✔ Updated · fixed rice method, garlic butter amounts and chicken safety temperature
My copycat-style Benihana fried rice brings the hibachi-table favorite home: cold, day-old rice fried on a very hot pan with plenty of lemony garlic butter, scrambled egg, tender diced chicken, onion, carrot and scallions, seasoned with soy sauce and finished with toasted sesame seeds.
At a glance
The one tip that matters: Use rice cooked the day before and chilled uncovered at first on a tray. Cold, dry grains fry up separate and buttery; freshly cooked rice steams and turns sticky.
No knife tricks or flying eggs needed, I promise. The only real planning is cooking the rice a day ahead, so it fries into separate, buttery grains instead of turning mushy. Once the rice is ready, the fried rice comes together in about 25 minutes and serves 8.
Why You'll Love This Fried Rice
- Garlic butter flavor in every grain, the signature of hibachi-style fried rice.
- One big pan: a large skillet, wok or griddle is all you need, no teppanyaki grill required.
- Easy to change: swap the chicken for shrimp, steak or tofu, or leave it out for a side dish.
What Makes Hibachi-Style Fried Rice Different?
At a teppanyaki restaurant, the chef cooks the fried rice on a large flat griddle built into the table. The rice is already cooked and chilled, so it fries quickly over high heat, and it gets a generous scoop of garlic butter, eggs scrambled right on the griddle, soy sauce and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.
At home, a large skillet, wok or electric griddle does the same job. Make a batch of our copycat Benihana garlic butter if you want extra for steak or shrimp, and serve the rice with yum yum sauce on the side.
Ingredients You Need
- White rice: long-grain or medium-grain, cooked the day before and chilled.
- Garlic butter: unsalted butter mashed with fresh garlic, a little lemon juice and soy sauce.
- Chicken breast: cut into small, even cubes so it cooks quickly. Boneless thighs also work.
- Vegetables: onion, carrot and scallions. Frozen diced carrots or peas and carrots are fine.
- Eggs: scrambled in the pan and chopped into small pieces.
- Soy sauce: low-sodium gives you more control over the saltiness.
- Neutral oil and sesame seeds: oil for high-heat frying, toasted sesame seeds to finish.
Step-by-Step Photos
Here's how it comes together. Exact amounts, times and temperatures are in the recipe card below.
Tips for Success
- Day-old rice is the key. Chilled rice is drier and firmer, so it fries into separate grains. If you must use fresh rice, spread it on a tray and refrigerate it uncovered for at least 1 hour first.
- Get the pan really hot. High heat browns the rice lightly instead of steaming it. Use your largest pan, or fry the rice in two batches. You want a loud sizzle the second the rice hits.
- Go easy on the soy sauce. Add just enough to turn the rice golden, not dark brown, then taste. More can be added at the table.
- Cook the chicken separately. Searing it on its own lets it brown and reach 165°F (74°C) without overcooking the rice. Check the thickest piece with a thermometer.
- Prep everything first. The frying moves fast, so have the vegetables, chicken, eggs, garlic butter and soy sauce ready by the stove before you start. I line everything up in little bowls, and it makes the whole thing feel like a show.
Benihana Chicken Fried Rice (Copycat)
8
servings20
minutes45
minutes445
kcal1
hour5
minutesCopycat-style Benihana chicken fried rice made hibachi style at home: day-old white rice fried on a very hot griddle or skillet with lemony garlic butter, scrambled egg, diced chicken, onion, carrot and scallions, seasoned with soy sauce and finished with toasted sesame seeds.
Ingredients
- For the Rice (cook a day ahead)
2 cups (about 6 cups cooked) long-grain or medium-grain white rice, uncooked
2 3/4 cups cold water
1/2 teaspoon salt
- For the Garlic Butter
1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened (1 stick)
4 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
- For the Fried Rice
1 1/2 lb (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 tablespoons safflower, canola or other neutral oil, divided
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 medium carrots, finely diced (or 1 cup frozen diced carrots)
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, plus more to taste
4 scallions, thinly sliced
to taste salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, to garnish
Directions
- Cook the Rice (the day before)
- Rinse the rice in a sieve under cold water until the water runs almost clear. Put it in a saucepan with the 2 3/4 cups cold water and the salt and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Stir once, cover, turn the heat to low and simmer for 18 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and leave it covered for 10 minutes.
