✔ Updated · fixed soy sauce amount + rice safety and storage
My copycat Panda Express fried rice is the simple takeout side: day-old rice stir-fried with scrambled egg, peas, carrots and green onion, seasoned with soy sauce. It takes about 20 minutes and works in a wok or a large skillet.
At a glance
The one tip that matters: Use rice cooked the day before and chilled. Freshly cooked rice is too moist and turns mushy and clumpy in the wok.
Why You'll Love This Fried Rice
- Takeout flavor at home with eight everyday ingredients.
- Ready in 20 minutes, and a great way to use up leftover rice.
- Easy to customize with chicken, shrimp or extra vegetables.
What's in Panda Express-Style Fried Rice?
It's a simple, savory egg fried rice: white rice, scrambled egg, peas, carrots and green onion, seasoned with soy sauce. My copycat-style version adds a teaspoon of toasted sesame oil at the end for a little nutty aroma.
The trick is the rice itself, so I always cook extra rice the night before. Long-grain rice cooked a day ahead and chilled stays in separate, slightly chewy grains instead of turning mushy.
Step-by-Step Photos
Here's how it comes together. Exact amounts, times and temperatures are in the recipe card below.
How to Make Panda Express Fried Rice
Tips for Success
- Chill the rice overnight. Cold rice has dried out a little, so the grains stay separate and fry instead of steaming. In a hurry, spread fresh rice on a tray and refrigerate it, uncovered, for an hour.
- Use long-grain rice. Jasmine or regular long-grain white rice works best. Short-grain and sushi rice are sticky and clump together.
- Get the pan very hot. High heat gives the lightly toasted flavor of takeout fried rice. Cook in two batches if your skillet is small.
- Go easy on the soy sauce. Start with 3 tablespoons and add more at the end. Too much early on makes the rice wet and salty.
- Add sesame oil last. It burns easily over high heat, so stir it in off the heat for the best nutty aroma.
Panda Express Fried Rice (Copycat)
6
servings10
minutes10
minutes330
kcal20
minutesA copycat-style Panda Express fried rice: cold, day-old white rice stir-fried over high heat with scrambled egg, peas, carrots and green onion, seasoned with soy sauce and a little sesame oil. Ready in about 20 minutes.
Ingredients
6 cups cooked long-grain white rice, chilled overnight
3 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil, divided
3 large eggs, beaten with a pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups frozen peas and carrots, thawed
3 green onions, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons soy sauce, plus more to taste
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon ground white or black pepper
Directions
- Break up the cold rice with your fingers so there are no clumps. Have every ingredient measured and next to the stove, because the cooking goes fast.
- Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat until very hot. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil, then the beaten eggs. Stir and scramble for 30 to 60 seconds until just set, then move them to a plate.
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the wok. Add the rice and stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes, pressing and tossing so every grain is coated and heated through.
- Add the peas and carrots and the white parts of the green onions and stir-fry for 2 minutes, until hot.
- Drizzle the soy sauce around the edge of the wok and toss until the rice is evenly colored. Return the eggs and break them into small pieces as you toss.
- Turn off the heat. Stir in the sesame oil, pepper and green onion tops. Taste, add a splash more soy sauce if needed and serve hot.
Recipe Video
Notes
- If you use fresh vegetables, fry the carrot as well as some green onion bulbs for one or two minutes before adding the beaten eggs. Once the eggs are cooked, add the green peas.
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Rice Safety, Storage and Reheating
- Cool rice fast: spread freshly cooked rice on a tray and refrigerate it within 2 hours of cooking. Cooked rice left at room temperature can grow bacteria that reheating won't destroy.
- Cooked rice for frying: use it within 3 to 4 days of cooking.
- Leftover fried rice: refrigerate it in an airtight container within 2 hours. It keeps for 3 to 4 days in the fridge, or 1 to 2 months in the freezer.
- Reheat: stir-fry it in a hot pan with a splash of water, or microwave it covered, until steaming hot all the way through (165°F).
What to Serve With It
Fried rice is a side dish at heart. Pair it with our copycat Panda Express orange chicken, Beijing beef, kung pao chicken or black pepper chicken, or serve it half and half with chow mein.
For a different style, try our hibachi fried rice or Benihana-style fried rice.
Variations
- Chicken fried rice: add 1 1/2 cups of diced chicken, stir-fried until it reaches 165°F, with the eggs.
- Shrimp fried rice: stir-fry peeled shrimp until pink and opaque (145°F) and add them at the end.
- More vegetables: add diced bell pepper, bean sprouts or corn with the peas and carrots.
- Lower sodium: use reduced-sodium soy sauce and season with a little extra pepper and green onion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Panda Express fried rice have onions?
Many copycat versions, including this one, use sliced green onions rather than diced yellow onion. If you are ordering at the restaurant, check its current ingredient and allergen information, since recipes and menus can change.
Can I make chicken or shrimp fried rice with this recipe?
Yes. Stir-fry 1 1/2 cups of diced chicken until it reaches 165°F, or peeled shrimp until pink and opaque (145°F), set it aside and add it back with the eggs. Cooked leftover chicken also works; just heat it through.
Why is my fried rice mushy?
Freshly cooked, warm rice is the usual cause, along with too much soy sauce or a pan that isn't hot enough. Use cold, day-old rice, cook over high heat and add the soy sauce near the end.
How long does leftover fried rice keep?
Cool it quickly and refrigerate it in an airtight container within 2 hours of cooking. It keeps for 3 to 4 days in the fridge, or 1 to 2 months in the freezer. Reheat it until steaming hot (165°F) all the way through.
Can I use brown rice?
Yes. Use chilled, cooked brown rice in the same amount. It has a nuttier flavor and a firmer, chewier texture than the takeout-style white rice, and it may need an extra splash of soy sauce.
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