Who doesn’t love Hibachi? I know I do, especially the Hibachi fried rice. I’ve been cooking fried rice since I was 10 years old. It was my “specialty.” No idea how it came to be or why I was so obsessed with it.
Hibachi-style fried rice or Japanese fried rice is a lot simpler than you may think. A very wise man once told me (Japanese steak house Hibachi chef) that all you need is soy sauce and butter. He called it “peanut butter” because mixed together, it looks just like creamy peanut butter. The trick is room temp butter mashed together with soy sauce for a creamy, thick paste.
I make my fried rice just like the pros. I wish I could say I have a Hibachi grill in my living room but I don’t. However, a wok is the next best thing (I highly recommend you pick one up). A wok can be used for a lot of Asian cuisines.
What is Hibachi?
Sure, we have all been to Hibachi restaurants where talented chefs serve up Japanese cuisine with a show. Hibachi actually directly translates to “fire bowl,” meaning cooking on a very hot metal surface. That’s why this recipe is ideal for a wok on high heat, It will quickly cook and sear the rice just like a Hibachi surface (well, almost).
You can even add in chicken for the perfect Hibachi-style chicken fried rice. Just be sure to cook the chicken before adding the rice.
For this recipe, I use canola oil, butter, less sodium soy sauce, white onion, peas, carrots, and one fried egg. It’s lighter, lower in sodium, and healthier than your typical takeout. If you have leftover white rice in the fridge this is the perfect way to get rid of it for a killer side dish. Throw everything in a wok and cook on high heat for 5-7 minutes. It’s that easy.
A Quick Note On Prep
When cooking quickly at high temps, it’s super important to be organized before putting anything on the heat. For fried rice, I lay out all my ingredients ahead of time in small prep bowls. It makes the process much easier and prevents burning from getting distracted.
This Goes Well With:
Hibachi-Style Fried Rice Recipe
- Prep Time: 25 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 35 mins
- Yield: 4–6 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: Japanese
Description
A simple hibachi fried rice made with butter, soy sauce, and veggies.
Ingredients
- 2 cups previously cooked long-grain white rice
- 1/4 cup carrots, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup peas
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup white onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon canola oil, for frying
Peanut butter sauce
- 2 tablespoons less sodium soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Prepare white rice using instructions on packaging, let cool and set aside.
- Meanwhile, chop all vegetables into finely chopped pieces, set aside in prep bowls.
- To make the “peanut butter sauce,” place butter in microwave for 10-15 seconds to soften, stir in soy sauce and garlic powder until mixed. Set aside.
- In a large skillet or wok, bring oil to just under high heat.
- Fry one egg until no longer runny and break into small pieces using the tip of a spatula.
- Add vegetables to the wok and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add rice and stir in “peanut butter” sauce until well mixed and fully coated. Cook for an additional 5-7 minutes. Serve immediately.
Notes
I’ve found fully cold or day-old rice works best. It doesn’t clump together when frying. Can also serve with hibachi chicken.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 cup
- Calories: 301
- Sugar: 1.3g
- Sodium: 359mg
- Fat: 6.9g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Carbohydrates: 42.4g
- Fiber: 1.5g
- Protein: 6.2g
- Cholesterol: 43mg
Keywords: Japanese fried rice, hibachi rice
Oh, hell yeah!
I spent about a year searching for the ideal fried rice recipe and I stopped after making this. I like to use half cal rose rise and half cauliflower rice. Damn delicious!
★★★★★
Ever try it with ground pork or shrimp?
I haven’t – I’d imagine shrimp would be perfect for it however.
This was delicious!!! My rice was mushy though. I made the rice in the morning and refrigerated. Should I have left it out or cooked before making the rice and just let it cool?
Hmm, I’m surprised because usually the fridge will slightly dry out the rice. Not sure why that happened to you. Maybe the rice was slightly overdone.
This tastes so amazing
★★★★★
This tastes just exactly like Kobe steakhouse or any hibachi restaurant.
★★★★★
I love this recipe and it’s super simple. My 17 yr old picky daughter LOVES it! I’ve made several times. Thanks for providing!
We made this tonight and it was so good, thank you for posting.
★★★★★
A recommendation that made the recipe a little more like hibachi restaurant fried rice. I used calrose rice instead of instant rice. It’ll make it less dry. I also add some yum yum sauce and a little poke.
★★★★★
I added about a tablespoon extra of oil because it didn’t look like it was going to be enough but 2 was a little too much. I think that’s why it came out more greasy instead of dry like the pro fried rice. It’s missing one flavor and I think that’s going to be Yum sauce. Other than that it’s almost spot on with the best fried rice I’ve ever had. I’m going to add a little more soy too cause the rice should come out a little more brown.
★★★★★
Hi, this recipe sounds great. I want to try it, but I was wondering which brand of soy sauce you recommend? Not sure which one to get.
I like kikkoman lower sodium soy sauce
Thank you!