Japanese Hibachi Shrimp | Benihana Copycat Recipe

If you love hibachi, you will love this Japanese Hibachi Shrimp recipe. It tastes just like the shrimp at Benihana! Pair this dish with savory Hibachi Fried Rice and Hibachi Vegetables for the full hibachi experience right at home!

Can you really make Japanese Hibachi Shrimp without a Teppanyaki grill at home?

With a few tips, you can totally make Japanese steakhouse Hibachi Shrimp at home. Instead of a flat top or Teppanyaki grill, use a very hot cast iron skillet. The secret to the tasty Japanese Steakhouse flavor, is the Benihana Garlic Butter which takes about an hour and can be made ahead of time. The hibachi shrimp itself takes about 10 minutes.

What is Benihana Hibachi Shrimp?

Benihana's Hibachi Shrimp is an iconic dish served by my favorite Japanese steakhouse - Benihana. The Benihana restaurant franchise is popular in the United States and is famous for serving meals on "teppanyaki" or flat grill top tables. As part of the experience, specially trained hibachi chefs demonstrate breathtaking knife tricks and flourishes while cooking hibachi (hot grill) style dishes in front of guests.

What is the difference between Benihana Hibachi Shrimp and regular shrimp?

The secret to that garlicky-umami flavor in Benihana cooking is their special roasted garlic butter. Benihana uses a compound butter where roasted garlic, sweet, whipped butter, freshly ground black pepper, soy sauce and lemon juice is mashed up with whipped butter. The shrimp is tossed in the garlic butter right at the end which gives the shrimp that signature Japanese steakhouse taste.

Many Benihana 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 the difference. This special compound butter takes about 40-50 minutes to make of which only 10 minutes is prep work - the remaining time is spent roasting the garlic in the oven. It is a fantastic pantry staple that can easily be used to transform everyday foods to a new level.

Ingredients

Hibachi Shrimp

• Shrimp: Fresh raw deveined shrimp is best, but you can also use frozen - just make sure it is thawed to room temperature. Shrimp is typically sold by description of size e.g., large, jumbo or colossal or by a number like U21/25 where 'U' stands for under and 21/25 is the approximate count of shrimp per pound. Most hibachi restaurants tend to use large colossal shrimp as it looks more impressive. Since this shrimp size is also more expensive, I like to go with a more affordable size like U21/25.
• Vegetable Oil: While Japanese steakhouse restaurants like Benihana tend to use safflower oil on their teppanyaki grills - any vegetable oil like canola, sunflower or olive oil works with this recipe.
• Benihana garlic butter: This compound butter recipe is a copycat version of the garlic butter used at the famous Benihana restaurant chain. It is made with oven roasted garlic, sweet, whipped butter, freshly ground black pepper, soy sauce and lemon juice.
• Freshly squeezed lemon juice: This optional garnish adds a little acid which really brightens the flavors.

Benihana Garlic Butter

Easy Benihana Garlic Butter

If you don't have Benihana Garlic Butter on hand - its very easy to make it - just a few ingredients and 3 simple steps!

1. Roast the garlic. Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut about a third off the top of each head of garlic. Place on a baking sheet. Dap a little oil on top of the garlic (optional) - helps press out the roasted garlic later. Bake the garlic for about 30 - 45minutes or until they are soft inside.
2. Smash the garlic and let it cool. 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.
3. Mix the smashed garlic with the other ingredients. 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.

How to make Hibachi Shrimp

Sear the shrimp. Add the vegetable oil to the cast iron skillet and heat over medium-high heat.  Pat the raw shrimp down with paper towels so that they are as dry as possible. Once the pan is hot, add the shrimp. Sear on each side - about 1-2 minutes each.

Toss the shrimp in the Benihana Garlic Butter. About 30 seconds before the shrimp is fully cooked, turn off the heat. Add the benihana garlic butter and squeeze on some lemon juice (optional, to taste). Toss the shrimp with the lemon juice and garlic butter. Garnish with sliced green onion or sesame seeds and drizzle with some lemon juice if desired. Serve immediately.

