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Panda Express Mushroom Chicken is the better than takeout copycat that puts tender seared chicken, meaty mushrooms, and crisp zucchini in a glossy savory sauce, all in about 30 minutes. I started making this mushroom chicken recipe at home after one too many drive through trips, and now Maddie asks for it on busy weeknights instead of the mall food court. If you love copycat takeout, you will also want our easy drunken noodles.
This one pan stir fry uses simple pantry sauces and comes together faster than delivery, with that signature Panda Express flavor you crave.
Panda Express Mushroom Chicken Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 15 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 30 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 4 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 321kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Savory, garlicky, and umami rich (soy, oyster sauce, and ginger)
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, on par with our teriyaki chicken fried rice
Quick Answer
Toss sliced chicken with soy sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, and cornstarch, then sear it in a hot wok until golden. Sear the mushrooms and zucchini separately, cook the ginger and garlic, and pour in a sauce made of chicken stock, brown sugar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and rice vinegar. Add everything back to the pan and simmer until the sauce thickens and coats every piece. The whole copycat comes together in about 30 minutes.
Jump to:
- Panda Express Mushroom Chicken Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to Make Panda Express Mushroom Chicken
- Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- Panda Express Mushroom Chicken FAQs
- Other Recommended Copycat Takeout Recipes
- Easy Copycat Panda Express Mushroom Chicken Recipe
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Cornstarch gives a velvety chicken. Coating the chicken in cornstarch before searing is a quick velveting trick that keeps the meat juicy and helps the sauce cling.
- Searing in batches keeps it crisp. Cooking the chicken, mushrooms, and zucchini separately means each one gets a real sear instead of steaming in a crowded pan.
- The sauce balances sweet and savory. Brown sugar, soy, and oyster sauce hit that classic Panda Express balance, while rice vinegar adds a bright note that keeps it from tasting flat.
- A cornstarch slurry thickens fast. Whisking cornstarch right into the sauce means it turns glossy and clings to everything the moment it hits the hot wok.
- Fresh ginger and garlic build the base. Blooming them in the hot pan for just 30 seconds releases their aroma and gives the dish that fresh takeout flavor.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It tastes just like the Panda Express favorite but uses wholesome ingredients you control at home.
- It is a fast, one pan weeknight dinner that is on the table in about 30 minutes.
- It is naturally lighter than most takeout and pairs perfectly with steamed rice or our teriyaki fried rice.
Key Ingredients
A handful of pantry staples and fresh vegetables make this copycat sing. Here is what each one does.
- Chicken breast: Thinly sliced so it sears fast and stays tender. The cornstarch coating gives it that signature velvety bite.
- White mushrooms and zucchini: The classic Panda Express duo. Searing them keeps the mushrooms meaty and the zucchini tender crisp.
- Soy sauce and oyster sauce: The savory, umami backbone of the sauce. Oyster sauce adds a deep richness you cannot fake.
- Brown sugar and rice vinegar: Brown sugar brings the gentle sweetness and rice vinegar adds the bright tang that balances it.
- Fresh ginger and garlic: Bloomed in the hot pan for big aromatic flavor that makes the dish taste like real takeout.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
Make this copycat your own with a few easy swaps.
- Switch the protein: Use thinly sliced chicken thighs, shrimp, or even tofu in place of chicken breast.
- Add more veggies: Toss in snap peas, bell peppers, or broccoli for extra color and crunch.
- Make it gluten free: Use tamari and a gluten free oyster sauce in place of the regular sauces.
- Turn up the heat: Add a pinch of red pepper flakes or a drizzle of chili oil for a spicy kick.
- Serve it over noodles: Spoon it over lo mein or pair it with our drunken noodles for a takeout feast.
How to Make Panda Express Mushroom Chicken
- Toss the sliced chicken with soy sauce, garlic powder, and onion powder, then stir in the cornstarch to coat. Heat oil in a wok and sear the chicken in a single layer until golden and cooked through, then set aside.
- Add another tablespoon of oil and sear the sliced mushrooms, stirring constantly, until they soften, about 2 minutes. Move them to the plate with the chicken.
- Sear the zucchini half moons in the remaining oil, stirring, until tender crisp, 2 to 3 minutes, then set them aside with the chicken and mushrooms.
- Add the minced ginger and garlic to the hot wok and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Whisk together the chicken stock, brown sugar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice vinegar, and cornstarch, then pour the sauce into the wok and let it start to bubble.
- Add the chicken and vegetables back to the wok, toss to coat, and simmer 1 to 2 minutes until the sauce thickens. Garnish with sesame seeds and scallions and serve.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Slice the chicken thin. Thin, even slices sear fast and stay tender, just like the restaurant version.
- Get the pan hot. A screaming hot wok gives the chicken and veggies a real sear instead of steaming them.
- Do not crowd the pan. Cook the chicken, mushrooms, and zucchini in batches so everything browns properly.
