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If you love Panda Express Chow Mein as much as I do, you are going to be obsessed with this easy copycat version. It has tender noodles, crisp tender veggies, and a savory chow mein sauce that tastes just like takeout, but you can make it at home in under 30 minutes with simple ingredients from your local grocery store. It is the perfect side dish for all your favorite Asian inspired mains and it disappears fast at my house.
5 Star Reviews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Thanks for sharing this!!!! My husband loves Panda express’s chow mein, so we were trying to find the recipes. And I found yours! I just made it for our dinner tonight, and my husband LOVES it. Thank you so much for your recipe!!!” – Lyddi
“My kids said this was better than Panda!” – Raquel
“Made this the other night as a side dish for an amazing sweet and sour pork recipes. It is excellent. Loads of flavor!” – Sue
Why I Love These Noodles
I love this Panda Express Chow Mein because it gives me that same savory, takeout style flavor in less than 30 minutes, right at home. It actually started as a solution for our Christmas Eve Chinese takeout party when we were nowhere near a Panda Express and I needed to feed a crowd. I played around with the sauce and noodles until my family said it tasted just like the real thing, and now it is one of those go to recipes I make again and again with simple pantry ingredients and easy prep.
When I serve this chow mein, I usually build a fun takeout style dinner at home. I love pairing it with General Tso’s Chicken, Bang Bang Shrimp, Mongolian Beef, Crockpot Cashew Chicken, Fresh Spring Rolls, or Steak Fried Rice. Sometimes I turn it into a full meal by adding cooked chicken, beef, shrimp, or tofu right into the pan so everything is in one bowl.
🩷 Erica
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Chow mein style noodles or yakisoba noodles: Thin wheat noodles that stir fry well and hold their texture, often sold as yakisoba in the produce section or as Chinese egg noodles.
- Onion: A white or yellow onion, thinly sliced so it softens quickly and adds sweetness and flavor to the noodles.
- Celery: Sliced on the diagonal for that classic Chinese restaurant look and a nice crunchy bite in every forkful.
- Cabbage: Shredded or thinly sliced green cabbage that wilts in the pan and stretches the dish while adding texture.
- Oil: A neutral oil like vegetable or canola oil that can handle high heat for stir frying without burning.
- Chow mein sauce base: A simple mix of soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger that creates that signature Panda Express Chow Mein flavor.
- Seasonings: Black pepper for a tiny kick and depth of flavor.
- Optional flavor boosters: A little oyster sauce, sesame oil, or Chinese cooking wine if you want to layer in more umami and richness.
Ingredient Additions and Substitutions
- Noodles: Use yakisoba or Chinese egg noodles for the closest texture, but lo mein, ramen without the seasoning packets, or even thin spaghetti will work if you cook them just under al dente.
- Veggies: Swap or add in shredded carrots, bell peppers, snap peas, broccoli, or a bagged coleslaw mix with cabbage and carrots for extra color and crunch.
- Sauce and seasonings: Use low sodium soy sauce if you prefer, add a splash of oyster sauce for more umami, or stir in red pepper flakes or chili garlic sauce if you like a little heat.
- Gluten friendly option: Make it gluten friendly by using gluten free noodles and tamari or a gluten free soy sauce alternative, and double checking your labels.
- Protein: Turn it into a full meal by stirring in cooked chicken, pork, steak, shrimp, or tofu at the end. Leftover rotisserie chicken works especially well for a fast dinner.
How To Make Panda Express Chow Mein
- Prepare the Sauce: Whisk soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, and black pepper together in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Prepare the Noodles: Place the Yaki-Soba noodles into a collander. Discard included flavoring packets. Rinse the noodles well with cold water and drain. Set aside.
- Sauté the Vegetables: Heat oil in a large wok or skillet. Sauté the sliced onion and celery until the onions start to soften and become transparent. Add the cabbage and cook for an additional minute, stirring constantly.
- Combine and Cook: Add the noodles and chow mein sauce to the wok or skillet. Stir constantly over medium-high heat for an additional 2 to 3 minutes or until the noodles are completely heated through.
Recipe Tips
- Use the right pan. A large wok or deep nonstick skillet works best so you have plenty of room to toss the noodles and veggies without crowding.
- Do not overcook the noodles. You want the noodles just heated through in the stir fry. Overcooking can make them mushy and cause them to break apart.
