Perfect Panda Express Chow Mein Copycat with about half the oil! It tastes exactly like you’re eating a combo plate with your favorite side.
Believe it or not, it’s easy to recreate your favorite Panda Express Recipes at home like Orange Chicken, Beef and Broccoli, and Honey Walnut Shrimp. The best part is you can reduce the oil and sodium without sacrificing that authentic restaurant flavor!
Sabrina’s Panda Express Chow Mein Recipe
Chow Mein is a type of Chinese fried noodle stir fry, usually with crunchy vegetables like celery and cabbage. Panda Express Chow Mein has been a popular recipe on the site since the beginning and with good reason. Cabbage, celery and onion sautéed and tossed with Yakisoba noodles in a soy and oyster sauce mixture make for a perfectly recreated food memory. You can take it a step further, and enjoy with our favorite, Panda Express Mushroom Chicken.
Ingredients
- 2 packages dry Yakisoba noodles , (cooked without spice packets and drained)
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 1/2 yellow onion , sliced
- 8 oz cabbage , sliced
- 2 oz celery , cut into small pieces
- 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoons oyster sauce
Instructions
- Slice the onions and cabbage thinly.
- Cut the celery on a bias thinly as well.
- Put the oil in the pan, set to high and when the oil is hot add the veggies.
- Let cook for a couple of minutes until it is caramelized a bit.
- Stir and let more of it caramelize.
- Add the noodles and toss together.
- Add the soy sauce and oyster sauce and toss together.
Video
Nutrition
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Table of Contents
Key Ingredients
- Noodles: For ease and cost, this recipe calls for using Yakisoba noodles and omitting the spice packet. You can find Yakisoba in the international section of your grocery store. If you have trouble finding them, you can always substitute spaghetti noodles.
- Veggies: The thinly sliced cabbage, onion, and celery in this dish add aromatic flavor and a nice crunch that complements the soft chewy noodles. If you prefer different veggies, you can swap them out on a 1:1 ratio for your favorites. Just make sure you slice them thinly so they will soften and combine well with the other ingredients.
- Soy Sauce: Use low sodium soy sauce in all your Asian recipes. It will give you the same flavor without the salt overpowering the rest of your ingredients.
- Oyster Sauce: Oyster sauce is a thick condiment that is a common ingredient in many Asian sauce recipes. It does contain oyster extract, the briny liquid from cooking oysters, and it is reduced with sugar, thickener, and salt. A little goes a long way in lending a wonderful umami flavor to any dish.
Why Make Chow Mein At Home
Learning to make your favorite takeout dinners at home offers so many benefits! You can easily feed your family a complete meal that costs a fraction of what you would spend at a restaurant. When you cook at home you also have more control over how much sodium and oil you are using. You get to enjoy a healthier version of the same flavors you love from your favorite restaurants at home! The best part of this Panda Express Chow Mein is it isn’t even hard to make.
How to Store
- Serve: Do not leave copycat chow mein at room temperature longer than 2 hours.
- Store: In an airtight container, the noodles can last up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
- Freeze: After cooling completely, freeze noodles in freezer bags or an airtight container for 1-2 months. Thaw completely before reheating, adding a little soy sauce if needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yakisoba Noodles are the perfect (easy find) noodles for Panda Express Chow Mein if you’re looking online or in the store. There are more authentic versions, but for the money and the ease, buy the packages and ditch the spice packets. In a pinch, you can always use regular spaghetti noodles.
Oyster Sauce is a unique flavoring ingredient. If you avoid seafood and want another option I recommend vegetarian oyster sauce (made from mushrooms) but I don’t recommend you swap this out for something else altogether. Sometimes people recommend hoisin sauce as a replacement, but it would not give you the authentic flavor.
A wok is great for high heat, quick cooking. The angled sides of a wok help to increase the surface area for browning which speeds up the process significantly. A wok is a great addition to your kitchen if you love cooking Chinese food or stir fries in general.
