Benihana Fried Rice Recipe | Easy To Make In 20 Minutes

This Benihana fried rice recipe takes day-old rice and makes something totally delicious out of it. Every bite is filled with veggies, cooked shrimp, scrambled eggs, rice, and umami goodness. Best of all though, 20 minutes is all it takes to make, and, honestly, it's so good you won't believe it's not the hibachi fried rice from Benihanas itself!

The Best Benihana Fried Rice

If you've ever been to Benihana, you likely know all about their iconic hibachi fried rice.

But, if you've never been there, Benihana is an upscale sushi and Japanese restaurant. And, honestly, the hibachi fried rice is so good, it's worth making a trip to one of the restaurants just for that.

With that said though, there isn't a Benihana everywhere in the world, cough, cough, like here in Buffalo. So, if you want to enjoy all of their fried rice yumminess, you have to make it at home. Or atleast try to. And that's where today's recipe comes in clutch!

With this Benihana fried rice recipe, you don't have to locate one of the restaurants to indulge in the best hibachi fried rice ever again! This copycat recipe has it all, the veggies, the shrimp, the fried egg, the rice, the seasonings. It has it all.

Plus, what I love about this fried rice recipe is how easy it is to make. All you need to do is follow 4 simple steps to make it. And the whole process will take you less than 30 minutes from start to finish.

Not too shabby, eh?!

Now, even though I love eating this Benihana fried rice by itself, it's also worth mentioning that it's even tastier paired next to some simple sides like this Din Tai Fung cucumber salad or Kani salad.

Ingredients

While it may seem like a lot of ingredients are required for this Benihana fried rice, I assure you they're all super simple and easy to locate at your local grocery store. That is if you don't have them on hand already!

Anyway, here's everything you need to make this copycat Benihana's fried rice recipe:

• ¼ cup Butter, melted
• ½ Garlic Clove, minced
• 2 tbsp. Soy Sauce
• 1 Lemon
• 2 Eggs
• 1 tsp. Sugar
• A pinch of fish sauce (optional)
• 1 tbsp. Sesame Oil
• 1 Carrot, diced
• ½ Onion, diced
• ¼ cup Green Onion, sliced
• 2 cups White Rice, cooked (best from the day before)
• 2 tbsp. Soy Sauce
• 1 Pound Cooked Shrimp
• 1 tbsp. Sesame Seeds

Not bad, right?

They're all pretty common ingredients that are used in many fried rice recipes. In fact, I use a lot of them to make my beef fried rice and Uncle Roger egg fried rice.

Also, for what it's worth, I definitely suggest using everything on this list. It's just the best way to ensure that your fried rice turns out perfect.

However, if you do want to make a few substitutions I have some recommendations on how to make those. Just keep reading to see my best tips.

Ingredient substitutions for this fried rice recipe

Now, many of these ingredients can be swapped - or substituted - depending on what you have on hand.

For example, sesame oil can be swapped with olive oil or any neutral oil cooked with sesame seeds. The soy sauce can be swapped for tamari sauce or coconut aminos. And ehen it comes to veggies, you can add in or substitute anything you want! I personally like to add diced bell peppers or even broccoli to my fried rice.

For the shrimp, you can just use plain cooked shrimp, or elevate the flavors even more by using this blackened shrimp, firecracker shrimp, general tso shrimp, or sweet and sour shrimp.

You can even substitute the shrimp for cooked chicken and make this into the Benihana chicken fried rice!

Lastly, I know the recipe calls for day-old rice, but if you don't have any, then you can still make this copycat recipe with freshly cooked rice. It might not be quite as good if you do, but it will still be pretty darn tasty.

How To Make Benihana Fried Rice

Once you make this Benihana fried rice, you'll feel like a pro hibachi chef. Seriously, the steps are really easy, and the result is five-star restaurant quality.

Now, just so you know, this recipe makes 2 huge servings of shrimp fried rice. So, if you're planning on serving it as a family dinner I recommend doubling - or tripling - the ingredient measurements above. It's always a hit, and it always goes fast so don't be afraid to make plenty.

Anyway, now get out your ingredients, and let's get cooking!

Step 1: Make The Garlic Butter

First, we're going to make the Benihana garlic butter that gives this fried rice such a killer flavor.

To do that, add the melted butter, minced garlic clove, soy sauce, and lemon in a small bowl. Then, give it a good mix until it combines, and set it aside for later.

Step 2: Make The Fried Egg

Next, crack the eggs in a small bowl and whisk them so the white combines with the yolk.

Now, grab a wok - or a large skillet - and set the heat to high heat. Then, add a bit of sesame oil to coat the surface, followed by the whisked eggs, add a pinch of fish sauce and sugar. 

Cook the egg for a few a minute or so, moving it around the pan constantly. This is to prevent it from burning. Then, once it's cooked, set it aside for later.

Step 3: Cook The Veggies

Ok, now on to the veggies. In the same wok - or skillet - you just cooked the eggs in, add a bit more sesame oil to it and move it around to coat the surface.

Then, add the green onions, onions, and carrots to the wok and saute for a few minutes until soft.

Step 4: Assemble And Serve

Now, to finish this Benihana fried rice, add the cooked rice and the Benihana garlic butter mix to the wok with the veggies and fry on high heat or until the rice starts to get crispy.

Then, add the cooked shrimp and fried eggs to the wok and mix everything together, so it combines.

Alternatively, you can serve the fried rice and veggies in two bowls and add the shrimp and fried eggs on top.

Lastly, add more green onions and sesame seeds to garnish the cooked fried rice, and enjoy!

How To Store Benihana Fried Rice

As I mentioned earlier, this recipe for Benihana fried rice will make two dinner-portion servings or four side servings. So, you might want to make some extra because as good as this fried rice is fresh, it makes for even better leftovers!

With that said, you can store your leftover fried rice in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for 3-4 days. Keep in mind though that you'll want to count as many days as it's been since you made the rice you used for this recipe in that storage total.

By the way, if you want to keep the leftover fried rice for even longer, you can also freeze it in an airtight container - or freezer-safe - for up to 2 months.

How To Reheat fried rice

To reheat leftover Benihana fried rice, the quickest way is to put it in a microwave-safe bowl with a splash of water and microwave in 20-second increments, stirring between each one until thoroughly heated.

Alternatively, you can reheat fried rice on the stovetop over medium heat. Again, add a couple of spoonfuls of water and make sure to constantly stir the rice until it's warm.

For both reheating methods, you'll just need to add on some extra time if you're starting from frozen rice.

Wrapping It Up

Well, that's how to make Benihana fried rice at home!

This rice is iconic, and being able to recreate it in your own kitchen with this copycat recipe is just awesome.

Honestly, it's just so darn good and comes out tasting exactly like the restaurants.

Of all the fried rice recipes I've tried, this is hands the best hibachi fried rice I've ever had. It's not just me though, everyone who tries it always raves over how good it is. And it tops anything you can get for takeout.

Anyway, as always, if you give this recipe a try, leave a comment below and let us know how it went!

Lastly, don't forget to check us out on Youtube, Instagram, and TikTok, where we're always posting easy recipes.

More Copycat Recipes

If you want to recreate more of your restaurant favorites, we have a ton of copycat recipes that you can try!

Give one of these recipes next: 

• Panda Express chicken teriyaki
• Panda Express honey walnut shrimp
• Cheesecake Factory Thai coconut lime chicken
• Olive Garden chicken scampi
• KFC famous bowl

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