Panda Express Mushroom Chicken in just 20 minutes!
Panda Express Mushroom Chicken with quickly sauteed zucchini and mushrooms and tender chicken breast makes a delicious quick Chinese “takeout” meal you’d be happy to eat every night and that your scale won’t exact it’s revenge on your for it!
Update: Over the last year we have made this recipe the original way and with small variations while taste testing against the original. Lots of Panda Express visits, lots of testing (think Monica trying to recreate Phoebe’s grandmother’s chocolate chip cookie recipe) and I think I’ve gotten to the point where we can call this a spot on copycat!
Panda Express has been a go to take out lunch since I was a kid. Orange chicken, beef and broccoli and chow mein had been my go-to order until I turned 21 and started becoming more aware of my calorie intake. When I started looking at the nutritional facts I felt a little sick. I had no idea such a small amount of orange chicken could pack in so much fat and calories.
So I did a bit more research and you can enjoy Panda Express with FAR less fat and calories by choosing different “entrees.” My new go to became Panda Express Mushroom Chicken, beef and broccoli and steamed vegetables. I think that clocked in around 60% less calories! I did miss the taste of the orange chicken, but to be honest the mushroom chicken (which I normally would not have chosen) was DELICIOUS!
It took me a fair bit of searching and a few failed tries at making a dish that reminded me of the original but this recipe has been our go-to for a couple of years now and has been universally enjoyed. The best part is, the recipe is so incredibly easy, you can throw it together in as long as it takes to make rice to go with it! I do have to add a disclaimer though, this is not a *spot* on recreation. The balsamic is a little strong so you can taste it. But it does taste a lot like it, so until I do more research this is the best I’ve got if you are looking for a copycat for Panda Express Mushroom Chicken! Yep, I have been working on this recipe all year and it’s gotten an update!!
Keeping track of all the Panda Express copycat recipes here on the blog? You can find every single one of them on my new Panda Express Recipe Index, where every single Panda Express recipe has been recreated!
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts , cut into thin bite sized slices
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 8 ounces crimini mushrooms , sliced (white mushrooms are authentic to the recipe, but I love crimini)
- 1 medium zucchini , cut in half lengthwise, then in ½ inch slices
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 3 garlic cloves , minced
- 2 teaspoons minced ginger (or ½ teaspoon ground ginger)
- sesame seeds , for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Toss the chicken with cornstarch.
- Heat the canola and sesame oil in the pan.
- Add chicken and cook on medium-high until browned on both sides, about 2-3 minutes on each side.
- Remove chicken from the pan, and turn the heat up to high.
- Add in the mushrooms and zucchini and cook until they start to brown.
- Add the garlic and ginger and cook/stir for 30 seconds.
- Cook for another 2-3 minutes as vegetables soften a little.
- Add the chicken back in and stir to coat.
- Add in the soy sauce, sugar and rice wine vinegar and stir to coat.
- Serve with Perfect Brown Rice.
Nutrition
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Made your recipe tonight, so good. I just had a quick taste. It reminds me so much of the Panda version. We just moved to a super small town that doesnt have any of the chain restaurants that was everywhere lol. On the plus side, we save money on going out and these copy cat versions are so much healthier and made fresh as opposed to packaged and frozen. Thank you for a delicious recipe
This is an amazing recipe and there truly is nothing better than cooking at home. The best part is that this recipe is super simple and quick on those busy nights!
I made it once with cauliflower instead of using brown rice. I wasn’t a fan of that so I stick to the brown rice!
I made this once with the original recipe where it calls for balsamic vinegar. It was good , but I didn’t fall in love with it. So ,yesterday , I made this updated recipe and it was amazing! Thank you for your awesome copycat recipes, Sabrina!
Thanks for giving the recipe another try! Glad you loved the new version!
Thank you so much for this copycat! Oh my gosh…YUM!