Tips for perfect Hibachi Shrimp

• Dry the shrimp. Pat the shrimp dry with a paper towel before frying. Moisture will cause the shrimp to steam which will delay the searing process, resulting in rubbery, overcooked shrimp.
• Don't crowd the shrimp. Lay the shrimp in a single layer so that each shrimp can cook evenly.
• Sear shrimp on medium high heat for about 1-2 minutes on each side. For best results, sear the shrimp in hot oil for 1-2 minutes or until the top of the shrimp looks slightly pink and transparent. If the temperature is too low, the shrimp will not sear. Shrimp cooks very quickly so don't let it overcook.
• Allow the shrimp to develop a crust. Initially the shrimp will stick to the pan - this develops the crust and those tasty brown bits (also known as the fond) which is an essential feature of hibachi shrimp. On medium high heat, each side should take about 1-2 minutes.
• Use oil, not butter, to sear the shrimp. Oil has a higher smoking point than shrimp and will quickly sear each side without overcooking the shrimp. Add the Benihana garlic butter at the end to add flavor.
• A cast iron skillet is best, but a non-stick pan or large skillet will also work. A cast iron skillet gets very hot which helps simulate the hibachi grill. Having said that, a non-stick skillet will also work.

What to serve with Hibachi Shrimp

My favorite hibachi dinners include a simple protein like Hibachi Shrimp with plain white rice like jasmine rice or brown rice. For a low carb alternative, you can also serve Hibachi Shrimp over a salad, or with cauliflower rice or lightly stir fried vegetables.

Japanese restaurants like Benihana, often serve this Benihana Shrimp recipe in a combo platter with options like Benihana Fried Rice, Benihana Chicken, Hibachi Steak, Hibachi Noodles and Hibachi Vegetables. The combo platter is often served with various dipping sauces like hot sauce, light soy sauce, sweet yet tangy Yum Yum Sauce which is also known as Hibachi Shrimp Sauce or White Sauce, Mustard Sauce, and Ginger Sauce.

This shrimp dish is particularly tasty as a leftover. For the rare times that I have had leftover shrimp, I have loved having it as a fajita filling. Hibachi shrimp also goes very well with non-Japanese sides like Naan, tangy Lebanese Tabbouleh Salad, Spicy Indian Potatoes and Potato Salad.

Homemade Yum Yum Sauce (Benihana Copycat)

Yum Yum Sauce or white sauce is the most popular dipping sauce to eat with Hibachi Shrimp.

To make Benihana's popular Yum Yum Sauce or white sauce, whisk 1 cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon ketchup, ¾ teaspoon paprika, 1 ½ teaspoon2 rice vinegar, 1 Tablespoon mirin, 1 teaspoon garlic powder and 2 Tablespoons water.

Variations

• Shrimp-onion stir fry. In a skillet, melt some garlic butter over medium heat. Add thinly sliced fresh ginger and garlic cloves to the hot skillet until a light golden brown. Add sliced red onions and sauté until transparent. Push the red onion to one side and cook the shrimp on one side until lightly browned then the other. Add a drizzle of sesame oil and some sliced green onions and toss for some extra flavor.

Storing and reheating

Stored in an airtight container, Hibachi Shrimp will last for about 3 days in the refrigerator. The best way to reheat is by steaming on a stove top with a teaspoon of water. Microwaving is not recommended as this heating process quickly turns shrimp dry and rubbery.

Freezing

For best results, store the cooked shrimp in a freezer safe bag and freeze within 3 days of cooling. Cooked frozen shrimp lasts for about 3 months in the freezer after which it starts to loose its texture. To thaw leave the frozen shrimp in the refrigerator overnight. You can also thaw frozen hibachi shrimp stored in a leak-proof package by submerging it in cold tap water. On pound will typically thaw in an hour or less.

How many calories are in shrimp hibachi?

A single serving of Hibachi Shrimp has about 294 calories, 9.1g of fat and 0g of carbohydrates. 

This copycat recipe yields  approximately 2 servings. The nutrition guidance 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.

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