Watch the Panda Express Chow Mein Recipe Video Below!
You can easily make your own version of Panda Express Chow Mein at home because most of the ingredients are likely already in your pantry!
- One pound of pancit or chow mein noodles, made from wheat flour, egg, and water, can be used fresh. They are located in the chilled area of my neighborhood 99 Ranch Chinese grocery. These need to be cooked before being added to the wok because they will be raw. Another option is to use pancit noodles, which is what I’ve shown in the images and video. These are coated in oil and can be cooked straight in the wok, so there’s no need to pre-blanch them before cooking. If you can’t find these, you can use other noodles. It won’t be exactly the same, but it will be close enough. There are a few different options you could use: Yakisoba noodles Lo Mein noodles (these are thicker and won’t fry up crispy like chow mein) Ramen noodles (not the quick kind) Fresh noodles made of egg (yellow in color) If you want to make this dish as close to the Panda Express version as possible, look for noodles that resemble them; if not, use noodles you already have or prefer.
- Four celery stalks will be sliced into 1/2-inch pieces at an angle, diagonally, the same way Panda Express does it.
- 1 white onion sliced
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp ginger minced
- 2 cups cabbage sliced into ribbons
- Use 3 tablespoons light soy sauce for your “light” or “all-purpose” soy sauce; dark soy sauce is too thick and sweet for this recipe. (You can try making low-sodium versions of Beef Lo Mein, Shrimp Lo Mein, or Chicken Lo Mein if you want a dish that uses dark soy sauce.)
- 1 tbsp sugar
- One tablespoon of shaoxing wine is one of my favorite basic Chinese pantry items. It is one of my “secret ingredients” for creating restaurant-caliber Chinese food since it gives the sauce a richness and depth of flavor. If unavailable, you may use chicken broth, mirin, or sherry as a substitute.
- 1/4 tsp. white pepper: I adore white pepper and find it to be a useful “secret ingredient” when preparing Chinese food at home that rivals that of restaurants. It has an earthier, less spicy flavor than black pepper. I suggest keeping some in your pantry, but black pepper will work just fine if you can’t find it.
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1/4 tsp MSG – MSG is something I enjoy using in my cooking, but it’s always optional.
- In order to make your Panda Express Chow Mein just slightly coated in sauce rather than swimming in it, use 1/2 tbsp cornstarch to help thicken the sauce.
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
Panda Express Chow Mein has been a popular recipe on the blog 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 too and enjoy with my Panda Express Mushroom Chicken (my favorite). 
zx I think it was a rite of passage as a teenager of the 90s to enjoy a styrofoam container full of this Panda Express Chow Mein, Orange Chicken and Beef and Broccoli. The oily residue on your lips and all over your napkin meant you had just gone for it and gotten the chow mein instead of the healthier white rice or veggies (seriously, who would get the white rice there?)
As more Panda Express dishes get added to their menu you’ll find the Panda Express Recipe Index that I’ve made of all the recipes on one page updated to reflect new menu items. 
Tools used in the making of this Panda Express Chow Mein recipe:Yakisoba Noodles: These noodles are the perfect (easy find) swap for Panda Express Chow Mein if you’re looking online or in the store. There are more authentic versions, like these Chow Mein noodles, but for the money and the ease, buy the packages and ditch the spice packets.Oyster Sauce: This is a unique flavor and 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. I know sometimes people recommend Hoisin Sauce as a replacement, it would not give you the authentic flavor here if you do that though.Soy Sauce: Nothing much to say here except Kikkoman has the best flavor overall and I always recommend reduced sodium.Wok: Great for high heat, quick cooking. This wok is a great addition to your kitchen if you love cooking Chinese food or stir fries in general.
About the only place this recipe could go wrong would be with the vegetables. Make sure you slice the onions, cabbage and celery thinly. Put the oil in the pan, set to high. If you have a wok, this would be a perfect time to break it out because woks are made for high heat, fast cooking. The angled sides of a wok help to increase the surface area for browning which speeds up the process significantly!
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.
In case you’ve read down this far, here is an original shot of this dish from when it was first pictured on the blog… ah memories! 
Storage Tips and Reheating
You can keep any leftover Panda Express Chow Mein for up to three days in the refrigerator in an airtight container. I prefer to reheat the noodles in a hot wok or pan because the high heat quickly reheats them and helps separate any that may have stuck together. Additionally, I enjoy the extra-slight char that adds texture to the noodles. You can also use a microwave.
