Japanese Hibachi Fried Rice
Japanese Hibachi Fried Rice Recipe – It’s easy to make everyone’s favorite restaurant-style fried rice right at home! Use leftover rice to prepare this classic Asian-inspired dish in just 30 minutes.
Why We Love this Japanese-Style Hibachi Fried Rice Recipe
Going to a local Japanese steakhouse is often an equally fun and tasty experience. Who doesn’t love to watch a talented hibachi chef make an onion volcano, or slice a whole raw egg in half in the air, before frying up a massive batch of Japanese Fried Rice?
But, let’s be honest… Sometimes you want the deliciousness of your favorite restaurant without, well, actually going to a restaurant. When you are in the mood for tender rice, eggs, and veggies all quickly together with bold flavors – but want to stay in jammies around your kitchen table – this hibachi fried rice recipe is exactly what you need.
That’s right, you only need one pan, high heat, and a handful of key ingredients to whip up this classic vegetarian recipe in about 30 minutes. Homemade fried rice is great to enjoy as a main dish with your favorite Asian-inspired sides, or serve as a hearty side dish. Either way, it’s sure to be the star of any quick and easy weeknight meal!
Ingredients You Need
- White rice – previously cooked and chilled (jasmine rice or long grain day-old rice)
- Butter – unsalted
- Eggs – beaten
- Onion – chopped
- Carrot – diced and finely chopped
- Garlic – minced
- Fresh ginger – grated
- Soy sauce – low sodium soy sauce is recommended to reduce salt percentages
- Rice wine – cooking sherry
- Sesame oil – or other high heat neutral-flavored cooking oil
- Frozen peas – Or skip the fresh carrot listed above and use a bag of frozen peas and carrots
- Scallions (AKA green onions)– chopped, optional as a garnish
How to Make the Best Hibachi Fried Rice
- Pro Tip: I recommended that you prep all the ingredients ahead of time so the rice frying process is quick. Crack the eggs into a measuring cup and beat thoroughly. Chop and mince all fresh produce. Stir together the fried rice sauce in a separate measuring cup.
- Once you are ready to cook, place a large cast-iron skillet (or wok) over medium to medium-high heat. Melt butter in the skillet and pour in the beaten eggs. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to move the eggs around the pan in the butter.
Move the cooked eggs to a holding plate and chop them into small pieces.
- Now in the same hot skillet add the chopped fresh veggies, garlic and ginger. Stir-fry everything for just a few minutes to soften.
- Add the stir-fry sauce and stir to coat the vegetables. Then stir in the cold rice.
Fry for several minutes while stirring gently to make sure all of the rice gets a little “sizzle time” at the bottom of the skillet. The grains should be slightly golden, but not burnt.
- Once the rice is well mixed and warmed through, stir in the chopped egg and frozen peas. Cook for another couple of minutes until the peas are heated.
Turn off the heat, taste (always a must when cooking!) and adjust seasoning and serve the fried rice warm.
Get the Complete (Printable!) Japanese Hibachi Fried Rice Recipe Below. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips & Variations
- First and foremost YES, you need to use cold cooked rice for the best Japanese fried rice. Cooled rice is best to fry, as it is quite firm and stands up well to the high heat of hibachi cooking. Fresh warm rice tends to get mushy when stir-fried.
- BUT if you are in a hurry (or didn’t make rice the day before to chill) you can use vacuum-sealed packets of pre-cooked white rice!
- Feel free to leave out or add veggies you like to the dish. Try changing things up to make a less traditional hibachi rice with chopped broccoli or cauliflower, chopped zucchini, sliced mushrooms, chopped bell pepper, shelled edamame, frozen green beans, chopped snow peas, or other vegetables you like!
- Don’t have time to chop? Use a bag of frozen mixed vegetables instead of fresh veggies. Add them to the skillet when you would typically add just the frozen peas.
- Add extra protein to the hibachi fried rice recipe, if yo like. Keep it vegetarian-friendly by cooking cubes of extra firm tofu in the skillet before preparing the eggs. Or add meat to the dish and first cook diced chicken, pork, hibachi shrimp, or stir-fry beef in the skillet. Then move to a holding plate, and proceed with the remainder of the recipe.
- Be gentle with the rice! Carefully stir and fold the ingredients together as you finish the dish so as not to make the rice mushy.
