Panda Express Chow Mein Copycat
Tastes just like Panda Express except it takes just minutes to whip up and tastes a million times better!
I love recreating take-out recipes at home. You know exactly what’s going into your dish, and the homemade version is ALWAYS better without a doubt. And this Panda Express copycat is no exception. Best of all, you can make this in less than 20 minutes! How easy is that?
I kid you not. This is one of the easiest recipes I have ever made. It requires such few ingredients and this recipe is practically foolproof. And there really is no comparison to Panda Express because it’s just that much better. We didn’t even have a main dish to pair this with but we still devoured this on its own like there was no tomorrow!
WHAT IS YAKI-SOBA?
Yaki-Soba is ramen-style noodles and can be found in the refrigerated aisle of your local grocery store.
Panda Express Chow Mein Copycat
Ingredients
- ¼ cup reduced sodium soy sauce
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar, packed
- 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- 2 (5.6-ounce) packages refrigerated Yaki-Soba, seasoning sauce packets discarded*
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 ribs celery, sliced diagonally
- 2 cups shredded cabbage
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, garlic, brown sugar, ginger and white pepper; set aside.
- In a large pot of boiling water, add Yaki-Soba until loosened, about 1-2 minutes; drain well.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and celery, and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in cabbage until heated through, about 1 minute.
- Stir in Yaki-Soba and soy sauce mixture until well combined, about 2 minutes.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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Made for dinner adding about a pound of cubed chicken breast. I coated the cubes in potato starch & fried in the wok first to season it, THEN added the veggies to sauté to get up all that chicken flavor. Added the cabbage last, sautéed up to wilt some, covered the wok so the cabbage would soften. Added my pre-soaked, hot, yaki noodles & gave all a quick tossing with another shake of soy sauce, dash of sesame oil and topped with some green onions. I’ve never had Panda Express anything but this recipe turned out ‘damned delicious’!!
Soo awesome! We found this recipe in the cookbook. In the book, it looks like the sauce is doubled. We actually added a couple more cloves of garlic because we love garlic. Also added some chicken and veggies. Garnished with green onion and sesame seeds. We will definitely add this to the rotation!
My daughter always orders this at Panda…said she likes it better. This was so delicious. We will be making this many more times!!
Delicious and hubby gave it a thumbs up. I cooked the vegetables longer as hubby is not a fan of crunchy veggies. I also added chicken. I used the Ramen noodles from Costco. Great flavor. Will probably make more sauce next time.
Thank you for a delicious awesome recipe. I made it last night and ate the rest of it this evening. I will look forward to making this a couple of times a month, I think. It was easy to make and truly a healthy and elicious dinner. Again, many thanks.
Larry
Lovely, but would use sesame oil to add true Asian flavor.
Sounds tasty but to make it even healthier, I would swap out the sugar and soy sauce. I’d replace them with coconut aminos which to me tastes a lot like soy.
so good, used thin spaghetti and added fresh shrimp to it.
I used thin spaghetti noodles because that’s what I had and it turned out great!
This was very, very good. I did it as written but did a little less ginger (although I love it) as others had said it was a bit strong. Very good, I will make it again. Thanks!
Very tasty recipe to add into our dinner rotation! Husband and two year old loved it . I tripled the sauce recipe and added tofu
Super simple and yummy – yes better than Panda Express because I know exactly what’s gone into it! Was able to bring an element of Panda Express on our dining table as we are currently a 20 hour flight away to the nearest PE (Hawaii) :)!
This is my favorite Asian noodle dish. I added bbq pork and made it a complete meal.
Delicious and easy! I used packaged coleslaw and still tasted amazing. I would probably use a little less ginger next time, but that’s just me.
Make this often! Love it! Can’t remember if it tastes like Panda Express or not, we haven’t eaten there in over a year. I use the “Wel Pac” brand chow mein noodles from Target. They work great! I do cut back on the ginger and garlic just a little.
This was a good tasting replica of Panda Express’s Chowmein. The 1st time I made it, I didn’t have fresh ginger so used ground ginger. It was very tasty! The 2nd time, I made it with the fresh ginger; the ginger overwhelmed the other flavors, and my husband and I did not care for it. Will be making it again tonight, but will go back to using ground ginger. Overall, it’s a very good recipe!
How much ground ginger did you use?
Hi, Can I ask how much ground Ginger you use in the recipe as listed for 4 servings? Thanks, Greg
Can I leave out celery or substitute it with something? Otherwise seems like a great easy recipe, would love to try this!
I haven’t made this recipe yet, but, I’ve always substituted celery with green peppers. My son hates cooked celery!
This recipe is delicious! I doubled it so there would be left overs but the three of us ate all of it!! I added a little Sesame oil and no ginger. Delicious! Can’t wait to make it again! Thank you for sharing!
Omg so good. I’ve been craving Panda’s chow mein for a very long time but with COVID, I didn’t wanna go there. This was so easy, vegan, and tastes a million times better. It’s not near as salty or greasy & has more flavor thanks to the fresh garlic & ginger. It was even better the next day. This is going to be a staple for me as I transition to a vegan diet next year.
This is my favorite copycat version of Panda’s chow mein. Sometimes I add chicken to make it an easy dinner meal. I never can find the noodles called for, so I just use thin spaghetti and it’s still very good and not mushy at all. Thank you!
Put some baking soda in with your noodles and they’ll become more stretchy and chewy
I made this recipe a few days ago and then ended up eating chow mein at the mentioned place of business tonight for dinner. I use the term “eat” loosely because the fast food noodles were inedible after making yours! We’ll never go back to that place! This is way better!
Just made this tonight. With Panda Express inspired Bejing beef. They complimented each other so well. Everyone loved it!!! Thank you for the delicious recipe! 🙂
Excellent..thank you
You can find the yaki soba noodles next to the spring / egg roll skins.
One of my favorite chow mein recipes…I’ve made this many times before and it’s always delicious!
I just made this for my family and it was delicious! Thank you so much. I’m always trying to find good vegan meals that my non vegan family will eat. So good!
