Spicy Hibachi Chicken Benihana Copycat Recipe

This copycat Hibachi Chicken recipe is made of savory chicken bites with sautéed vegetables, served over fried rice and topped with yum yum sauce. My first taste of spicy hibachi chicken was at Benihana.

When I tasted it, it was an experience. Benihana is a Japanese restaurant specializing in teppanyaki, a Japanese cooking style that focuses on exhibition cooking.

I was with my friends that night, so we all sat around a communal table, where the chef prepared ingredients at high speed.

The chef then placed the vegetables, steak, seafood, and chicken on all our plates with precision.

Jump to:

• Watch the Video
• What is hibachi chicken?
• Get these ingredients
• Step by step on how to make hibachi chicken
• Ingredients and substitutions
• What is hibachi sauce made of?
• What is the sauce used at Hibachi?
• How many calories in hibachi chicken?
• Storing and reheating
• Freezing this dish
• Interesting chicken recipes
• Full Recipe

The service, food, and ambiance made it an entirely unforgettable experience for me. Of course, the spicy hibachi chicken stuck to me most.

This type of hibachi chicken was so delicious that I wanted to make it at home. What can I say? Benihana's Japanese hibachi chicken and fried rice with sautéed vegetables truly made an impression.

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Watch the Video

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What is hibachi chicken?

Western cooking has a charcoal barbecue while Japan has hibachi, a grill with an open grate style. It is similar to an iron griddle, only larger.

In North America, "hibachi" is a cooking style in which the chef or the host cooks the food in front of guests.

When you say "hibachi chicken," you talk about chopped chicken cooked using the hibachi method. Sautéed vegetables usually accompany the dish over rice.

You don't have to stress over getting your own Hibachi to make this dish in front of your friends and family.

This recipe allows you to get all the flavors that you would have at any hibachi restaurant.

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Get these ingredients

Although the list of ingredients seems long, they all combine quickly in just one pan. The ingredients are all accessible, too. You don't need to worry about ordering online somewhere for weird items.

You need to try this recipe if you want some restaurant-quality food at home. {You can find the complete list of ingredients at the end of my post.}

For the Hibachi Chicken

• chicken breasts – cut into smaller pieces that are all about the same size
• sesame oil
• soy sauce
• hoisin sauce
• garlic, minced
• fresh ginger, minced

Yum yum sauce

• light mayo
• ketchup
• Mirin vinegar
• rice vinegar
• garlic powder
• paprika
• cool water

Sauteed vegetables

• olive oil, soy sauce, salt, and pepper, to taste
• carrot
• mushrooms
• yellow onion
• zucchini
• broccoli

Fried rice

You can check my recipe for Benihana Chicken Fried Rice here.

• cooked white rice – can be made up to 2 days beforehand
• Benihana garlic butter, garlic, soy sauce (for seasoning)
• egg
• green onions

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Step by step on how to make hibachi chicken

Enjoying hibachi chicken doesn't require going to Benihana. Here are the steps on how to make this dish by using one pan in your own kitchen:

• • Slice your chicken into bite-size pieces. Place the chicken in a large mixing bowl.
  • Add in the other ingredients listed in the recipe card below and toss them together to make sure the chicken bites are coated well.
  • Heat some oil in a pan and cook the coated chicken for 4 to 5 minutes. The chicken should be brown and cooked well. Remove the chicken from the heat and transfer to a dish. Set aside.

Start the rice and make your mustard sauce.

• • • In the same pan that you used for the chicken, add some oil, and sauté your vegetables. Season with 2 tablespoon light soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of butter (or use the Benihana garlic butter), add salt and pepper to taste, and remove them from the heat when they are tender but still crisp.
    • In another pan, make your fried rice. Saute your garlic in some butter until they become fragrant. Add in your cooked rice and drizzle some soy sauce over it.
    • Mix thoroughly. Make a well at the center of the rice, and there, cook the egg. When done, mix the rice and egg. Add in the green onions.
    • Plate the spicy hibachi chicken like the one at Benihana, with a side of mustard sauce.
    • Enjoy while hot.