I was wondering what kind of pan you used? My silver fry pan ended up coated with the browned chicken juice/cornstarch and sticking to the bottom. Let’s just say it did not look like your beautiful chicken. Should the chicken be kinda dry when adding. ( Mine was kinda juicy before adding the cornstarch)
Then when I added the veggies on high it started to burn the coating stuck to the bottom so I grabbed another fry pan and dumped the veggies in it. That worked good but I missed all the luscious browned goodness from the first pan.
When I added the ginger and garlic to stir fry, there was too much liquid in the pan but I didn’t worry about that and just heated.
I want to figure out the right pan and method because this isn’t the first time my chicken ends up stuck! I would be so grateful for your help!!!
I absolutely love trying to figure out a recipe as well, I feel like a mad scientist and it is soooo rewarding when you get a win!
This one is just amazing and I have 1 less zucchini to use from the garden!
Thank you so much again! Love, love, love!!!
I use All-Clad non stick pans as a general rule unless I am using my trusty slow cooker or I am cooking something that requires a gentle heat or a braise where I will have plenty of liquids. If you find it sticking I would suggest removing the food, deglazing with just a bit of water/stock and scrape up those bits, they are full of flavor.
The chicken should be pretty dry too, but also worst case scenario, use just enough to coat the bottom of your pan. Cooking in a regular (not non-stick) pan is definitely on the harder side, you need more liquid, more protection for the food. To be on the safe side always start with enough oil in your pan to coat the bottom and deglaze as you go.
If you ever want more kitchen help or have questions about a recipe feel free to email me at contact @ dinnerthendessert.com 🙂
Is it balsamic or rice wine vinegar? I read two different vinegars. This sounds delish, thanks!
So sorry, I updated the recipe after some tinkering but forgot to update the text of the post. The recipe now uses rice wine vinegar, not balsamic vinegar.
I’m confused, directions in print say add soy and blasamic vinegar. Directions in recipe says soy, rice wine vinegar and sugar..
I updated the recipe after some tinkering to use rice wine vinegar instead of balsamic. I fixed the directions in the print. Sorry for the confusion!
My husband and I loved this recipe! I just pulled it up again for dinner tonight and see that it’s changed and the balsamic is removed. We really loved that flavor! Is there any place I can find the old recipe?
Sorry this comment took so long to get to, it ended up in my spam filter somehow! Sorry I just found a huge number of comments over the last three months that was snared in the spam filter and I am trying to follow up with each one now even though in your case I am way too late to help. I LOVE the balsamic vinegar version too, but to make it more authentic I did more recipe testing and made a couple of swaps. Swap the rice vinegar for two tablespoons of balsamic vinegar. You can also omit the sugar. 🙂
What is rice wine vinegar? I have rice wine and rice vinegar, but I have not seen rice wine vinegar. Which one did you use?
I made this with balsamic before and it was great, just wondering about your new change.
Sorry this comment took so long to get to, it ended up in my spam filter somehow! Sorry I just found a huge number of comments over the last three months that was snared in the spam filter and I am trying to follow up with each one now even though in your case I am way too late to help. I actually loved the version with the balsamic vinegar but it wasn’t as authentic as this version is. You can use rice vinegar in place of rice wine vinegar (I use the Roland brand, but the difference is minimal).
Hi! I was wondering if you had the nutritional information for this?
Sorry this comment took so long to get to, it ended up in my spam filter somehow! Sorry I don’t have the nutritional facts for recipes on the site but I know there are a lot of free resources on the internet from when I’ve cooked for clients with low calorie diets.
Tried this and enjoyed it very much. Added onion, green peas, and celery to the recipe. .Loved the tangy sauce.
I wrote to you awhile back complementing you on your fabulous recipes. At that time, I had not actually cooked any, I just loved reading them. Yes, there are people who purchase cookbooks just to read them.? A friend had an over abundance of home grown zucchini, immediately,, I thought Copycat Panda Express Chicken with Mushrooms and Zucchini. It came out absolutely delicious. Now, I’m hooked. No more reading, Next, Walnut Shrimp. Thank you, for a great blog.
