Easy Benihana Hibachi Chicken Recipe {Copycat}

This Hibachi Chicken Recipe takes 20 minutes to come together and tastes like you just ordered it from Benihana! Juicy, succulent chicken is seared in that fabulous roasted garlic butter then drizzled with oodles of magic mustard sauce! Simple, yet absolutely delicious!

What is Benihana Hibachi Chicken?

Benihana’s Hibachi Chicken is a popular savory food item served by Benihana, a popular restaurant franchise in North America. Hibachi Chicken is part of Benihana's classic menu, and the dish is often paired with hibachi noodles, hibachi steak, and fried rice. Famous for serving meals on “teppanyaki” or flat grill top tables, this Japanese restaurant experience includes more than just delicious food, it's a fun outing. A specially trained Benihana chef performs breathtaking tricks and flourishes while cooking hibachi (hot grill) style dishes in front of guests.

There is something about Benihana’s hibachi style cooking that makes it extra special and different from other Asian restaurants. The recipe itself is really simple. Yet there is something about the taste which sets this hibachi restaurant apart from others.

So, what is the secret to Benihana's Hibachi Chicken?

The secret to that depth of flavor in this Benihana Hibachi Chicken Recipe is the special roasted garlic butter. Unlike other Asian restaurants, where the chicken might be marinated then seared over high heat with vegetable oil or butter, the benihana hibachi chicken is seared with a special garlic butter which is made up of mashed up oven roasted garlic, sweet, whipped butter, freshly ground black pepper, soy sauce, and an optional squeeze of lemon juice.

When I first tasted this special garlic butter – I could not believe it – it was one of those “OMG THATS SO TASTY!!” experiences.

Many copycat recipes call for minced garlic mixed with butter – don’t be fooled – the oven roasted garlic, soy sauce, and other ingredients mixed in with the whipped butter is what makes this the perfect copycat recipe. Shockingly, the special garlic butter is not hard at all to make – for full details see my Benihana Garlic Butter Recipe.

Why make this Benihana Hibachi Chicken Recipe?

• Tastes just like Benihana! - eat Japanese style hibachi chicken in the comfort of your own home!
• Easy Recipe - use the same pan for the chicken and vegetables.
• Ready in 20 minutes – a very quick and simple recipe making it perfect choice for busy weeknight meals.
• No special equipment required - no need to worry that you don't own a classic teppanyaki or flat top grill - this recipe just requires a cast iron skillet, non-stick skillet, wok, or large frying pan. High heat searing produces the enticing grilled flavor of traditional hibachi Japanese cooking. It's really that easy to make in your own kitchen!

This Recipe provides detailed instructions for making Benihana Hibachi Chicken. Instructions are also provided for Hibachi Vegetables, Benihana Fried Rice as well as Magic Mustard Sauce as this creates the iconic Benihana chicken meal. If you like Benihana food, you'll love our Hibachi Shrimp and Hibachi Steak recipe.

Ingredients

Simple ingredients needed - all the ingredients for this Benihana Chicken Recipe and the Benihana Garlic Butter Recipe, is easily available at your local supermarket!

Benihana Garlic Butter

The special Benihana Garlic Butter is made up of only five ingredients: oven roasted garlic, sweet, whipped butter, freshly ground black pepper, soy sauce, and lemon juice.

Benihana Hibachi Chicken

Chicken breast is traditionally used in Benihana restaurants; however thighs will work just as well. Unlike other Asian dishes like Teriyaki chicken from Chinese stir fry chicken the Benihana white meat chicken is not marinated. The meat is seared and seasoned with the special Benihana Garlic Butter which already includes a number of ingredients typically added separately like soy sauce, loads of garlic, and black pepper. The chicken breast should be sliced into bite-sized pieces. There is no need to season the raw chicken breast since the butter which the chicken is seared in already contains soy sauce which has salt. It is best to season the chicken with a dash of salt later.

How to make Benihana Hibachi Chicken

Make the Benihana Garlic Butter first.

Make the garlic butter first as it is a key ingredient to the hibachi chicken recipe.

Step One: Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut about a third off the top of each head of garlic. Place on a baking sheet lined with tin foil. Bake the garlic for about 30 minutes or until soft inside.

Step Two: Press out the soft, roasted garlic cloves into a medium bowl and mash with a fork or spoon. Use an immersion blender if you prefer a smoother finish for the butter. Wait for the mashed garlic to cool.

Step Three: Add about two tablespoons of room temperature whipped butter to the cooled mashed garlic. Beat with a spoon until fully combined. Add the remaining butter in half cup portions and continue mixing until all the butter has been added. Add the freshly ground black pepper, soy sauce and lemon juice and mix well.

For detailed instructions and tips please refer to our Benihana Garlic Butter Recipe.

Cook the Benihana Hibachi Chicken

Step One: Put the chicken, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, garlic, and ginger into a bowl. Mix well. Set aside.

Step Two: Heat a wok until smoking hot. Add the butter and swirl until melted and the bottom is evenly coated. Sear the chicken on all sides until completely cooked through. Remove the chicken and set the cooked chicken aside. If cooking vegetables next, do not turn off the heat.

Tips on making the best Benihana Hibachi Chicken

• To simulate the teppanyaki grill or flat top grill, make sure you use a heavy-duty skillet like a like a wok or cast-iron skillet which is smoking hot. If the wok is not hot, the chicken will steam and not sear.
• Sauté the chicken just long enough to sear it. Be careful not to overcook the chicken.
• Serve immediately. Like all grilled foods, Benihana Hibachi Chicken is best served fresh and piping hot!

How long does Hibachi Chicken last in the fridge?

Stored in an airtight container, Hibachi Chicken lasts for about 3 days in the fridge.