The real recipe at Panda Express is 1 bag of chow mein, 1/4 cup basic cooking sauce (soy sauce), 3 tablespoon vegetable oil, 3 table spoon cooking oil, lettuce
Lettuce?
Good taste
This is almost an exact copycat but I add about 1 1/2 tbsp of oyster sauce to give it that salty savoury kick and dark color that Panda Express noodles have (; I also don’t use brown sugar
This was ok, but just kind of tasted like soy sauce on noodles. Was fine for supper and my kids ate it, so that’s a win. I do appreciate it’s simplicity.
Damn delicious lives up to its name with this recipe. I feel it tastes very similar to Panda Express’ chow mein, and it cooks up in no time.
It’s a great easy recipe that we all love! We live in the middle of nowhere and when I get a hankering for take out- this does the job. Hits all the notes- salty sweet savory crunchy yummy. Thanks!!
Oh wow! Thank you! 🙂
Tried your copycat recipe for Panda Express for the first time. I will try it again. Tonight’s results were good but I didn’t achieve a true “copycat” version. The 2 teaspoons of ginger were too much and the result was a definite ginger taste that Panda Express doesn’t have. My noodles didn’t turn out as dark a color as Panda’s. So My version was quite tasty and I wouldn’t be ashamed to serve it to guest, minus too much ginger.
I will try again. Thanks for posting your recipe.
Very yummy!! I replaced the soy sauce for coconut aminos and liquid aminos. And instead of the noodles I spiralized zuchinni. Super yummy!
This is the BEST chow mein noodle recipe. I started making it about a year ago and my family loves it. The sauce is perfect…not too sweet or salty. And I make sure the noodles get to the nice, crispy brown stage.
Easy and SO delicious! One of the rare times my whole family gave a thumbs up. I added some shredded chicken.
I watched them make chow mein and saw them put a scoop of something in that l could not make out. I asked what it was. They said “wine”. Unknown what kind of wine. Just an input here.
Made this tonight with the chicken peanut lettuce wraps – absolutely delicious! The whole family enjoy our Asian inspired dinner tonight. Thanks for the recipes!
So happy to hear it! Thanks for sharing.
This is my new favorite recipe site!!! Oh my gosh. You are amazing. Your videos really did me in. I want to cook everything on your site!
I use the low main noodles you can get in the Asian section of HEB and it’s just amazing. It is an outstanding dish especially with the sweet and sour glazed pork chops except I use that recipe wih chicken and it turns out amazing! I’ve made this dish multiple times for my family and friends and my boyfriends family and they all just love it!
Thank you so much, Aspen! Happy you liked it.
Great recipe & family loved it!
I have a crazy busy household with a teen + tween in 2 different sports, so training/practice 6 days and packed weekend for games. I have no time to chop & used 4C frozen stir fry veggies. Boiled noodles, doubled sauce and dinner served within 30 min!! Love it!
I will be making double the recipe over the weekend, as kids asked to eat this for lunch at school. Can’t get any better for our budget, thank you again!
That’s amazing! So happy this works out so well for you.
Panda Express does not use Ginger in their recipe or pepper. Just noodles, cooking wine, celery and cabbage with soy sauce then sesame oil at the very end before serving. It’s that simple.
No. Garlic or brown sugar either
I know nothing about Panda Express but have been looking for a good chow mein sauce for ages.
I had condiments & noodles in the pantry and went to the fridge for whatever vegs needed to be used up…thought of adding shrimp from the freezer but didn’t want to waste them on yet another disappointing recipe.
This was incredible! There was so little sauce but it was all that was needed. I put in a grocery order tonight and just can’t wait to try it with all the different ingredients I ordered. Yes, I signed up for your recipes because this winner was “damn delicious”!
So happy to hear it!
This was very tasty! I used udon instead of yakisoba and ground ginger. I think i added a bit too much ground ginger so be careful on the ginger, maybe add it to taste. I cooked it in sesame oil and I think that really made the dish, highly recommend using it. This was very easy and especially filling if you use udon
Great substitutions! Glad you liked it.
Made exactly as stated, very tasty. Similar to Panda Express, but not exactly. Their noodles are more chewy and larger maybe? I was even able to find the exact refrigerated yakisoba noodles by maruchan. However, I like a noodle with more tooth. These noodles I felt were too thin and springy. I simmered for 1 minute and drained well and still they had no texture. What other more “substantial” noodle would be a good substitute? Not udon, as too big! Would a dried noodle be better so you can control the texture? A Shanghai noodle perhaps? Thanks!
Shanghai noodle sounds amazing!
Delicious pasta, I loved the recipe, it looks very tasty.
Just made this today, delicious, thanks!
So says the partner:
“Just use SPAGHETTI”. I only had linguini, and thought I could adjust the amounts. YIKES! Albeit delicious, this made a LOT of noodles, which is no problem for us! 3 stalks of celery became the entire bunch of celery.
On the other hand? I cooked a LOT of Asian inspired dishes the week I made this. Another winner kiddo! :))
Wow. That was incredible. I cannot thank you enough for sharing it. We had some Ram-Yun noodles we thought it would be fun to use up, so I looked up how to doctor up ramen and came across this recipe. It’s funny because I’ve actually made this before, but I used powdered ginger instead of fresh and thought it tasted alright. Today while I was at the store I decided to buy some fresh ginger and see how it tasted. Oh man. I cannot stress enough how important it is to use FRESH GINGER. It completely changed the dish! Absolutely incredible! I want to eat it every day forever! We also added green beans and white mushrooms for fun and it was great. Really such an amazing dish.
I have been having a hard time getting the refrigerated noodles to break up before adding to the dish, or maybe I haven’t been breaking them up correctly. What technique do you use to make them separated strands of noodles, rather than a clump still in the shape of the package?
The noodles are loosened up in step #2:
In a large pot of boiling water, add Yaki-Soba until loosened, about 1-2 minutes; drain well.
