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Hibachi is a special meal that our whole family enjoys, but taking a large family out for hibachi gets expensive fast, which is a big part of why I’ve learned to make so many of our restaurant favorites at home. Once you have the different pieces figured out, it’s actually a pretty simple meal to put together.
This hibachi fried rice is the rice I make to go alongside our Hibachi Chicken and Vegetables and Homemade Yum Yum Sauce. It’s buttery, savory, and filled with scrambled egg, peas, carrots, and corn (or any of your favorite veggies). Cooking the rice on a really hot griddle gives it those slightly toasted pieces that make fried rice so much better than simply stirring soy sauce into warm rice.
The other important part is starting with cold cooked rice. I use my Fluffy Steamed White Rice and make it ahead of time, usually the morning of, so it has plenty of time to chill in the refrigerator. Cold rice is drier and firmer, which means it fries instead of turning soft and mushy.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy restaurant-style dinner at home. It gives you that familiar hibachi fried rice flavor without having to go out to eat.
- Simple ingredients. There isn’t anything complicated here—rice, butter, eggs, vegetables, seasonings, and soy sauce.
- A great use for leftover rice. In fact, rice that has been refrigerated is better for fried rice than freshly cooked rice.
- Easy to make on a griddle or stovetop. I like making ours on the griddle, but you can use a large skillet or wok inside, too.
- Family-friendly. The peas, carrots, corn, and scrambled eggs are familiar ingredients, and you can easily adjust the vegetables to suit your family.
- Perfect for a full homemade hibachi dinner. Add Hibachi Chicken and Vegetables and Yum Yum Sauce and you have the whole meal.
Ingredients
- Cooked long-grain white rice, chilled
- Butter
- White onion
- Frozen peas, carrots, and corn
- Eggs
- Soy sauce
- Garlic powder
- Black pepper
- Green onions, optional
I usually start with my Fluffy Steamed White Rice for this recipe. You can make it the night before or earlier in the day, then refrigerate it until you’re ready to make the fried rice.
Equipment
Blackstone or electric griddle – An outdoor griddle like a Blackstone is my favorite way to make hibachi fried rice because the large, hot cooking surface gives you plenty of room to spread the rice out and let it toast, however, I have successfully made it indoors on my electric griddle many, many times!
Large skillet or wok: A large cooking surface gives the chicken and vegetables room to brown instead of crowding together and steaming. A heavy skillet that holds heat well is especially helpful.
Griddle spatulas – If you’re cooking outside, a good set of flat metal spatulas makes it much easier to toss the rice and scrape up those toasted pieces.
Mixing bowl – Helpful for having your cold rice ready to go before you start cooking.
Measuring spoons – For measuring the soy sauce and seasonings.
How to Make Hibachi Fried Rice
The best hibachi fried rice actually starts well before you turn on the griddle. You want cooked rice that has had time to completely cool in the refrigerator. Freshly cooked rice still holds quite a bit of moisture and can become soft or gummy when you try to fry it. Chilling it dries the surface of the grains slightly and helps them stay separate. Try starting with my fluffy white rice recipe.
Once you’re ready to cook, get your griddle or skillet nice and hot. Fried rice needs enough heat to actually fry the rice rather than steam it. This is especially important when you’re adding frozen vegetables.
Add the cold cooked rice to the hot cooking surface with the butter. Break apart any clumps and spread the rice out so as much of it as possible comes into contact with the griddle.
Let it cook briefly between tosses rather than constantly moving it around. This gives some of the grains time to develop those lightly browned, toasted edges that make fried rice so good. Drizzle the soy sauce evenly over the rice rather than pouring it all into one spot, then add the garlic powder and black pepper. Toss everything together so the rice and vegetables are evenly seasoned.
Once the rice is hot and beginning to toast, add the onion, peas, carrots, and corn. Toss the vegetables through the rice and continue cooking until they’re heated through and the onion has softened.
Push the fried rice to one side of the griddle to make room for the eggs. Add a little butter or oil to the open space, then scramble the eggs right beside the rice. Once they’re just cooked through, break them into smaller pieces with your spatula and fold them into the fried rice.
It can be tempting to constantly stir fried rice, but leaving it alone briefly is what allows some of those grains to develop the lightly browned, toasted edges we’re looking for. Toss it, spread it back out, and let it continue cooking until everything is piping hot.
