Panda Express Mushroom Chicken (Copycat Recipe)

4.87 from 15 votes
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This Panda Express Mushroom Chicken made at home tastes even better than the restaurant’s popular dish! Tender chicken, hearty mushrooms and signature sauce is done faster than you can get takeout.

Dish of Sand Express Mushroom Chicken with spring rolls.
Featured with this recipe
  1. Ingredients in Panda Express Mushroom Chicken Recipe
  2. For the chicken and veggies:
  3. Panda Express Ginger Soy Sauce:
  4. Substitutions and Additions 
  5. Cuts of Chicken to Use in Mushroom Chicken
  6. Panda Express Mushroom Chicken Sauce
  7. How to Store Leftovers
  8. Frequently asked Questions
  9. Other Panda Express Entrée Recipes (and more Asian-Inspired Entrees)
  10. How to Make Panda Express Mushroom Chicken
  11. Panda Express Mushroom Chicken (Copycat Recipe) Recipe

Panda Express Mushroom Chicken is so easy to make at home! There’s something so comforting about using fresh ingredients and creating a meal in your own kitchen. It takes less time to throw together than it does to get in your car, drive to the restaurant and pick it up. I drive by a Panda Express every day, and yet I still choose to make this copycat Panda Express mushroom chicken with fresh vegetables and chicken for an easy and yummy weeknight dinner. If you’re craving a good Chinese takeout chicken mushroom recipe, this is the one to try!

Ingredients to make Panda Express Mushroom Chicken including chicken, mushrooms, oil, white wine, rice vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, chicken broth, corn starch, zucchini, ginger and garlic.


Ingredients in Panda Express Mushroom Chicken Recipe

The name alone gives away two key ingredients: chicken and mushrooms. Add in thick slices of zucchini and you’re well on your way to making a healthier, simpler version of the popular chicken recipe. Here’s all you need:

For the chicken and veggies:

  • Boneless skinless chicken thighs – two pounds of chicken makes a lot of food for 4-6 people. Try to avoid the bone-in thighs; they’re just harder to eat with this meal. You can also use boneless skinless chicken breasts or chicken cutlets.
  • Corn starch – about a third cup, which will help give the chicken its crispy fried texture.
  • Olive oil – five tablespoons. You can use extra virgin olive oil or regular olive oil.
  • Mushrooms – one cup fresh mushrooms, sliced however thick you like. Use baby bella mushrooms, cremini mushrooms or any of your favorites.
  • Soy sauce – use low-sodium soy sauce to cut down on the salt in the recipe. It tastes very similar to regular.
  • Zucchini – about 2 medium zucchini, cut into ½ inch pieces.
Pan with ingredients for ginger sauce.

Panda Express Ginger Soy Sauce:

  • Chicken broth – one cup of your favorite chicken stock or broth
  • Soy sauce – again, you can use low sodium soy sauce
  • White cooking wine – two tablespoons of dry white wine. If you can’t find any in your store, you can add a little more chicken broth.
  • Rice vinegar – two tablespoons. You can find this in the Asian foods aisle of your grocery store.
  • Garlic – two teaspoons, crushed. That’s about two cloves garlic. Use as much or as little garlic as you like.
  • Fresh ginger – two teaspoons, grated or finely chopped. You can buy fresh ginger and keep it in the freezer for several months.
  • Brown sugar – one teaspoon, packed
  • Cornstarch – three tablespoons, which you’ll mix with water to create a thickening agent for the sauce.
  • Water – one quarter cup

Serve over steamed rice or brown rice or lo mein noodles.

Skillet of Panda Express Mushroom Chicken with zucchini.


Substitutions and Additions 

No zucchini at home? No problem! That’s the beauty of this Panda Express Mushroom Chicken copycat recipe. Try some of these veggies and starches in this recipe and create different variations of a bowl every time.