Both Lo Mein and Chow Mein use chewy egg noodles combined with veggies, but for Lo Mein, you do not fry the noodles. Lo Mein typically uses soft, fresh noodles that soak up a savory sauce. Chow Mein usually uses dried noodles that have been par-boiled and then stir fried to maintain a more chewy and crispy texture.
Variations
- Protein: After cooking the veggies, remove from the pan and cook thinly sliced beef, chicken, pork, or shrimp before combining the rest of the ingredients together. You could also use ground chicken, beef, turkey, or pork.
- Spice Level: Add crushed red pepper flakes or Sriracha sauce to make a spicier noodle dish. Taste as you go to get the spice just right for you.
Related Recipes
More Asian Copycat Recipes
Photos used in previous versions of this post
Question… can you use Ramen noodles and get the same results or does it need to be Yakisoba to get the Panda Express results?
If you’re looking for more of the Panda Express style, I’d use Yakisoba. If you’re not worried about that, ramen will work in a pinch too. Enjoy!
I used red cabbage (better for you) it took a little longer to cook than the green, but it was delicious!!
I also used Braggs Aminos -way less sodium.
Ooh, I love that ingredient swap! Love cooking with red cabbage. Thanks for the review!
Sabrina how do you determine how much sodium is in this recipe? It says Sodium: 348mg, but on the Panda Express website it says their chow mein has Sodium 860mg.
My site as an automatic calculator based on the ingredient list. I’m not a nutritional site so I would calculate it on your own using the ingredients to give you a more accurate number.
Yey those noodles are nothing like panda express chow mein. They don’t look anything like the photo above. Flavor was ok, but didn’t compare to Panda and not much better than a cup of noodles.
Yeah I definitely agree.
Bough chow mein noodles that were dry from Vons grocery store. There was no instructions on how to cook them, so I just boiled them for a few minutes. I added everything that needed to but to be honest, it lacked flavor. I ended up using the sweet chili sauce to save this dish. In my opinion, it did not taste like panda. But It is a nice try.
I made this last night and it was quite good. I made it pretty close to as printed. I used packaged cole slaw mix angel hair cabbage. I did add some garlic and a bit of ginger. The onion was half regular onion and half green onions. For the noodles I bought some A-SHA tainan noodles. They were similar to the Ramen noodles but about 5 times the price. They were no where close to the noodles used at Panda Express. They were thinner and had little body to them. I think spaghetti would have been a closer match. So while the recipe was quite tasty it did not really remind me of Panda Express. The following is unrelated to this recipe but I wanted to share it anyway. I only recently found out how much I liked Panda Express Chow Mein. I had avoided it just because of the name. My only exposure to Chow Mein had been that awful canned LaChoy Chow Mein back in the ’50s. Someone talked me into trying it and I was hooked. I will try this again but look for a sturdier noodle. Thanks for sharing.
Panda worker here! we actually dont use oyster sauce, just sesame oil and cooking wine!
What kind of cooking wine do they use?
Either a white cooking wine or a Mirin, which is cooking sake.
Adam, Where do I get the exact same noodle that Panda uses? I see other people saying that the Yakisoba noodle does not compare to Panda noodles. I would really like to try this recipe and have it turn out like Panda Express. Thank you in advance!
Hi Sabrina!
Thank you very much for the recipe! I tried it out before; it tasted VERY close to the original, so thank you!
I found a website regarding a recipe for potato chicken. I don’t know if this is what you’re looking for – or whether you may have already found it. FWIW… here it is. 🙂
Thanks so much!
I find these noodles are way too thin and ate completely wrong texture to compare to the chow mein at Panda.
I have never found a chow mein I like… Panda is the only one I LOVE …
Thanks for trying
Did it exactly as the recipe shows even used panda express oyster sauce and it did not taste at all like panda express chow mein. Maybe it was the noodles I didn’t use dry noodles I used the kind in the package that are already cooked. It had a weird salty sour taste to it.