- Spread the rice in a thin layer on a rimmed baking sheet so it cools quickly. Once it stops steaming, cover and refrigerate it within 1 hour, ideally overnight.
- Make the Garlic Butter
- Mash the softened butter with the garlic, lemon juice and 2 teaspoons soy sauce until smooth. Set aside 1 tablespoon for the chicken.
- Fry
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a very large skillet, wok or flat griddle over medium-high heat. Cook the onion and carrot for 4 to 5 minutes, until softened, then move them to a plate.
- Add 1 tablespoon oil and the chicken, season lightly with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, for 5 to 7 minutes, until golden and cooked through to 165°F (74°C). Stir in the reserved tablespoon of garlic butter, then add the chicken to the vegetables.
- Turn the heat to high and add the last tablespoon of oil. Break up the cold rice with your hands, add it to the pan and toss for 2 to 3 minutes until hot. Add the remaining garlic butter and stir until every grain is coated.
- Push the rice to one side, pour the eggs into the empty space and scramble until just set, then chop them into small pieces with the spatula and mix them into the rice.
- Return the chicken and vegetables to the pan, add the 3 tablespoons soy sauce and the scallions, and toss for 1 to 2 minutes until everything is hot and lightly golden. Taste and add more soy sauce, salt or pepper if needed.
- Serve hot, sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Scallions can be replaced with green onions.
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Variations
- Shrimp fried rice: use 1 1/2 lb peeled shrimp instead of chicken, cooked just until pink and opaque.
- Steak or combo: sear diced sirloin separately, or use half chicken and half shrimp.
- Plain hibachi rice: skip the chicken for a side dish. See also our hibachi fried rice.
- More vegetables: add diced zucchini, mushrooms or peas with the onion and carrot.
- Brown rice: works well if cooked the day before; expect a nuttier, chewier result.
- Other takes: try our Panda Express-style fried rice or salmon fried rice.
Rice Safety, Storage and Reheating
- Cool cooked rice quickly: spread it on a tray and refrigerate it within 1 hour of cooking. Rice left warm for hours can grow bacteria that reheating doesn't destroy.
- Fridge: keep cooked plain rice or leftover fried rice in shallow, covered containers for 3 to 4 days.
- Freezer: fried rice freezes well for up to 2 months. Reheat from frozen in a skillet with a splash of water.
- Reheat: stir-fry in a hot pan until steaming hot all the way through, 165°F. Only reheat leftovers once.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes Benihana-style fried rice taste so good?
Mostly the garlic butter. Hibachi-style fried rice uses much more butter than a typical takeout fried rice, flavored with garlic, a little soy sauce and a squeeze of lemon. Cold, day-old rice and a very hot cooking surface give it lightly toasted, separate grains.
Is this the official Benihana fried rice recipe?
No. This is a copycat-style recipe inspired by the restaurant dish and developed to taste similar at home. It uses the same general approach seen at hibachi tables: chilled rice, garlic butter, egg, chicken, onion, carrot, scallions, soy sauce and sesame seeds.
What oil is best for hibachi fried rice?
Use a neutral oil with a high smoke point, such as safflower, canola, peanut or vegetable oil, for the high-heat frying. Butter alone would burn at that temperature, so the garlic butter goes in once the rice is in the pan, for flavor.
Can I make Benihana fried rice with shrimp or steak?
Yes. Swap the chicken for 1 1/2 lb peeled shrimp, cooked 2 to 3 minutes until pink and opaque, or diced sirloin seared to your liking. For a side dish like the one served with hibachi meals, leave the protein out entirely.
How do I store and reheat leftover fried rice?
Cool leftovers quickly and refrigerate them in shallow containers within 2 hours. Eat within 3 to 4 days. Reheat in a hot skillet with a splash of water or a little butter, stirring until steaming hot all the way through, to 165°F.
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Thank you
Will give it a try. Very intimidating to me.