Hibachi Chicken is a flavorful, easy to make dinner that my whole family loves. This homemade Hibachi Chicken recipe is based on my daughter’s favorite Japanese steakhouse meal. It’s much healthier and can be made in 30 minutes or less. It even comes with a recipe for homemade Yum Yum sauce to use as a dip!
This Homemade Hibachi recipe is inspired by daughter’s upcoming birthday. Hibachi chicken is one of her favorite meals, and actually the meal that led her to love zucchini (finally, lol!).
For anyone else with a March baby…I still get anxiety when I think about last year and how basically on her birthday, life as we know it, changed overnight.
We were going to her favorite hibachi restaurant for her birthday dinner, and she also had a party planned with ten of her best friends. Obviously all of this was canceled.
I know these aren’t big issues and that we’re lucky to be healthy, but it hurts my momma heart to think about how her face fell when I told her the news.
But like the amazing girl she is, she took it in stride and here we are, one year later, and about to celebrate her 11th birthday (how? just how?) Still no party, but we will definitely celebrate in all the ways that matter. Oh – and there will definitely be this copycat Benihana Hibachi Chicken recipe on the menu!
We’re taking the typical hibachi meal and making it healthier, and more budget friendly, but still soooo delicious- especially that homemade yum yum sauce.
New! If you love this recipe, you must try this Hibachi Steak and this Hibachi Fried Rice!
Hibachi chicken is a flavorful Japanese-inspired dish of tender chicken and crisp vegetables cooked over high heat. It’s often associated with teppanyaki restaurants where skilled chefs entertain while cooking on large steel griddles. But with the right ingredients and techniques, you can easily recreate this restaurant favorite at home.
In this detailed guide, we’ll walk through everything you need to know to make authentic hibachi chicken yourself. From choosing the right ingredients to proper cooking methods we’ve got you covered with tips and tricks for hibachi chicken success. Let’s get cooking!
Overview of Hibachi Chicken
The word “hibachi” refers to a traditional Japanese fire pit with an open flame. It’s a way of cooking where ingredients are quickly seared at high temperatures to seal in flavor and texture.
Key characteristics of hibachi chicken include:
- Tender, juicy chicken cut into bite-sized pieces
- Smoky, caramelized sear from high heat
- Bright, slightly crunchy vegetables
- Savory and sweet flavor profile
While elaborate tableside cooking isn’t required, creating those trademark hibachi flavors at home is easy when you follow a few simple steps.
Ingredients You’ll Need
One or two items, mostly already in your pantry or fridge, are all you need to make hibachi chicken.
Main Ingredients
- Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts cut into 1-inch pieces
- Soy sauce: For flavoring the chicken and vegetables
- Rice vinegar: Provides tanginess and tenderizes the chicken
- Vegetable oil: Used for cooking; sesame oil adds authentic flavor
- Garlic: Minced or grated for marinade and cooking
- Ginger: Grated fresh for optimal flavor
- Onion: Thin slices or diced
- Carrots: Julienned or cut into thin strips
- Broccoli: Chopped into small florets
- Bell peppers: Thin strips add crunch and color
- Butter: Optional but adds richness
For Serving
- White or brown rice
- Lo mein or soba noodles
Step-by-Step Cooking Instructions
Follow these simple steps for restaurant-worthy hibachi chicken.
1. Make the Marinade
- In a bowl, combine 3 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tsp grated ginger, and 1 minced garlic clove.
- Add chicken and toss to coat evenly. Let marinate 15-30 minutes.
2. Prep the Vegetables
- While chicken marinates, prep your veggies by slicing onions, julienning carrots, chopping broccoli, etc.
3. Cook the Chicken
- Heat 1-2 tbsp oil in a large skillet or grill pan over high heat.
- Cook chicken in a single layer for 4-5 minutes per side until browned and cooked through.
- Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm.
4. Cook the Vegetables
- If needed, add a bit more oil to skillet.
- Add vegetables and a pinch of salt. Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- For extra flavor, add 1-2 tbsp butter at the end.
5. Bring It All Together
- Return chicken to skillet and toss with vegetables.
- Cook for 1 final minute to let flavors blend.
- Serve immediately with rice or noodles. Enjoy!
Tips for Perfectly Cooked Chicken
Achieving tender, juicy hibachi chicken relies on a few simple strategies:
- Pound chicken to an even thickness so it cooks evenly.
- Marinate to infuse flavor and prevent drying out.
- Use a hot skillet and cook over high heat to sear the outside while keeping the inside moist.
- Avoid overcrowding so chicken gets direct contact with the cooking surface.
- Rest chicken after cooking so juices redistribute evenly.
Adding Flavor Boosts
Don’t be afraid to add extra flavor to take your hibachi chicken to the next level:
- Mix in a tablespoon of hoisin or oyster sauce into the marinade.
- Add a teaspoon of sesame oil for nutty aroma.
- Garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds.
- Drizzle with Korean chili paste like sambal oelek or gochujang.
- Serve with a side of yum yum or teriyaki sauce.
Hibachi Chicken Rice Bowl
For a complete meal in one bowl, serve your chicken and veggies over steamy white or brown rice. Top with sliced avocado, a fried egg, and sprinkle of furikake for extra yum factor.
Switch Up the Protein
While chicken is traditional, you can easily swap in other proteins like:
- Shrimp: Sear tail-on or peeled shrimp for 2 minutes per side.
- Beef: Thinly sliced flank steak only needs about 1 minute of cooking.
- Tofu: Choose extra firm and pat dry before cooking 4-6 minutes.
