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 popular dish at Panda Express? ›

We doubt anyone will be surprised to see The Original Orange Chicken in the number one spot. In fact, at every Panda Express we've ever been to, the dish is served from a bowl on the counter that's nearly twice the size of all the others. It's a true testament to the food's consistent popularity.

What iconic dish was invented by Panda Express? ›

The most famous dish at Panda Express is the Orange Chicken. Inspired by flavors of the Hunan Province in China, Chef Andy Kho developed it in 1987, and it has been a consistent part of the menu ever since.

What does Panda Express use to cook their food? ›

Panda Express uses only 100% pure soybean oil in the preparation of recipes.

What is Panda Chinese best seller? ›

Their best selling dishes are Smart Combo, Sweet n' Sour Chicken, Broccoli Beef and Vegetable Chow Mein, although they have a variety of dishes and meals to choose from like Chinese, Asian, Noodles.

What is the unhealthiest food at Panda Express? ›

"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. Total fat: 43 grams.

Is Panda Express owned by McDonald's? ›

Is Panda Express owned by McDonald's? No. Husband and wife co-founders Andrew and Peggy Cherng still own and run their privately-held company, The Panda Restaurant Group.

Is orange chicken a real Chinese dish? ›

Orange chicken is called Chinese food in North America, but orange chicken is rarely found in Chinese restaurants in China. Andrew Cherng, owner and founder of Panda Express, said that orange chicken is just a variation of General Tso's chicken, another dish that is almost unknown in China.

What ethnicity is Panda Express food? ›

Panda Express (Chinese: 熊貓快餐) is an American fast food restaurant chain that specializes in American Chinese cuisine.

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.

Why is Panda Express chicken so soft? ›

Why is Panda Express chicken so soft? Chinese restaurants use a cooking technique called velveting. One method is to marinate the meat with cornstarch to create a moist, velvety soft texture. Another method is to coat the meat in baking soda for about 20 to 30 minutes, rinse, and use in the recipe as directed.

How does Panda Express make their beef so tender? ›

How does Panda Express make their meat so soft? - Quora. For tenderizing, a little baking soda 1/2 tsp per pound of meats cut into the desired size up to 2 hours. Too long and the meat tastes like tofu. To stop the tenderizing (when waiting for customer orders) add some acid.

Is panda Chinese healthy? ›

"Panda Express can be unhealthy due to the high amount of sodium found in their meals as well as added sugar," says Roxana Ehsani, MS, RD, CSSD, LDN, a registered dietitian nutritionist in Miami, Florida. "Some meals can also be high in total fat, too."

What is the Chinese name for panda? ›

The most popular names in China today are dàxióngmāo (大熊貓; lit. 'giant bear cat'), or simply xióngmāo (熊貓; lit. 'bear cat'). As with the word panda in English, xióngmāo (熊貓) was originally used to describe just the red panda, but dàxióngmāo (大熊貓) and xiǎoxióngmāo (小熊猫; lit.

Why is panda so special? ›

Why giant pandas are so important. Giant pandas help to keep their mountain forests healthy by spreading seeds in their droppings, which helps vegetation to thrive. The Giant panda's forested habitat is also important for local people – for food, income and fuel for cooking and heating.

Why is Panda Express so popular? ›

Panda Express gives you a big old whack of food for not too much money. They also offer choices and people love choices. Flavor wise, Panda Express food isn't very complex. It is salty, sweet and a little spicy with sticky sauces that deliver a lot of salt and sweet flavor to your mouth.

What state is Panda Express most popular? ›

At the other end of the scale, there's one U.S. state that dwarfs all others when it comes to the number of Panda Express locations: California.

Why is Panda Express famous? ›

Panda Express is the biggest Chinese fast food restaurant chain in the United States. Famous for its orange chicken and chow mein, it has over 1800 locations and 27,000 employees around the world.

Who is Panda Express biggest competitor? ›

Panda Express main competitors are Cafe Services, Panda Restaurant Group, and Chipotle Mexican Grill. Competitor Summary. See how Panda Express compares to its main competitors: KFC has the most employees (820,000).

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