Serving Suggestions
Garnish the warm rice with fresh chopped scallions, if desired.
Serve the Japanese fried rice as a vegetarian main dish with clear soup or miso soup, and a fresh green salad with ginger salad dressing.
Or enjoy it as a hearty side with Okonomiyaki (savory Japanese pancakes), cooked shrimp with homemade yum yum sauce, or a bowl of ramen soup.
Cold leftover hibachi-style fried rice also makes an excellent midnight snack, or even breakfast!
Frequently Asked Questions
It’s very easy to make this recipe on a Blackstone or other large flattop griddle. Follow the same recipe steps listed below, including using a wooden spatula or spoon so you don’t damage the surface.
Leftover Japanese hibachi fried rice will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. Allow the dish to cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container and placing it in the fridge.
Yes, you technically can. But note that the texture of the rice will get soft and less tender once it is frozen, thawed, and reheated. If you want to give it a try, simply cool the fried rice completely before transferring to an airtight freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months and thaw in the fridge overnight before microwaving or quickly reheating in a skillet on the stovetop.
Looking For More Easy Dinner Recipes? Be Sure to Also Try:
- 8-Minute Jjapaguri (Easy Ram Don Korean Noodles)
- Cantonese Pan Fried Noodles
- Easy Vegan Stir Fry Sauce with Noodles
- Black Pepper Chicken Stir Fry
- Homemade Lo Mein with Vegetables
More Fried Rice Recipes
Get the Complete (Printable!) Japanese Hibachi Fried Rice Recipe Below. Enjoy!
Check the printable recipe card below for the nutrition information including calories, carbohydrates, protein, potassium, and calcium percentages. Also share this recipe on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.
Japanese Hibachi Fried Rice Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked white rice chilled (from 1 ½ cups dried rice)
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 eggs beaten
- ¾ cup chopped onion
- ½ cup diced carrot finely chopped
- 3-4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
- 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice wine or cooking sherry
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- ½ cup frozen peas or skip the fresh carrot above and add 1 cup frozen peas and carrots
- ¼ cup chopped scallion optional
Instructions
- Prep all the ingredients ahead of time so the rice frying process is quick. Crack the eggs into a measuring cup and beat thoroughly. Chop/mince all fresh produce. Set out a second measuring cup and pour in the soy sauce, rice wine, and sesame oil. Stir well to create a stir-fry sauce.
- Place a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Set a holding plate to the side. Add the butter to the skillet. Once melted, pour in the beaten eggs. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to move the eggs around the pan in the butter. Once they are cooked through, move the eggs to the holding plate and use the spatula to chop them into small pieces.
- Add the onions, diced carrots, garlic, and ginger to the skillet. Stir-fry the vegetables for 3 to 5 minutes to soften.
- Add the stir-fry sauce to the skillet. Stir to coat the vegetables. Then stir in the cold rice. Toss and stir the rice to make sure it is well coated in sauce, and all the clumps of rice are broken apart. Continue to stir and fry for several minutes to make sure all of the rice gets a little “sizzle time” at the bottom of the skillet.
- Once the rice is well mixed and warmed through, stir in the chopped egg and peas. Turn off the heat, and serve warm. Garnish with fresh chopped scallions if desired.
We loved this recipe! We added spicy cooked chicken which was a wonderful touch. We also substituted green beans for the peas and found it worked well. This dish is perfect for a night when you crave something a little more than your average pasta but don’t want to spend a whole lot of time on it. Overall, it was a great recipe and we highly recommend it!
Love this recipe, very easy to make, and you can vary the veggies if you like. If compliments a nice salmon and tuna sashimi. Thank you
So good and so easy! Love fried rice!
Delicious- my family really enjoyed your recipe. Easy to make. We didn’t have to go to a restaurant to enjoy one of our favorite things!
Loved this fried rice recipe! The flavors all came together so well!
this brings me back to my favorite japanese steakhouse from when I was a kid and I cannot thank you enough
Like hibachi fried rice
Oh this looks so amazing! Now i’m craving the whole hibachi experience- with the steak, chicken and best of all, the amazing sauce!
We LOVE these easy homemade fried rice recipe! So easy to make and tastes better than take out!
I love this recipe! It is just as good as any restaurant version I’ver tried and I can make it at home in my comfy clothes, that’s a win!