Experience the delight of Japanese Hibachi-style fried rice at home. This recipe unlocks the secret to creating the perfect fried rice just like the restaurants. With the lively performance of hibachi chefs on the teppanyaki grill, the entertainment is as memorable as the cuisine.
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This super easy-to-make fried rice is made in just minutes using leftover long-grain rice like Basmati rice or Jasmine rice.
All you will need is a few cups of cooked rice, cooking oil, white onion, frozen peas and carrots blend, an egg, butter, and soy sauce.
Japanese fried rice (aka hibachi-style fried rice or teppanyaki-style fried rice) is straightforward to make. I'm sharing my top tips for perfecting this wonderful side dish for your homemade hibachi dinners.
Hibachi fried rice is an excellent starter for all your hibachi dinners at home!
❔ What Is A Hibachi?
A hibachi is a Japanese grill or a shichirin. It's a small, portable barbecue grill typically made out of cast iron. Foods are cooked on a grate over an open flame, most commonly with charcoal as the heat source.
In the United States, hibachis are made for indoor cooking. They will oftentimes have an electric heating source rather than an open flame.
🤔 What’s The Difference Between Hibachi and Teppanyaki Style Cooking?
If hibachi grilling is done over a grate, what style of cooking is done at the Japanese steakhouse restaurants we all love? The iron griddle flat cooking surface, also done over an open flame (most commonly fueled with propane), is actually called teppanyaki-style cooking.
Both hibachi and teppanyaki cooking styles grill food over an open flame, but hibachi grilling is done over a grate surface, and teppanyaki grilling is done on a griddle surface (iron plate).
See my post on Japanese Cooking Styles for more information.
Do you love hibachi dinners as much as I do? Check out my fabulous hibachi recipes, all gathered on one page.
🥘 Ingredients
The ingredients are very simple and pretty standard for fried rice. The only special thing needed is my hibachi cooking oil.
Hibachi Cooking Oil
- Sesame Seed Oil
- Olive Oil
- Rice Cooking Wine
- Soy Sauce
Hibachi Fried Rice
- Rice - Cooked long-grain white rice; I typically use Jasmine rice.
- Hibachi Cooking Oil (See my recipe below.)
- White Onion or Yellow Onion
- Peas and Carrots - Or any combo of veggies you want to include.
- Egg
- Butter - Use salted butter, or add salt to the recipe for unsalted butter.
- Soy Sauce - If using low-sodium soy sauce, you may need to add salt to taste.
Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!
🔪 How To Make Hibachi Fried Rice
Making Hibachi Cooking Oil
That excellent cooking oil used by hibachi chefs is a combination of 4 essential ingredients. Hibachi cooking oil combines sesame seed oil, olive oil, rice cooking wine, and soy sauce.
Measure out the oils, rice cooking wine, and soy sauce into a sealable container such as a jar or squeeze bottle (for ease of storage and use). Shake to combine before using.
Make The Fried Rice
- Prep. Start by setting all of your prepared ingredients near your workspace as this is cooked on high heat. Using a large wok is preferable, but a large skillet or frying pan will work.
- Heat and oil. Bring wok or skillet to high heat with hibachi cooking oil blend or alternative (cottonseed, canola, peanut oil).
- Scramble the egg. Cook the egg in the heated oil, quickly breaking the cooked egg apart and moving to the sides once cooked.
- Saute veggies. Add vegetables and saute for about 2-3 minutes. *Reduce heat in small increments as needed if cooking too hot.
- Mix melted butter and soy sauce. Heat butter in the microwave for 10-20 seconds and stir in the soy sauce. (You can add garlic or garlic powder if desired.)
- Add rice and sauce. Add the 2 cups of cooled rice to the wok or frying pan, then the butter sauce. You will want to fry for an additional 5 minutes or until the rice and vegetables are well combined, coated with butter, and everything is heated through.
- Serve immediately, and garnish with sliced green onion or sesame seeds.
🍲 What To Serve With
Serve with a main dish like hibachi chicken, hibachi steak and shrimp, or hibachi scallops!
My hibachi noodles are another amazing version of a Japanese steakhouse side dish to enjoy at home. They're quick and easy like this Hibachi style fried rice, and can be made along with your rice for a really AWESOME hibachi night at home!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Notes
- Use my hibachi cooking oil for the most authentic taste.
- Leftover rice makes the best hibachi fried rice.
- Add real butter for richness.
- Upgrade by adding a protein like chicken, shrimp, beef, or pork.
>>>See All Of My Tasty Recipes Here!<<<
🥡 Storing & Reheating
Any cooked rice should be carefully stored to prevent bacterial growth. Allow the hibachi fried rice to fully cool (spread in a thin layer if needed), then transfer it into a shallow airtight storage container.
Alternatively, the cooled rice can also be stored in a plastic storage bag. Just be sure to squeeze out as much air as possible. Refrigerate for up to 3-4 days.
Freezing
Spread cooled fried rice on a baking sheet and freeze for 1-2 hours. Transfer into a freezer storage container or freezer storage bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheating
The best way to reheat your leftover hibachi fried rice to a hot skillet with a bit of my hibachi cooking oil is the ideal reheating method for this recipe.
Note that any fried rice should only be reheated once. Portion out what you need, or discard any remaining reheated leftovers.
❓ Recipe FAQs
Japanese hibachi restaurants often use a blend of oil(s) and rice cooking wine with soy sauce. However, canola, cottonseed, and peanut oil are commonly used.
