Easy Japanese Hibachi Fried Rice Recipe

This Hibachi Fried Rice is the perfect restaurant version that can be made at home with few ingredients. Simple, filling, and delicious. Try making it home to share with your family.

Try serving your hibachi rice with some Yum Yum Sauce, Hibachi Veggies, and Hibachi Chicken for a complete restaurant-quality meal at home. 

Going to a Japanese steakhouse or hibachi restaurant has always been fun for me.

I mean what's there not to love about this casual dining experience? You get to join a group of friends or strangers around a piping hot flattop grill with a personal chef to prepare your meal directly in front of you. 

If you're lucky you will also get some fake condiment squeezed at you and witness a flaming pile of onion slices skillfully moved into a pile of fresh vegetables as a choo choo train.

It's food and entertainment all in one. Seriously what's there not to love about that?

While I love going out to the restaurant to get my hibachi fix, I also love making the same dishes in the comfort of my own home. It is not difficult to create the same meal at home, especially hibachi rice.

Let's get started!

What Is Hibachi Fried Rice?

Hibachi fried rice is a cooking style in which cooked rice is fried in a heated wok or large skillet with butter, soy sauce, and a few other ingredients. It basically takes everything that you know about fried rice and adds butter to it yielding some amazingly savory flavor.

It all begins with rice that has been cooked and has time to fully cool. In the restaurant white rice is commonly used, but you can also make it with any kind of rice that you prefer.

For this recipe, I am going to use some Instant Pot Brown Rice to save me some time. However, you may also use any leftover rice, cold rice, or day-old rice that you may have on hand. The key is to use cooked and cooled rice because it fries up better than freshly cooked hot rice.

What Do I Use To Cook Fried Rice?

You may use a wok if you have it. For this recipe, I used an inexpensive wok that I purchased many years ago on a shopping trip to Ikea. It heats up quickly and is big enough for me to move the ingredients around in the pan without making a big mess.

The one that I have is no longer available from Ikea, but there are some that you can check out on their website. I was also able to find one on Amazon (affiliate) that is similar to the one that I have.

If you do not have a wok, then no worries as you can also use a large skillet or even a 12-inch cast iron skillet. Even a large Dutch oven will work and hold all of the ingredients nicely. 

We will be cooking our rice on the stovetop, but if you have access to a Blackstone griddle, hot griddle, flat top grill, or hot plate try using those instead. 

What Ingredients For Hibachi Rice?

1. Butter - This is an ingredient that is heavily used at hibachi restaurants. It's what makes the food so good in my opinion. You may use any butter that you prefer just make sure that it is butter and not margarine. It can be salted or unsalted depending on your preference. 
2. Eggs - An added protein source and commonly found in fried rice. You can scramble the eggs separately as the recipe states at the beginning to make the process easier. Try not to over-scramble the eggs, just enough to resemble a soft scramble. It's perfectly okay if they are still a little runny because once combined with the rice it will finish cooking. 
3. Onion - Any yellow or white onion will work if you have it on hand. Try using the white part of some green onions which is typically used in Japanese fried rice. 
4. Cooked Rice - The base and star of the recipe. Use any that you prefer, jasmine rice, basmati rice, or long grain rice. You can make the rice the day before and fry it the next day. 
5. Soy Sauce - Helps to give the fried rice an umami flavor and dark rich color. Light soy sauce or low sodium soy sauce can be used. 
6. Toasted Sesame Oil - Adds a nice toasted flavor to the recipe and pairs well with the other rice ingredients. Try not to use too much, as this oil has a very strong flavor. 
7. Salt - Seasons the rice and prevents it from tasting flat.
8. Ground Black Pepper - Gives spice to the overall dish, try to use freshly ground black pepper. 

See the recipe card below for exact ingredient quantities and instructions.

How To Make Hibachi Fried Rice:

Begin the recipe by placing a wok or large skillet on the stovetop over medium-high heat. In a small bowl, lightly whisk together the eggs, salt, and ground black pepper. Add a tablespoon of butter to the heated wok or skillet.

Once the butter melts, add in the beaten eggs and scramble until they're no longer runny, but still a soft scramble. Carefully remove the cooked scrambled eggs from the skillet or wok back into the small bowl and set aside.

Add another tablespoon of butter to the heated wok or skillet. Once the butter melts, add in the chopped onion and move it around in the pan using a wooden spoon until the onion is lightly coated with the butter. Allow the onion to cook until it becomes soft and translucent.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter into the wok or skillet with the cooked onion. Once it melts add in the cooked rice.

Add the soy sauce and toasted sesame oil with the rice. Stir the rice frequently, breaking it up as needed.

Once the fried rice has been heated thoroughly and has lightly browned, add in the scrambled egg and stir to evenly distribute.

Serve warm with some homemade yum yum sauce. Enjoy!

Recipe Variations

The best thing about this delicious fried rice is that it can easily be customized to your taste. Try making some changes and adding additional ingredients to make it your own. 

• Along with the onion, try adding 1 cup of frozen green peas or edamame. 
• Stir in some of your favorite mushrooms. 
• Sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds on top before serving.
• Add some garlic powder of minced fresh garlic along with the onion for some additional flavor. 

Storage 

If you have any leftover fried rice, allow it to cool to room temperature before placing it in an airtight container. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.

When ready to serve again reheat in a hot skillet on the stovetop over medium heat until warm. Add more butter if needed. It can also be heated in the microwave but it may not have a softer texture and not be as crispy. 

Want Some Recipes To Use This Japanese Hibachi Fried Rice With? Try These:

• Yum Yum Sauce
• Hibachi Style Veggies
• Hibachi Chicken
• Ribeye Steak
• Hibachi Ginger Dressing
• Cast Iron Chicken Breast 
• Garlic Butter Shrimp
• Sesame Shrimp

Have any comments, questions, or other delicious ways to use this Hibachi Fried Rice Recipe? Please share them in the comments below!

📖 Recipe

Original post date 03/02/2020. Updated 09/17/2023.