Garlic powder and black pepper goes on at the very end. Distribute across the rice rather than pouring it all into one spot, then toss everything together so the seasoning is evenly distributed.
I like to finish the fried rice with another little bit of butter. It melts into the hot rice and gives it that rich, buttery hibachi flavor without needing a long list of sauces or seasonings.
Drizzle with a little Homemade Yum Yum Sauce or serve alongside Hibachi Chicken and Vegetables or any of your favorite Asian Inspired recipes for a full dinner! ENJOY! -Amber
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PrintHibachi Style Egg Fried Rice
Easy homemade hibachi style egg fried rice made with cold cooked rice, butter, vegetables, eggs, and soy sauce. Buttery, savory, and perfect for serving with hibachi chicken and vegetables.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Griddle, Skillet
- Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked long-grain white rice, cold (Find my Fluffy Steamed White Rice recipe here)
- 4 tablespoons butter, divided
- ½ cup white onion, diced
- 1 cup frozen peas and carrots
- 2-3 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce, plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Sliced green onions, optional
Instructions
- Preheat a griddle, large skillet, or wok over medium-high heat.
- Add 1 tablespoon butter, followed by the cold cooked rice. Break apart any clumps and spread the rice out over the hot cooking surface.
- Push the rice to one side. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in the open space and add the eggs. Scramble until just cooked through, then combine with the vegetables.
- Chop the eggs and add into rice.
- Let the rice cook for 1–2 minutes before tossing. Continue cooking for another 2–3 minutes, tossing occasionally, until hot and beginning to lightly brown.
- Add the onion and frozen peas and carrots. Cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion begins to soften and the vegetables are heated through.
- Sprinkle with garlic powder and black pepper.
- Pour the soy sauce evenly over the rice mixture and toss until everything is well combined. Cook for another 1–2 minutes.
- Add the remaining tablespoon of butter and toss until melted and evenly distributed. Taste and add additional soy sauce if needed.
- Serve immediately, topped with sliced green onions if desired.
Notes
- Cold rice works best. Refrigerated rice is drier and firmer than freshly cooked rice, which helps keep the grains separate as they fry.
- Make the rice ahead: Prepare your white rice earlier in the day or the night before and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Let it fry: Don’t continuously stir the rice. Giving it a little time against the hot cooking surface helps it develop lightly browned, toasted spots.
- Soy sauce: Start with 3 tablespoons and add more to taste since brands vary in saltiness.
- Cooking surface: This recipe works well on an outdoor griddle such as a Blackstone, or indoors in a large skillet or wok.
Recipes That Pair Well With This
This fried rice can absolutely be served as a side dish with all kinds of dinners, but my favorite way to serve it is as part of a complete homemade hibachi meal.
- Hibachi Chicken and Vegetables – The obvious choice. Serve the chicken and vegetables alongside a big scoop of fried rice for an easy homemade hibachi dinner.
- Yum Yum Sauce – I like having this on the table for drizzling over the chicken and dipping the vegetables. You can even add a little to your fried rice if that’s how you like yours.
- Fluffy Steamed White Rice – This is the rice I use as the starting point for the recipe. Make it ahead, refrigerate it, and turn it into fried rice when you’re ready to cook.
- Juicy Garlic Herb Chicken Breasts – Another simple chicken dinner that would work well with a side of fried rice.
- How to Cook Corn on the Cob – When sweet corn is in season, this makes an easy additional vegetable for dinner.
More Recipes to Try
Looking for more easy side dishes? Try:
- Garlic Butter Rice – An easy one-pot rice side with plenty of buttery garlic flavor.
- Cilantro Lime Rice – A fresh, flavorful rice recipe that’s especially good with tacos and Mexican-inspired dinners.
- Homemade Spanish Rice – An easy, restaurant style Spanish rice to complement any Mexican dish!.
- More Side Dish Recipes – Browse the rest of my easy side dish recipes when you need something to round out dinner.
Tips for Little Helpers
Fried rice is a good recipe for letting little helpers take care of some of the prep before you get to the hot griddle. They can measure the cold rice, help measure the frozen vegetables, crack the eggs into a bowl, and measure the seasonings.
Once the griddle is hot, this is definitely a grown-up cooking job. Griddles stay extremely hot over a large surface area and can splatter when cold or frozen ingredients are added.