If you have some sesame seed oil to mix in a 1:10 ratio (1 part sesame seed oil to 10 parts canola, cottonseed, or peanut oil), you can get a great flavor to your foods.
While Japanese cooking may usually serve up a bowl of some sweet sushi rice ( like Shirakiku brand Koshihikari rice ) or polished white rice (hakumai), these types of rice are softer and will stick together and clump easily.
When making fried rice, my go-to variety that is the best for hibachi-style cooking is definitely Jasmine rice. Followed closely by Basmati rice, although most any medium to long-grain white rice will work.
Whichever rice you use, you want a cooked rice grain that is fluffy yet firm, longer than it is round, and that doesn't stick together!
My best results have always been using day-old leftover rice for my fried rice recipes. However, if I used just-cooked rice, I would consider spreading my cooked rice on a baking sheet and using the oven fan to dry it out.
This method takes at least thirty minutes. It is best if you can allow the rice to dry for an hour if at all possible. If you don't have an oven fan, even spreading the cooked rice and allowing it to cool and dry at room temperature for 30 - 60 minutes is better than cooking with hot (and still moist) rice.
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📖 Recipe Card
Hibachi Fried Rice
Ingredients
Hibachi Cooking Oil
- 1 tablespoon sesame seed oil
- 2 ½ tablespoon olive oil (light or extra virgin)
- ¼ cup rice cooking wine
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
Hibachi Fried Rice
- 2 cups rice (cooked long grain white rice, I typically use Jasmine)
- 1 tablespoon Hibachi Cooking Oil (see above)
- ¼ cup white onion (finely chopped)
- ½ cup peas and carrots (frozen blend, or a ¼ cup of each peas and finely chopped or diced carrots)
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoon butter (salted)
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
Instructions
Hibachi Cooking Oil
- Combine ingredients in a jar or squeeze bottle that you can seal with a lid to shake up the contents, and for storing any unused portion ( if desired ).
- Shake container before using to cook hibachi style foods, such as this hibachi fried rice, noodles, vegetables, chicken, steak, or seafood.
Hibachi Fried Rice
- Set all prepared ingredients near workspace as this is cooked on high heat. Using a large wok is preferable, but a large skillet or frying pan will work. Bring wok or skillet to high heat with hibachi cooking oil blend or alternative ( cottonseed, canola, peanut oil ).
- Cook the egg in the heated oil, quickly breaking the cooked egg apart and moving to the sides once cooked. Add vegetables and saute for about 2-3 minutes. *Reduce heat in small increments as needed if cooking too hot.
- Heat butter for 10-20 seconds in the microwave and stir in the soy sauce ( add garlic or garlic powder, if desired ).
- Add the cooled rice to the wok or frying pan, then the butter sauce. Fry for an additional 5 minutes, or until the rice and vegetables are well combined, coated with butter, and everything is heated through.
- Serve immediately, garnish with sliced green onion or sesame seeds.
Sheila says
Amazing Hibachi rice recipe! My husband requests I made this often and we can't get enough of it!
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
It's one of our family favorites, too. We are obsessed with Benihana-style food.
Sam98 says
Very tasty and good explanations
Kara says
How do you store the hibachi cooking oil?
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Store in an airtight preferably glass container in the refrigerator, should last several months.
Rick Rule says
Super good fried rice, just like the big hibachi restaurant near home!
Peggy says
This Japanese fried rice recipe is one of the best I’ve tried. Will make double the next time. Def will make it again.
R says
This is perfect, but it should always be day-old rice for better flavor.
Aimee says
Have made this twice in the last month. Love it! I don’t use the rice wine and I use low sodium soy sauce-cones out great:)
Bishop says
I'm a father that likes to make dinner! No cooking background! This recipe is AMAZING! Just wondering what could be substituted for rice cooking wine and what exactly is rice cooking wine? Looked in my local store and could only find cooking wine and then rice vinegar! Thank you!
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Thanks, Bishop! Glad you enjoyed the fried rice! Rice cooking wine is usually found in the Asian section at most grocery stores. KaMe is the brand that is easiest to find. Some recipes call for Shaoxing wine or Mirin, both of which are also rice cooking wines (but not what is needed here). See some of the available brands on Amazon here (not an affiliate link).
Anonymous says
white wine
Heather says
Really tasty! Followed the recipe exactly and we really enjoyed it with chicken.
Stacy says
This was just like our local Hibachi restaurant. Actually i think it was better. I used a riesling because I didn’t have rice wine and it still came out perfect. Threw in shrimp, zucchini, mushrooms, carrots, and onions. Sharing, and will make again and again.
Keith says
Taste just like going to restaurant, only cheaper!
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Thanks Keith! I think so too, but I might be biased! 🙂
Tammy says
Best fried rice ever!
Christine Taylor says
Love this fried rice, it made my families hibachi dinner night amazing!
Mel says
A perfect side for our chicken and shrimp dinner. We also used your ginger dipping sauce and your yum yum sauce!
Kassandra Avery says
The yum yum sauce does it taste exactly like the one thye serve in the Japanese restaurants?
Jennifer LeBrun says
This was awesome! The entire family loved it! I will make it again for sure!
Antoinette says
This recipe is AMAZING! Only thing I did differently is substitute the Rice Cooking Wine with Sherry Cooking Wine. Still turned out GREAT!!!