The BEST. Thank you. Try to stick to recipe in exact quantities, it works. But after the first try, you might like to double the veggies, maybe double the sauce and add some hoisin, add a bit of shredded carrot, diced green onion, etc. BUT! This is my go to recipe for Chow Mein now, and I do change up the ingredients from time to time… you can even just use spaghetti in a pinch! I bought the Yakisoba noodle on amazon and they are the bomb. Plus, left overs make awesome stir fry next day. Use your imagination but this recipe is what’s UP! Thank you for your web site Sabrina, lots of awesome recipes!
You’re welcome, Bill!
are you talking about the yakisoba noodles that come in those instant microwave packages? I wasn’t sure so just bought lo mein noodles…I hope they work the same
Yes
Hi, Sabrina,
Are you using standard green cabbage or Napa cabbage?
Thank you!
Melissa
Green cabbage 🙂
I can’t find yakisoba noodles anywhere! Can you give me a good substitute that’s very common in the supermarkets?
Ramen noodles would work and easily found.
I was wondering would I be able to use just regular soba noodles or do I have to use Yakisoba noodles?
If that’s all you have, it’ll still work.
What kind of oil should I use? Vegetable, olive, etc?
I used canola but you can use vegetable oil too.
How many grams each are the packet of noodles?
113.4 grams
Could you fix your site so that when you print out a recipe the picture of the dish prints also.
Thank you
Excellent recipe!! The taste was spot on! My family LOVED it!!
My mom is allergic to all shell fish and I am allergic to mushrooms. Both are severe, life-threatening allergies. With this in mind, what can I substitute for the oyster sauce? I love these noodles. My daughter and I always get them at Panda Express. My daughter even gets a large order to take home with her. This would really make her happy, to be able to make this in the wok she got for Christmas!
You can use additional soy sauce instead of oyster sauce for this recipe. I know that some people add in a few drops of Worcestershire sauce into the soy sauce to replace the taste but Worcestershire sauce has anchovies and even though it’s not a shellfish, it does contain a protein similar to it so just make sure that’s safe for her before using. Hope this helps!
Looks great! But if I’m using fresh chow Mein noodles what would the conversion be?
I’d say it’s about 4 cups of fresh noodles. You can always add more or less to your preference. Enjoy!
I am Gluten free, do you have recommendations on gluten free noodles I can Use for this recipe?
I usually use Barilla brand.
Do I follow the directions to cook the yakisoba noodles before adding them to the Wok?
The recipe doesn’t say.
The ingredient list explains to cook the noodles without the spice packets and then drain. Enjoy!
Hi.. I rarely post anything anywhere… this is my 2nd post in my life ever! That doesn’t mean that I haven’t found some great recipes…. BUT THIS one– kept it real, easy and OUT OF THE PARK!! Thank you for sharing. In my husband’s words…. ” I’ve been looking for these noodles ALL my life!” Lol. 🙂 Thank you for making us ALL look good.
Kept to the recipe, other than adding julienne carrots, red peppers and mushrooms.
Thank you so much again! God bless
Oh my gosh, thank you so much!! You guys really made my day!
hi sabrina..i get really sick from any fish sauce..is there a big difference if i leave it out of any of the dishes??..ty
You don’t want to leave it out. This recipe uses oyster sauce which is different than fish sauce. You can swap out fish sauce in other recipes with Worcestershire sauce. If you want to sway oyster sauce, I would recommend a vegetarian version.
Where can I find these noodles in the supermarket? This sounds sooo delish!
They are either going to be near the ramen noodles or in the asian food sections, in the stores I’ve been to anyways.
What size packet of noodles do you use?
I used 4oz packets.
This recipe is a perfect replica. Came it as desired with exception I could have fried the mein maybe 1 minute longer before removing from heat. My family greatly thanks you.
Thanks for taking the time to come back and let me know how much you all enjoyed it! I appreciate the 5 stars.
If you are still looking for that potato chicken recipe I found this
Thank you so much! I’m going to make this ASAP!! If it turns out well, I’m going to post it. You’re amazing!
We LOVE this recipe! When we are craving chow mein noodles this is our go too. My teenage boys say they like it better then Panda now. They’ll even make it themselves. Thank you so much!
This makes me so happy! Thanks for coming back to let me know.
I could not find the yakisoba noodles. Would pad Thai dry noodles work?
