All of the food at a Japanese steakhouse is delicious, but the tasty Hibachi Fried Rice is a great start or side to an amazing meal! The hibachi chefs are wildly entertaining as they make shapes on the teppanyaki grills out of the eggs intended for your fried rice!!
Japanese Hibachi Fried Rice Recipe
This super easy-to-make hibachi 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 some 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 incredibly easy to make and I'm sharing my top tips for perfecting this wonderful side dish for your homemade hibachi dinners!
Hibachi fried rice is a great starter for all your hibachi dinners at home!
Jump to:
❔ 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 often times 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.
🥘 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
- Peas and Carrots - Or any combo of veggies you want to include.
- Egg
- Butter - Use salted butter or for unsalted add salt to the recipe.
- Soy sauce - If using low sodium soy sauce you will probably need to add salt.
🔪 Step-By-Step Instructions
Making Hibachi Cooking Oil
That wonderful cooking oil used by hibachi chefs is a combination of 4 basic ingredients. Hibachi cooking oil is made by combining 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 for 10-20 seconds in the microwave and stir in the soy sauce. (You can add in 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.
💭 Angela's Tips & Recipe 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.
❓ FAQ
What Kind of Oil Do Japanese Steakhouse Restaurants Use?
Most often, Japanese hibachi restaurants use a blend of oil(s) and rice cooking wine with soy sauce. However, canola oil, cottonseed oil, 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.
What's The Best Rice For Making Fried Rice?
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!
Serve with some fabulous steak, shrimp, or chicken as well as those tasty Japanese steakhouse dipping sauces!
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!!
Should I Dry My Rice Before Making Fried Rice?
My best results have always been from using day-old leftover rice for my fried rice recipes. However, if I were to use just-cooked rice I would definitely 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.
Do you love hibachi dinners as much as I do?? Check out my fabulous hibachi recipes all gathered on one page! This collection will help you to plan your hibachi menu for an easy night of hibachi cooking at home!!
📋 Recipe
Japanese 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 ).1 tablespoon sesame seed oil, 2 ½ tablespoon olive oil, ¼ cup rice cooking wine, 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 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.¼ cup white onion, ½ cup peas and carrots, 1 large egg, 1 tablespoon Hibachi Cooking Oil
- Heat butter for 10-20 seconds in the microwave and stir in the soy sauce ( add garlic or garlic powder, if desired ).2 tablespoon butter, 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 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.2 cups rice
- Serve immediately, garnish with sliced green onion or sesame seeds.
Equipment You May Need
Nutrition
Angela is an at home chef that developed a passion for all things cooking and baking at a young age in her Grandma's kitchen. After many years in the food service industry, she now enjoys sharing all of her family favorite recipes and creating tasty dinner and amazing dessert recipes here at Bake It With Love!
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!!!