Mongolian Beef Recipe + Panda Express Chow Mein Copycat (2024)

· Last Updated: by Calleigh ~

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This Panda Express Chow Mein Copycat recipe tastes way much better than the original. Now you can have some Panda Express at home for a fraction of a price as this Panda Express Chow Mein copycat recipe tastes way much better than the original.

Our family loves alfresco but it can be a little pricey dining out every weekend. See, I love to cook and been craving this Mongolian beef chow Mien but too lazy to go and grab some. It's not only me who loves this dish but my picky son and husband as well.

Mongolian Beef Recipe + Panda Express Chow Mein Copycat (1)

Pictures speak volume…our Panda Express Chow Mein is even yummier than it looks!

Mongolian Beef Recipe + Panda Express Chow Mein Copycat (2)

I've got this recipe from my mom and been making this for a dozen time hence often get rave reviews. My friends and relatives love it more than Panda Express as it tastes more YUM than the Panda Express Chow Mein.

You can alternate this dish with my PF Chang's Lettuce Wrap recipe, this is one of my favorite copycat recipes as well. If you love Asian food, you may try my Rice Pin Noodles as well.

The Noodles

I bought these thick noodles when I went to the Asian market, they are actually cheap and packed in a rectangular block. When cooking Panda Express Chow Mein, using pasta noodles is NOT recommended as these type of wheat flour noodles hold up better than the Italian pasta.

Mongolian Beef Recipe + Panda Express Chow Mein Copycat (3)

Extra tips

In this recipe, I didn't add the cabbage, but this is only me. You can add Napa cabbage as it tastes better than the regular green cabbage.

And for the ingredients of Mongolian sauce, you can use the Cooking Wine or a dry Sherry but for me, I like to use the Xiao Xing wine vinegar, you can pick this up at your local Chinese Market or in the Asian section/aisle of your grocery stores.You can read my post here for Kung Pao Chicken.

Mongolian Beef Recipe + Panda Express Chow Mein Copycat (4)

Any local supermarkets have a small Asian section and you can find some Asian sauce that could make up a delicious stir-fry sauce, in case you want it quick. This dish also needs a Hoisin sauce, Oyster sauce, ginger, brown sugar, and garlic.

Ingredients you'll need

  • thick egg Noodles (fresh - or Yakisoba noodles)
  • beef brisket (or sirloin beef thinly sliced)
  • cashew nuts
  • garlic (minced)
  • vegetable oil
  • mushrooms (sliced)
  • sugar snap peas
  • celery (sliced)
  • broccoli (cut into florets)
  • julienne carrots
  • Chinese sausage (optional and stir fried cooked separately)

for Beef Marinade:

  • cornstarch
  • light soy sauce
  • oyster sauce
  • sugar
  • brandy (I used Chinese Xiaoshing wine)
  • sesame oil
  • white pepper
  • ginger (minced)
  • garlic (finely chopped)

Mongolian Beef Recipe + Panda Express Chow Mein Copycat (5)

For the Mongolian Sauce:

  • vegetable oil
  • garlic (minced)
  • ginger root (freshly grated )
  • cup water
  • Hoisin sauce
  • low sodium soy sauce
  • brown sugar
  • rice wine vinegar (or Xiao Xing wine vinegar)
  • chili flakes (optional)

Step by step instructions:

Marinate the Beef:

1 In a separate bowl, add all the ingredients for the beef marinade. Toss beef, mix with all the ingredients. Set aside and put in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight.

Prepare Vegetables:

2 Par boil all the vegetables except for the mushrooms.

For the Mongolian Sauce:

In a separate container, prepare the sauce. Put all the ingredients and mix well. Set aside.

For the Main Dish:

3 In a large skillet (or wok), set over medium heat and add vegetable oil. Once the oil is hot, lightly saute 1 teaspoon mince garlic and add the marinated beef. Stir until the beef is cooked and then add mushrooms + cashew nuts.

4 Pour the par boiled vegetables and stir continuously so the bottom does not get burn.

5 Once everything is sizzling hot, add the thick noodles and ½ of the Mongolian sauce. Pour ½ cup of water around the side of the wok and combine with all the ingredients. Keep stirring until the sauce thickens.

