This easy Zucchini Mushroom Chicken Stir Fry recipe is bursting with flavor in each and every bite! All you need is one skillet, 20 minutes, and just a handful of pantry ingredients.
Chicken, zucchini, mushrooms, and the flavors of PANDA EXPRESS come together in a recipe that’s about to become your family’s favorite take-out fake-out!
Easy Stir Fry with Chicken
This is a simple stir fry of juicy chicken bites prepared with tender mushrooms and zucchini coated with the most amazing sweet and savory stir fry sauce. A delicious dinner recipe that is wholesome, faster than takeout, and much, much healthier.
Who LOVES Chinese takeout?! ME ME ME! ? Who DOESN’T LOVE the amount of calories and sodium that comes with that takeout?! ME ME ME! ?
But, you know what? No Chinese takeout can compete with this cheater version that we are about to make in our own kitchens. ?
It’s just such a delicious and easy clean-out-the-fridge-type meal. Quick, simple, and completely customizable to what you have on hand. Though mushrooms and zucchini is BEST if you’re trying to recreate Panda’s dish.
To make it a complete meal, you can serve it over rice, pasta, or even mashed potatoes.
How To Make Panda Express Mushroom Chicken
- Cut chicken breasts into bite size cubes.
- Place chicken pieces in a bowl and sprinkle with cornstarch; toss to coat.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet or a wok; add chicken pieces to the hot oil and cook until browned on both sides – this should take about 6 to 8 minutes.
- Remove chicken from wok or skillet and set aside.
- Add garlic and ginger to the skillet, then stir in the mushrooms and zucchini; cook for 4 minutes, or until fork tender.
- In the meantime, prepare the sauce by whisking together low-sodium gluten free soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sugar.
- Stir the chicken back into the skillet.
- Add in the sauce; stir to coat chicken and veggies.
- Stir and cook for 30 seconds, or until everything is heated through.
- Remove from heat; sprinkle with sesame oil and sesame seeds.
- Garnish with scallions and serve.
Tips for Making Perfect Stir Fry at Home
- Cut, chop, and prepare everything before you get started. Stir fry meals come together super fast so you want to be ready.
- Use a Wok OR a large skillet. Anything that is 12-inches or over should be good. You want those ingredients to fit in comfortably and in one layer.
- Always use an oil that can withstand high heat, like Vegetable Oil or Canola Oil. Don’t use Olive Oil because it has a low smoke point.
- Also, vegetables should be cooked over high heat, while aromatics, like, ginger and garlic, should be cooked over lower heat.
- Stir, stir, and stir often! Hence the term stir-fry! ?
Can I Use Different Stir Fry Vegetables?
- Of course! If you don’t want to use zucchini and mushrooms, you can toss in whatever vegetables you have on hand. Use broccoli, bell peppers, sugar snap peas, and onions, to name a few.
I love this Panda Express Mushroom Chicken, which tastes even better when made at home!
You can serve this stir-fry over rice or cauliflower rice or have it just as it is, avoiding all extra calories. ? When looking for quick, healthy, and easy one-pot dinners that include veggies AND a protein, Stir Fry is the way to go.
See my Steak Stir Fry with Zucchini Noodles – SO GOOD! Don’t forget to check out our Shrimp and Broccoli Stir Fry, too, and my all time fave, Sheet Pan Chicken Stir Fry.
How To Store Leftovers
- Store completely cooled chicken and veggies in an airtight container, and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
MORE STIR-FRY RECIPES
- Chicken Stir Fry with Asparagus and Mushrooms
- Pepper Steak Stir Fry
- Garlic Peanut Noodles Recipe
- Stir Fry Zucchini Noodles
ENJOY!
Zucchini Mushroom Chicken Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized cubes (you can also use boneless, skinless chicken thighs)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- ½ tablespoon fresh minced ginger, OR 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 8 ounces white button mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 1 zucchini, sliced into 1/4-inch thick half moons
- 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- sprinkle of toasted sesame seed oil, for garnish, optional
- sesame seeds, for garnish
- scallions, for garnish
Instructions
- Place chicken pieces in a bowl and sprinkle with cornstarch; toss to coat.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet or a wok set over medium-high heat; add chicken pieces to the hot oil and cook for 6 to 8 minutes or until browned on both sides and cooked through.
- Remove chicken from wok or skillet and set aside.
- Turn down heat to medium-low and add garlic and ginger to the skillet; cook and stir for 15 seconds or just until fragrant.
- Turn up the heat to medium-high and stir in the mushrooms and zucchini; cook for 4 minutes or until fork tender and browned. Stir frequently.
- In the meantime, in a small mixing bowl, whisk together soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sugar.
- Stir chicken back into the skillet.
- Add in the prepared soy sauce and stir to coat chicken and veggies.
- Stir and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until everything is heated through and sauce has slightly thickened.
- Remove from heat; sprinkle with sesame oil and sesame seeds.
- Garnish with scallions and serve.
Notes
- Chicken: This Panda Express “copycat” uses chicken breasts, but you can also use chopped chicken thighs. Chicken breasts and chicken thighs are both commonly used in stir-fry dishes. The main difference between the two cuts of chicken is the amount of fat they contain. Chicken breasts are leaner and have less fat, while chicken thighs are slightly fattier and have more flavor but will take a minute or two longer to cook through.
- Zucchini and Mushrooms: Again, keeping with the original recipe, I suggest cutting the zucchini into 1/4-inch thick half-moons and slicing the mushrooms about the same size.
- Stir Fry Vegetables: If you don’t want to use or don’t have the mushrooms and zucchini on hand, you can substitute them with sliced bell peppers, broccoli florets, snap peas or snow peas, onions, etc. However, it’s important to note that not all vegetables cook at the same time and temperatures. Veggies like onions, carrots, and bell peppers take longer to cook than, say, bok choy, mushrooms, or spinach.
- Rice Vinegar: Rice vinegar is a type of vinegar made from fermented rice. It is a popular ingredient in Asian cuisine. If you find yourself in a situation where you cannot find rice vinegar, white vinegar or apple cider vinegar are suitable substitutes.
- Store completely cooled chicken and veggies in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
