We don’t eat a lot of fast food anymore. The older your get, the less appealing drive-through fast food is. I remember being in college and devouring a plate of nachos bell grande at 2 in the morning. If I did that now, it would not end well.
The only “fast food” I partake in—albeit in a very rare manner—is Panda Express. I feel like it’s healthier (they use fresh veggies and post calorie counts plainly on their boards) and it’s tastier than a bland McDouble.
When I’m in a rush and I don’t have anything to eat at home, I’ll swing by Panda Express. I always get a bowl with either brown rice or steamed vegetables, with their mushroom chicken on top. It’s one of their most healthy dishes on the menu—and it’s delicious to boot.
I decided I’d try to make a copycat version of their Mushroom Chicken myself. I scoured the internet for versions and breakdowns, and pooled all the ideas to come up with this. I think it’s pretty true to the original, but the sauce could be thicker. I guess adding a cornstarch slurry would help that?
I topped mine, as you can see, with a metric ton of Sriracha. I can’t get enough of that sweet, spicy nectar of the gods. I chose to serve mine on top of brown rice with a touch of sesame seeds for crunch. Delicious!
Now that I know how to make my own Mushroom Chicken, I guess I can mark off the last fast food restaurant on our list. Ah, to break the chains of unhealthy commercialism!
Copycat Panda Express Mushroom Chicken
An at-home version of the Panda Express classic, made with chicken, mushrooms and zucchini.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. chicken breast, thinly sliced into bite-size pieces
- 3 TBS. cornstarch
- 1 TBS. olive oil
- 1TBS. sesame oil
- 1 lb. baby portabello mushrooms, sliced
- 2-3 medium zucchini, cut in half and then sliced (into semi-circles)
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 2 TBS. rice wine vinegar
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tsp. minced ginger
- Cooked brown rice, for serving
- sesame seeds, Sriracha for topping
Directions
- In a large bowl, toss chicken with cornstarch. Meanwhile, heat olive oil and sesame oil together in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes or until browned on both sides. Transfer to a plate.
- Add mushrooms and zucchini to skillet, adding more sesame oil if needed. Cook until veggies start to brown, but are still crisp-tender, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add garlic and ginger to the skillet and stir.
- In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar and rice wine vinegar. Add sauce and chicken to the skillet, stir, and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Remove from skillet from heat. Top a bowl of brown rice with mushroom chicken mixture. Top with sesame seeds and Sriracha.
Step-By-Step Instructions
In a large bowl, toss chicken with cornstarch. Meanwhile, heat olive oil and sesame oil together in a large skillet over medium high heat.
Add chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes or until browned on both sides. Transfer to a plate.
Add mushrooms and zucchini to skillet, adding more sesame oil if needed. Cook until veggies start to brown, but are still crisp-tender, about 2-3 minutes.
In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar and rice wine vinegar. Add sauce and chicken to the skillet, stir, and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Remove from skillet from heat. Top a bowl of brown rice with mushroom chicken mixture. Top with sesame seeds and Sriracha.
leencuisine.com 
Girl after my own heart! Copy Everything! I’ve never had the PE version but this looks good.
I love copycat recipes! They usually end up cheaper than the original, too.
This looks so good, Colleen! Thanks for liking my post on Chicken Wraps. Keep writing about these yummy Leen recipes!
Thank you! This is one of my favorite recipes so far.
Panda Express is my go-to fast food. Thanks for this recipe.