Copycat Panda Express Teriyaki Chicken Recipe

Copycat Panda Express teriyaki chicken is what I make when the drive-thru is calling, but I don’t want to pay for it or sit in the line. It comes together in about 25 minutes from things I keep in the pantry, which is most of why it earns a spot on a busy weeknight.

I use boneless skinless chicken thighs because they stay juicy in a hot skillet, where breast tends to dry out. The sauce is the part most people get wrong, so I’ve been specific below about getting it to coat the chicken without turning gluey.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• It’s on the table in about 25 minutes, with no marinating step to plan around.
• The sauce is five everyday ingredients you likely already have, brown sugar, soy sauce, water, garlic powder and ground ginger, plus a spoon of cornstarch to thicken, so there’s no special shopping trip.
• One pound of thighs sliced over rice covers four servings, so a modest amount of meat feeds the whole table.
• Thighs are forgiving, so the chicken stays tender even if the skillet runs a minute long.
• It’s a real alternative to ordering out on a night when takeout is tempting.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Here’s what’s worth noting before you start; the printable card below has the full list with quantities.

• Boneless skinless chicken thighs: thighs are the cut to use here. They stay juicy through a hard sear and a simmer in the sauce, where breast can dry out and go stringy. They tend to cost less than breast, too.
• Brown sugar and soy sauce: these build the backbone of the sauce, the sweet and the salt. Regular soy sauce is fine, and low-sodium soy sauce works if you want to pull the salt back without losing flavor.
• Cornstarch: this is what turns the thin liquid into a glaze that clings to the chicken. It’s also the ingredient most likely to trip you up, so stir it in until it’s fully dissolved.
• Garlic powder and ground ginger: the recipe uses the dried, ground forms on purpose, which is what keeps this a pantry recipe with no fresh produce to buy.
• Scallions and sesame seeds: these aren’t garnish for looks. The raw scallion and toasted sesame cut the sweetness of the glaze right at the end.

How to Make Copycat Panda Express Teriyaki Chicken

A complete printable recipe and the measurements in both US customary and metric are available in the recipe card below.

Sear the chicken

Pat the thighs dry with paper towels and season both sides with salt and pepper. Drying them matters, because a wet surface steams instead of searing.

Cook the Chicken

Heat a tablespoon of oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, then cook the thighs until browned on both sides and the center reaches 165°F (74°C).

Mix the sauce

While the chicken cooks, stir the brown sugar, soy sauce, water, garlic powder, ground ginger, and cornstarch together in a bowl.

Stir until the cornstarch blends smoothly into the liquid and no grit remains at the bottom, preventing lumps in the finished sauce.

Glaze and finish

Pour the sauce over the browned chicken and cook for a few minutes until it thickens into a glaze that coats the pieces.

Keep the heat moderate here so the sugar doesn’t scorch. If it goes too thick, loosen it with a splash of water; too thin, let it bubble another minute.

Let the chicken sit briefly, then slice it and serve over white rice with scallions and sesame seeds.

Recipe Notes and Expert Tips

• Keep the skillet at medium-high, not high. The brown sugar in the sauce burns and turns bitter fast over high heat.
• The glaze keeps thickening as it cools, so pull it off the heat a touch looser than you think you want it.
• The sweetness is the thing people adjust most. If it’s too sweet for you, a splash of rice vinegar or water pulls it back.
• Let the chicken rest for a minute before slicing. You’ll get cleaner pieces, and the glaze clings to the cut edges.

Recipe Variations

• To make it closer to the grilled original, cook the thighs on a grill or grill pan instead of pan-searing, then toss the sliced chicken with the sauce. That method isn’t tested here, so treat the timing as a starting point and cook to 165°F (74°C).
• Breast is a well-supported swap for thigh if that’s what you have, but it dries out faster, so cut the cook time and pull it the moment it reaches temperature.
• I’ve tested this with a grated fresh garlic clove and a teaspoon of grated fresh ginger in place of the dried, and it gives the sauce a sharper, fresher edge.
• For a nutty finish, stir in a teaspoon of toasted sesame oil right at the end. It’s a small, tested addition I make most of the time.

How to Store Leftovers

Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Reheat gently in a skillet or the microwave until hot all the way through, to 165°F (74°C), adding a splash of water to loosen the glaze, which firms up when cold.

Don’t leave the cooked chicken sitting out, since perishable food shouldn’t stay at room temperature for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour if it’s above 90°F (32°C).

To get ahead, mix the sauce a day early and refrigerate it, then sear the chicken fresh when you’re ready. Cooked and sauced, this also freezes for up to 3 months; thaw it overnight in the fridge before reheating.

What to Serve With Copycat Panda Express Teriyaki Chicken

Served over white rice with scallions and sesame seeds, this is essentially a teriyaki bowl on its own.

To make it a fuller plate, I pair it with Copycat Panda Express Super Greens, the broccoli, cabbage, and kale mix that comes together in about 20 minutes and balances the sweet glaze with something green.

If you want the full takeout spread, a side of Copycat Panda Express Chow Mein turns it into the kind of two-item plate you’d order out, without the drive.

FAQs

More Copycat Recipes You Will Love

Still craving more copycat Panda Express? Here’s where I’d go next:

• Copycat Panda Express Orange Chicken: when you want the crispy, sticky-sweet side of the Panda menu instead of a glaze.
• Copycat Panda Express Beijing Beef: the one I make when I want tang and a bit of crunch rather than something sweet.
• Copycat Panda Express String Bean Chicken Breast: lighter and quicker, for a night with more vegetable than sauce.
• Copycat Cracker Barrel Chicken and Dumplings: a full change of direction, soft and homey for a cold night.
• Copycat Olive Garden Ravioli Carbonara: for when you’d rather have creamy pasta than order takeout.