Panda Express Chow Mein Recipe: Copycat Version for Home Cooking

If you enjoy Panda Express but want a wallet-friendly and faster option at home, this recipe is a great place to start.

Ordering takeout is convenient, but making your favorite dishes at home often saves money and lets you control ingredients and portions.

I started recreating restaurant favorites in my kitchen — from morning matcha lattes to quick dinner staples — and this chow mein quickly became a go-to.

This version captures the familiar savory-slightly-sweet sauce and soft, slightly oily noodles combined with crisp cabbage and celery. It’s simple to prepare, forgiving to cook, and stretches well for feeding a family or a crowd.

Chow mein is essentially a quick stir-fry of noodles and vegetables. At Panda Express it’s served as a side, but at home you can easily add chicken, shrimp, beef, tofu, or a fried egg to make it a complete meal.

The sauce here combines soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic and ginger to reach a balanced savory-sweet flavor. The vegetables add freshness and crunch while the cooked noodles soak up the sauce for a satisfying texture.

Ingredients

• Noodles – Cook according to package directions before starting this recipe; use chow mein or stir-fry noodles.
• Garlic – Freshly minced for best flavor.
• Ginger – Freshly grated is preferred; ginger paste can be used in a pinch.
• Soy Sauce – Low-sodium soy sauce works well to control salt.
• Brown Sugar – Adds a touch of sweetness to balance the savory flavors.
• Pepper – Freshly ground black pepper provides mild heat and aroma.
• Oil – Neutral oils like canola or vegetable are fine; avocado oil or a splash of sesame oil also work.
• Cabbage – About 1/4 head of green cabbage, thinly sliced.
• Onion – A medium yellow (or white) onion, thinly sliced.
• Celery – Sliced thin so it cooks evenly.
• Green Onions – Optional garnish, sliced.

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How To Make

1. Whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, minced garlic, grated ginger, and black pepper in a small bowl. Set the sauce aside.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the sliced onions and celery until softened.
3. Add the thinly sliced cabbage and cook 3–4 minutes until it begins to wilt but still has a bit of crunch.
4. Toss in the cooked noodles and pour the reserved sauce over them. Toss everything together until the noodles and vegetables are evenly coated and heated through. Remove from heat and garnish with sliced green onions.

Tips

1. Customize vegetables to your taste: add snow peas, baby corn, carrots, or broccoli. Increase sauce quantities if you prefer a saucier dish, or add chili oil or hot sauce for heat.
2. To make it a full meal, add protein like shrimp, sliced chicken, beef, tofu, or top with a fried egg.

Leftovers

Storage

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3–4 days.

Reheat

Reheat in a skillet over medium-high heat with a little oil, stirring for 2–3 minutes until heated through.