Followed recipe exactly. I wouldn’t consider this Panda Express chow mein at all. It does have a slight hint that reminds of it but if I was given this without knowing I would not associate it with Panda Express.
Tried this and it was a little to ginger-y. I found a 1 pound bag of yakisoba in a little Saigon store. I’ll try it again but with less brown sugar and ginger.
How about replace 1 tablespoon brown sugar by 1/2 tablespoon of honey? Instead of using packages refrigerated Yaki-Soba, should i use spaghetti squash or fried eggs noodles for this panda express chow mein copycat?
Yes and yes! 🙂
Okay I made this today from the online recipe and it was delicious, I have to say that I cut the ginger in half because I am not a huge ginger fan. I also purchased and received your book in the mail yesterday and I was noticing in the book the brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic cloves, grated ginger, and white pepper amounts are doubled for this recipe . So my question is, it it a typo on this recipe or in the book?
Carla, it is not a typo actually. Either of the measurements will work. It’s just that some of the recipes in the cookbook have been tweaked a bit after further recipe testing but I prefer less garlic, ginger and sugar personally! It all depends on personal preference. Hope that helps!
I can’t wait to try your recipe! If I can’t find the noodles that this recipe calls for I will use Barilla Pronto half-cut spaghetti. I used them for a teriyaki chicken & noodles recipe I found online and discovered that the taste and texture of these noodles are exactly, in my opinion, like lo mein noodles.
Delicious! Your sauce made this chow mein. I added 2 chopped carrots and green onions, I like more veggies. I also browned the veggies including cabbage, most chow mein a have a bit if browning on the veggies .
Thank you
I have made these numerous times using coleslaw mix and add chicken!
Cole slaw mix is a good idea!
Hello:) I do not have have white pepper, is regular black ok?
Yes!
Hi! This recipe looks awesome, just one question though, can I use black pepper? Or does it have to be white?:)
Yes, black pepper can be used.
I love Panda’s chow mein and while this recipe is good, I wouldn’t call it a “copy cat.” That implies they taste almost the same and I don’t think these do. Over all a good recipe!
I sadly did not like it at all. I felt it was bland and even added hot oil to my plate and still thought it lacked… I am so disappointed as it looks exactly the same but maybe I had built it up more in my mind
I was excited to try this recipe, as my children & I love Panda Express Chow Mein, and I was making Orange Chicken to go with it. However, we were very disappointed. It did not taste anything like Panda Express Chow Mein at all, and my kids would not eat it. I ended up finishing it over the next couple of days, because it did taste okay, just not like Panda’s. I don’t think Panda Express uses ginger in their recipe. I followed the recipe exactly as written. 🙁
I didn’t think this tasted like Panda Express either! It’s a good recipe, but not what you’re expecting based off the name and photos. I even made it a second time with less ginger and still no. The flavor profiles aren’t similar at all.
The pictures also don’t really depict much sauce or ingredients in it, not sure how it would taste better than Panda.
Hi,made this recipe last week,and it was really good.But thought that the yakisoba noodles were too soft.And I didn’t cook the yakisoba,either.Just put them in the boiling water long enough for them to separate,and then into the collender.I made it to do 1 1/2 times the recipe.In ounces,how much dry angel hair pasta would I use to make a pound of cooked angel hair?
Here is a great guide to estimating pasta yield. Hope that helps!
http://www.thekitchn.com/ounces-to-cups-a-guide-to-estimating-pasta-yield-179180
Super yummy!!! Thanks for posting.
I really want to try this recipe,but have looked all over for these noodles,and cannot find them anywhere! Would DeCecco dry angel hair pasta #9 be a good replacement for the Yakisoba fresh in here? It looks like the exact same size.
Yes, absolutely.
If you’re sensitive to ginger, I would def recommend adding 1 tsp. I would also recommend adding in the garlic a minute/two after the onion instead of adding it to the sauce. Chung-ah has good base recipes but I always feel like something is lacking when following her recipes exactly. I usually tweak the recipes to suit my taste buds.
I enjoyed the recipe, for the most part, however, I feel like the taste of ginger is a little overpowering. I think next time I do this recipe I will add much less of the ginger! Thank you for the recipe!
This was really really good. I could not find fresh Yakisoba noodles at my grocer so used the dried Manchurian brand. The noodles were just okay but I bet the fresh noodles are the best complement to this dish. Flavor wise, though, it was fantastic!! I added shrimp (for the hubby) and am definitely going to make this again and often. Will go to the local Asian market for the noodles next time though. As others have said, your blog is amazing! Love your thoughtful recipes and mouthwatering pictures.
Is this recipe dry like panda express I hate wet noodles,that’s why I like pandas so much
Yes, this is a Panda Express copycat! 🙂
Can I use traditional rice noodles for this recipe?
Yes, absolutely.
Just made this for dinner and LOVED it! I’ve never been to Panda Express, but I’m assuming it’s similar to Manchu Wok (Canada). I’m a starving student (and it’s finals) so my dinners need to fit 3 pieces of criteria: quick, easy, and inexpensive; this dinner hit all 3 marks. 10/10 would make again! I added chicken, chopped carrots and snow peas to make it more substantial.
Great recipe!! Tried it tonight but substituted Ramen Noodles and it worked fine. My 9 year old was not too keen on it but my husband and I loved it. Thank you for an excellent recipe.
I was wondering the difference between chow mien and low mien, and do you have any recipes for low mien? The few I have found have so many ingredients, that I can’t afford to go out and buy all of that. Is there an easier way?
The difference between the two lies in the way that they are prepared. You can read more about it here. I do not have a specific lo mein recipe but feel free to try out any of these quick-fix Asian noodle recipes – you can use any type of noodles you have on hand – spaghetti, linguine, fettuccine, etc.
Can you use Udon instead?
Yes, absolutely.
Wow, what an absolutely delicious recipe! I made this along with your sesame chicken potstickers, and we had a feast! I’m definitely adding this to my culinary repertoire, especially since we have so many leftover to freeze! Thanks so much! I’m a fan of this blog 🙂
Made this as the recipe said except added chicken. This was super tasty, but for me came out too salty. Guess I will need to track down reduced-sodium soy sauce next time. Otherwise it was awesome!
