Do you love Panda Express take out, but you don't have this popular restaurant in your area? We've got you covered with our Panda Express mushroom chicken.
The tender chicken is tossed in cornstarch to give it a nice golden coat, the vegetables are firm, and the sauce's salty and savory flavor is fresh and delicious. This will be your family's weeknight favorite stir fry because it's full of flavor, meal prep friendly, and cooks in under 20 minutes.
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Ingredients
All the ingredients for this recipe can easily be found at your local grocery store. It takes pantry staples that are commonly found in American kitchens with the exception of the oyster sauce and the rice vinegar, which can be found in the Asian section of your local grocery store.
- Meat: Boneless, skinless chicken breast or thigh is thinly sliced and cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Vegetables: Mushrooms and zucchini are cleaned and sliced.
- Aromatics: Fresh ginger and garlic will always trump the dried versions.
- Oil: Any high smoke oil you have on hand will work; classic olive oil was used for this recipe.
- Thickener: Cornstarch is used to coat the chicken, and then to thicken the sauce.
- Sweetener: Brown sugar is used, but feel free to use your sweetener of choice in the sauce.
- Acid: Rice vinegar is used, as it has a delicate flavor.
- Umani: Oyster sauce is used to give the sauce more umami flavoring.
- Soy: Reduced sodium soy sauce is used, but feel free to use liquid aminos or tamari for a gluten free version.
How to Make
Gather all the ingredients for the stir fry.
- Whisk the soy sauce, rice vinegar, oyster sauce, and brown sugar together in a bowl. Keep the cornstarch separate to make a slurry later.
- Toss the chicken with 3 tablespoons of cornstarch, making sure to coat each piece.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in the wok over medium high heat, and cook the meat in batches for 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
4. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and stir fry the mushrooms and zucchini for 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer to a bowl.
5. Cook the aromatics until fragrant, then stir them in to the vegetables.
6. Make the cornstarch slurry and whisk it into the sauce, then cook the sauce for 2 minutes in the wok to thicken.
7. Add the meat and vegetables back into the wok. Stir fry for 2 to 3 minutes, making sure the chicken and vegetables are coated in the sauce and heated through.
8. Serve warm with your favorite Panda Express side dishes, like super greens, fried rice or chow mein. Enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
Does Panda Express have mushroom chicken?
It certainly does! Panda Express describes this entree as "a delicate combination of chicken, mushrooms, and zucchini wok-tossed with a light ginger soy sauce."
How many calories are in Panda Express Mushroom Chicken?
This entree is one of Panda Express's wok smart menu items as it is a healthier choice. For a serving size of one cup or 5.7 ounces, the Panda Express version has 220 calories, 14g fat, 10 g carbs, 5g of sugar, and 13g of protein. Our copycat version has 349 calories, 17.8g fat, 17.5g carbs, 3.9g sugar and 31.1g of protein. For more nutritional information, please scroll to the end of the recipe card.
Is mushroom chicken from Panda Express good?
When you order the Mushroom chicken from Panda Express it can have overcooked zucchini and mushrooms, and the dish overall can be a bit on the greasy side. Their signature sauce for this entree is salty and savory.
If this entree is freshly cooked for you while you wait, it will be at it's best, but if you're getting take out, you'll still have to drive to your destination before you can enjoy it.
Our copycat version tries to cook the zucchini and mushrooms so they are just right - with a bit of tooth. Our tender chicken is lightly coated in cornstarch to give it a nice golden coat to mimic theirs, but our homemade stir fry sauce has a fresher taste with a bit more ginger.
When you cook our copycat Panda Express recipe in the comfort of your own kitchen, you can enjoy eating it when it's still hot, with no wasted time driving, plus you can tweak it to your exact tastes.
What do you serve with mushroom chicken?
Serve this recipe while it's still hot with other copycat Panda Express side dishes, like steamed white and brown rice, fried rice, super greens, or chow mein.
Variations
- Need this gluten free? Use liquid aminos or tamari in the sauce.
- Need this spicy? Use 1 or 2 teaspoons of sambal oelek, red pepper flakes, or hot chili oil.
- Need lower carbs? Omit the cornstarch, but keep in mind that the sauce will be thinner and the chicken will have a different texture.
- Need more vegetables? Add bell pepper, string beans, or broccoli.
- Need this vegan? Replace the chicken with cauliflower florets or tofu cubes, and swap the oyster sauce for vegan oyster sauce.
Expert Tips
- Have everything prepped and ready to go before you start cooking.
- Make the sauce the night before to save time.
- Use fresh ginger and garlic for a better tasting sauce.
- Cook the chicken in small batches for best results.
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Recipe
Panda Express Mushroom Chicken Copycat
Ingredients
For the Stir Fry
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced and cut into bite-sized pieces
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 8 ounces white button mushrooms, sliced
- 1 ½ cups zucchini, cut in half moons
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds, optional
For the Sauce
- ½ cup reduced sodium soy sauce or liquid aminos
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 ½ teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Mix all the ingredients together with a whisk, except the 1 teaspoon of cornstarch, and set aside.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Toss the meat in 3 tablespoons of cornstarch, then cook it in small batches for 2 to 3 minutes per batch. Place the lightly golden browned meat on a paper towel-lined plate.
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the wok and allow it to heat up, then add the mushrooms and zucchini. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly with a large wooden spoon. Transfer the veggies to a bowl or plate.
- Stir fry the garlic and ginger for 30 seconds or until fragrant, then remove it from the wok and place on top of the cooked vegetables.
- Make a slurry by stirring the reserved teaspoon of cornstarch with some water, then whisk it into the stir fry sauce. Pour the sauce into the wok and cook for 2 minutes to thicken, stirring constantly.
- Add the meat and vegetables back in and stir fry for 2 minutes to reheat and coat the meat and vegetables.
- Serve hot with your choice of Panda Express copycat side dishes: fried rice, super greens, or chow mein.
Notes
- Do your prep work ahead of time.
- The sauce can be made the night before.
- For the best tasting sauce, use fresh ginger and garlic.
- For the best results, cook the chicken in small batches.
Anita Hoskins
Delicious! It was a little salty but I did not have low sodium soy sauce. I used Bragg's liquid aminos instead of soy sauce and honey for sweetener. I love the combination of flavors! The zucchini adds a nice crunch and the chicken was so tender! Will definitely make this again.
Emma
That's wonderful to hear! We're so glad that you enjoyed this dish!
Alex
The chicken is gingery and chewy. The sauce tastes just right to me! The zucchini is crunchy and delicious, too.
Emma
Thank you for your review, Alex! I'm so glad that you enjoyed this chicken.
Beth
The chicken is soft and flavorful, and the sauce is a bit salty but very tasty. The zucchini is juicy and soft, and the mushrooms have a delightful umami flavor. I found that this recipe actually tastes better than the Panda Express version.
Emma
That's wonderful to hear, Beth! I'm glad that you like our copycat version even better than the restaurant one.