Panda Express-Style String Bean Chicken Breast: A Delicious Copycat Stir Fry Recipe

Panda Express String Bean Chicken Breast Copycat

Introduction

If you crave bold flavors and crave-worthy Chinese takeout, this Panda Express String Bean Chicken Breast Copycat recipe brings restaurant-quality taste straight to your kitchen. With juicy, tender chicken breast and crisp-tender green beans tossed in a savory garlic-ginger sauce, this easy one-pan meal is a slam dunk for weeknight dinners or casual entertaining.

Why This Copycat Dish is a Crowd Pleaser

What sets this string bean chicken breast apart is its punchy sauce—umami-rich, aromatically spiced, and a little sweet—all coating bite-sized morsels of perfectly cooked chicken and bright green beans. Simple ingredients and straightforward prep make it a breeze, while the end result tastes just like your favorite takeout for a fraction of the cost.

A Better-Than-Takeout Stir Fry Sauce

The secret to authentic flavor is in the sauce. A blend of soy sauce, oyster sauce, fresh garlic, and ginger mirrors the classic Panda Express taste with an easy, pantry-friendly approach. Cornstarch thickens the sauce to a glossy finish that soaks into every piece of chicken and vegetable.

How to Master Perfect Chicken and Green Beans

Use boneless, skinless chicken breast for a lean—but juicy—protein base. Slice it thin for quick cooking. Blanching the green beans before stir-frying ensures they stay vibrant and snappy, while a quick sear in a hot skillet locks in flavor. Timing is everything; you want the chicken cooked through but not dry, and the beans bright but not mushy.

Serving Suggestions for String Bean Chicken Breast

Serve this stir fry over a steaming bed of jasmine rice or nutty brown rice for a satisfying meal. For added crunch and color, scatter with toasted sesame seeds or sliced green onions. A side of homemade egg drop soup or simple vegetable spring rolls rounds out your takeout-inspired feast.

Nutritional Information and Serving Size

This recipe yields about 4 hearty servings. Each portion contains approximately 250–280 calories (sauce included), 28 grams of protein, and just 3 grams of saturated fat—making it a lighter choice that doesn’t skimp on satisfaction.

Panda Express String Bean Chicken Breast Copycat (Recap)

This copycat recipe delivers all the tangy, savory notes you love in the classic dish, with easy steps and simple ingredients that make homemade Chinese takeout accessible any night of the week.

Ingredients

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced
2 cups fresh green beans, trimmed and cut in half
1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine or dry sherry (optional)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch (divided)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1/4 cup water
Black pepper, to taste
Optional: Sesame seeds and sliced green onions, for serving

💡Meal Planning Tip: Save this recipe to automatically generate an organized shopping list with all ingredients sorted by store section—perfect for efficient grocery trips and stress-free meal planning.

CookifyAI meal planning interface

Instructions

  1. In a bowl, toss chicken with 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and black pepper. Set aside to marinate while prepping other ingredients (at least 10 minutes).
  2. Blanch green beans: Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, add green beans, and cook for 2–3 minutes until bright green but still crisp. Drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside.
  3. In a small bowl, mix oyster sauce, remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, Shaoxing wine (if using), sugar, remaining 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch, and water. Stir until smooth.
  4. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add chicken in a single layer and cook until golden and just cooked through, 3–4 minutes. Remove to a plate.
  5. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet. Add onions and stir-fry 1 minute. Add garlic and ginger, stirring constantly for 30 seconds until fragrant.
  6. Add green beans and sauté for 2 minutes. Return chicken to the pan, pour in the sauce, and stir-fry until everything is coated and sauce thickens, about 2 minutes.
  7. Taste and adjust seasoning. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions if desired. Serve hot over rice.

Weekly Meal Planning

This recipe is meal prep gold—it stores well, reheats beautifully, and keeps its satisfying crunch for lunches or quick dinners. Save and schedule this recipe with CookifyAI to plan which days to enjoy it and automatically create a full grocery list that combines all your meals for the week.

Planning Benefits:

  • Automatically tallies total ingredient needs for all scheduled recipes
  • Sorts your grocery list by store section for painless shopping
  • Helps you avoid duplicate buys and missing ingredients
  • Streamlines meal prep and reduces food waste

Pro tip: When you plan with CookifyAI, shared ingredients between recipes are combined, so you always buy just what you need—no extra bags of onions or forgotten garlic!

Cook and Prep Times

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

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