This is a great recipe! Super cute and made perfect bowls for the 5 of us. I will say, as my husband and son are avid chow mein lovers and constantly get it for lunch.. It did not taste anything like Panda Express. Though it was great, we couldn’t compare the two. So unfortunately it wasn’t able to satisfy their panda needs but they still ate it. So success in my eyes hah
hi
can i add plain noodles or ramen noodles. yaki soba are not available where i live. Pakistan
Yes, absolutely.
This may sound strange but I add a pinch of cinnamon- I swear I taste cinnamon in Panda Express’s version!
Hi Chungah,
I made this a while ago , I am a slow cook, but this was easy and alot of fun to make, it tasted awesome too.
Thanks for sharing the recipe, on this awesome blog.
I was wondering with that much garlic, will this dish have a over powering taste of garlic…Some times I get sick when to much garlic is used in a recipe…thanks…
Suzie, you can reduce the amount of garlic as needed to suit your preferences.
Love this recipe! I add chicken to the recipe – Saute 1 lb of ground chicken (salt, pepper, olive oil & towards end add garlic, red pepper flakes, ginger & soy sauce) remove chicken & add back in when you add the noodles. Veggies are interchangeable.Tonight I went with 1 bag of bean sprouts, 2 shredded carrots & 1 bunch f green onions.
First of all I love your website. I seem to be coming here all the time from Pinterest. I made this dish tonight. Myself and my 3 kids loved it. I added a pound of chopped and sautéed chicken breast, used green onions and Napa cabbage, and made a little extra sauce to cover the extra food. I also added 1/4 cup minced cilantro at the end. It was so delicious. I found the Yaki-soba noodles in Fry’s in the front of the store by the wonton wrappers and tofu. Thank you so much for the recipe and all the other delicious recipes I find here.
I was so excited when I found this! However, I don’t know what I did wrong making it. It’s was way too salty and spicy I could only ge through two bites! The only thing I did differently as so use powdered ginger and one less clove of garlic. Any idea what happened?!
Megan, did you add the seasoning packets from the Yaki-Soba noodles? There is nothing really spicy here in the ingredient list so I am not entirely sure what could have caused the heat. The recipe also calls for 1/4 cup soy sauce, which isn’t all that much with 2 (5.6-ounce) packages refrigerated Yaki-Soba noodles.
I love garlic, but 3 cloves is wayyy too much for this recipe!! We couldn’t even finish eating it. If I make it again, I would add 1 or 2 cloves, and saute it first.
great recipe my wife loved it
I found your website a little over a year ago. Every recipe I have made has been amazing! This one is by far my family’s favorite. They love how good it tastes and so much less greasy than grabbing Chinese food. This is a go to recipe that never fails in this house! Thank you!
This is delicious! I added thinly cut chicken after starting the celery and onions, and used up a few mushrooms and sprouts with cabbage. I used coleslaw mix to make easy. I ate it with zucchinni noodles to keep it low carb but I could have eaten it without any noodles at all… maybe just more cabbage. Thanks so much for an easy, better than a restaurant meal:)
It tasted great as leftovers too!
Just wanted to drop you a quick note and thank you for this absolutely scrumptious recipe.
I made this and it was amazingly delicious!!! The only thing I did differently was cut back on the soy sauce and add about a 1/4 cup of Hoisin sauce. This is so good that I have made it several times in the last month. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
I have been wanting to try this for ages, and finally did tonight!! I have never had Panda Express, but this was so good, I love anything with soy sauce, garlic, and any sort of pasta! I had to buy the dry but they were fabulous too!!! I didn’t have any cabbage either but I wasn’t waiting any longer to make it, LOL I used lower sodium soy sauce b/c thats what I had, and didn’t have fresh ginger, but like I said it was fabulous and easy!! I can’t wait to have the leftovers tomorrow!!! Thank you so much! Can’t wait to try some of the other recipes I’ve pinned to my “Damn Delicious” pinterest page!!! 🙂
can you use oil other than olive? like veg or sesame?
Yes, you can use vegetable oil.
I made this last night using ramen noodles. Couldn’t find fresh here in Canada. What a perfect side dish to go with just about anything and so delicious.
I was wondering if you could substitute the fresh ginger with the powdered ginger in the spice isle? Thanks!
Yes, absolutely. The ratio for dry to fresh spices is typically 1:3. Hope that helps!
Well–I admit I was skeptical at first, but these were damn delicious! I didn’t even sit down and eat. I just grabbed my chopsticks and started right in. I locked the doors and pulled the blinds so I wouldn’t have to share with lurking neighbors who always seem to appear when I am cooking. They were even better the second night! We happen to have a great Asian market here, and I was wondering if I could use another Asian noodle for this recipe? They have all sorts of fresh noodles–mostly egg though. The yaki soba noodles w/pouch I purchase at the grocer’s are very expensive here ($3.99/bag). I don’t want to change the flavor of the dish–but a comparable noodle would be great. Next time I will double the recipe and share…I promise!
Sorry, I just saw the comment above. The Asian market had large bags of ramen noodles so I will try those. I am assuming no flavor changes. I am trying your honey crisp baked chicken tonight along with easy beef and broccoli for the neighbors.
I wouldn’t want to share either! 🙂
Now I have not tried using different kind of Asian noodles myself but I’m sure something like lo mein noodles would work just fine.
Morning!
This dish looks so delicious!
I am wondering about the noodles though. The yaki soba noodles that I get here in the grocery are quite thick and are a white colour.
They are like the udon noodles only with a yaki soba sauce already on them.
The noodles you use seem very thin, like something I would get a the chinese take out at the mall.
Could you recommend another noodle that would be thin like yours?
I really prefer the thin noodles.
Have a Joyful Day :~D
Charlie
Charlie, you can try ramen noodles if you cannot find yaki soba noodles.