6 Add the remaining ½ of the Mongolian sauce. Keep stirring until the thick noodles are cooked. Sprinkle the cooked Chinese sausage and add more cashew nuts if needed.
Garnish with scallions.

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  • Pad See Ew
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Watch the Video

Full Recipe

Mongolian Beef Recipe + Panda Express Chow Mien Copycat

3.94 from 15 votes

Pin Recipe

Now you can have some Panda Express at home for the fraction of a price as this Chow Mein recipe (copycat) tastes way much better than the original. In this recipe, I used the thick noodles (fresh) which you can find in any Asian market.

Servings: 5

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 pack 4 oz thick egg Noodles (fresh - or Yakisoba noodles)
  • 8 oz beef brisket (or sirloin beef thinly sliced)
  • ½ cup cashew nuts
  • 1 teaspoon garlic (minced)
  • 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 cup mushrooms (sliced)
  • 1 cup sugar snap peas
  • 2 cups celery (sliced)
  • 1 head broccoli (cut into florets)
  • 1 cup julienne carrots
  • 2 pcs Chinese sausage (optional & stir fried cooked separately)

for Beef Marinade:

  • 3 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon brandy (I used Xiao Xing wine)
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • ½ teaspoon white pepper
  • 1 teaspoon ginger (minced)
  • 2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)

For the Mongolian Sauce:

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 3 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 1 teaspoon ginger root (freshly grated )
  • ½ cup water
  • ½ cup Hoisin sauce
  • cup low sodium soy sauce
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoon rice wine vinegar (or Xiao Xing wine vinegar)
  • 1 teaspoon chili flakes (optional)

Watch the Video:

Instructions:

Marinate the Beef:

  • In a separate bowl, add all the ingredients for the beef marinade. Toss beef, mix with all the ingredients. Set aside and put in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight.

Prepare Vegetables:

  • Par boil all the vegetables except for the mushrooms.

For the Mongolian Sauce:

  • In a separate container, prepare the sauce. Put all the ingredients and mix well. Set aside.

For the Main Dish:

  • In a large skillet (or wok), set over medium heat and add vegetable oil. Once the oil is hot, lightly saute 1 teaspoon mince garlic and add the marinated beef. Stir until the beef is cooked and then add mushrooms + cashew nuts.

  • Pour the par boiled vegetables and stir continuously so the bottom does not get burn.

  • Once everything is sizzling hot, add the thick noodles and ½ of the Mongolian sauce. Pour ½ cup of water around the side of the wok and combine with all the ingredients. Keep stirring until the sauce thickens.

  • Add the remaining ½ of the Mongolian sauce. Keep stirring until the thick noodles are cooked. Sprinkle the cooked Chinese sausage and add more cashew nuts if needed.

  • Garnish with scallions or cilantro and serve hot!

Notes:

You can get these thick noodles in any Asian store and they usually come in a square pack of rectangular blocks.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 574.71kcal | Carbohydrates: 64.46g | Protein: 23.19g | Fat: 26.2g | Saturated Fat: 6.63g | Sodium: 1348.53mg | Fiber: 7.67g | Sugar: 23.15g

Please note that all nutrition information are just estimates. Values will vary among brands, so we encourage you to calculate these on your own for most accurate results.

Did you make this?I would love seeing what you've made! Tag me on Instagram @theforkbitedotcom or leave me a comment or rating below.

Course: entree

Cuisine: Asian, Chinese

Keywords: chow mein recipe, panda express chow mein, panda express chow mein copycat

Mongolian Beef Recipe + Panda Express Chow Mein Copycat (2024)

FAQs

What brand of noodles does Panda Express use? ›

First in your skillet, boil some water and cook your noodles. I stand by using Yakisoba noodles. I find that it is the easiest and the closet noodle to Panda Express. You can use ramen, I just find it to be a little different.