Older kids who are ready to learn griddle safety can help stir and combine the ingredients with close supervision.
Tips for Success
Use cold rice. This is probably the most important tip. Day-old rice is ideal, but rice cooked earlier in the day and thoroughly chilled works, too. Start with my Fluffy Steamed White Rice Recipe
Use a large cooking surface. The rice needs room. Overcrowding traps steam and makes it harder to get the toasted texture you want.
Get the cooking surface hot before adding the rice. You want to hear it cooking when it hits the griddle.
Don’t constantly stir. Let the rice sit against the hot surface briefly between tosses so it can develop some color.
Break apart the rice. Cold rice naturally sticks together in clumps. Use your spatula to gently separate those clumps as it heats.
Add soy sauce gradually. You can always add more, but too much soy sauce can quickly make the rice overly salty and wet.
Finish with butter. That last bit of butter adds richness and gives the finished rice more of that familiar hibachi flavor.
FAQs
What kind of rice is best for fried rice?
Long-grain white rice works very well because the grains stay relatively separate after cooking. My Fluffy Steamed White Rice is a good base for this recipe.
Does rice have to be cold to make fried rice?
Cold rice gives you the best texture. Refrigerating cooked rice allows some of its moisture to dissipate and firms up the grains, helping prevent mushy fried rice.
Can I make fried rice with freshly cooked rice?
You can, but the texture won’t be quite the same. When you’re short on time, spread freshly cooked rice out in a thin layer so it can cool and release steam before frying it. For the best results, prepare it ahead and refrigerate it.
Why is my fried rice mushy?
Warm rice, excess moisture, overcrowding, or not using enough heat can all contribute to mushy fried rice. Start with cold rice and give it plenty of contact with the hot cooking surface.
Can I make hibachi fried rice without a Blackstone?
Absolutely. I like the extra room an outdoor griddle gives me, but you can make the same recipe on an electric griddle or a large skillet or wok on the stove.
Does hibachi fried rice need teriyaki sauce?
No. I keep this version simple with soy sauce, butter, garlic powder, and black pepper. You don’t need teriyaki sauce to get plenty of flavor, but feel free to add it if you so desire!
Does fried rice have egg in it?
This version does. The scrambled egg adds flavor, texture, and a little extra protein, which is why I consider this an egg fried rice as well as a hibachi fried rice.
Can I use different vegetables?
Yes. Peas, carrots, green beans, and corn are what I use, (or whatever I have on hand!) but fried rice is very forgiving. You can leave out something your family doesn’t like or add other finely chopped vegetables.
Storage
Allow leftover fried rice to cool promptly, then transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate it. For food safety, don’t leave cooked rice sitting at room temperature for extended periods.
Reheat leftovers until they’re steaming hot throughout. A hot skillet or griddle is my favorite way to reheat fried rice because it helps restore some of the texture, but the microwave works when you need something quick.
Freezing Instructions
Hibachi fried rice can be frozen. Let the finished rice cool, then portion it into freezer-safe containers or freezer bags and remove as much excess air as possible.
Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before reheating, or reheat from frozen in a skillet with a small amount of butter. The vegetables may soften slightly after freezing, but the rice still reheats well.
Variations
Add chicken: Turn it into chicken fried rice by adding cooked diced chicken.
Add more vegetables: Mushrooms, zucchini, broccoli, or finely diced bell pepper can all be added. Keep the pieces relatively small so they cook quickly.
Leave out the corn: Peas and carrots alone work perfectly well if you prefer a more traditional vegetable combination.
Make it without onion: Leave out the fresh onion or use a little extra onion powder if your family prefers the flavor without the texture.
Use leftover meat: Fried rice is a great way to stretch leftover chicken, steak, or pork into another meal.
Make it on the stovetop: Use the widest skillet you have and cook in batches if necessary rather than overcrowding the pan.
Final Thoughts
Learning to make our favorite restaurant-style meals at home is one of the ways I make feeding a large family a little more economical without giving up the foods we enjoy. Hibachi is a perfect example because none of the individual pieces have to be complicated.
Make the Fluffy Steamed White Rice ahead of time, turn it into this buttery egg fried rice, cook up the Hibachi Chicken and Vegetables, and put some homemade Yum Yum Sauce on the table. It’s a complete hibachi-style dinner at home, and everyone can build their plate exactly how they like it!
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