For P.F. Chang's-Style Fried Rice, Use This Ingredient

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If you're craving a simple, easy, and filling dinner, look no further than homemade fried rice. It's incredibly versatile; you can add in whatever proteins, veggies, and seasonings you prefer. Plus, you can use leftover rice for it, which cuts work and food waste. While this dish is simple, it is difficult to do well, unless you know just the right seasonings to make its flavor pop. One flavoring that you should be using in your fried rice recipe, courtesy of fan-favorite chain P.F. Chang's, is dark soy sauce.

First, an important disclaimer: It's hard to tell what exactly P.F. Chang's adds to its fried rice to make it so good, but what we do know is that dark soy sauce has the heavy, concentrated flavor that the chain achieves in its recipe, so this ingredient may be the missing piece we've been looking for. Dark soy sauce is sweeter and thicker (almost molasses-like), making it a type of soy sauce best used in small and intentional quantities — and balanced with the flavor of other ingredients.

If you want to replicate a similar flavor to P.F. Chang's version, try adding a combination of dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, low-sodium soy sauce, cooking wine, sugar, and chicken broth powder or bouillon. Allegedly, P.F. Chang's uses Lee Kum Kee-branded soy (specifically the Lee Kum Kee mushroom dark soy sauce) and oyster sauces, though that's not to say other brands won't work just as well.

There are some tips you'll want to keep in mind for making restaurant-quality fried rice. Using a high smoke-point oil, cooking it in a wok, and not overloading your pan with ingredients (especially liquids) will ensure that your fried rice comes out flavorful and perfectly textured every time. 

Another P.F. Chang's-specific tip to keep in mind? Marinate your meat ahead of time — between two and 24 hours for chicken and about half an hour for shrimp — to give it a deeper flavor. If you're going with beef, be sure to use flank steak, which has a very well-developed flavor and cooks up quickly. Unlike other restaurants and at-home fried rice recipes, P.F. Chang's allegedly deep-fries all of its proteins before adding them to the fried rice. This will give your meat a perfectly crisp texture, especially when paired with the perfectly seasoned rice and vegetables.