Copycat Panda Express Super Greens
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Copycat Panda Express Super Greens is the side I make when I want the green part of the Panda plate without the drive-thru. The takeout version can come out soft and dull, so at home I keep the broccoli, cabbage, and kale tender-crisp and bright.
It comes together in about 20 minutes with everyday pantry seasonings like soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, and a splash of broth, so there’s no special shopping trip. The trick is quick, medium-high heat and adding the sesame oil right at the end, which keeps everything vibrant instead of steamed into mush.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s ready in about 20 minutes from three grocery-store vegetables, so it fits a busy weeknight.
- Cooked hot and fast, the greens stay tender-crisp and bright instead of soft like some drive-thru versions.
- The seasonings are pantry basics, so beyond the vegetables and a few cloves of garlic, there’s nothing special to buy.
- It’s naturally vegetarian and vegan, and easy to make gluten-free with tamari.
- Leftovers reheat without turning soggy, which makes it good for meal prep.
- It pairs with almost any Chinese-style main, from orange chicken to chow mein.
Ingredients You’ll Need
The printable card below has the full list with quantities. A couple of the ingredients are worth a note first.
- Broccoli florets: cut into small, even, bite-size pieces so they cook at the same rate as the cabbage. Use fresh rather than frozen, since frozen broccoli releases water and leaves everything soggy.
- Green cabbage: chopped to a similar size. It softens fast, so matching the pieces keeps the broccoli from staying raw while the cabbage overcooks.
- Kale: stems removed and roughly chopped. Taking out the tough stems lets it wilt evenly instead of turning stringy.
- Garlic: minced. It goes into the hot oil first and perfumes the whole dish, and fresh cloves give more punch than the jarred kind.
- Soy sauce: the main seasoning. Use reduced-sodium if you’re watching salt, or tamari to keep the dish gluten-free.
- Vegetable broth: a splash creates the steam that cooks the kale without frying it dry. Reduced-sodium broth also helps you control the salt.
- Sesame oil: a finishing oil rather than a cooking one. A little goes a long way.
- Olive oil: for the initial high-heat cooking. Avocado oil works too and handles the heat well.
How to Make Panda Express Super Greens
Scroll down for the full recipe card containing a full printable recipe and measurements in both US customary and metric units.
You’ll move through four quick stages, and the whole thing takes about 20 minutes start to finish.
Cook the garlic
Heat the olive oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly, until it smells fragrant but hasn’t browned.
Browned garlic turns bitter, so keep it moving.
Stir-fry the broccoli and cabbage
Add the broccoli and cabbage and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes, keeping everything moving so it cooks evenly and starts to soften.
The medium-high heat here is what gives you tender-crisp edges instead of steamed mush.
Steam the kale
Stir in the chopped kale, soy sauce, and vegetable broth. Cover the pan and let the vegetables steam for another 2 to 3 minutes, until the greens are tender but still vibrant.
The broth gives just enough moisture to soften the kale without making everything watery. If it tastes too salty, a splash more broth rounds it out.
Finish with sesame oil
Take the pan off the heat, drizzle with the sesame oil, and toss gently to combine. Adding it at the end keeps that nutty sesame flavor bright. Serve warm as a side.
Recipe Notes and Expert Tips
- Keep the heat at medium-high. A hot pan gives the greens a little color and keeps them crisp, while a cool pan just steams them limp.
- Bloom the garlic in the oil before anything else goes in, so it flavors everything and never tastes raw.
- Cover the pan for the last couple of minutes. The trapped steam softens the kale while the broccoli stays firm.
- Save the sesame oil for the very end, off the heat, or its flavor cooks away.
Recipe Variations
- Add grated fresh ginger with the garlic for a warmer, more takeout-style flavor. This is a swap I’ve tested and keep coming back to when I want it closer to the Panda version.
- Keep it gluten-free by swapping the soy sauce for tamari or coconut aminos. It’s a simple one-for-one change that doesn’t affect the timing and is well supported as a standard substitution.
How to Store Leftovers
To get ahead, chop the broccoli, cabbage, and kale a day or two in advance and keep them in the fridge with a paper towel in the bag to soak up moisture, then cook them fresh when you’re ready.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze for 2 to 3 months. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, or microwave in 30-second bursts until warm.
To freeze, let them cool briefly and then freeze promptly rather than leaving them sitting out, and thaw overnight in the fridge and drain any liquid before reheating.
What to Serve With Panda Express Super Greens
These greens round out a Chinese-takeout-style plate at home.
I serve them next to a saucy main like copycat Panda Express orange chicken or teriyaki chicken, with steamed rice or a tangle of Panda Express chow mein to make it a full meal.
For a lighter meal, they also sit well beside grilled tofu or a simple piece of salmon.
If you want more protein, serve them next to pan-seared shrimp or grilled chicken instead of tossing it into the pan, so the greens stay crisp.
FAQs
Panda Express Super Greens is a mix of broccoli, cabbage, and kale. This copycat uses the same three, cooked quickly so they stay tender-crisp.
The restaurant cooks the broccoli, kale, and cabbage quickly with a light seasoning. This is an at-home version seasoned with garlic, soy sauce, and sesame oil, so it’s inspired by the Panda side rather than the exact restaurant recipe.
Fresh works best. If frozen is all you have, thaw it fully and pat it very dry first.
As written it uses regular soy sauce, which is usually made with wheat, so it isn’t gluten-free. Swap in tamari or a certified gluten-free soy sauce and it is.
More Copycat Restaurant Recipes to Make at Home
If you like recreating your favorite takeout at home, these are worth a look.
- Panda Express Honey Walnut Shrimp. The sweet, crunchy Panda favorite, for a treat-night dinner.
- Panda Express Beijing Beef. Crispy beef in a sweet-tangy sauce, for the nights a saucy beef main is what you want.
- Panda Express Black Pepper Sirloin Steak. A peppery, savory main if you’d rather cook steak at home than order it.
- Copycat Cracker Barrel Chicken and Dumplings. The one to make when you want a warm, homestyle bowl instead of takeout.
- Copycat Olive Garden Chicken Scampi Pasta. Creamy pasta for a night you’re in the mood for Italian rather than Chinese.
Ingredients
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 1½ cups green cabbage chopped
- 2 cups kale stems removed and chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- ¼ cup vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Video
Instructions
- Place a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil.1 tablespoon olive oil
- Add the minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly, until fragrant.3 cloves garlic
- Add the broccoli and cabbage. Stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes until they begin to soften.2 cups broccoli florets, 1½ cups green cabbage
- Stir in the chopped kale, soy sauce, and vegetable broth. Cover the pan and allow the vegetables to steam for another 2 to 3 minutes, until tender but still vibrant.2 cups kale, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, ¼ cup vegetable broth
- Drizzle with sesame oil and toss gently to combine. Serve warm as a side dish.1 teaspoon sesame oil
Notes
- Use medium-high heat for tender-crisp greens with a little color, not soft steamed vegetables.
- Cook the garlic in the oil first to flavor the whole pan before the vegetables go in.
- Cut the broccoli, cabbage, and kale into similar-size pieces so they cook at the same rate.
- Keep the lid on while the kale steams so it softens while the broccoli and cabbage stay crisp.
- Add the sesame oil at the end, off the heat, so its flavor stays bright.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze for 2 to 3 months.
