Copycat Benihana Fried Rice

Benihana fried rice is so tasty. If you have been to Benihana, you know you should not skip the hibachi fried rice they serve. To me, it is the best menu item of all. Want to know the real secret to this? It’s the Benihana garlic butter.

With a few simple ingredients, you can make the Benihana fried rice recipe at home. Thankfully there are no exotic ingredients in this recipe. You can find everything you need at home. Best of all you can turn into your own Benihana chef with this easy recipe. 

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What Makes Benihana Fried Rice the Best Fried Rice? 

Ordinary fried rice is deceptively tricky to make. Cooking it at home usually ends in overly salty clumps of soggy rice. However, hibachi fried rice from Benihana turns out perfectly light with an amazingly rich, garlicky flavor that is like no other fried rice. 

Why This Is the Recipe You Must Try for Homemade Hibachi Fried Rice 

The magic of Benihana’s fried rice lies in its cooking technique and that incredible garlic butter. By cooking vegetables separately from the rice, you achieve the perfect texture without soggy clumps. Using cold, day-old rice prevents stickiness, while the generous addition of garlic butter creates that distinctive Benihana flavor profile that sets it apart from ordinary fried rice. With this method, you can create exceptional hibachi-style rice at home without a teppanyaki grill.

Benihana Fried Rice Recipe Ingredients

For the Garlic Butter

• Unsalted butter – Creates the rich base that gives this rice its signature flavor
• Roasted garlic – Provides deep, mellow garlic flavor without harshness
• Soy sauce – Adds umami depth and salt to the butter mixture

For the Fried Rice

• White rice – Long-grain varieties like basmati work best for distinct, separate grains
• Sesame seeds – Add nutty flavor and subtle crunch when toasted
• Butter – Creates richness in the initial vegetable sauté
• Yellow onion – Provides aromatic sweetness when cooked
• Carrots – Add color, texture, and subtle sweetness
• Scallions – Deliver fresh, mild onion flavor and vibrant color
• Vegetable oil – Helps prevent sticking and adds richness (canola preferred)
• Eggs – Bind ingredients together while adding protein and silky texture
• Soy sauce – Provides the characteristic umami flavor and saltiness
• Salt and pepper – Enhance overall flavor profile

To make the garlic butter, mix 1/2 stick of butter, one bulb of roasted garlic (or one teaspoon of garlic powder), and 1/2 tablespoon of soy sauce.

How To Make Benihana Fried Rice

To make fried rice like they do at Benihana:

1. Cook the rice, preferably the day before you make the fried rice. Fluff the rice and spread it on a baking tray to cool at room temperature. Store in the fridge in a covered container until you need it. 
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
3. Toast the sesame seeds in the oven until light brown and fragrant, about 10 minutes. If in doubt, take them out. Sesame seeds can burn quickly. 
4. In a large frying pan / large skillet or wok over medium-high heat, melt the unflavored butter. 
5. When the butter stops foaming, add the carrots and cook for a minute. Then add the onions and cook until they are transparent.
6. Toss the scallions with the other vegetables and heat through.
7. Spread the cooked vegetables on a plate to allow them to cool.
8. Heat a clean, large pan with a heavy bottom over medium heat. 
9. Add vegetable oil to the hot pan and cook the eggs until they are set but still shiny.
10. Dump in the cooked, cold rice. Mix well. 
11. Add the garlic butter and the cooked vegetables to the pan.
12. Stir to combine. When all the ingredients are hot, transfer to a serving platter. 

Add-ins for Benihana Fried Rice

Feel free to add protein to the dish. Beef, chicken, and shrimp are great, but you can also use tofu to keep the dish vegetarian.

For this recipe, you need to cook the protein separately. Add the protein when you return the cooked veggies to the pan in step 11. No matter what you add in, I know you are going to find this the perfect copycat recipe.

Serving Suggestions for Benihana Rice

Hibachi fried rice is a great side dish for any Asian-inspired meal without additional protein. Try pairing it with Sweet and Sour Chicken or Spicy Asian Chicken Wings. With protein, this recipe makes a light meal on its own. 

Benihana Rice Recipe FAQ

What Is the Difference Between Fried Rice and Hibachi Fried Rice?

Besides the fact that Benihana chefs cook the restaurant’s fried rice on a teppanyaki grill and not in a wok, there are other differences.

Ingredients-wise, the Benihana Fried Rice recipe uses a lot of garlic butter, one of the biggest secrets to the dish’s unique flavor.

In addition, since the teppanyaki grill doesn’t get as hot as a wok, the dish doesn’t have wok heir or the “breath of the wok,” that slightly charred flavor that comes from cooking on very high heat. 

What Kind of Cooking Oil Do They Use at Benihana?

At Benihana, they use safflower oil. Safflower oil has no taste and a very high smoke point, an ideal combination for cooking fried rice. 

What Type of Rice Do They Use on a Hibachi?

You can use any long-grain rice, but basmati rice is a favorite. Just like any other fried rice recipe, you should use day-old rice.

If you don’t have time to cook the rice the day before, you can make it an hour or two before cooking the fried rice. Once cooked, spread the rice out on a rimmed baking tray, and put it in the fridge until chilled. To prevent clumping, use your fingers to separate the grains of rice as much as possible before chilling. 

How To Store Leftover Fried Rice 

You can store extra fried rice in the fridge for up to five days. Let it cool and put it in a container with a cover. 

You can freeze fried rice for up to three months in the freezer. Spread out the room temperature rise on a baking tray. Stick it in the freezer for about two hours or until frozen. Transfer to a freezer-safe container.

To reheat the Benihana Fried Rice straight from the fridge or the freezer:

• The easiest method is using the microwave. Cook on HIGH for 3 minutes and stir it. Heat in one-minute increments until the rice is hot enough for you. 
• You can also reheat fried rice in a pan over medium heat. Add a little oil to the hot pan and pour in the rice. Use a spatula to stir. Cook until hot and serve. 

Recreate a Japanese Steakhouse at Home with These Recipes

• Best Tempura Shrimp
• Hibachi Grill Steak
• Tori Katsu
• Beef Teriyaki Recipe
• Yum-Yum Sauce
• Hibachi Mustard Dipping Sauce Recipe
• Ginger Salad Dressing Recipe
• Famous Japanese Salad Dressing

Best Chinese Recipes

• Authentic Chinese Spare Ribs Recipe
• General Tso Chicken
• Hunan Chicken
• Simple Chicken Lo Mein
• Simple Egg Foo Young Recipe

Be sure to take a look at more of my side dishes at restaurants and the best copycat recipes.