  • Broccoli
  • Green pepper
  • Carrots
  • Cauliflower rice instead of rice pasta
  • Garnish with sesame seeds
  • Diced onions or a sprinkle of onion powder
  • Green beans
  • Fresh parsley, fresh thyme or other fresh herbs
  • Diced red potatoes
  • Dijon mustard
  • Parmesan cheese
  • Lemon juice
  • If the chicken needs more flavor, try adding a teaspoon salt.
Hand with chopsticks picking up a piece of Panda Express Mushroom Chicken.

Cuts of Chicken to Use in Mushroom Chicken

Panda Express typically uses chicken thighs for mushroom chicken. The dark meat has more flavor and fat and is actually cheaper to buy. But if you’d like a healthier version, opt for bite size chunks of boneless chicken breasts or tenderloin. I actually prefer chicken breasts in this recipe, but my husband enjoys the darker meat. However, white meat can get a little dry, so make sure not to overcook the chicken. Use canola oil or sesame oil to sear the chicken in a hot pan before adding the marinade and liquid.

Chopsticks resting on a plate with rice and Panda Express Mushroom Chicken. Spring rolls, rice and soy sauce on the side.

Panda Express Mushroom Chicken Sauce

We did a side-by-side comparison of both the Mushroom Chicken and the Panda Express String Bean Chicken Breast recipe and concluded the sauce for both of these recipes is exactly the same! Even on the Panda website, for both recipes they say the chicken is “tossed in a light ginger soy sauce”. The mushrooms may give the sauce for this recipe a deeper flavor but the base sauce recipe is the same. So whip up a double batch of sauce and enjoy two favorite copycat recipes at once.

Skillet of Panda Express Mushroom chicken.


How to Store Leftovers

Keep leftovers in an airtight container for easy storage in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat in the microwave for about a minute or so, stirring often.

Frequently asked Questions

What is Panda Express Mushroom Chicken made of?

The restaurant has made this dish popular with juicy chicken chunks, zucchini, and mushrooms stir-fried in a soy ginger sauce.

Is Mushroom Chicken from Panda Express vegetarian?

No, even without the chicken, Panda uses ingredients that contain all the major FDA allergens (peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, fish, shellfish, milk, soy and wheat). Panda Express does not have any vegetarian or gluten free dishes. But you can make it vegetarian at home.

Is Mushroom Chicken Gluten Free?

Most Panda Express recipes from the actual restaurant are NOT gluten-free. However, if you make these dishes at home they are SUPER easy to make GF! For this recipe, all you need to do is use GF soy sauce and just make sure the broth you are using is gluten free. That’s it!

READ MORE:35+ Easy Family Dinner Ideas

Dish of Panda Express Mushroom chicken. Soy sauce, mushrooms, spring rolls, rice and zucchini on the side.

Other Panda Express Entrée Recipes (and more Asian-Inspired Entrees)

We have created delicious copycat recipes to many of your Asian restaurant favorites. Make them all for your next big bash or Friday night date night.

With our simple recipes, you can have an entire Chinese feast in no time. Pair this Mushroom Chicken recipe with a few more of our favorites:

How to Make Panda Express Mushroom Chicken

Skillet of Panda Express Mushroom Chicken with zucchini.

Panda Express Mushroom Chicken (Copycat Recipe)

4.87 from 15 votes
This Panda Express Mushroom Chicken made at home tastes even better than the restaurant’s popular dish! Plus the tender chicken, hearty mushrooms and signature sauce is done faster than you can get take-out.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine Chinese
Servings 4 servings

Video

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts
  • cup cornstarch
  • 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 cup white mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • ½ pound zucchini, cut into ½-inch pieces

