17 Panda Express Recipes for Chinese Food Fans (2024)

Panda Express is one of the most popular eateries if you like Asian food but you don’t always want to go to a restaurant to get your Chinese food fix. The following Panda Express recipes are great copycat dishes that you can make quickly and easily at home. Whether you’re in the mood for beef, chicken, pork, noodles, or something else, you’re sure to find something you can’t wait to whip up and enjoy!

Black Pepper Chicken – Copycat Panda Express

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Make restaurant-style black pepper chicken at home in just 30 minutes with this delicious copycat Panda Express recipe. Satisfy your Asian food cravings with this easy and flavorful stir-fry.
Get the Recipe:Black Pepper Chicken – Copycat Panda Express

Wok Seared Steak and Shrimp – Panda Express Copycat

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Make this tasty Panda Express copycat wok-seared steak and shrimp dish at home with soy sauce, chili sauce, ginger, and garlic flavors. Impress your friends or enjoy it for lunch or dinner – it’s like an Asian surf and turf with beef and shrimp!
Get the Recipe:Wok Seared Steak and Shrimp – Panda Express Copycat

Easy Copycat Panda Express Mushroom Chicken Recipe

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Love Panda Express but can’t make it to the restaurant as often as you’d like? This Copycat Panda Express Mushroom Chicken Recipe will cure your craving any time it hits.
Get the Recipe: Easy Copycat Panda Express Mushroom Chicken Recipe

Honey Walnut Shrimp – Panda Express Copycat

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This Panda Express honey walnut shrimp copycat recipe coats crispy deep-fried tempura shrimp in a tantalizing sweet and savory sauce that’s served with candied walnuts. This will become one of your favorite quick dinner recipes!
Get the Recipe: Honey Walnut Shrimp

Orange Chicken

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Panda Express Copycat Orange Chicken is a delicious and crispy chicken that is coated in a sweet and spicy sauce. This healthy orange chicken makes for an easy dinner.
Get the Recipe: Orange Chicken

Instant Pot Fried Rice

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Let your instant pot get the flavor of Panda Express fried rice on your table in no time. This recipe is easy, tasty and best of all, budget friendly so you can get your Panda fix anytime!
Get the Recipe: Instant Pot Fried Rice

Orange Chicken – Panda Express Copycat

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Panda Express Copycat Orange Chicken has tender chunks of pan fried chicken that are smothered in a delicious orange sauce that has a kick of heat! The perfect quick night dinner option that’s ready in just 35 minutes!
Get the Recipe: Panda Express Copycat Orange Chicken

Eggplant Tofu (Panda Express Copycat)

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This eggplant tofu is a copycat recipe for the popular dish served at Panda Express! Crispy tofu is tossed in a sweet and tangy sauce.
Get the Recipe: Eggplant Tofu (Panda Express Copycat)

Sweet Fire Chicken

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Sweet Fire Chicken smothered in an irresistible sweet and spicy zingy sauce that is better (and healthier!) than your favorite Chinese takeout!
Get the Recipe: Sweet Fire Chicken

Drunken Noodles (Pad Kee Mao)

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Drunken Noodles are a Thai food stir fry noodle dish that packs a punch of heat and is loaded with tender chunks of chicken and veggies!
Get the Recipe: Drunken Noodles (Pad Kee Mao)

Broccoli Beef

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If you love broccoli beef over rice from Panda, then you have to try this copycat recipe. It is so tasty, and you are going to love how quick this dish comes together for a weeknight meal.
Get the Recipe: Broccoli Beef

Kung Pao Chicken

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This recipe for kung pao chicken might be even better than what you can get at Panda Express! You are sure to love the flavor of this easy and budget friendly take out fake out!
Get the Recipe: Kung Pao Chicken

Vegan Orange Tofu

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This 15 minute meal is a perfect vegan option for those nights you want take out, but don’t really want to go out and get it. It is made with simple ingredients for a flavorful and filling meal when served over rice.
Get the Recipe: Vegan Orange Tofu

Crispy Sweet and Sour Pork

17 Panda Express Recipes for Chinese Food Fans (14)

Use crispy pork belly to make this restaurant quality sweet and sour pork. This tastes even better than what you will get from Panda Express. It is also not too complicated to make on a weeknight for fast, homemade food.
Get the Recipe: Crispy Sweet and Sour Pork

Black Pepper Chicken

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Black pepper chicken makes for such a wonderful and easy dinner option. This recipe is loaded with celery to make a healthy one dish meals that tastes even better than an order from your favorite fast food spot.
Get the Recipe: Black Pepper Chicken

Chow Mein Copycat

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If you can’t resist chow mein from Panda Express, then you need to make this at home, as soon as possible. It is so easy to make on a busy night and it pairs well with chicken, pork, beef or shrimp for a versatile homemade meal.
Get the Recipe: Chow Mein Copycat

Mushroom Chicken

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Serve this mushroom chicken with zucchini over rice for a homemade meal that tastes even better than what you can get at Panda Express. This is so fresh and flavorful for a fast weeknight meal.
Get the Recipe: Mushroom Chicken

Bella Bucchiotti

Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause.

Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts. As well, Bella celebrates her Italian heritage with tasty dishes inspired by her favorite Italian foods. She has been featured in publications such as MSN, Self, Well + Good, New York Post, Salon, and more.

As a social media influencer, Bella can be found on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Since 2015, she has partnered with international brands and Fortune 500 companies. Living with celiac disease and Type 1 diabetes, Bella takes every opportunity to share her experiences with T1D and educate others about these autoimmune diseases.