Easy and awesome. We add sliced baked (marinated in CharSui sauce)turkey breast to the top. This is one of my fiancé’s go-to meals. He’s still finding his way around the kitchen and this recipe is a great for him.
I’m wondering do you have any idea of the calorie count ?
Nutritional information is provided only for select and new recipes at this time. However, if it is not available for a specific recipe, it is best that you use free online resources at your discretion (you can Google “nutritional calculator”) to obtain such information.
hi, I JUST STUMBLED UPON YOUR SITE, A COUPLE OF NIGHTS AGO & LET ME TELL YOU, I AM SOOOOO…….. EXCITED CHINESE FOOD IS MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, ANYTHING W/ ASIAN FLAVORS (EXCEPT SPICY-HOT, THAT IS.!!! I HAVE BEEN COOKING FOR OVER 40 (YIKES,HURT TO ADMIT THAT)!!! ANYWAY, SO THRILLED WITH YOUR SITE I CAN’T STAY FOCUSED. YOUR RECIPES SOUND & LOOK A-M-A-Z-I-N-G & APPROACHABLE,( THE THOUGHT OF TRYING TO COOK ASIAN FOOD HAS ALWAYS SEEMED INTIMIDATING TO ME, UNTIL NOW….. WISH ME LUCK! ! ! OH, ONCE AGAIN MY QUESTION / COMMENT, I LIVE IN SOUTHERN MA & THE CHOW MIEN WE GET HERE IS ALL VEGES ONIONS, BEAN SPROUTS, CELERY & ?? NOT SURE WHAT ELSE, BUT IT’S ALSO AMAZING ( YOU CAN GET IT W/ CHICKEN PORK ETC.) AND IT HAS A GRAVY OF GRAYISH LIGHT OPAQUISH, ( CAN’T DESCRIBE IT) GRAVY-LIKE, (SOUNDS GROSS, BUT ITS DELICIOUS, JUST CAN’T DESCRIBE IT. AND YOU SPOON IT OVER THE LITTLE HARD CRISPY CHOW MIEN NOODLES, AND THE HEAT FROM THAT HELP TO SOFTEN THEM JUST A TAD, INCREDIBLE BUT THERE ARE NO NOODLES IN OUR CHOW MIEN, OR CHOP SUEY WHICH IS SOUPIER. LO MIEN IS ONCE ( WHO AM I KIDDING WHEN I CAN ORDER IT I WANT EVERYTHING, PU PU PLATTER, CRAB RANGOONS, BONELESS RIBS, PORK LO MIEN, CHICKEN CHOW MIEN, PORK FRIED RICE ( FOR HUBBY) ORDER OF CHINESE VEGGIES COMES IN THIS AMAZING BROWN SAUCE. DO YOU HAVE RECIPE FOR THAT & BONELESS SPARE RIBS? ANYWAY, I HAVE TO GO BUY INGREDIENTS…. I’VE BEEN STARVING AS I READ THROUGH YOUR RECIPES, COMMENTS & YOUR SITE YOUR PICTURES ARE INCREDIBLE ( GOOD TO SEE WHAT IT’S SUPPOSED TO LOOK LIKE WHEN IT’S DONE. THANKS AGAIN FOR MAKING THIS ALL SEEM SO APPROACHABLE !!!!!!!
They also have it at Chinatown in the US, where I have a chance to sample some of the finest foods ever made by Chinese chefs. I must say it looks very yummy until I started eating it, then everything began to feel good/okay. I guess the way that it was prepared has a lot to do the dish’s popularity, because there are several panda express stores near my home and I haven’t been to any one of them. Well, my sisters order a couple fried noodle dishes with sweet pork chops that she shared with me on one occasion and the food tastes very fatty good. Next time, I will have to order one of these chow fried dishes from the store just to feel the taste of the old-fashioned cooking in United States and Canada.
I loved the chow mien when i made it. I couldn’t help myself and got another giant plate of chow mien
1st time ever making chow mein Husband liked it as did I. We added bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, and water chestnuts was really good will make again for sure. Our last few order in from resterants have not been pleasurable so will keep this recipe for sure! 5stars all the way. I also had to use regular chow mein noodles and worked great
Can yo tell me thie ingredients ni the Yaki-Soba noodles? I am allergic to dairy, soy and gluten, and If I understand right, aren’t these made from buckwheat, which IS gluten free?
Thanks!
Unfortunately, I do not have the packaging for the Yaki-Soba noodles to list out the ingredients but it seems that these noodles are made from wheat flour. You can read more about it here.
Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe. We have been living without Panda Express for 10 years and while I have tried to recreate the Chow Mein at home, I wan’t successful until I had this recipe. I doubled the recipe for 3 hungry adults and 2 kids and we could have eaten more. Next time, I won’t invite the neighbor. 😉 Keep up the great work!
Made this for my daughter and she said it really didn’t taste like a knock-off from Panda Express. She said it had too much soy in it and it was “spicy” (I chalk that up to using fresh ginger)….and yes, I followed the recipe exactly. She did, however, say she would eat it again. Chalk that up in the W column! 🙂
I made this dish tonight and absolutely love it. When I did the grocery shopping, I was unable to find the refrigerated Yaki-Soba noodles, like most others. I opted for Udon noodles. While extremely delicious, I think next time I will hit up a local Asian food market to find the Yaki-Soba noodles. The Udon noodles are fatter and a little chewier than I prefer for Chow Mein. Also in the sauce, I added a splash or two of rice wine vinegar; after reading a comment here from a Panda Express employee that mentioned they use vinegar in their sauce.
Thank you for taking the time to create this copy cat recipe! It’s made it super easy and accessible for every night of the week 🙂
Try the Chuka Soba – found in most grocery stores in the Asian section — it worked perfectly. I couldn’t find the refrig’d Yaki Soba at any store.
I actually mentioned to my grocery store that it was something I was looking for, and they have since started carrying it! I plan to make this again this week, and was able to find the refrigerated Yaki-Soba noodles! I was so excited 🙂
Hi, thank you so much for the recipe, my daughter loves panda express chow main, today my daughter and made it by following your steps, we added a little more cabagge and sprouts and it came out delicious, please post more recipes like this, thank you…
What type of onions fo you use?
