A Hibachi Chicken Fried Rice for a whole Japanese steakhouse experience in a bowl! Hibachi-style fried rice is so easy to recreate at home. The key is to use butter to fry the rice in - it will give the rice so much rich flavor and toast it perfectly.
I used to make fried rice with oil. It's such a reliable clean-out-the-fridge meal and is always satisfying. But one fateful day, we were all out of oil and I used butter instead. It was LIFE CHANGING.
Butter is key to a hibachi-style fried rice. Sizzling butter on the grill is a hallmark of hibachi restaurants, and it's so easy to recreate at home!
What is Hibachi?
Hibachi is a Japanese method of cooking meats, rice, and veggies over high heat on a large, flat cooktop. The word “hibachi” actually translates to “fire bowl” since the original hibachi (which dates back to sometime in the late 1st century), was a heat-proof bowl made to hold burning charcoal for cooking foods.
What to use to cook hibachi at home
Don’t worry - you won’t have to man a fire to make yourself some good hibachi fried rice. As a matter of fact, the cooktops at hibachi restaurants are electric for the sake of safe indoor dining. The key is to get your cooktop HOT. Anything with a flat-bottom will work.
Key ingredients in hibachi fried rice
Making a Japanese steakhouse style fried rice at home is so easy! The essential ingredients for hibachi fried rice are:
- Butter. Butter will give the whole dish so much rich, savory flavor. You can't make a steakhouse-style fried rice without butter!
- Rice. I love white rice (always cooked like this), but you can definitely use brown if you prefer. It's best to use leftover rice that's cooled completely here - Once it's slightly dried out, it'll be able to soak up all of that butter and soy sauce. YUM!
- Eggs. Those tiny flecks of egg make this so much more substantial. Plus, watching the hibachi chef crack eggs into the rice and then chop them in is the star of the fried rice show. Gotta have egg!
- Soy sauce. A main flavoring of everything at hibachi grills!
- Salt. I've found it important to not rely solely on soy sauce for salt content. My fried rice used to always be too soy-y before it had that beloved MSG feel of restaurant fried rice. Add a little salt and a little soy for the perfect balance.
This recipe also uses veggies and chicken for a whole meal in a bowl type of dish, but if you want just a fried rice, you can stick to the basics listed above!
What chicken to use in fried rice
Plain, cooked, shredded or chopped chicken is what you'll need. Light or dark meat will work - or a combo. You can use rotisserie chicken to make prep time even lower. Or, you can check out this post on how to perfectly cook boneless, skinless chicken breast and keep it stocked in your freezer.
How to make hibachi chicken fried rice
Heat your cooktop over medium and melt the butter. Add the onion, carrot, and garlic and cook until softened - about 5 minutes.
Stir in the rice and chicken and cook for 2 minutes (without stirring!) to toast. Toss and cook another 2 minutes. This step will rehydrate your dried-out rice and so so slightly toast it for the most flavorful and filling fried rice that's not at all greasy!
Push the rice, chicken, and veggies to the perimeter of the pan and crack the eggs into the middle. Scramble quickly to cook, then stir in with the rice. Season with salt, pepper, and soy sauce, and stir in the frozen peas and green onions. Serve hot!
And serve with more soy sauce, of course, for those daring individuals who want a little extra.
Leftovers + meal prep
Leftover fried rice will keep 5 days in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave or stovetop in a little bit of oil or butter.
You can also freeze fried rice! This is one of my favorite meal prep meals. Allow fried rice to cool, then package in an airtight container and freeze. To reheat, add a tablespoon of oil or butter to a skillet and fry frozen rice over medium until heated through (about 10-12 minutes).
Serve it with
This recipe is so filling and will feed 2-4 as a main dish. But it also works as a side dish, and will serve 6-8. It's good with:
Slow Cooker Ginger-Soy Pork
Sticky Ginger Chicken
Thai Basil Chicken
Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Chicken
Hibachi Chicken Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup diced carrot
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 cups prepared white rice, see note
- 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/4 cup frozen peas
- 1/4 cup sliced green onions
Directions
- Melt the butter in a large skillet or wok over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and garlic and cook until softened - about 5 minutes. Stir in the rice and chicken and cook for 2 minutes without stirring to toast. Toss and cook another 2 minutes. Push to the perimeter of the pan and crack the eggs into the middle. Scramble quickly to cook, then stir in with the rice. Season with salt, pepper, and soy sauce. Stir in the frozen peas and green onions. Adjust seasoning to taste and serve hot.
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