Benihana Fried Rice (Copycat Recipe)
on Mar 04, 2021, Updated Sep 08, 2021
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This Japanese restaurant-style Benihana Fried Rice is loaded with delicious veggies and scrambled eggs. Benihana is a popular Tappanyaki restaurant that’s an ideal spot for special occasions. The chefs prepare meals right in front of you in a spectacular display of knife work and theatrics. It’s actually quite simple to make this copycat recipe at home. Plus, you can easily customize this dish by adding chicken, shrimp or steak.
If you’d like to recreate the Benihana experience at home, there’s no better way than with their classic fried rice! You may not have the knife juggling skills of a teppanyaki chef, but with a few simple ingredients and your stovetop, your finished product will be just as delicious.
At least once a week I make some copycat favorites including Texas Roadhouse Chili, KFC Zinger Burger, and this delicious Benihana fried rice.
Ingredients for Benihana Fried Rice
- Cooked Rice: As with all fried rice recipes, you’ll want to use cooked, cold, day-old rice. Use your choice of rice and cook it a day in advance. Let it cool, then put it in the fridge overnight. You won’t get the best results by using freshly cooked rice.
- Oil: Benihana is known for using safflower oil. In fact, the word “benihana” loosely translates to “red safflower.” If you can’t find safflower oil, another neutral oil such as canola may be used.
- Garlic Butter: Garlic butter may be purchased ready-made, or you can make your own. We recommend making your own special Benihana garlic butter (see below).
- Eggs: Benihana fried rice isn’t complete without eggs. Add in the eggs at the end so they’ll be gently scrambled.
- Carrots: Wash, peel and chop your medium-sized carrot into 1/2 inch cubes before you begin cooking.
- Onion: We like using white onions, but go ahead and use whichever one you have. Shallots, yellow and white onions are all delicious options
- Green Onions: Sometimes referred to as scallions, these make a delicious garnish for your fried rice.
- Soy Sauce: You’ll need soy sauce for that classic umami flavor. Find soy sauce in the Asian section of your grocery store.
- Oyster Sauce: This sweet, savory sauce can be found in most supermarkets. You may also opt for hoisin or fish sauce.
- Sesame Seeds: A generous sprinkling of sesame seeds is the crunchy finishing touch on your Benihana fried rice.
How to Make Benihana Fried Rice Recipe
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the egg and cook until scrambled. Set it aside.
- Add oil to the skillet and add carrots and onions. Season with salt and pepper. Stir-fry until the veggies are soft.
- Add green onions, soy sauce, and oyster sauce. Stir until combined.
- Add cooked rice and garlic butter. Continue sautéing for 3 more minutes to fry the rice.
- Then add in the cooked eggs and stir to combine.
- Remove from heat. Taste and season with extra soy sauce if preferred. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and chopped green onions.
Tips for the Best Benihana Fried Rice
- Use Garlic Butter: For the best flavored fried rice, you’ll want to use garlic butter. Butter makes your fried rice soft and fluffy and the burst of garlic flavor takes this dish to the next level. See below for a special Benihana garlic butter recipe.
- Use Cold Rice: It’s best to use cold rice as a fresh batch of warm or even lukewarm rice will not fry well.
- Cook on High Heat: To make the best replicate Benihana’s fried rice, cook on high heat. These chefs use woks on blazing high flames to fry the rice just right.
- Let the Rice Brown in the Bottom: For authentic, slightly crispy fried rice, let it brown in the bottom of the pan. This also gives you that classic fried rice flavor.
- Season with More Soy Sauce in the End: The umami flavor is one of the best things about Benihana fried rice. Go ahead and add a generous splash of soy sauce to finish off this dish.
What Kind of Cooking Oil Does Benihana Use?
Benihana restaurants are famous for their use of Safflower oil. The restaurant’s founder, Rocky Aoki named the brand after his parents’ coffee shop back in his home country, Japan. The name loosely translates to “red safflower” in Japanese. This oil has a mild, slightly sweet taste that gives Benihana fried rice its signature flavor for the best recreation, you’ll definitely want to use safflower oil. If you can’t get any, go ahead and use your choice of vegetable oil such as canola.