Mseve, I used white onions but you can really use any onions except for red.
Could you make this the day before and then warm in a crockpot or make it in a crockpot? Would like to take it to a potluck and have no stove there.
Unfortunately I cannot answer this with certainty as I have never tried keeping this warm in a slow cooker. Please use your best judgment.
Hi, I can not wait to try this! I also want to put chicken in this recipe. Do you have an suggestions for this addition? I was just gonna grill chicken breast and slice it on the diagonal?
That sounds like a great idea! You can add it in at the very end of the recipe but please note that it may be best to adjust the other ingredients to compensate for this addition.
I made this tonight. The variations I made were I added some vegetables and doubled the sauce. It was good but pretty dry even with the extra sauce. I think the sauce would almost need quadrupled.
I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe! But with regards to quadrupling the sauce – that would be a very salty dish!
I Actually work at Panda Express and have made the chow mein so many time this recipe is pretty spot on besides the face that all the veggies are cooked together, there’s vinegar in it and the sause is a little different than this one
I was unable to find refrigerated yakisoba noodles, so I used Kame brand Hoikken Stir Fry noodles instead (they’re pre-made, not dried). They’re a bit thicker than yakisoba noodles, but they worked very well. I added some chicken, and it was fabulous. I can’t wait to make this again!
I used Lo Mein Noodles also found in the asian chilled noodle isle. Turned out amazing. I added some fresh green spring onions while sautéing my cabbage for some added color, only because I love vibrant and fresh ingredients and topped it off with some julienne Thai Basil and Cilantro and roasted sliced duck breasts and HOT Sriracha Chili Paste on the side for a full dinner dish! Family loved, loved it!
I made this last night. My husband enjoyed it but it was really spicy for me and my noodles were much darker than what you have pictured. What did I do wrong?
There’s nothing really spicy in this recipe other than the white pepper, but that’s really mild!
Sometimes the ginger can be “hot” — next time I would try less ginger and see if that makes it less spicy for you! I used refrigerated finely minced ginger (since I didn’t want to mess with grating any) and it was REALLY strong, my 4 year old said it was too spicy, so next time i’m only going to use about 1/3 of what the recipe calls for.
Are soba japanese noodles the same as the yaki soba noodles.
No, they are actually not the same. Soba noodles are thin noodles like yaki soba noodles but they are made from buckwheat flour.
Delicious:) I added chicken to mine. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
I used whole wheat spaghetti noodles and it still came out really good. It does change the overall texture (thicker noodles), but the flavor is all there!
This dish was absolutely delicious and so easy! Before his second bite, my husband asked if there was enough for leftovers. The only change I made was adding chicken for protein.
I used whole wheat spaghetti pasta because I do not have access to Soba and it came out yummy. Thank you.
Thank you so much! I made this for dinner for my family. It was my first time cooking, so I was nervous about how my family would like it (some are picky). All of my family gave a 5 out of 5!
i want to 5 stores today looking for yaki-soba I found just soba, and will be using it for dinner tonight but for next time I would like to know if there is a difference??
Soba is a completely different kind of noodle made from buckwheat flour.
My hubby said this was good as panda. I thought about adding some water chestnuts for some crunch?
Yes, that sounds great!
Love your recipes!
Just tried Panda Express for the very first time today in Canada. I’m hooked BUT it’s an hour away.
I know for a fact I will not be able to find the refrigerated noodles in my area so dried it is. Would you recommend cooking them earlier in the day and refrigerating or cooking fresh and adding to the dish hot?
I recommend cooking fresh and adding while it’s still hot.
Is it ok to use vegetable oil?
Yes, vegetable oil should be just fine.
we only have yakisoba but it’s not refrigerated. They are next to the top ramen. I will just use the microwaveable one and just boil it?
This was great! I wanted it to be our main dish, so I sauteed chicken in a mix of sesame and canola oils before adding in the veggies and made it “chicken chow mein.” Like others, I couldn’t find the refrigerated noodles, so I used dry and just cooked them according to package directions. I added in the cooked noodles after my veggies and before the sauce. My husband says this dish is better than restaurant food. Thanks so much!
I have to eat gluten free…do you think vermicelli noodles would work in this dish? (rice noodle, gluten free)
You can certainly substitute vermicelli noodles but I cannot speak for how much this will change the overall taste/texture of the dish as further recipe testing is needed. Please use your best judgment for this substitution.
Amazon has gluten free ramen noodles!! They are good!
I found Yakisoba refrigerated noodles in my supermarket but they were 7.7oz. packages, not 5.6oz. like you have listed in the recipe. I’m just wondering if I got the wrong ones? Mine say teriyaki but I assume that’s just the seasoning packet that comes with it.
Unfortunately without seeing the package, I cannot tell if you purchased the wrong noodles, but I suspect that it can come in different sizes.
These are the ones I bought, and the only ones I could find at any supermarket:
http://doclibrary.com/MFR3007/PRD/sku_pri_image_RT-1021_iuee.jpg
These should work just fine.
Re Noodles, Safeway and Fred’s (plus many others) carry them in the cold section in the VEGGIE area by the dressings and packaged salads, not with the dairy/egg area.
OMG this is really good. I will be making it again for sure
thanks for sharing it
so Carley, you didn’t cook the noodles, you just soaked them. I have the yaki soba dry noodles and was going to prepare them minus the seasoning packet as per the package. Do I cook them or not. Thanks for your input, I really want to make these
Have made this recipe a few times now. I love it and so does my family! So easy and delicious. I used Ramen noodles and soaked them in water, instead of using yaki soba noodles because my grocery didn’t have any. And it turned out great!! Thanks for the amazing recipie
For those unable to find the noodles in the refrigerated section, try Walmart. I got a 2-pack of yakisoba noodles in the nonrefrigerated Asian foods section. I think the brand was Hokkaido. Very good. They weren’t dried noodles, either.