I would substitute with a whole wheat spaghetti. Hope this helps!
For everyone that is having trouble finding the Yakisoba noodles, they are right next to the Ramen noodle packets that everyone lived on in college. They are even made by the same company I believe and look very similar to the packets of Ramen, they just say Yakisoba noodles on the front instead of Ramen. So they will be typically on the pasta aisle or dry/canned food aisles, in that area of the grocery store. You may be able to find fresh Yakisoba noodles in the fresh produce area. I know most grocers carry wonton wrappers and other fresh Asian pastry/pastas in that area. Hope that helps.
P.S. for all of the people that are concerned about the taste of oyster sauce and comparing it to fish sauce or saying they’re allergic to things or having other issues, if you have eaten at panda express and you have had the chow mein and not substituted anything, you will love this recipe and you should not die from any ingredients as they are the same you had at the restaurant.?
I want to prepared the Panda Express Chow Mein. He recipe calls for Yakisoba noodles. Can you tell me what brand and where you purchased them? It seems the most difficult part of this recipe, lol.
Thank you in advance. I love using your recipes. Life made easy.
I bought the Yakisoba Noodle brand and just ordered them from Amazon but I know that Walmart and even Target carry them now as well.
I hope you enjoy it!
I have found the noodles in the veggie section
Oh my gosh! Got a little crazy and made this with red cabbage, pancit kanton noodles and just a pinch of bonus msg on the veggies because I’m naughty.
But what can I say? This is incredible! Upon first taste I was literally at the verge of tears! I thought replicating that awesome takeout taste at home would forever be out of my grasp. But lowe and behold, here it is!
Will totally make this again (but next time with green cabbage!). And it was totally worth making a little smoke to cook this at maximum. The seared smoky flavor it adds is out of this world.
Thank you so much,
Matt
So glad you enjoyed it, Matthew!
This was quick and easy. It turned out great. The kids wanted to add bell pepper and zucchini and it still turn out great. I precooked some thighs and added them at the end. I cooked the thighs in sesame oil and picked out the chicken and used the leftover hot oil to start the vegetables in
Delicious. Kids loved it too!
This was sooo very spot on! I had everything except the oyster sauce and only had regular ramen noodles. I used the last tbsp of my aldi’s teriyaki sauce in place of oyster sauce, and mixed in a smidgen or so of the shrimp ramen flavor packet from the ramen. It came out so very good we ate all of it (2 of us) along with my personal recipe for fried rice! Carbohydrate coma land, but never will go back, so very near exact flavors of panda express!!! Thank you!!!
I’m so glad you guys enjoyed it! Thanks for coming back to let me know!
Made this tonight, everyone loved it ? the kids only complaint was I hadn’t made enough!
Definitely make this again.
Off to look at other yummy ones to try.
I’m so glad you guys enjoyed it! Thanks for coming back to let me know!
Nope we don’t use oyster sauce at panda I work there lol we use a basic sauce which is the secret recipe that no one knows
How do you know it’s not oyster sauce if you don’t actually know the secret sauce?
Made this tonight & the flavor is great! My noodles didn’t end up “crispy” but stuck to the bottom of the pan. Do you think I over cooked them?
P.S. I also made the chicken & mushroom and ground orange chicken. Yum! Easy too.
Sounds like that might have been the issue. I’m so glad you’re enjoying the recipes. 🙂
This was a very tasty recipe, made a full panda express copycat feast tonight with these noodles, orange chicken and cream cheese Rangoon (all recipes from this website). I live outside the US so couldn’t find the packaged yakisoba recommended and I used regular soba noodles (the kind sold in vacuum packs). My only variation was adding a little more soy sauce at the end. So good!
Yummy!!;we don’t have a panda here or near us, it’s a good 3 hours away! 🙁 I’ma try this tho, my prego cravings are out of control lol
What do u recommend if I can’t find the soba noodles here????
.
3 hours?!? Wow, you need this recipe! haha! You can order soba noodles on amazon now! 🙂
Why can’t u use another type of Noodle? Can’t always buy from Amazon or Target.?
