Hibachi Fried Rice {Easy Japanese Fried Rice} @ Bake It With Love (2024)

Experience the delight of Hibachi-style fried rice at home! This recipe unlocks the secret to creating the perfect Hibachi fried rice, a versatile dish that can serve as a starter or a side to complement any Asian-inspired meal. With the lively performance of hibachi chefs on the teppanyaki grill, the entertainment is as memorable as the cuisine.

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 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.

🥘 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.

🔪 Instructions

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

1. 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.
2. Heat and oil. Bring wok or skillet to high heat with hibachi cooking oil blend or alternative (cottonseed, canola, peanut oil).
3. Scramble the egg. Cook the egg in the heated oil, quickly breaking the cooked egg apart and moving to the sides once cooked.
4. Saute veggies. Add vegetables and saute for about 2-3 minutes. *Reduce heat in small increments as needed if cooking too hot.
5. 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.)
6. 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.
7. Serve immediately, and garnish with sliced green onion or sesame seeds.

🍲 What To Serve With Hibachi Fried Rice

This tasty fried rice recipe is best served with another great hibachi main! Pick my 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!!

💭 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.

🥡 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 foods, in general, is typically the same way that you cook them. That said, returning 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.

What Kind of Oil Do Japanese Steakhouse Restaurants Use?

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.

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!

Should I Dry My Rice Before Making Fried Rice?

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.

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!!

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