- Prep the sauce first. Stir-fries move fast, so have the sauce mixed and ready before you start cooking.
- Whisk the sauce again before pouring. The cornstarch settles, so give it a quick stir so it thickens evenly.
- Garnish for the full effect. A sprinkle of sesame seeds and scallions makes it look and taste like takeout.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
This Panda Express Mushroom Chicken is built to sit on a big bowl of steamed white or brown rice that soaks up all that glossy sauce. For a true copycat plate, serve it alongside fried rice or chow mein and a few egg rolls.
Make it a full takeout night at home by adding our teriyaki chicken fried rice or a pan of drunken noodles on the side. A simple cucumber salad keeps things fresh and crunchy.
Leftovers reheat beautifully for lunch the next day, so do not be afraid to double the batch. This mushroom chicken recipe is the kind of fakeout takeout the whole family will request on repeat.
Panda Express Mushroom Chicken FAQs
Panda Express Mushroom Chicken uses white mushrooms and zucchini cut into half moons. This copycat sticks with that classic pairing, but you can add bell peppers or snap peas for extra color.
This homemade Panda Express Mushroom Chicken is on the lighter side, with lean chicken breast, fresh vegetables, and a sauce you control. At about 321 calories per serving, it is a satisfying better for you takeout swap.
Yes. You can slice the chicken and vegetables and mix the sauce ahead, then stir-fry when ready. Fully cooked Panda Express Mushroom Chicken also keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days and reheats well.
The sauce for Panda Express Mushroom Chicken is a mix of chicken stock, brown sugar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice vinegar, and cornstarch. It simmers into a glossy, savory sauce that coats every bite.
Absolutely. Boneless skinless chicken thighs make a juicy, flavorful Panda Express Mushroom Chicken. Slice them thin and sear the same way you would the breast.
A wok gives the best high heat sear, but any large skillet works for Panda Express Mushroom Chicken. Just make sure the pan is hot and do not overcrowd it so everything browns.
Hungry for more copycat takeout? Make our easy drunken noodles next for another restaurant favorite at home.
Love takeout flavor at home? Our sweet ginger Asian chicken marinade delivers ginger, soy, and honey in every bite.
For a simple roasted main, our roast chicken comes out juicy every time thanks to a garlic herb butter.
If you enjoy Asian dinners, do not miss our pad kra pao with savory pork and fragrant Thai basil.
Easy Copycat Panda Express Mushroom Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 1/4 inch slices
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
For the sauce:
- 1/4 cup unsalted chicken stock
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar packed
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
For assembly:
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 8 ounces white mushrooms thinly sliced
- 2 cups zucchini 1/4 inch thick sliced half moons
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- sesame seeds for garnish optional
- thinly sliced scallions for garnish optional
Instructions
- Place the sliced chicken in a medium-sized bowl. Add the soy sauce, garlic powder, and onion powder, and toss to combine.
- Add the cornstarch to the bowl and stir to combine so the chicken is coated and set aside.
- In a small bowl, stir together the chicken stock, brown sugar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice vinegar, and corn starch, and set aside.
- In a wok or large skillet over medium high heat, add 1 tablespoon of the oil. Once hot, add the chicken to the pan and flatten it out into a single layer. Let it sit for 30 seconds to a minute to get a golden brown sear on the bottom.
- Start tossing the chicken around and letting it sear until it is cooked through, 5-6 minutes. Set the cooked chicken on a plate.
- Add another tablespoon of oil and sear the mushrooms, constantly stirring, until they begin to soften for about 2 minutes. Place them on the plate with the chicken.
- Add the remaining oil and sear/cook the zucchini, constantly stirring, until tender-crisp, 2-3 minutes. Place the zucchini on the plate with the chicken and mushrooms.
- Add the ginger and garlic to the skillet, and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add the sauce, stir it around, and as soon as it starts to bubble, add all the ingredients back to the pan and coat in the sauce.
- Let it simmer for 1-2 minutes until warmed through, and the sauce is thickened. Serve immediately with sesame seeds and scallion garnish if using.
Video
Notes
- This makes a large portion, but you can easily double it to feed more or halve the recipe as needed.
- Tons of custom options, see my tips above on that.
- This freezes well, see my tips above on how to store.
- Use boneless-skinless chicken thighs if you prefer dark meat to white meat chicken.
Nutrition
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Thank you for sharing a Panda Express recipe. For us, we are copycatting things that we like. It’s just too expensive for the modern family in the Middle Class to eat out, because it’s costs so much to feed a family. So, we love going home and making our own versions of restaurant recipes. It’s just not worth spending $12 / $15 bucks (or more) per person to eat at Panda Express, Whataburger, Taco Bell, Taco Cabana, etc. So, your site and other sites like Dinner Then Dessert, are ones that we really visit alot. Thank you for what you do.