Ginger Soy Sauce

Instructions

  • Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces and toss in cornstarch until each piece is well coated. Set aside.
    Bowl of cut up pieces of chicken coated with corn starch.
  • Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat in large skillet or wok.
    Skillet with hot oil.
  • Add chicken pieces to skillet one at a time, spacing them apart far enough that they aren’t touching. Cook for about 5-6 minutes per side or until the outside of the chicken is golden brown and is cooked through all the way. 
    Skillet with cut up pieces of chicken cooking.
  • Remove cooked chicken from skillet, cover, and set aside. Wipe skillet clean. Place skillet back on stovetop over medium-high heat and add remaining 2 tablespoons oil.
    Bowl of cooked chicken pieces.
  • Add mushrooms and soy sauce. Saute for about 1 minute. Add zucchini and saute until the zucchini is just cooked through. Do not overcook; the zucchini should still have some bite to it.
    Mushrooms, zucchini, and soy sauce in a pan for Panda Express Mushroom Chicken.
  • Add chicken back to the skillet and stir in the ginger soy sauce until chicken and veggies are all covered in sauce.
    Skillet of Panda Express Mushroom chicken.
  • Serve immediately with rice or chow mein.
    Chopsticks resting on a plate with rice and Panda Express Mushroom Chicken. Spring rolls, rice and soy sauce on the side.

Ginger Soy Sauce

  • Combine chicken broth, soy sauce, white wine, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often.
    Pan with ingredients for ginger sauce.
  • In a small bowl, stir cornstarch and water together. Slowly add the mixture to the sauce, whisking constantly until the sauce thickens. You may not need all of the cornstarch mixture. Remove from heat and set aside until ready to use.
    Pan of thickened ginger garlic sauce.

Notes

Feel free to add additional ingredients! Here are some ideas.
  • Broccoli
  • Green bell pepper
  • Carrots
  • Diced onions or a sprinkle of onion powder
  • Green beans
  • Fresh parsley, fresh thyme, or other fresh herbs
  • Sesame seeds
  •  
  •  
  •  
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Nutrition Information

Calories: 563kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 49gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 215mgSodium: 1739mgPotassium: 877mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 170IUVitamin C: 15.3mgCalcium: 39mgIron: 3.3mg

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About the author

Erica Walker

Erica lives in Boise, Idaho with her husband, Jared, an attorney, and her three beautiful girls. Beyond the world of recipes, she loves adventuring with everything from kayaking, to cruising, to snowboarding and taking the family along for the thrill ride.

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    OMG!!! This is an amazing hidden jewel. My Hubby, who rarely comments on food items, was complimentary!! The picky Granddaughter repeatedly said “So Good!”. Thanks for sharing and I hope more find their way.

  2. Where do you buy “white cooking wine”? Are we talking just regular wine I would drink? I don’t drink so I’m clueless, what could I substitute?
    Thanks!!

    1. Any white wine at the grocery store will work! A substitute would be some chicken broth and a squeeze of lemon juice!

  3. 4 stars
    Added onions with mushrooms. Doubled the sauce. Needed to add more brown sugar to sweeten the sauce. It was something I will make again.

  4. 4 stars
    I thought that this was a great recipe. But I too felt it was too salty. I think that next time I am going to have to use less sauce. Also less starch mix. Not quite Panda, but far better for the frugal household. This recipe makes a great amount too.

  5. 5 stars
    This was soo good! It did take me a lot longer than 15 minutes, though. I wonder if I could freeze this or make it into a freezer meal of some kind to save time?

    1. Yes, you can freeze the chicken. I would recommend preparing without the vegetables though and cooking them separate after freezing. Mushrooms don’t freeze well. Hope this helps!

  6. Everything looked great until we tasted it and it was way too salty. If I made it again I’d use low sodium soy sauce and half the sauce. Even my hubby who loves salt said yikes.

    1. Oh no LeAnne! I am so sorry to hear this! You can also use low-sodium broth as well. I double-checked the chicken broth I used and I realized I used the lower-sodium broth from Costco so I am guessing why mine didn’t turn out as salty. I made some adjustments to the recipe so hopefully those who try it in the future won’t have the same problem. Thank you so much for coming back and letting me know so I could re-evaluate the recipe!