Make-Ahead & Storage Tips
Since hibachi chicken comes together quickly, it’s best to prep ingredients right before cooking. However, here are some storage tips:
- Store marinated raw chicken in the fridge up to 24 hours before cooking.
- Cooked chicken and vegetables keep refrigerated 3-4 days.
- Freeze cooked chicken up to 2 months; thaw in fridge before reheating.
When reheating, use medium-low heat on the stovetop or microwave at 50% power. Add a splash of water to prevent drying out.
Bring the Hibachi Flavor Home
Cooking up flavorful hibachi chicken is easier than you think. With tender, juicy chicken, crisp-tender vegetables, and smoky, sweet flavors, you can re-create the Japanese steakhouse experience right in your own kitchen.
This dish is great because it’s easy to make and only needs a few common kitchen items. Follow this step-by-step guide to learn how to cook the signature way for great results. You can make it your own way with rice bowls, noodle dishes, and more. Now get cooking and enjoy!.
What is Yum Yum Sauce?
If you’ve never had yum yum sauce, or shrimp sauce as it’s sometimes called, you are missing out! It’s a yummy white sauce that is served with shrimp, steak, and chicken at Hibachi restaurants. Like you, I love ginger sauce and will soon post a recipe for it on the blog. But when I asked you on Instagram, you guys seemed to really LOVE your Yum Yum Sauce. So, a healthier homemade yum yum sauce is here!.
It’s the perfect thing to use for any hibachi-style meals! It’s a form of sweet sauce that goes perfect with just about everything in traditional hibachi-cooked meals.
Why this hibachi dinner rocks
- Over the past year, this recipe has become a family favorite. I’m so happy to finally share it with you.
- This simple dinner for a weeknight will bring the restaurant’s delicious flavors right into your home kitchen, and you won’t even need any special tools.
- Even though it tastes like regular hibachi, my version is much better for you. I made it with simple ingredients like tender chicken breast and fresh hibachi vegetables like zucchini and mushrooms. This dish is full of protein and nutrients.
- My husband loved the homemade Yum Yum sauce the most. It’s made with only natural ingredients, and you’ll love drizzling (or dipping) your hibachi chicken and vegetables in it.
- Really, the only thing that’s missing are the hibachi chefs cooking in front of the Japanese restaurant guests (though there’s nothing stopping you from becoming one!)
- You can use chicken tenderloins instead of breasts. I love the organic, free-range chicken from Butcher Box. Just make sure the chicken you choose doesn’t have any bones or skin on it. Want to try something different? This recipe tastes great with steak, shrimp, or even a mix of the two!
- olive oil—I used olive oil, but avocado oil would also work well in this recipe.
- Adding sesame oil to this recipe not only makes it taste better, but it’s also a healthy fat!
- If you don’t want to eat too much salt, use unsalted butter. If you don’t eat dairy, use dairy-free butter.
- White or yellow onions work best in this hibachi recipe, but you can use any kind you have on hand.
- red peppers, sugar snap peas, or baby bella mushrooms. Mushrooms are high in vitamin B, but if you don’t like them, you can use another vegetable instead.
- zucchini—Zucchini is FULL of vitamins, especially vitamin A. Again, you can sub this for your favorite veggie.
- garlic—Garlic has a lot of flavor and is delicious, but it also has very few calories. You can add more garlic or garlic powder if you like the way it tastes.
- Coconut aminos are the healthiest thing you can use instead of soy sauce.
- lemon juice—you don’t have to use this, but it makes the food taste more natural.
- salt and pepper—This fresh dinner only needs a sprinkle of Himalayan salt and a crack of fresh black pepper.
- Decoration: If you like, you can add some green onions and sesame seeds as a decoration. But my kids don’t like this!
Hibachi Chicken At Home Better Than Benihana
FAQ
Can you make hibachi chicken at home?
This Easy Hibachi Chicken is amazingly easy to make at home! Just cook the chicken with soy sauce, saute vegetables and make fried rice, all in just one pan! I serve this dish with Yum Yum Sauce and fried or plain rice. All of the sides can be made ahead of time to save on prep!.
How do you cook hibachi chicken with soy sauce?
Add vegetables and cook on high for 1 minutes. Add ½ Tbsp butter, 1 Tbsp soy sauce, and salt and pepper then sauté just until tender. Make Sauce: Combine all sauce ingredients in a bowl. Serve hibachi chicken and vegetables over white rice or fried rice, with yum yum sauce on the side for dipping.
How do you cook hibachi chicken?
Combine ingredients. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add diced chicken breast, butter, and coconut aminos or soy sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Cook. Stir and cook until the hibachi chicken is cooked through. Transfer. Move chicken to a plate and cover to keep warm.
What seasoning do you use for hibachi?
Hibachi chefs typically use a combination of simple, flavorful seasonings. Soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger are staples. Other common additions include sesame seeds, black pepper, and even a touch of rice vinegar.
How is hibachi chicken made?
Chicken bites called hibachi are seared over high heat in a sauce made of garlic, butter, and an Asian stir-fry sauce. Sesame oil is drizzled on top to finish. To make this at home, you don’t need a flat surface like the fancy hibachi grill. A good wok or cast iron pan will work just as well to achieve the same level of sear.
What ingredients do I need for hibachi?
To prepare hibachi, you’ll need ingredients for the main dishes (like steak, chicken, or seafood), vegetables, and fried rice. Key ingredients include soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and butter for flavor. You’ll also need vegetables like onions, carrots, zucchini, and mushrooms.
What makes the hibachi flavor?
One of the key flavorings in hibachi cuisine is soy sauce. This savory condiment adds a rich umami taste to dishes, enhancing their overall flavor.