I’m so glad you started cooking my recipes and enjoyed the result! I look forward to hearing about which ones you try in the future!
Yum, I loved this recipe. I am a vegetarian and used tofu pieces and it was still wonderful. And it cooked so fast; I found myself being done cooking and scratching my head thinking, “that’s it?”. So simple for a busy night or any night, definitely give it a try, you will not be disappointed!!
Practice makes perfect (love that this version has less fat!) and this definitely looks perfect! I’m in heaven with this recipe at my fingertips! LOVE!
Thanks, Patricia!
My family LOVED IT!!! Thank you it tastes just like Panda Express! I left out the mushrooms being that I’m allergic but doubled the zuchini, and added onion powder.
We are getting zucchini out of our garden now. So can’t wait to try this. Just a question, I do not like Balsamic Vinegar. I noticed it is only 2 TBS. What is that for? Is it for flavor? Does it end up tasting like BV? I am willing to try it as is. Just curious if it is essential.
So sorry, this comment got snared in the spam filter! I’ve since edited out the balsamic vinegar from the recipe after more and more (delicious!) recipe testing 🙂
Made this tonight, everyone in my family loved it! Kids and all… I think cashews or onion would add a nice crunch too.. Fantastic and easy to make.. Thank you!
Made this tonight, and loved it!! I added maybe 1/4 tsp of cornstarch to the sauce at the end, to thicken a bit. I’ll be making this one again, thanks! =)
I made this last night and loved it! I added about two tablespoons of sugar before mixing one last time and serving. The vinegar smell was pretty potent before adding sugar, so I was afraid my boyfriend wouldn’t like it. He loved it! We had enough for leftovers which I am munching on now. Even our yellow lab was circling the table! Thanks for the yummy Panda inspired recipe! I think next time I will use a high quality soy sauce so my sauce isn’t so dark! Awesome recipe!
I’m so glad you guys enjoyed it! Thanks for coming back to let me know!
Yum! This was sooo good! I had a slight problem with the chicken sticking (I used a high heat oil blend instead of canola and my pan was not nonstick) but once I pried off what I could and added the veggies (and a teeny bit more oil), the bits of stuck chicken all came up and just added to the flavor! This was a big hit with my 2&4 year olds. And we didn’t even have it over rice. Just plain yummy on its own. Thanks for the recipe! It’s a keeper. :o)
Thanks for dropping by to let me know! I’m so glad you guys enjoyed it!
I made this today and it was absolutely DELICIOUS, I doubled the recipe because I have a large family and it came out perfect..everyone LOVED it..no leftovers. Thank you for posting this, can’t wait to try more recipes. Your blog is in my favorites 🙂
Awww, that’s so sweet! You totally made my day! I’m so glad you made it and then came back to tell me about it! I look forward to seeing you around the site!
I have made this for my family now,twice. They love it! my 6 year old says it’s her new favorite dish. Mine too. Great recipe!
Gloria, you made my day! Anytime I can get the little ones to enjoy something I feel like I have won the lottery!
Delicious! I made the mistake of using a small skillet for the chichen so cramped it with the chicken pieces so they weren’t as crunchy I I thought they were suposed to be, but tottaly my fault. Still they were nice and smooth and juicy inside and the sauce was wonderful!
Rita, I am so glad it worked out well for you! Sometimes when I am too lazy to wash a pan and I have to use a smaller one I just do the chicken in batches. Then at the end I toss it all carefully in the sauce 🙂 I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
It looks like there are some type seeds picture in the dish but not reflected in the ingredients; I assume, but we know how assume is spelled : -), that since sesame oil is used that they are sesame seeds?
Yes! Sorry about that, they are sesame seeds. I use them for a garnish! I will add them to the recipe, thank you for reminding me. They were a last minute addition.
Zucchini and mushrooms are some of my favorite veggies! I love this low carb meal option!