You can use a different type of noodle. I would recommend using whole wheat spaghetti.
What kind of oil did you use?
I used canola but you can use whatever oil you prefer.
love it!!!!! perfect taste…..thank you
It turned out fantastic. The recipe is so quick, easy, and budget friendly that I can tell this will be a a weekly or bi-weekly thing (at the very least) in my kitchen. I used Yakisoba Noodles (57 cents at Walmart). The Cabbage and lettuce(around 3 bucks/ with plenty left over) I brought a pot of water to boil, broke up two packs and cooked for no more than 4-5minutes then drained. From then on followed your recipe exact. I got mushroom oyster sauce and soy sauce from local asian market but i wouldn’t be surprised if Walmart had those also. I don’t have a panda express and I don’t need one. Thanks Sabrina
Should be cabbage and Onion! 3 bucks total!
I made this for the first time tonight, and it was delicious. I was initially wondering if it would be enough seasoning, it is such a small amount of soy sauce and oyster sauce, plus there is no garlic or ginger. But the flavor was spot on. There is no need to change a thing. My husband (who doesn’t really care for Panda Express chow mein) and I both loved it. Thanks for a great recipe. 🙂
I just made this tonight and it was wonderful! The noodles didn’t have the same crisp as Panda Express but the taste was spot on. I would welcome any suggestions on how to get the noodles a little crisper next time I make it because I will certainly be making this again.
Thanks for the 5 stars! So glad you enjoyed it!
So if no oyster sauce, you don’t suggest any replacement like worchestershire sauce or hoisin?
You can use hoisin sauce but it will change the flavor and won’t be authentic to Panda Express.
After reading all comments I’m a little confused. I know the directions don’t say to boil the noodles, but I don’t understand how they are cooked. Do they just soften once you mix them with the veggies?
Hi Emily, in the ingredients list it calls for:
2 packages of dry Yakisoba Noodles (cooked without spice packets and drained)
hope that helps 🙂
Wow this was awesome couldn’t believe it was better than Panda Express in my opinion make it just like the recipe but I did add chicken.
Our favorite Chinese restaurant closed in our town so now I have to make my own….. can’t thank you enough for this recipe!
Getting cut off from your favorite source of Chinese food can be a tragedy! I’m happy I could give you another outlet to make your own!
Tried this tonight, tasted great. Had to use 2 containers of the Maruchan brand yakisobi noodles that you make in the microwave. I did have some problems getting the noodles to mix with vegatables but finally got it done. I think you nailed the taste. Something was a little different on the texture(a little softer than panda), but other than that loved it. Thanks for posting this recipe.
I made this for dinner tonight and I cannot believe how absolutely delicious it is. I added some left over rotisserie chicken and served it as a main course. This isn’t five stars, it’s TEN stars.
You are so sweet Carson! Thank you so much!!
Is oyster sauce made from oysters? Sounds dumb, I know, but I’m not a fan of seafood and wondering if there might be a substitute to use instead. Thanks!
Yes, they make a vegetarian oyster sauce from mushrooms you could buy: Wan Ja Shan Vegetarian Oyster Sauce
I can tell you that oyster sauce is not a ingredient in panda express chow mien, nor is it a ingredient anywhere on Thier menu. All sugars are white, not brown, and white vinegar is used not rice vinegar or rice wine. But otherwise most of your copycats look “close” enough to be be delicious if not BETTER than Thier greasy dishes cooked in a FRYER. happy cooking
So thats the issue, I’ve tried with and without oyster sauce. The version posted tastes EXACTLY like the dish minus the extra oil, so unless there is some sort of proprietary sauce they’re using, I’m not sure where else the depth of flavor is coming from. Would love more insight but I can understand if you’re not allowed to give it out. Also for the white vinegar, I find that their vinegar doesn’t have the same punch the vinegar I use had, so I’ve been recommending rice vinegar for the smoother flavor. Would love to know the strength or brand of white vinegar they’re using. And thanks for the kind words! I love Panda, so making the recipes at home was one of the reasons I was excited to start the blog.