Copycat Panda Express Mushroom Chicken
Copycat Panda Express mushroom chicken is a homemade version of their famous, delicious dish. No need to hit up the food court or go out for takeout with this easy Asian style chicken and veggie stir fry.
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I know I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: we adore Panda Express.
If my family has a takeout weakness it is this.
We love all their dishes.
And this mushroom chicken is no exception!
With a flavorful sauce over chicken and a blend of mushrooms and zucchini, this dish is a winner.
Plus you can enjoy it knowing it’s so much better for you than the version served at the restaurant since it has a fraction of the oil and and sugar.
Ingredients
To make this you’ll need:
- Chicken– Use boneless, skinless chicken breast. Trim off the fat and cut them into inch sized pieces.
- Cornstarch– To coat the chicken
- Canola oil– No canola oil? Feel free to substitute out another light colored oil instead.
- Garlic– Use both fresh minced garlic and garlic paste for maximum flavor.
- Mushrooms– Thickly sliced button mushrooms work very well in this, but if you can’t find button mushrooms you could substitute out thickly sliced baby portabella mushrooms instead.
- Soy sauce– Use your favorite kind. If you are watching your sodium intake, you could substitute out low sodium soy sauce.
- Sugar– Granulated sugar to bring a touch of sweet to the sauce.
- Sesame oil– A little of this goes a long way. Don’t skip it though! It has such a big flavor that you’d notice its absence.
- Garnish– Thinly sliced scallions and sesame seeds.
How to Make
Making this is easier than going to grab takeout!
To start, add the chicken to a medium mixing bowl and sprinkle cornstarch evenly out over the pieces.
Then toss the chicken pieces with a pair of tongs to coat the chicken evenly.
Next, add the canola oil to a large skillet or wok set over medium high heat.
Let the oil get nice and hot, then add the chicken.
Cook the chicken, stirring often for about 6 to 8 minutes.
The chicken will be golden brown on all sides and cooked through when its done.
Then, using a flat skimmer remove the chicken to a waiting plate and set it aside.
Then reduce the heat to medium low and add the minced garlic and ginger paste to the skillet and cook them, stirring constantly, until they are fragrant.
At this point, add the mushrooms and zucchini to the skillet and stir to combine.
Adjust the heat back up to medium high and let the veggies cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring often.
They are done when they are fork tender and begin to brown.
As the veggies cook, whisk the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and sesame oil together in a small bowl.
When the veggies are done, add the sauce and the chicken to the skillet.
Gently toss everything to evenly coat and combine.
Then let everything cook another minute or so until the sauce has thickened slightly. Then remove it from the heat.
Serve over steamed white rice and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds if desired. Enjoy!
Storing leftovers
Like most takeout dishes, this recipe makes for really yummy leftovers.
Store them in the fridge, covered, for up to 3 days.
If you serve it with rice, store the rice separately for best results.
Reheat it on a skillet on the stove or in the microwave.
Tips and Tricks
- This recipe doubles really well to feed a crowd.
- For a little heat, add a teaspoon of chili paste or chili flakes into the pan with the ginger and garlic.
- Feel free to add additional veggies to suit your tastes. Other yummy veggies to add could include carrots, broccoli or water chestnuts.
Other Copycat Panda Express Recipes
Copycat Panda Express mushroom chicken is one of my family’s favorites when we have homemade takeout night.
Add it into your rotation and enjoy!
Looking for other copycat Panda Express recipes?
Try these:
- Copycat Panda Express Black Pepper Chicken
- Panda Express Chow Mein
- Copycat Panda Express Fried Rice
- Copycat Panda Express Chicken & Green Beans
If you’ve tried this COPYCAT PANDA EXPRESS MUSHROOM CHICKEN, or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Copycat Panda Express Mushroom Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts trimmed of fat & cut into 1" chunks
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp canola oil
- 1 1/2 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tbsp garlic paste
- 8 oz white button mushrooms washed & thickly sliced
- 1 medium zucchini sliced in half lengthwise and then sliced again into 1/4" half moons
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp sesame oil
- thinly sliced green onion for garnish
- sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
- Add the chicken to a medium sized mixing bowl. Sprinkle the cornstarch evenly out over them. Gently toss with a pair of tongs until the chicken pieces are all well coated.
- Add the canola oil to a large skillet, or wok, set over medium high heat. Once the oil's hot (it will be shimmery), add the chicken.
- Cook the chicken, stirring/tossing often, for roughly 6-8 minutes- until the chicken's nicely browned on all sides & cooked through. Using a flat skimmer, remove the chicken to a waiting plate. Set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium low, and add the minced garlic and ginger paste to the skillet. Stir them, cooking for 30-45 seconds- just until fragrant.
- Add the mushrooms & zucchini to the skillet, stirring to combine. Rise the heat back to medium high, and cook them for 3-5 minutes stirring often- until fork tender, but not soggy and they've begun to brown.
- While the veggies are cooking, whisk together the sauce. Add the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and sesame oil to a small bowl and whisk together until evenly incorporated.
- Once the vegetables are ready, pour the sauce into the skillet. Quickly add the chicken back into the skillet, gently tossing everything to evenly coat and combine.
- Continue cooking for another minute, just until the sauce has slightly thickened. Remove the dish from heat.
- Serve the chicken and veggies with steamed white rice, and a sprinkle of sliced green onions & sesame seeds as garnish.
Nutrition
recipe adapted from Diethood
This post may contain affiliate links. As an amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. See my full Disclosure Policy for details. As always, all opinions are my own.