This recipe was OUTSTANDING! I found you last week while looking for dairy free recipes and more healthy foods. My kids and I love Panda Noodles but I hate the greasy heavy feeling they leave. I added some mung bean sprouts to mine and my kids said they are better than the ones at the restaurant. I will be making this meal over and over!
I00% in agreement on your dislike of the amount of oil in fast food Chinese. It’s supposed to make you feel full, despite diminishing portion size.
Very grateful that now I can make my own version, reducing the fat, and increasing the number of vegetables. I might even add leftover chopped chicken.
So I looked at all my local grocery store and none of them carried the noodles. I called around to my local Asian markets and one store carried them but they were frozen. I made this before and didn’t taste quite right due to the extra water from the noodles that weren’t completely thawed. I am gonna try and make this again and completely thaw the noodles first!
In a pinch one day but craving this, I made it using a package of top ramen noodles that I had at home. (minus the seasoning) It was pretty tasty and we all enjoyed it.
My husband & I tried these noodles last night. They turned out great! I love being able to make these Asian-inspired recipes at home without having to spend a ton going out to eat.
I couldn’t find any refrigerated yaki-soba noodles in my area, so we did use the dried yaki-soba. It turned out great using th dry.
Thanks for all your great recipes!
I just finished making this dish for dinner and OH MY GOSH!!!! How am I supposed to share this with my husband when I can’t stop eating ALL of it???:) An excellent recipe that makes me so excited to try others on your blog:) Thank you!!
I used House Foods tofu noodles (from Whole Foods) as a substitute. Excellent and low -carb!
This was so yummy I finished it before I even noticed! Thank you for this awesome and FAST recipe!
If your store does not carry the refrigerated noodles, could we use the dry in the Asian section? (where the soy sauce and things are)
Yes, that should be just fine.
Are Yaki-Soba noodles similar to Japanese Soba (Buckwheat) Noodles — I have to make things gluten-free.
Not entirely. I worry that using soba noodles will completely alter the taste of this dish.
I just made this tonight and it was wonderful! It’s absolutely similar to the Panda Express version which is great because I don’t like the chow mein everywhere I go. My local grocery store did not have Yaki Soba and I was a little worried that my replacement noodle wouldn’t be as good but everything went great! I just got some uncooked egg-white only chow mein and pre-cooked it earlier in the day and just tossed in the noodles after the cabbage and left them on medium heat for a few minutes tossing occasionally until they were heated through.
Oops if I would have read more carefully I would have seen the answer. Sorry!
Just wondering do you use fresh ginger or the dried spice ginger?
Hi, i dont have any yaki soba and i really want to make this for dinner. do you think spaghetti will work? or should i just put this on hold?
This dish is best when yaki soba noodles are used.
I wouldn’t use spaghetti noodles, but I personally bought uncooked chow mein noodles found in the Asian section at my grocery store since they didn’t have Yaki Soba.
I made this the other week, and it was an absolute treat! I only got around to posting it up on my blog today, and I of course linked to your page as well 🙂
Thank you so much for a delicious recipe! I have already made it twice! x
This is damn delicious! I used dark sesame oil instead of olive oil. It adds much more flavor. I added bok choy as well. I really like how you can use different vegetables in this recipe. Just use what you have on hand or what you prefer or can find. There were no refrigerated noodles in any market here, I use the dry noodles. The brand I use is Excellent Flour Stick Pancit Canton. They are very similar to dry chow mein noodles, made of flour and coconut oil. Boil them for one or two minutes.
This looks soo good! Definitely pinning and making soon.
Just to add my two cents about where to find the noodles – I live in Calgary, AB (Canada) and get my noodles at Safeway in the produce section by the Asian produce – bok choy, bean sprouts, etc. Hope that helps someone. =)
IM GOING TO TRY THIS, I LOVE THE NOODLES THAT I GET @ CHINA KING. WE DONT HAVE A PANDA EXPRESS HERE; BUT THE INGREDIENTS LOKS SIMILAR TO WHAT THEY USE HERE. MY QUESTION IS ON THE CABBAGE; DID U USE A GREEN HEAD OF CABBAGE (LONGER TO COOK) OR NAPPA CABBAGE(COOKS QUICKER) AND USED IN MOST ORIENTAL DISHES
I used a green head of cabbage, but feel free to use either. You may have to adjust cooking time if you use napa.
Absolutely wonderful! I know I will be making this often. None of the recipes I have tried before had the satisfying flavor of this one. I also love that I can add stuff like sliced almonds or bean sprouts or whatever. Thank you so much for sharing.
Oh my gosh!!! I need to make this pronto. I love chow mien so much. To have it at home?? Dangerous! Pinned!
You are my new best friend. I have been craving chow mein on and off and mostly on for the past 6 months. The other day I made an emergency stop at a Chinese restaurant just to order that for dinner. Of course there was plenty leftover for dinner that night and lunch the next day. Now I can make it at home. This looks like the real meal deal.
Made these last night and they were SO delish. No worries to the people that can’t find the refrigerated noodles because I couldn’t either. I used 2 packs of the Yakisoba dried noodles and they turned out awesome. Paired the noodles with some pork wontons and dinner was incredible. Thanks!
Fantastic! Chopped the celery up a little more for my picky eaters and it was a big hit! Thank you!
Look for refrigerated Yaki-Soba noodles in the produce departments. Safeway, Nob Hill, all the local grocery stores around where I live carry the chilled noodles.
thank you, thank you, thank, you. I have looked all over for these noodles and I didn’t look in the produce isle. I have bought noodles from the produce isle before, I hope that is what I am looking for. Going back tomorrow to find them. I want to make this recipe so badly.
Sounds amazing, even though I’ve never seen refrigerated Yaki-Soba noodles in any of my local grocery stores. I would imagine that any local Asian market would carry them, right? This could be dangerous…making chow mein whenever I want, instead of dragging myself to Panda Express. 🙂
Yes, most Asian markets should certainly have these in the refrigerated aisle.