What an awesome dinner idea, I will have to try to cook it right up!I am always cooking chiken and need new recipes
Thanks! I hope you love it!
You know whats crazy…I literally almost went to Panda Express today! I love when I can replicate aa favotie food item so thanks for this!
I love recreating recipes at home, kind of feels like I won something, haha.
I am going to make this with Almond Flour instead of cornstarch. It looks AMAZING! Thank you for the appetizing recipe!
Awesome! I think that would be a great substitution!
How did it turn out with the almond flour!
Yum! I would devour this!
Thanks Rachel!
My husband is addicted to Panda Express. We have one in the mall over in the city and its just so so. Recently they opened a stand alone right across the street and it has some really great items. I love that it is fresh and I can tell them exactly what I want in it.
Delicious! I’m gong to try this! I love mushrooms and zucchini!
Awesome! I hope you love it!
I am too hungry . That all looks so good.
Thanks!
Yum, this sounds so good right now! I haven’t tried this combo at Panda Express but I’d love to make it for myself.
Oh it is delicious Liz, you’d love it!
This looks so yummy! I love grilled veggies
We ADORE Panda Express! Can’t way to try this!
I hope you love it!
This looks so good Sabrina. My mouth is watering just looking at your picture. I am definitely going to have to try this.
Thanks Valerie!
I am totally a Panda Express fan and especially love their vegetables. I can not wait to try your healthier version, which already trumps over the original in the appearance category!
Thanks Marcie! Once I got over my orange chicken addiction I really did start to appreciate how good their vegetables are.
This recipe looks so delicious. I will have to try making it on the weekend. I am sure my family will love it.
I love mushrooms and chicken together. That looks like a great dinner for some night this week.
I’m kind of crazy for mushrooms. They are my favorite way to add a little flavor and meatiness to my meals. Can’t wait to make this one.
Yes! they have a great chew and texture and almost no calories! I love them too!
I love a quick stir-fry like this! So good!
This looks and sounds yummy. I am always looking for new recipes I can’t wait to make this.
I am loving this way to use zucchini! We are actually really big fans of zucchini in our home so I know this would go over very well 🙂
Awesome Des!
Wow this looks amazing. We don’t have panda express near me, so I’ve never tried anything from there but this? Is a must try!
Thanks Jeanine!
I have zucchini to use up so I have to try this out next week. I bet my kids would enjoy it!
Wonderful! I hope you love it!
I can’t even begin to tell you how delicious this looks. I am adding this to my recipe list!
Aww Donna, that’s sweet! Thanks!
Oh my gosh, that looks delicious. There isn’t a Panda Express near us so I need to make this.
Hope you love it Pam!
This looks so good! Looks like it came right from the restaurant.
Thanks Tracey!
I haven’t been to Panda Express in a long time, but this was definitely the dish I used to get there! Can’t wait to make it at home!
Awesome Sara!
Oooh I’ve got to make this!! I never thought to coat with corn starch. Thanks for sharing that tip!
It adds just that tiny bit of body to it without breading it!
I tried your recipe and I followed exactly even though I was a little apprehensive and I loved the sauce and I thank you for that. but there was far too much corn starch the chicken ended up being breaded which was not at all like Panda. All I can guess is maybe you left a lot of the corn starch in the bowl so less ended up in the pan. If I made it in the future I would cut it down to 1.5.
Sorry this comment took so long to get to, it ended up in my spam filter somehow! Was the chicken small enough pieces? The times I’ve found I have leftover cornstarch is when I cut bigger chunks and don’t have enough pieces to coat. But I am glad you enjoyed the dish! We love making this at home too.
These look delicious! You always post the best recipes, and this is no different. I can’t wait to try it.
Aww thanks Stacie!
Do you have the nutritional value for the recipe? Calories, etc
Sorry I don’t have the nutritional facts for recipes on the site but I know there are a lot of free resources on the internet from when I’ve cooked for clients with low calorie diets.
Sabrina, Made this tonight and it was spot-on awesome!!
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for coming back to let me know!