- Prep everything before you start cooking. Chow mein cooks fast. Have the sauce mixed, veggies sliced, and noodles ready so you can move quickly.
- Try a touch of sesame oil. A tiny drizzle of sesame oil at the very end can add a deeper flavor. Use it sparingly though since it can become overpowering very quickly. The recipe is delicious with or without it.
- Keep the veggies crisp tender. Do not cook the vegetables until they are limp. That little bit of crunch is what makes Panda Express Chow Mein so good.
- Make it more like lo mein if you prefer. For a saucier noodle dish, cook the noodles separately, double the sauce, and toss everything together off the heat for a lo mein style version.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not exactly. Chow mein is usually stir fried in a pan with a small amount of sauce, which gives the noodles a slightly oily, lightly crisp texture. Lo mein is typically boiled, then tossed with more sauce, so the noodles are softer and more saucy. Some people say Panda Express Chow Mein is closer to lo mein, but because it is stir fried with minimal sauce, I consider it true chow mein.
Yes. To make this recipe more like lo mein, boil your noodles separately until just tender and drain them. Double the sauce, then toss the cooked noodles, veggies, and sauce together. Serve immediately for a softer, slurpier noodle dish.
My favorite noodles to use are fresh yakisoba style noodles from the refrigerated section of the grocery store. Chinese egg noodles, lo mein noodles, or even ramen noodles without the seasoning packet work well too. If you cannot find those, thin spaghetti is a surprisingly good substitute.
Absolutely. Cooked chicken, pork, steak, shrimp, or tofu can be stirred in at the end. This is a great way to turn the side dish into a complete meal.
Yes. A bag of coleslaw mix is a great shortcut. It usually includes thinly shredded cabbage and sometimes carrots, which fit this recipe perfectly.
As written, this recipe is not spicy. If you like heat, add red pepper flakes, sriracha, or chili garlic sauce to taste.
The original Panda Express Chow Mein is not gluten free because of the soy sauce and wheat based noodles. To make this recipe gluten free at home, use gluten free noodles and swap in tamari or another gluten free soy sauce alternative. Always double check labels.
Make Ahead and Storage
- Make Ahead – You can slice the veggies and mix the chow mein sauce up to 1 day in advance, then store them separately in the refrigerator so when you are ready to cook, all you need to do is prepare the noodles and stir fry everything together.
- Storing – Let leftover chow mein cool to room temperature, then transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for about 4 to 5 days so you can enjoy easy lunches or quick sides throughout the week.
- Reheating – To reheat, warm the chow mein in the microwave, on the stovetop, or in the oven at 350°F until heated through, adding a small splash of water or soy sauce before reheating if the noodles seem a little dry so they stay moist and flavorful.
More Panda Express Recipes to Try
Pair this chow mein with some of our other favorite Panda Express-inspired recipes like Kung Pao Chicken, Chinese BBQ Pork or any of these other Panda Express recipes:
This Panda Express Chow Mein copycat recipe has become such a staple at our house. It is quick, budget friendly, and tastes just like the restaurant version. Ready to bring the taste of Panda Express to your kitchen? If you make this recipe, I would love to hear what you think. Please leave a rating, share your tweaks, and what you served it with in the comments so others can get ideas too. 💛🍜
Panda Express Chow Mein (Copycat)
Video
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 Yaki-soba noodles or Chinese Egg Noodles (refrigerated), in the produce section of the grocery store. The 3 packages are sold together in one 17-ounce 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.
Equipment
- Large Wok
Notes
- Use fresh yakisoba or Chinese egg noodles for the closest Panda Express Chow Mein texture. Rinse and drain well so they do not clump.
- Do not overcook the noodles. Stir fry just until they are heated through to keep them from breaking or turning mushy.
- A large wok or deep nonstick skillet makes it easier to toss the noodles and veggies without spilling.
- Keep the vegetables crisp tender. They should soften slightly but still have a little bite for that classic chow mein feel.
- For a deeper, toasty flavor, you can add a very small drizzle of sesame oil at the end. Use it sparingly so it does not overpower the dish.
- To make a lo mein style version, cook the noodles separately, double the sauce, then toss everything together off the heat for a saucier noodle dish.
- This Panda Express Chow Mein keeps well in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. Add a splash of water or soy sauce when reheating to keep the noodles moist.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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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). 🙂