Description
Panda Express Mushroom Chicken copycat recreates beloved restaurant dish at home with tender marinated chicken, savory mushrooms, and crisp zucchini in garlic-ginger-soy sauce ready in 20 minutes.
Ingredients
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- 1 lb chicken breast, thinly sliced (¼ inch)
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- 2 tbsp soy sauce (for marinade)
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- 1 tbsp rice vinegar (for marinade)
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- 1 tbsp sesame oil (for marinade)
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- 2 tbsp cornstarch (for marinade)
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- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
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- 2 cups mushrooms, quartered
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- 1 large zucchini, sliced in half circles
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- 3 garlic cloves, minced
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- 1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
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- ½ cup water (for sauce)
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- ¼ cup soy sauce (for sauce)
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- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
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- 1 tbsp rice vinegar (for sauce)
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- 2 tsp brown sugar
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- 1 tbsp cornstarch (for sauce)
Instructions
Combine chicken with 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tbsp sesame oil, and 2 tbsp cornstarch. Mix to coat. Marinate 20-30 minutes or overnight.
Whisk together water, ¼ cup soy sauce, oyster sauce, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, brown sugar, and 1 tbsp cornstarch until smooth. Set aside.
Heat oil in wok over high heat until smoking. Cook chicken in single layer until golden, 1-2 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
Reduce heat to medium-low. Add garlic and ginger, cook 1 minute stirring constantly until fragrant but not burned.
Return chicken to wok. Stir sauce, pour into wok. Stir-fry until sauce thickens and coats everything, about 1-2 minutes.
Transfer to platter or bowls. Serve immediately over rice, garnished with sesame seeds and green onions if desired.
Notes
Slice chicken to uniform 1/4 inch thickness for even cooking. Marinate at least 20 minutes or overnight for most flavorful, tender chicken.
High heat is essential for proper sear – pan should be smoking hot.
Don’t overcrowd pan when cooking chicken or it will steam instead of sear. Cook chicken in batches if needed to avoid overcrowding. Leave chicken alone when cooking to develop golden brown sear. Stir sauce before adding since cornstarch settles to bottom.
For spicier version, add red pepper flakes or chili oil. Try different vegetables like broccoli, carrots, bell peppers, or water chestnuts.
Store leftovers in airtight container refrigerated up to 3 days. Reheat gently on stovetop or in microwave. Perfect for meal prep – portion with rice for easy lunches.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stir-Fry
- Cuisine: American-Chinese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 recipe
- Calories: 300
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 1946mg
- Fat: 13g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 13g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 82mg