What Kind of Rice is Best for Benihana Fried Rice
Any kind of long or medium-grain rice will do for this recipe. You may opt for traditional varieties such as jasmine. White rice is most popularly used for this recipe, but you can use brown rice if you prefer. The most important thing is to use COLD, day-old rice for the best results.
Benihana Garlic Butter
Benihana’s famous garlic butter has all the flavor you need to take your fried rice to the next level. You’ll need 8oz of unsalted whipped butter, or two sticks of softened butter. Stir in 2oz of soy sauce and five bulbs of minced garlic. Add a splash of lemon juice. After you’ve used it in your fried rice, this rich garlic butter can be stored in the fridge and used in all kinds of recipes.
Do I Need to Cook Rice Before Making Fried Rice?
For best results, you’ll want to use cooked, day-old rice to make your fried rice. Using freshly cooked rice will result in mushy fried rice. When left in the fridge overnight, rice becomes firmer and is able to retain its shape and texture.
What’s the Difference Between Benihana Fried Rice and Hibachi?
When you visit a Benihana restaurant, the chefs prepare food right before your eyes on a teppanyaki grill. These are large, flat grills that can cook large amounts of food at once. Hibachi is a cooking method that uses a small charcoal stove. The difference between Benihana fried rice and Hibachi is the cooking tool that is used.
Variations
- Benihana Chicken Fried Rice: Why not add succulent cubes of grilled or pan-seared chicken breast to your fried rice? You’ll want to cook the chicken separately, then add it to your cooked fried rice.
- Benihana Steak Fried Rice: Strips of tasty sirloin steak are a great addition to your Benihana fried rice. Season it just the way you like and cook the steak to your preferred level of doneness.
- Benihana Shrimp Fried Rice: Seafood lovers will certainly enjoy fresh, tasty shrimp with their fried rice. If your shrimp are on the smaller size, keep them whole, but chop jumbo shrimp into smaller chunks. Cook your shrimp separately, before folding them into your fried rice.
If You Like This Recipe Try These Out
If you tried this recipe, let me know how your Benihana Fried Rice turns out in the comments below!
Benihana Fried Rice Recipe
Ingredients
Fried Rice
- 2 tablespoons oil, (use safflower oil for the most authentic flavor, but you can use any oil)
- 2 tablespoons garlic butter
- 4 cups cooked and chilled white rice
- 2 eggs, whisked
- 1 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 small white onion, diced
- 3 green onions, chopped
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce, (or more to taste)
- salt and pepper, (to taste)
- 2 teaspoons oyster sauce
For Garnishing
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
- 2 tablespoons chopped green onions
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the egg and cook until scrambled. Once cooked, transfer the egg to a separate plate.
- Add 1 tablespoon of oil to skillet and add carrots and onions. Season with salt and pepper. Stir-fry for about 5 minutes or until the veggies are soft. Immediately add green onions, soy sauce and oyster sauce. Stir until combined.
- Add cooked rice and garlic butter. Continue sautéing for 3 more minutes to fry the rice.
- Then add in the cooked eggs and stir to combine.
- Remove from heat. Taste and season with extra soy sauce if preferred.
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds and chopped green beans. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- For the leftover fried rice, store it in a sealed container in the refrigerator, and it’ll last for up to 3 days.
- For Benihana Chicken Fried Rice, you can cook chicken separately, and add the cooked chicken together with cooked eggs.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate only and will vary based on ingredient brands and cooking methods used.
Fantastic, it’s so easy to make – it has become a regular in our diet, with variations in the content. Quite delicious. Thank you,
Hi Carole, glad that you like the recipe. Thanks for letting me know.
This was my first attempt cooking tChinese rice. It was absolutely delicious!!!! I will be making it again and again. I didn’t use safflower oil because I couldn’t find it so I used the canola instead.
Hi Shemira, glad that you like the recipe. Thanks for letting me know.