Perfect Hibachi Chicken {Benihana Copycat}

This Hibachi Chicken is just like the kind from Benihana – it's a delicious Japanese-inspired dish served with fried rice and veggies.

Ingredients and substitutions

Hibachi chicken

• Chicken breasts – boneless skinless chicken thighs would also work.
• Sesame oil – you can substitute for a neutral cooking oil like olive oil, but it won’t have the same flavour.
• Soy sauce – coconut aminos or tamari are the best substitutes here.
• Hoisin sauce – add in some extra soy sauce instead.
• Garlic – freshly minced garlic is best but jarred minced garlic can be used in a pinch.
• Ginger – if you can’t find any fresh ginger, you can use ginger paste.

Mustard sauce

• Light mayo – you can use regular mayo, but light mayo cuts down on the calories.
• Soy sauce – coconut aminos or tamari are the best substitutes here.
• Rice vinegar – apple cider vinegar or champagne vinegar would also work, or you can leave the vinegar out altogether.
• Dijon mustard – use Japanese hot mustard instead to make the sauce extra spicy.

Sauteed vegetables

• Olive oil – or another neutral cooking oil like avocado or canola oil.
• Carrot, mushrooms, onion and zucchini ­– use any vegetables of your choice here.
• Soy sauce – coconut aminos or tamari are the best substitutes here.

Fried rice

• Cooked white rice – use any rice of your choice. I find that leftover rice works best.
• Butter – swap out for your favourite butter substitute like margarine or olive oil.;
• Garlic – freshly minced garlic is best but jarred minced garlic can be used in a pinch.
• Soy sauce – coconut aminos or tamari are the best substitutes here.
• Egg – you can leave this out if you’re not a fan of egg.
• Green onions – scallions or chives would also work.

How to make hibachi chicken

Step 1: Make the hibachi chicken.

Mix together ingredients for hibachi chicken in a small bowl, then pour over chicken. 

Step 2: Cook the chicken.

Cook chicken with sauce in a large skillet over med-high heat for 10 minutes or so, stirring occasionally until fully cooked through. Remove from pan and wipe pan clean.

Step 3: Make the mustard sauce.

Meanwhile, cook rice in a rice cooker or on the stovetop according to package directions. Alternatively, make rice up to 2 days before. Mix ingredients for mustard sauce together at the same time.

Step 4: Sauté the veggies.

After chicken is finished cooking, add olive oil to the pan, then add vegetables and season with salt & pepper and soy sauce, cooking for 5 minutes or so until veggies are tender-crisp. Remove from heat and set aside.

Step 5: Make the fried rice.

Melt butter in the same pan, then saute garlic for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add in rice and soy sauce, cooking for 5 minutes until rice is heated through. Make a hole in the center of rice and crack in egg, scrambling until egg is just set. Toss rice and stir in green onions, then remove from heat and plate rice along with chicken and vegetables.

Step 6: Serve and enjoy!

Serve chicken, rice and vegetables with mustard sauce on the side, then serve and enjoy!

Frequently Asked Questions