Is string bean stir fry your favorite Chinese takeout dish from Panda Express? Our copycat string bean chicken has a mild ginger soy sauce, the breast is tender and flavorful, and the vegetables have a bit of bite to them.
If you love Panda Express copycat stir fry recipes, check out our mushroom chicken and our firecracker chicken recipes.
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Ingredients
The ingredients for this copycat Panda Express string bean chicken are easy to find in most grocery stores. Some of the pantry items will be found in the Asian section.
- Protein: Use boneless, skinless chicken breast for the original version, but boneless, skinless thighs would also work if you prefer dark meat.
- Vegetables: Fresh green string beans are best; frozen just wouldn't be the same. White onion is preferred, but yellow onion can be substituted.
- Acid: Rice wine vinegar is used in both the marinade and the sauce. Substitute with Chinese black vinegar.
- Wine: Mirin, a Japanese sweet wine, is used in small quantities. Substitute with white cooking wine or Shoaxing wine.
- Umami: Gluten free Hoisin sauce was used because it's easier to find, but black bean paste found in an Asian store would be more authentic.
How to Make
Prep all the ingredients for our Panda Express string bean chicken copycat recipe ahead of time because this recipe comes together quickly.
- Gather all the marinade ingredients, then whisk them together in a bowl. Pour over the thinly sliced breast meat and allow it to marinate for 30 minutes.
- To make the sauce, whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl, except the cornstarch, which will be added later.
3. Drain the breast from the marinade.
4. Heat up 2 tablespoons of oil in the wok over medium high heat, then stir fry the breast meat for 3 minutes and place in a bowl. Wipe out the wok with paper towel.
5. Next, heat up the rest of the oil, then stir fry the onions and string beans for 2 minutes and place in the same bowl as the breast meat.
6. To thicken the sauce, make a slurry with the cornstarch and one tablespoon of water. Whisk that into the sauce then pour the sauce into the wok and stir until it thickens, roughly a minute.
7. Add the breast meat, onion, and string beans back into the wok and heat through making sure to coat each piece with the ginger soy sauce.
8. Serve our copycat Panda Express string bean chicken warm with other sides like Panda Express copycat chow mein and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
It is a popular entree on their fast food menu. This dish consists of thin pieces of chicken breast, fresh string beans, and white onion that are tossed in a mild ginger soy sauce.
Start by marinating the breast meat, then prepare the veggies and the sauce. Get your wok out and stir fry the meat in hot oil, then stir fry the vegetables. Thicken the sauce, then add the meat and vegetables back in and stir to coat and heat through.
For a 5.6 oz or one cup serving size, the Panda Express string bean chicken breast has 190 calories, 13g carbs, 590 mg sodium, 4g fiber, and 14g protein. Our copycat recipe has 315 calories, 13.7g carbs, 459 mg sodium, 2.5g fiber, and 21.5g protein.
No, Panda Express restaurants in the United States use soy sauce, which typically have wheat. If you need it gluten or soy free, make our recipe. It cooks in 12 minutes.
Serve
Our copycat Panda Express string bean chicken tastes amazing with white or brown rice and other popular Panda Express side dishes. Check out our recipes for super greens, fried rice, chow mein, eggplant tofu, and cream cheese rangoons. They will not disappoint.
Store
Make Ahead: You can prep everything ahead of time for our copycat Panda Express string bean chicken, including marinating the breast meat.
Leftovers: Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Freeze: This recipe does taste the best fresh, but if you need to, it can be frozen for up to one month.
Reheat: Heat up your wok, and reheat all the copycat leftovers until heated through with constant stirring. Serve right away while it's still hot.
Variations
- Prefer dark meat? Use boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
- Need this vegan? Substitute the breast meat for tofu cubes or cauliflower florets.
- Need this gluten free? Use liquid aminos, tamari, or coconut aminos instead of the soy. Make sure to use gluten free Hoisin sauce (affiliate) as well.
- Want this spicy? Use 1 to 2 teaspoons of hot chili oil, red pepper flakes, or sambal oelek.
- Want more vegetables? Use broccoli, carrots, red bell pepper, and zucchini.
Expert Tips
- Prep everything before you start cooking.
- Use fresh ingredients for the green beans, onion, garlic, and ginger.
- Marinate the meat for 30 minutes or overnight.
- Cook in batches so the wok doesn't get overcrowded.
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Recipe
Panda Express String Bean Chicken Breast Copycat
Ingredients
For the Marinade
- 2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon mirin
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
For the Stir Fry Sauce
- 2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
- 5 teaspoons gluten free Hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon mirin
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons ginger, grated
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
For the Stir Fry
- 12 ounces boneless skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced (1 ½ cups)
- 3 cups green beans, cut into 3-inch pieces
- 1 cup white onion, sliced
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Instructions
- Add all the sauce ingredients to a bowl, except for the cornstarch, and whisk to combine. You should have ½ cup of sauce.
- Heat up 2 tablespoons of oil in the wok over medium-high heat. Add the meat, but don't crowd the wok, and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. If necessary, cook in batches. Place the meat in a bowl and wipe the wok clean with paper towel.
- Heat up the other 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat and stir fry the string beans and onion for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the cooked vegetables to the bowl of cooked meat.
- Whisk the cornstarch with water to make a slurry, then whisk the slurry into the sauce. Pour it into the wok and cook to thicken it up, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Make sure to stir the sauce constantly to prevent burning.
- Add the meat and vegetables back to the wok, stir to coat each piece with the stir fry sauce, and heat it through, roughly 2 to 3 minutes.
- Serve hot with white or brown rice and other Panda Express side dishes like chow mein, super greens, fried rice, or eggplant tofu.
Notes
- Have everything ready before you start cooking.
- For the best flavor, use fresh green beans, onion, garlic, and ginger that you chop yourself.
- Marinating the meat for at least 30 minutes will give you more flavor.
- Avoid overcrowding the wok by cooking in batches.
Nutrition
Serving sizes and nutritional information are only an estimate and may vary from your results.
This copycat recipe was originally published on January 8, 2021, and was updated with resized photos and new content on June 3, 2022.
Stacy
I love Panda Express Green Bean Chicken and am excited about trying your recipe. I am calorie conscious and am wondering where the increased calories in your recipe come from. Thanks.
Emma
Stacy,
Thank you for your interest in this recipe. We provide nutritional information for our readers as a courtesy; we are not nutritionists. The nutritional information at the bottom of the recipe card was auto generated by our recipe plugin this year, while the nutritional information in the FAQ section was generated by a different program last year. Remember this is home cooking, so there are many variables. All nutritional information we provide on STF are estimates and may vary from your actual results. Let us know how this recipe turns out!
Alex
The chicken tastes nice with the sauce, and the green beans are really crunchy and delicious! The onions also add a chewy texture.
Emma
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the string bean chicken, Alex!
Beth
This chicken tastes like ginger, which goes well with the beans. The chicken is chewy and soaks up the sauce very well. The onions are crunchy and yummy. Generally, I find that the Panda Express version had more sauce and umami taste.
Emma
We're glad you enjoyed the chicken, Beth!