17 Panda Express Recipes for Chinese Food Fans (2024)

FAQs

What is the most ordered food at Panda Express? ›

A representative from Panda's PR team said that the five top-selling entrées at the restaurant are (drumroll please): Beijing Beef, Broccoli Beef, Honey Walnut Shrimp, Mushroom Chicken, and, of course, the Original Orange Chicken—the dish that Panda Express is credited with inventing.

What oil does Panda Express use? ›

Panda Express entrees and sides contain zero grams of trans fat per serving and adds no MSG in their food. Panda Express uses only 100% pure soybean oil in the preparation of recipes.

What is in Panda Express honey sesame chicken? ›

Ingredients: chicken breast strips, green beans, yellow bell pepper, water, distilled vinegar, modified food starch, corn starch, contains less than 2% of: wheat, caramel color, ginger, garlic, phosphoric acid, salt, sodium phosphate, sesame oil, sesame seeds. *The dish uses a proprietary batter and sauce.

What is Chow Mein Panda Express? ›

Panda Express Chow Mein is a side dish that you can get at Panda Express. It's made with noodles and vegetables. This Chow Mein recipe is a very close replica of the restaurant's signature side dish. Make a healthier version of this Chow Mein at home for a fraction of the price!

What is the unhealthiest food at Panda Express? ›

The #1 worst Panda Express order is…the Chow Mein and Orange Chicken. "Panda Express's Orange Chicken and Chow Mein are considered unhealthy due to their high levels of sodium, sugar, and unhealthy fats," says Young. The Chow Mein and Orange Chicken is packed with: Calories: 1,000.

What is the signature dish of Panda Express? ›

Chef Andy Kao develops The Original Orange Chicken® entree for Panda Express. Inspired by the flavors of Hunan Province, the dish features crispy chicken bites in a sweet and spicy orange sauce.

What type of rice does Panda Express use? ›

Long Grain Rice – If you're going for fluffy, not sticky, then long grain is the way to go for fried rice like Panda Express! Medium grain or jasmine are okay substitutes to use, but short grain should be avoided.

What is the healthiest option at Panda Express? ›

Here are the healthiest Panda Express menu options that go lighter on calories, sodium, sugar, and fat, and load up on protein and veggies.
  • String Bean Chicken Breast. ...
  • Black Pepper Angus Steak. ...
  • Grilled Teriyaki Chicken. ...
  • Firecracker Shrimp. ...
  • Grilled Teriyaki Cub Meal. ...
  • Mushroom Chicken. ...
  • Super Greens. ...
  • Brown Steamed Rice.
Feb 20, 2024

Does Panda Express use MSG in fried rice? ›

Large eggs: While you could omit the eggs to make this vegetarian Panda fried rice vegan, they are a classic fried rice ingredient. I suggest using them! sh*take mushroom bullion: This is my personal touch to add umami flavor to this recipe. You can also use chicken bouillon or a touch of MSG (the restaurant uses MSG).

What happened to sesame chicken at Panda Express? ›

Panda Express first introduced the Honey Sesame Chicken Breast in 2013, and has brought it back a number of times for people to enjoy. The return was always sporadic, but after its return to menus in August as a limited-time offer, Panda Express is now opening up a permanent spot on the menu.

What is the difference between General Tso chicken and honey sesame chicken? ›

General Tso's chicken is a spicy and tangy dish made with a mix of chicken breast and thighs, while sesame chicken is a sweeter option made with succulent chicken thighs. Whether you're in the mood for something spicy or sweet, both dishes offer a delicious and crispy meal that's sure to satisfy your cravings.”

What is Panda Express kung pao chicken made of? ›

Kung pao chicken

A Szechwan-inspired dish with chicken, peanuts and vegetables, finished with chili peppers.

What is the difference between lo mein and chow mein in Chinese food? ›

The sauce: Chow mein is more of a dry noodle dish with an extremely light and delicate sauce — if any sauce at all. Lo mein is a saucy noodle dish that depends on a rich sauce for much of its flavor. The texture: Chow mein noodles tend to be crunchier than lo mein noodles due to the way they are cooked.

What's the difference between chow mein and chop suey? ›

With chow mein, you cook noodles and add them to your wok of other ingredients, cooking everything together in one pan. However, with a chop suey recipe, you will cook the noodles or rice and other ingredients separately before combining them in a bowl, serving up the noodles or rice with the sauce served over the top.

What is the difference between chow mein and lo mein at Panda? ›

Chow Mein means fried noodles, and Lo Mein means tossed noodles. Both dishes are made using Chinese egg noodles; both are delicious and high in calories. The main differences are the cooking method, amount of sauce, noodles to other ingredients ratio, and texture.

What is the highest grossing Panda Express? ›

As of 2007, the company's highest revenue location, bringing in over US$4 million annually, was located at the Ala Moana Center food court in Honolulu, Hawaii. On the ABC News TV program Nightline, April 18, 2011, there was a feature segment on Panda Express and its success.

What state is Panda Express most popular? ›

Why California Has So Many Panda Express Locations. The California origins of Panda Express aren't the only reason the chain has such a big presence there. There's the matter of scale: California is the most populous U.S. state; about 12% of the U.S. population lives there.

Why is Panda Express so popular? ›

In 1987, the chain's chef, Andy Kao, introduced the famous Orange Chicken. The first version was served bone-in but nowadays you will find that the dish is boneless. The combination of its good food quality, financial discipline and the boom in the Asian restaurant category brought Panda Express to new heights.

Is Panda Express cheaper than McDonald's? ›

Behind Panera in the top meal price spot came Chipotle at $14.34, then Shake Shack, followed by Panda Express at $10.32 per meal, then Wendy's at $9.89, Taco Bell at $9.69, McDonald's at $8.87, and Chik-fil-A at the cheapest.

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