I Was wondering… Can I use the dry Maruchan Yakisoba noodles? I’ve called all my local grocers (Kroger’s, Publix, Ingles, Fresh Market) and no one has refrigerated versions
Yes, that should be fine. But be sure to loosen the Yaki-Soba prior to using.
I live in Ireland so dont know where to get the noodles – would it be ok to use a packet of dried noodles or would a packet of fresh noodles do? Are they just plain noodles – needless to mention i have never eaten in Panda Express!
Yes, you can certainly use dried noodles or fresh – it just won’t be a Panda Express copycat recipe!
So delicious!
Bookmarking it as this is my fav at Panda express!! Thanks for sharing!!
I’ve never eaten at Panda Express… now I don’t have to (LOL)! This looks absolutely amazing. I always love your recipes and photographs and visit your blog almost daily for inspiration!
I’ve never had Panda Express but will make sure to try this out!
I love Panda Express Chow Main Noodles! These look amazing!
When I was a poor college student spending my summers working in Cali I went to Panda express everyday for lunch and ordered a plate of white rice and then loaded it with plum sauce because it was practically a free lunch. Now living on the east coast I haven’t been to Panda express in a long time…this recipe will bring me right back.
Panda express/ takeout is expensive. An actual poor college experience is cooking all your own food cause you can’t go out ha. Just saying. This recipe rocks though.
SMH..Did you actually read what they said???… they would eat WHITE RICE and PLUM SAUCE!! lol sounds like a broke college kid to me!
This looks 1000x better than take out!
Hi, Where do you buy these noodles in Bay area? Which stores have these? Thanks
Grocery stores such a Safeway or Ranch99 should carry them. Although I recommend calling ahead to make sure it’s in stock.
I get them at my local Winco store too.
I also find them at Winco!
I tried looking for them at winco in the refrigerator section and nothing I ended up getting the dry noodles instead
They are at the Winco store and are located in the smaller section of refrigerated produce like where mushrooms and herbs are. They have these noodles there as well as other fresh Asian products.
I find them at my local Lucky’s and Safeway in Santa Clara. If I keep asking nicely I hope Target starts carrying them as well.
Hey, I live in East San Jose and there is a huge asian population! You can go to Any asian Story and it’s guarantee you will find them! There located in the been sprout, bamboo shoot refrigerated section. Can’t miss it! or if you go to Japantown in downtown San Jose. Hope I reached out on time. I get mine at Marina Foods!
OMG, I love you for making this homemade version as it is one of my favorite mall foods, ever. My waistline is already panicking. 😉
I don’t love Panda Express, but I do love their chow mein! I always steal my husband’s whenever he gets it. Love that I can now make it at home!
The amount of Panda Express noodles that I consumed as a teenager is embarrassing. I would order the orange chicken with a DOUBLE order of these noodles. Ridiculous. And man, do I miss my teenage metabolism…
Wow,I’m 14 and do the exact thing you do.(double order chow mein and all) xD
This looks amazing, and I love making copy cat recipes that are way healthier and tastier! Thanks for sharing!
Love this recipe. Thank you.
Ok this may be a stupid question but what the heck are Yaki-Soba and where would I find them?
Yaki-Soba is ramen-style noodles and can be found in the refrigerated aisle of your local grocery store.
Would it work with regular ramen noodles..
I haven’t tried it myself but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. Although you may have to adjust cooking time as needed.
Check near the premade salads and such in the produce area. I find that the ramen will clump together really easily compared to the yaki-soba.
I’ve never seen refrigerated yaki soba. Can you suggest a brand to search for?
Yaki-Soba is ramen-style noodles and can be found in the refrigerated aisle of your local grocery store. Feel free to use your preferred brand. I personally love Maruchan Yakisoba.
is this the same as the ones in the soup isle? I’ve never seen them in the refrigerated section.
You may be referring to the dried noodles.
Could I use dried spaghetti noodle instead and still get same results?
Kathy, it is best to use Yaki-Soba to obtain the best results possible.
yakisoba noodles r expensive. almost three bucks a pack. if i went to asian store, what would i buy that is comporable? they have so many noodles…? thx in advance.
You can really use any type of noodles to fit your budget.
Ramen noodles work in a pinch. Just pour boiling water over them first to soften.
Please, please, don’t use Ramen “noodles”, as they are not real noodles, just a bunch of hard to digest chemicals! You could use thin soup noodles, and it would be delicious!
I just made it with left over spaghetti pasta and it was great. I didn’t have enough pasta and should have cut the soy sauce mixture a little. Also, the next time I make it, I will use low salt soy sauce. All and all, I loved it and am glad I finally found this recipe.
I used just plain old spaghetti noodles taste just as close and less expensive.
I was just recently introduced to Panda Express when I moved from Canada to the States, and now I want it all the time.
However, I can totally pass on the fried rice and I always go straight for the chow mein. So, obvi I want this forever. The end.
Pinned!
I’ve only eaten at Panda Express once (in Mexico City of all places!) but I’m pretty excited about being able to recreate it at home!
Where are the bean sprouts?
I did not add them in this recipe but feel free to add them in to taste!
If I’m using a 16oz package of noodles how much more should I add to the other ingredients?
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment regarding substitutions and modifications.
Mathematics says 30% (1/3) more of everything. It’s cooking and therefore forgiving.
This looks amazing Chung-Ah! Way better than any takeaway 🙂
http://youtube.com/addalittlefood
I don’t even really like chow mein that much, I know, I know. But seriously, you made me want to eat a huge pile of it! GORGEOUS shots! The steamy hero shot, mmm, glorious. Love it! 🙂
Thanks for the recipe! When do you add the celery? I assume with the onions but the recipe doesn’t say.
Mikey, yes, you would add it with the onion. Thanks for letting me know!
It does say to add it with the onions!
Yes – now! The original comment was 6 months ago.
Thats bcos u saw the post in 2015 whereas that question was posted in 2014, probably when it was first out. Lol. And has been corrected.