✔ Updated · fixed garlic and soy ratios + safe storage times
My Benihana garlic butter recipe is a copycat-style version of the savory hibachi butter that teppanyaki chefs melt over steak, shrimp, vegetables and fried rice.
At a glance
The one tip that matters: Add the soy sauce and lemon juice a little at a time to soft, room-temperature butter. Pour them in all at once and the butter can split and weep.
Sweet roasted garlic and a little fresh garlic are whipped into softened butter with light soy sauce, a squeeze of lemon and black pepper. It takes 10 minutes of hands-on work, keeps for a week in the fridge and makes any home hibachi night feel like a night out.
Why You'll Love This Garlic Butter
- Two kinds of garlic: mellow roasted garlic for depth and a little fresh garlic for bite.
- Savory and balanced, with soy sauce for umami and lemon to cut the richness.
- Hibachi night made easy: keep a log in the fridge for steak, shrimp, veggies and fried rice.
What Is Benihana Garlic Butter?
At teppanyaki restaurants like Benihana, chefs cook steak, chicken, shrimp, vegetables and fried rice on a flat-top griddle and finish them with a savory garlic butter. It's simply butter blended with plenty of garlic and a little soy sauce, and it gives hibachi food its rich, garlicky, slightly salty flavor.
This homemade version uses roasted garlic for a sweet, mellow base, a couple of fresh cloves for that signature garlic bite, light soy sauce for umami and a little lemon juice to keep it from tasting heavy.
How to Use Hibachi Garlic Butter
- Steak and chicken: add a slice to the pan in the last minute of cooking and spoon it over the meat as it melts.
- Shrimp and scallops: sear them in a hot pan, then toss with a spoonful of the butter and a squeeze of lemon.
- Vegetables: stir-fry zucchini, onions and mushrooms, then finish with the butter and a splash of soy sauce.
- Fried rice and noodles: use it in place of oil for our Benihana-style chicken fried rice or stir it into lo mein or yakisoba.
- Everyday extras: spread it on bread, corn on the cob or a baked potato.
Step-by-Step Photos
Here's how it comes together. Exact amounts, times and temperatures are in the recipe card below.
Tips for Success
- Start with soft butter. Leave it out for about an hour until a finger leaves a dent easily. I set mine out before I put the garlic in to roast. Cold butter won't blend, and melted butter won't whip back up.
- Add liquids slowly. Butter can only hold a little liquid, so add the soy sauce and lemon juice a teaspoon at a time and mix well between additions.
- Use light soy sauce. It seasons without turning the butter dark. If you only have regular soy sauce, use a little less and skip the extra salt.
- Roast the garlic properly. It should be completely soft and golden. Underroasted garlic is sharp and won't mash smoothly.
- Keep it cold. Garlic in butter should always be refrigerated. Use it within 1 week, or freeze sliced rounds and take out just what you need.
Benihana-Style Garlic Butter (Copycat)
16
tablespoons10
minutes40
minutes105
kcal1
hourCopycat-style Benihana hibachi garlic butter: softened butter whipped with sweet roasted garlic, a little fresh garlic, light soy sauce, lemon juice and black pepper. Use it on steak, shrimp, vegetables and hibachi fried rice.
Ingredients
- For the Roasted Garlic
1 whole head of garlic
1 teaspoon olive oil
- For the Garlic Butter
1 cup unsalted butter, softened (2 sticks)
2 fresh garlic cloves, finely grated or minced
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pinch salt, to taste (optional)
Directions
- Roast the Garlic
- Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Peel the loose papery outer layers off the garlic head, leaving the cloves joined, and slice about 1/4 inch off the top to expose the cloves. Set it on a square of foil, drizzle with the olive oil and wrap it up.
- Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until the cloves are soft, golden and easily pierced with a knife. Let it cool for 10 minutes, until you can handle it.
- Make the Butter
- Squeeze the roasted cloves out of their skins into a medium bowl and mash them with a fork into a smooth paste.
- Add the softened butter and the grated fresh garlic and beat with a spatula or hand mixer until smooth and creamy.
- Add the soy sauce, lemon juice and pepper a little at a time, mixing well after each addition so the butter doesn’t separate. Taste and add a pinch of salt if you like.
- Spoon the butter onto parchment paper, roll it into a log and twist the ends, or pack it into a small airtight container. Chill for at least 1 hour to firm up and let the flavors blend.
- Slice or scoop as needed for steak, chicken, shrimp, vegetables or hibachi fried rice. Keep it refrigerated and use it within 1 week, or freeze it for up to 3 months.
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How to Store Garlic Butter
Garlic in butter is a low-acid, low-oxygen mix, so always keep it cold. Refrigerate the log or container and use it within 1 week. To freeze, slice the chilled log into 1-tablespoon rounds, freeze them on a tray, then bag them for up to 3 months. Drop a frozen round straight onto hot food or into the pan.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Benihana garlic butter made of?
This copycat-style version uses softened butter, roasted garlic, a little fresh garlic, light soy sauce, lemon juice and black pepper. Teppanyaki-style garlic butter is all about garlic, butter and a savory hit of soy sauce, so it's easy to make at home.
What do you use hibachi garlic butter on?
It is made for the griddle. Melt a spoonful over steak, chicken or shrimp as they finish cooking, toss it with zucchini, onions and mushrooms, or stir it into hibachi fried rice and noodles. It is also great on corn, baked potatoes and garlic bread.
How long does homemade garlic butter last?
Keep it in an airtight container or wrapped log in the fridge and use it within 1 week. For longer storage, freeze it for up to 3 months. Don't leave garlic butter at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
Can I use only fresh garlic instead of roasted?
Yes, and that’s my weeknight shortcut. For a quick version, mix 1 cup softened butter with 2 tablespoons finely minced fresh garlic, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon lemon juice and pepper. It tastes sharper and more pungent than the roasted version, and it is ready in 5 minutes.
Should I use salted or unsalted butter?
Unsalted butter gives you control, because soy sauce already adds salt. If you only have salted butter, use it and skip the pinch of salt at the end.
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