spaghetti noodles….OMG
I added a handful of cashews, a shredded chickens breast and used whole wheat spaghetti noodles…OMG
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 🙂
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).
Neither Kroger nor HEB has it. I’m dying to try this recipe! I hope Randalls has it.
It depends what state your in whe have it at Frys in healty food cooler
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.
OUTragouse I have found you neat Lo mein ty for sharing
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………………!
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.
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).
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. 🙂
It is Jared’s General Tsos chicken from our site… My favorite!
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!
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.
Where can I find the Panda’s orange sauce?
I have found it at the grocery store.. just in the Asian section near the sauces.
You can buy it at panda if you can’t find it elsewhere. They sell them near the register.
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.
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.
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!
Yum! Thanks so much for sharing. Pinning now, hopefully it won’t be long before I try it.
Dezi It’s been 8 years. Have you tried it yet?
I have been searching for this recipe forever! Can’t wait to try it.
Jenn did you ever try it?
Recipe awful. Tasted like pasta with soy sauce on it. No flavor. Panda pasta looks like spaghetti not ramen. Very disappointed