To reheat Hibachi Chicken, place the cold Hibachi Chicken in a saucepan with about 1-3 teaspoons of water. Heat the Hibachi Chicken on medium-low heat and cover so that the steam heats the meat through, stirring occasionally as needed.

Reheating Hibachi Chicken in the microwave, while convenient, is not preferable as microwaving can dry out the chicken.

Nutrition

Each serving of this Benihana Hibachi Chicken Recipe has about 235 calories, 11.8g of fat and 5.8g of carbohydrates.

Each serving of this Benihana Chicken Dinner has about 573 calories, 25.1g of fat and 33.2g of carbohydrates.

The Hibachi Vegetables has about 72 calories, 3.3 g of fat and 10g of carbohydrates.

The Magic Mustard Sauce has about  38 calories, 2.7g of fat and 2.2g of carbohydrates.

The Fried Rice has about 228 calories, 7.3g of fat and 15.2g of carbohydrates.

This Benihana Chicken and Hibachi Vegetable recipe yields approximately 4 servings.  The Magic Mustard Sauce recipe yields approximately 12 servings.  The Fried Rice Recipe yields approximately 6 servings. The nutrition information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator and is intended for informational purposes only. Please use it as a general guideline. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should independently verify it using your preferred tool.

Serving Suggestions

Drizzled with some Magic Mustard Sauce, this Benihana copycat recipe goes really well with Benihana Chicken Fried Rice, Savory Vegetables and Benihana Fried Rice. For a lighter option, serve it with a light cucumber or green salad on the side. Other great choices for a savory side dish include curried cauliflower and sautéed spinach in garlic and olive oil. The Benihana Hibachi Chicken also pairs well over greens like spinach and spring greens and the Magic Mustard Sauce makes a delicious salad dressing. Other sauces like ginger sauce and yum-yum sauce that are also offered as dipping sauces at Japanese steakhouse restaurants also goes really with this dish.

Benihana Chicken is fantastic with garlic naan bread, as a filling for crusty Two Hour Artisan Bread sandwiches and as a pizza topping on Homemade Thin Crust Pizza Dough.

Other recipes of interest

The following complimentary recipes are provided in case you would like to make a full Benihana chicken dinner with all the trimmings.

Benihana Hibachi Vegetables

Ingredients

A savory combination of onions and zucchini is commonly served in Benihana restaurants. In this recipe, I add a little red bell pepper to add a little color. Zucchini can be easily substituted for squash, broccoli, or cauliflower. If carbs or sugar are not an issue, you can also use carrots instead of red bell peppers for a splash of color and sweetness.

Instructions

Step One: Wipe the hot skillet with a paper towel. Add 1 tablespoon of garlic butter or olive oil. Put in the onions and zucchini and sear on each side. Add the red peppers and toss before removing from heat. In the same hot skillet, add the onions and zucchini and sear on each side. Add the red peppers. Toss with soy sauce and sauté for a minute before removing from heat.

For detailed instructions and tips please refer to our Hibachi Vegetable Recipe.

Magic Mustard Sauce

Ingredients

Benihana's magic mustard is one of its most popular hibachi sauces. It is primarily made up of soy sauce, dry mustard powder, toasted sesame seeds, garlic powder, and heavy cream. Mayonnaise is a great substitute for heavy cream. For a dairy free version, try an equal amount of coconut cream. While coconut is not part of the original recipe, it's actually pretty good!

Instructions

While the instructions below look like a lot of steps - it's actually really easy. Just blitz the ingredients for the magic mustard sauce and stir into heated heavy cream. Heat up the wok and stir fry the chicken in the special garlic butter, then stir fry the vegetables in the same pan!

Step One: Heat a pan over medium high heat. Toast the sesame seeds until golden and lightly fragrant. Remove from heat.

Step Two: In a blender or food processor bowl add the water and mustard and mix. Add the toasted sesame seeds, soy sauce, and garlic powder. Pulse until smooth - about 10 seconds.

Step Three: Add the heavy cream to a small saucepan. Heat on low to medium heat until very warm but not boiling. Add the blended mixture and give it a good stir until completely combined and heated through. Set the sauce aside until ready to use. The sauce is best served warm.

Benihana Fried Rice

Ingredients

This Benihana Hibachi Fried Rice recipe requires only a few ingredients: assorted diced vegetables (I use frozen carrots and peas), eggs, chicken breast, onion and cold or day old leftover rice preferably made with short of medium grain rice.

In addition to the Benihana Garlic Butter which is a common flavor ingredient throughout the Benihana copycat dishes, the sauce adds an additional layer of flavor to the fried rice. The ingredients for the sauce include vegetable oil, soy sauce, salt, pepper, scallions or green onions and sesame oil.

Instructions

Step One: Heat a large skillet (preferably a cast iron pan) or wok for at least 5 minutes until it is smoking hot. Using a wok or cast-iron skillet is really important to mimic the high heat cooking temperature of a Japanese steakhouse or hibachi restaurant. This recipe does not work on medium heat.

Step Two: Add the oil and scramble the eggs. Push the eggs to one side. While the eggs are still runny, add the chicken and sauté until golden brown (about 80% cooked). Add the carrots and onion and sauté continuously until the onions are transparent - about 2-3 minutes. Add half the cold rice and mix well. Then repeat with the remaining rice. Be sure to break down any clumps. Add lots of garlic butter, the soy sauce, and a little sesame oil. Sauté while mixing thoroughly. Taste for seasoning. Add the scallions and sesame seeds as a garnish. Enjoy!

For detailed instructions and tips please refer to our Benihana Fried Rice Recipe.

This Benihana Hibachi Chicken Recipe is an excellent choice for meal prep!

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