Panda Express Chicken Teriyaki

Hand-sliced Chicken Teriyaki coated in a flavorful teriyaki sauce. This is my favorite Chinese grilled chicken from the one and only Panda Express. Chicken Teriyaki from Panda Express is one of the main courses I order when I crave this style of chicken. I love to recreate those favorites from my favorite fast food restaurant, and Panda Express is no exception.

I want to make sure, that I provide the real copycat recipe for you, so you can make the same delicious grilled chicken in your kitchen, and no need to waste gasoline. It may look like it has a bunch of ingredients, but if you work ahead of time, you can throw this dish together in no time.

What do I mean about “work ahead of time”? What I mean is, that I prefer and recommend making the sauces first, before even we start cooking. So, when you start making the chicken, you have prepared all the sauces.

I’ll be honest with you. The original recipe contains MSG (Monosodium glutamate) to boost the flavor of food, which is up to you if you add it or not to your food. I don’t use MSG regularly, but sometimes yes. Depends on what I try to make. Chinese food is known to use this ingredient, and sometimes I add it in to get the best taste.

I also provide natural alternatives you can use instead of MSG.

I love to enjoy this Chicken Teriyaki from Panda Express with my Dominican White Rice and steamed broccoli on the side. Lo Mein Noodles are also one of the best ways to enjoy this recipe.

Do you love Chinese Food and enjoy doing it? These are some of my favorite ones that my family enjoys. Chinese Ground Beef Stir Fry is a perfect choice. Do you want more Panda Express copycat recipes? Then check out the Panda Express Honey Sesame Chicken, the all-time favorite copycat take-out recipe.

Easy Chicken Teriyaki from Panda Express

Make the sauces ahead.

You have in total 3 sauces to make. The basic sauce, the ginger garlic in oil sauce, and the sesame flavored oil sauce. They are really easy to make and you can make more to store for later use. I like to make the basic sauce ahead of time, and just store it in the refrigerator. They prepare the other 2 before cooking, due to their easyness.

The Basic sauce is the one, that needs more different ingredients, and that’s why I like to make more amount ahead and store it in a container.

The Basic Sauce.

Now, the basic sauce is just called basic, but actually, this is the sauce that Panda Express uses for other foods too. For example, their original Chow Mein is made with this sauce, their Fried Rice, and Shanghai Angus Steak.

Ginger Garlic Oil and Sesame Flavored Oil.

These 2 sauces (oils) really make the difference. I like to make these right before I start making the chicken because they need 2-4 ingredients. These oils are added also to different foods in the restaurant. Like in the Beijing Beef, Black Pepper Chicken, or Broccoli Beef.

Why You’ll Love It

• Easy instructions and ready in no time
• Delicious Panda Express take-out food
• Sauces can be made ahead (days, weeks)
• Flavorful teriyaki chicken
• The number 1 original recipe for the Chicken Teriyaki from Panda Express.

Ingredients

It has in total of 7 easy ingredients which will give perfection to our chicken. The sauces count as 1 ingredient each. So, we have 4 staple ingredients and the 3 sauces (oils).

• Chicken – I used Chicken Breast, but Panda Express likes to use Chicken thighs. You can have whichever you have at the moment.
• Water – We will add to the marinade.
• Lemon Juice – is good for tenderizing any meat, and also gives a fresh, and clean taste.
• Sugar – gives sweetness to the food
• Basic Sauce – This sauce is one of the most popular sauces they use in take-outs. If you want to make several foods Panda Express uses this as a staple ingredient.
  • water
  • soy sauce – alternatives for soy sauce can be Tamari, Worcestershire Sauce, Fish Sauce, Oyster Sauce or Coconut Aminos is a good choice.
  • sugar – alternatives can be honey or brown sugar
  • dark corn syrup – substitutes can be honey, maple syrup, or molasses
  • salt
  • MSG – natural alternatives for MSG are soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, oyster sauce, or fish sauce. These alternatives can also be used to enhance the taste of dishes.
  • ginger
  • white pepper – an alternative is black pepper (which is a staple ingredient)
• Ginger Garlic in Oil – the second most useful oil (sauce) in the Panda Express takeout. This is unexchangeable. You must have this ingredient.
  • minced garlic
  • ground ginger
  • vegetable oil
  • water
• Sesame Flavored Oil – without sesame oil we don’t even talk about Chinese food, right? You’re right. This oil is used for most of their food.
  • sesame oil
  • vegetable oil

Going through the list, it might look like a lot of ingredients, which it’s true. But that doesn’t mean that it’s difficult to make. If you have the sauces already (which I recommend doing ahead) you are ready in no time. The only time-consuming will be its marinating time.

How to make the Chicken Teriyaki from Panda Express?

Before you start making the Panda Express Teriyaki Chicken make the 3 sauces. If you want, you can make these oils (sauces) more in a big container and store it for later use. They are easy to make, and they will be ready to just add to the mixture.

1. In a large plastic bag or container, mix the water, sugar, Basic Sauce, ginger garlic in oil, lemon juice, and sesame-flavored oil.
2. Place the boneless chicken breast into the bag (or container), and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, but preferably overnight.
3. In a pan or on a grill over MEDIUM-HIGH heat, cook chicken breast for 5 minutes for each side until internal temperature reaches 165℉.

Teriyaki Sauce

1. If you want teriyaki sauce for serving, create a new batch of the marinated sauce from the first step in a wok or saucepan. Heat the boiling, whisking one tablespoon of cornstarch at a time until the sauce desired thickness.
2. You can also use the leftover marinade from the first step, but be sure to heat it to boiling (165℉) to kill any bacteria from the raw chicken.

Common Questions

What Type of Chicken Should Be Used? 

The first recommendation is the boneless chicken thighs, which remain juicy. The boneless chicken breasts are also highly popular for the Teriyaki Chicken. You can also use already boiled meat, but keep the steps recommended so it gets the beautiful color, texture, and flavor.

How long can you keep teriyaki chicken in the fridge?

4 days. Cool the Teriyaki Chicken then place it in an air-tight container in the fridge. You can also freeze teriyaki chicken for up to 3 months. Make sure, it’s cooled down completely, then place it in a freezer container.

Best way to store sauces:

The fridge is the best place to store any sauce. Store your leftover homemade sauce in the fridge and use it within two days or freeze it. If you made the sauce ahead, seal the lid and store the jar in the fridge to have it ready for any time you want to use it.