Panda Express Mandarin Teriyaki Chicken is a perfect copycat at home!
Panda Express Mandarin Teriyaki Chicken is one of the few dishes you can order at Panda Express and have that cool moment where they take a cleaver and chop up a whole chicken thigh in front of you. A tiny bit of theatrics in a fast food establishment is never bad, plus you can see that they used a whole chicken thigh and not just pre-cut pieces.There are a lot of teriyaki sauces out there for you to choose from. This Panda Express Mandarin Teriyaki Chicken has that thick sweet glaze that you know from your favorite 2 item plate. I used powdered garlic and ginger for the sake of the copycat recipe. Their glaze does not have any chunks of garlic or ginger in it that I could see. You absolutely could use fresh ginger and garlic (which I actually prefer) but you’ll be deviating from that “copycat” style. If you are using fresh garlic and ginger instead of spices, use 1-2 teaspoons of each, minced finely.
Keeping track of all the Panda Express copycat recipes here on the blog?
- Panda Express Orange Chicken
- Panda Express Mushroom Chicken
- Panda Express Firecracker Chicken Breast
- Panda Express Chow Mein
- Panda Express Fried Rice
- Panda Express Black Pepper Chicken
- Panda Express Kung Pao Chicken
- Panda Express Beijing Beef
- Panda Express Sweet and Sour Sauce
- Panda Express String Bean Chicken Breast
- Panda Express Honey Walnut Shrimp
- Panda Express Cream Cheese Rangoon
- Panda Express Beef and Broccoli
- Panda Express Sweetfire Chicken Breast
Tools used in this recipe:
Lodge Grill Pan – I use this double sided pan for SO much, anytime I need a big flat surface for “grilling” or breakfast prep
Pig Tail Flipper – I use this *almost* more than I use tongs in the kitchen. Flipping is so quick and doesn’t smash foods.
Oil Mister
Panda Express Mandarin Teriyaki Sauce – In case you don’t want to make this sauce, but really this sauce is super easy.
Panda Express Teriyaki Chicken (Copycat)
Ingredients
- 2 pound chicken thighs
- 2 tablespoon canola oil
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/3 cup water
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of water mixed together
Instructions
- In a bowl, add the canola oil to chicken thighs while waiting for grill pan to heat up on high.
Add the chicken to grill pan and grill on high for 3-5 minutes on each side.
- While the chicken is cooking, Add the sugar, soy sauce, lemon juice, garlic powder, ground ginger, 1/3 cup water and bring to a boil on high heat.
Lower temperature to medium-low and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the water/cornstarch mixture then cook over low heat until just thickened.
- Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve with brown rice and grilled pineapple.
Tha ks for the recipe! This saved dinner tonight. We ordered delivery from Panda and they forgot to put the sauce in the bag. :O This sauce only took about 10 minutes and was WAY better than what you get at the store. I have made several of your recipes now and your blog is now a go to for me! Thanks again!!
This is an AWESOME recipe. Thanks for sharing. My kids love panda express and we eat there often. It’s the second time this week that I have made it. Comes out perfect every time! I buy the boneless, skinless chicken thighs from Costco and double the batch. For the sauce I double the recipe but only use 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, this makes it take longer to thicken but is ok. Excellent recipe!
Glad to know it’s such a hit!
I agree that you can taste the cornstarch. Needs a reduction.
My kids love this chicken but I hate spending so much on it. I definitely want to try this! I need to clarify. #3 states – While the chicken is cooking, Add the sugar, soy sauce, lemon juice….
Does that mean to add those ingredients to the same pan as the chicken or a separate pan? Thanks!
Sorry to confuse you. You’ll want to make it in a separate pan. I hope you enjoy this dish!
Can you leave a video on how to properly make this
I’ll add it to my to do list. Thanks!