Benihana Fried Rice

Make Benihana Fried Rice in the comfort of your home.

Benihana is not just a restaurant, but an entire experience where the Teppanyaki chef actually cooks your meal right in front of you at the table!

If you haven’t been, I would definitely encourage you to check it out. It’s a great place to go for anniversaries, birthdays, or any special occasion.

But if you’d like to recreate some of the magic at home, we’ve got a simple recipe that you can whip up in your very own kitchen.

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How to Make Benihana’s Fried Rice

Benihana may be the king of fried rice, but don’t let that stop you from making this Japanese staple at home. With a few simple ingredients, you can make this secret restaurant recipe at home. Make it with chicken or shrimp. Or a little bit of both!

Tips & Tricks

• Benihana uses Safflower oil for their fried rice because it has a high smoke point. But you can also use sesame or canola oil.

• Don’t overdo it with the soy sauce. The goal is not to make the rice turn dark brown – if you do so, you’ll end up with an incredible salty dish. Add just enough soy sauce that your rice turns mildly brown.

• The key to a great bowl of fried rice is to use cold, day-old rice. Make a large batch of rice the previous day and use the leftover to make fried rice for breakfast the next morning.

• It’s important to give your rice a good rinse before cooking to get rid of some of its starch. To rinse, soak rice with water and stir it with your fingers. Drain the rice and repeat the process until the water becomes clear.

• While it’s tempting to add as many ingredients to your fried rice as possible, I recommend starting with the basics. You don’t want a bunch of flavors overpowering one another. Stick to eggs, your choice of veggies, protein, and herbs and spices.

Benihana Fried Rice

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

45

minutes

Cooking time

15

minutes

Calories

617

kcal

Forget expensive dinner and make Benihana fried rice in the comfort of your home. It’s quick, hearty, and perfect for busy weeknights.

Ingredients

• 1 cup Botan Calrose or medium grain white rice, uncooked

• 1 cup + 1 tablespoon water

• 2 medium carrots, finely diced

• 1/2 large onion, finely

• 1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced (about 6)

• 4 large eggs

• 1 pound of protein (thinly sliced chicken breasts or Jumbo shrimp)

• 2 tablespoons safflower oil (or any neutral oil)

• salt and pepper (to taste)

• 2 teaspoons sesame seeds, for garnish

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

• Behihana’s garlic butter:

• 1/4 cup butter, softened

• 2 small cloves garlic, minced

• 1 teaspoons soy sauce

Instructions

• Add rice in a saucepan (or large pot) with the water. Add a pinch of salt and stir. Turn the heat to high. Once you see the rice start to boil slightly, give it a good stir. Cover the pot, then reduce heat to low and let it simmer for about 10 minutes.
• Remove the pot from the heat and let it sit (with the lid on) for an additional 10 minutes.
• Remove the lid and fluff the rice with a spoon to separate the granules as much as possible. Then, store it in a shallow container or large baking dish. Refrigerate overnight so it dehydrates. Without this step, your fried rice will be wet and clumpy.
• The next step is to prepare the Benihana garlic butter. Combine room temperature butter and two cloves of minced garlic. Add the soy sauce and mix well.
• Saute the onion and carrots until golden brown. In the last minute or two, add the green onion. Set aside.
• Next, heat up some oil and saute your chicken breast. Take it off the heat, dice, and place back into the pan. In the last minute or two of cooking, flavor it with some garlic butter. Mix until chicken is fully coated. Set aside.
• Scramble the eggs and set aside.
• Now it’s time to assemble the fried rice. Pour safflower oil into a wok or a large frying pan over high heat. Add the rice and mix it well so it gets coated with oil. Add the garlic butter. Stir so that rice gets thoroughly coated in the garlic butter. Add in the vegetables, chicken, and egg. Stir well until combined.
• Season your fried rice with soy sauce, salt, and pepper (to taste). Top with sesame seeds.
• Enjoy!

Notes

• Wash the rice before cooking for best results
• Fried rice is best with cooked, day old rice. You’ll need 3-4 cups of cooked rice.

Nutrition

• Calories: 617kcal
• Carbohydrates: 46.8g
• Protein: 46.1g
• Fat: 27g
• Saturated Fat: 11.6g
• Cholesterol: 274mg
• Sodium: 646mg
• Potassium: 313mg
• Fiber: 1.8g
• Sugar: 3.4g
• Calcium: 66mg
• Iron: 2mg