One of my go to dishes at Panda Express is their string bean chicken! It is one of their healthier options, but still super delicious. I love that this recipe has veggies and protein all in one dish, so there’s no need to make any sides. I served this with some brown jasmine rice, or you can eat it on it’s own to keep it a lower carb dinner.
I made a batch for dinner and then had some for leftover for the next day! It keeps well in the fridge for up to 5 days. This recipe takes less than an hour to whip up, and while I’m cooking I have the rice cooking in the insta pot so everything is done at the same time!
Authentic ingredients:
This recipe uses some authentic Chinese ingredients that may not be in everyone’s pantries. The first one is Shaoxing wine. This ingredient adds a depth of flavor and complexity. If you don’t have thing ingredient you can sub with sherry wine or chicken stock! The other authentic ingredients is Chinese black vinegar. This one might be a little more common, but if you don’t have this then white vinegar works too.
Key ingredients for Panda Express copycat string bean chicken:
- Green beans
- I used fresh green beans and trimmed them myself. However, frozen cut green beans works well too, and its a huge time saver.
- White onion
- I cut my onion into bigger chunks because that’s is how it is served at Panda!
- Oyster sauce
- Oyster sauce adds a nice sweet umami flavor to the dish. I also low the deep color it brings.
- Soy sauce
- I definitely recommend using low sodium soy sauce so it’s easier to control the saltiness. You can also use tamari to keep things gluten free.
- Black vinegar
- Black vinegar is common in Chinese cooking, especially in stir fry sauces. If you don’t have any on hand you can sub with rice vinegar or white vinegar
- Sesame oil
- This extra ingredients adds so much flavor! Do not forget this
- Sugar
- I added brown sugar, but coconut sugar or honey works well too. This adds more sweetness to the dish! You can leave this out if you don’t want to add any additional sugar.
- Garlic and ginger
- I would recommend using fresh garlic and ginger, but if you don’t have any on hand the powder stuff works too.
- Chicken
- I like using chicken breast because it is a leaner cut of meat and super easy to work with.
- Shaoxing wine
- Shaoxing wine is super common in Chinese cooking. It adds another level of flavor and complexity to any dish, especially when marinating meat.
- Corn starch
- I used corn starch to make a batter to coat the chicken in, and also to thicken up the sauce.
- White pepper
- White pepper is my favorite seasoning when it comes to Asian cooking. A lot of recipes don’t call for white pepper, but I think it adds such a unique flavor!
Panda Express Copycat String Bean Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 cups cut green beans
- ½ white onion
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
Sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 tbsp low sodium soy sause
- 1 tsp black vinegar
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp brown sugar or coconut sugar
- ¼ cup water or broth
- 1 tsp corn starch
- 2 garlic cloves grated
- ½ inch ginger grated
Chicken
- 1 lb chicken breast
- 2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
- ¼ tsp white pepper
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp corn starch
- 1 tbsp shaoxing wine
Instructions
- Start by cutting the chicken breast in to 1 inch cubes.
- In a medium size bowl, mix the diced chicken with the chicken marinade ingredients. Let that chill in the fridge while prepping the green beans and onions (10-30 minutes).
- Prep the green beans by cutting the tips off and slicing them in half. The prepare the onion by cutting into large chunks.
- Add 1 tbsp avocado oil to a pan and pan fry the chicken until golden brown. Do not overcrowd the pan. I did this in three batches.
- Remove the chicken from the pan then add more avocado oil to the pan. Sauté the green beans and onions for 5-8 minutes. Pour in the sauce and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Finally, add in the chicken and combine.
- Serve over a bead of rice!