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Ingredients and substitutions

• • • Chicken. You can use skinless, filleted thighs instead of breasts.
    • Garlic and ginger. Opt for ginger and garlic paste to save some time. You can find them in the refrigerated section of the produce aisle.
    • Soy sauce. For a gluten-free version, you can use tamari.
    • Vegetables. You can use any vegetables you have in your kitchen.

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What is hibachi sauce made of?

Various hibachi dipping sauces grace the menus of many hibachi restaurants. Mustard sauce is one of the most popular ones. This sauce is tangy and creamy, perfect for hibachi beef and chicken.

Some other popular hibachi sauces are:

Ginger sauce. This is a thin and spicy sauce that matches the mustard sauce that Benihana serves.

Yum yum sauce. Spices tomato paste or ketchup, and mayonnaise make up this Japanese white sauce.

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What is the sauce used at Hibachi?

Have you ever been to a hibachi grill? If you have, then you're familiar with the pink sauce, which others call white sauce. It also goes by Japanese vegetable sauce, seafood sauce, and yum yum sauce.

It doesn't matter what name by which it goes; this sauce remains addictive and versatile. I know some people blend yum yum sauce with fried chicken and anything they have in their meals.

Because of this, I think people like the sauce better than what they're having for dinner.

This white sauce is so easy to make that you can have it at home with any dish. You can use it with your roasted vegetables and even as a salad dressing.

I like to serve my yum yum sauce with fried rice or teriyaki shrimp stir fry.
Numerous imitation hibachi sauces are everywhere, while the taste depends on the hibachi steakhouse you frequent. This recipe is different because it has a mayonnaise base.

When you make my hibachi sauce, you think of mayonnaise and choose between tomato paste and ketchup.

I use tomato paste and a bit more sugar. You can substitute ketchup and then add sugar gradually. Taste as you mix.

Smoked paprika and tomato paste transform this white sauce into a pink one. Just don't put too much paprika and tomato paste if you want a white yum yum sauce.

Other yum yum sauce recipes require spicy cayenne pepper, but I want my sauce to be savory and smokey. Add more cayenne if you want your sauce hotter.

Adding the right amount of water is the next huge element in making yum yum sauce.

I don't add a lot of water because I want a thick sauce that sticks to steak, rice, or shrimp. If you prefer a looser sauce, feel free to add more water.

To pack a punch, some home cooks add more spices. I recommend doing the basic yum yum sauce and then alter it to match your taste.

You can add dashes of cayenne, oyster sauce, or dried pepper flakes for more heat.

Feel free to whisk the sauce, but I prefer to use a food processor when I emulsify it.

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How many calories in hibachi chicken?

A hibachi chicken meal can satisfy four people; this meal includes mustard sauce, side vegetables, rice, and chicken. It is only 592 calories.

This recipe is healthier than the hibachi chicken served in teppanyaki restaurants like Benihana, whose hibachi chicken is about 1000 calories.

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What is the difference between hibachi and teriyaki chicken?

These types of chicken dishes are cooked the same way. The chicken meat is cut into small pieces and then cooked in the sauce over high heat.

The sauce is what sets them apart. Hibachi chicken has plain soy sauce and is not marinated, while teriyaki chicken is marinated and cooked in a sweet soy sauce mixture.

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Storing and reheating

You should store hibachi chicken in airtight food containers before refrigerating them. Consume the chicken in 4 to 5 days. The rice will be good for a week.

When you reheat hibachi chicken, use a hot pan on the stove. This method of heating crisps the vegetables up and keeps the chicken moist. Just make sure that the chicken is thoroughly heated.

If you want to use your microwave, sprinkle some water on the chicken pieces to dry out.

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Freezing this dish

You may not know this, but fried rice freezes well. Make sure you place the fried rice in freezer-friendly plastic bags or an airtight food container.

They are good for up to six months. Once you're ready to consume it, thaw the rice in the fridge overnight or place the frozen rice into the pan to heat it.

You can freeze the vegetables and chicken for about three months.

Once you're ready, thaw them in your fridge overnight. Make more of your sauce and add it to the pan when you reheat this spicy hibachi chicken similar to the one you had at Benihana.

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Interesting chicken recipes

• General Tso Recipe
• Vietnamese Fish Sauce Chicken Wings
• Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken

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Full Recipe