What is chow mein made of panda? ›

Ingredients: cabbage, wheat flour, celery, carrots, water, mung bean vermicelli, green onions, modified corn starch, contains less than 2% of: ginger & garlic oil, sesame oil, salt, sugar, dehydrated soy sauce, onion powder, natural stir-fry flavor, spices, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate, soybean oil, sodium ...

What is similar to Mongolian beef? ›

If you are like me, you probably asked yourself what's the difference between Szechuan Beef vs Mongolian Beef because these two dishes look very similar. The main difference is in flavor and the use of peppercorns. Szechuan Beef has a sweet and spicy flavor with added chili peppers and Szechuan peppercorns.

What makes chow mein taste like chow mein? ›

Simple sauce: While chow mein sauce is unbelievably easy to make, it still brings a complexity of flavors to the dish. The careful combination of ingredients like soy sauce, sesame oil, oyster sauce and sugar results in a chow mein sauce that has hints of both savory and sweet notes.

What kind of noodles are used in chow mein? ›

Chow mein is a traditional Chinese dish made with egg noodles and stir-fried veggies. We love adding a protein and our favorite is chicken, but you can try different meat or tofu. This dish is pan-fried so the noodles get a nice crisp to them and then tossed in a yummy 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 kind of 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.

Does Panda Express use real meat? ›

The real “meat” of the Panda Express menu is in the form of chicken. There are more chicken-based dishes than any other protein on the menu. Here, you will find everything from lean meats with vegetables to fried, battered choices loaded with sugary sauce.

What is Mongolian beef sauce made of? ›

Our recipe for Mongolian beef sauce includes oyster sauce, soy sauce, tamari soy sauce (as a replacement for dark soy sauce), chili sauce, sugar, and cooking wine. Check the ingredient list to see precise amounts. Don't forget that you can scale the recipe up and down!

What does Mongolian beef consist of? ›

Mongolian beef is a dish from Taiwan consisting of sliced beef, typically flank steak, usually made with onions. The beef is commonly paired with scallions or mixed vegetables and is often not spicy. The dish is often served over steamed rice, or in the US, over crispy fried cellophane noodles.

What is Mongolian beef made of? ›

What is Mongolian Beef? It's a simple stir fry with thin slices of beef simmered in a sauce of soy, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger. The brown sugar caramelizes in the soy to make a slightly sticky sauce that coats the beef.

What is the sauce in chow mein made of? ›

Blanch the chow mein noodles for 30-60 seconds, rinse with cold water, drain and set aside. Mix soy sauce, vegetarian oyster sauce, sesame oil, sugar, black vinegar, and black pepper in a bowl. In a large pan, drizzle in a generous amount of oil and turn the heat to medium-high.

Can you buy chow mein sauce? ›

Sainsbury's Chow Mein Stir Fry Sauce 120g | Sainsbury's.

What is the crunchy stuff in chow mein? ›

At my local Chinese, they call this Crispy Chow Mein Noodles. It's a Hong Kong / Cantonese style dish, and there are a lot of variations but the core of it is a bed of deep fried crunchy noodles topped with a saucy stir fry.

Who makes Panda Ramen? ›

The company — known for its Panda Signature ramen brand — manufactures its products overseas but decided it needed to switch gears once the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Albany Farms is known for its Panda Signature ramen.

What are the clear noodles in Panda Express egg rolls? ›

If you are wondering what the clear noodles in egg rolls are, they are cellophane noodles. I'm sharing with you what's inside of them and more!

Is chow mein the same as noodles? ›

The term 'chow mein' means 'stir-fried noodles', also loosely translating to "fried noodles" in English, chow (Chinese: 炒; pinyin: chǎo) meaning 'stir-fried' (or "sautéed") and mein (simplified Chinese: 面; traditional Chinese: 麵; pinyin: Miàn) meaning "noodles".

What are yakisoba noodles made of? ›

Yakisoba (Japanese: 焼きそば, [jakiꜜsoba], transl. 'fried noodle'), is a Japanese noodle stir-fried dish. Usually, soba noodles are made from buckwheat flour, but soba in yakisoba are Chinese-style noodles (chuuka soba) made from wheat flour, typically flavored with a condiment similar to Worcestershire sauce.

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