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This hibachi fried rice turns leftover rice into a buttery fried rice with eggs, peas, carrots, garlic, soy sauce and toasted sesame oil. Using cold cooked rice is important because the grains stay separate and can crisp up in the hot skillet instead of becoming soft or sticky. It’s similar to the rice served alongside steak, chicken or shrimp at Japanese-style hibachi restaurants. Best of all, it takes about 25 minutes from start to finish.
Why You’ll Love It
This hibachi rice recipe uses cold cooked rice, vegetables, eggs, butter and soy sauce for a buttery fried rice with crisp edges and plenty of savory flavor.
Leftover rice is actually better: This is one of those recipes where yesterday’s rice is exactly what you want. Cold rice is drier, so the grains separate and get those lightly crisped edges in the skillet.
That buttery hibachi flavor: Butter, soy sauce, garlic and toasted sesame oil give the rice that familiar flavor I’m looking for when I order hibachi.
The crispy bits: Let the rice sit against the hot skillet for a couple of minutes before stirring. Those slightly crisp pieces mixed through the softer rice are my favorite part.
Make it your own: I usually serve this as a side, but adding leftover chicken, steak or shrimp is an easy way to turn it into dinner.
Enjoy Asian flavors? You might also like hibachi noodles, hibachi chicken, hibachi steak, Asian chicken salad, or ground turkey potstickers.
Hibachi Fried Rice Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Cooked rice: Cold leftover white rice is my first choice because it’s drier than freshly cooked rice and the grains separate better in the skillet. Jasmine or long-grain rice both work well.
Butter: This recipe uses butter along with a little olive oil. I wouldn’t replace all of the butter because that buttery flavor is one of the things that distinguishes hibachi-style rice from many other fried rice recipes.
Soy sauce: This provides most of the salty, savory seasoning. The recipe uses ¼ cup, so low-sodium soy sauce is a good option if you prefer more control over the salt.
Toasted sesame oil: A little goes a long way. Add it near the end rather than using it as the main cooking oil.
Eggs and vegetables: Eggs, peas, carrots and onion give the rice the familiar mix of textures and colors you get with hibachi fried rice.
How to Make Hibachi Fried Rice
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Cook the aromatics: Heat the olive oil and some of the butter in a large skillet, then cook the onion until it begins to soften. Add the garlic and cook briefly.
Add the vegetables: Stir in the frozen peas and carrots and cook until heated through.
Cook the eggs: Push the vegetables to the sides of the skillet and scramble the eggs in the center until mostly set.
Fry the rice: Add the cold cooked rice and spread it across the skillet. Leave it undisturbed for about 2 minutes so some of the rice can crisp.
Season: Add the remaining butter, salt, pepper, toasted sesame oil, soy sauce and rice wine vinegar. Toss everything together until hot and evenly combined.
Serve: Taste and adjust the seasoning, then garnish with sliced green onions.
Substitutions and Variations
Change the vegetables: Edamame, corn, mushrooms, zucchini, broccoli or snow peas can replace some of the peas and carrots. Keep the pieces fairly small so they cook quickly.
Add protein: Stir in cooked chicken, steak, shrimp or pork near the end and heat it through with the rice.
Use low-sodium soy sauce: This is an easy swap if you want more control over the salt level (I love this one!).
Make it gluten-free: Use gluten-free tamari instead of regular soy sauce and check the labels on the other packaged ingredients.
Serving Suggestions
As a side dish: Pair your hibachi rice with sweet and sour meatballs, chicken lo mein, honey ginger chicken, or shrimp. Or try one of these Panda Express copycat recipes.
As the main meal: Enjoy grilled zucchini, mushrooms and onions alongside or perhaps an Asian style salad.
How to Store
Store: Refrigerate leftover hibachi fried rice in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Freeze: Freeze cooled fried rice in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
Thaw: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Reheat: Reheat in a hot skillet with a little butter until piping hot throughout. The microwave also works, but the skillet does a better job of bringing back some of the fried texture.
Top Tips
Start with cold rice: I prefer leftover rice that’s been refrigerated because it’s drier and separates much better in the skillet. Fresh warm rice tends to steam and clump.
Give the rice some room: Use your largest skillet so there’s enough hot surface area to actually fry the rice rather than steam it.
Let it sit: Once I add the rice, I leave it alone for about 2 minutes before tossing it. Those little crispy spots are one of my favorite parts.
Break up clumps first: Separate any large clumps of cold rice before adding them to the skillet. It’s much easier than trying to break them apart once everything else is in the pan.
Taste before adding more soy sauce: The recipe already uses ¼ cup, so taste the finished rice before adding any more.
Fried Rice FAQs
Jasmine or long-grain white rice both work well. More important than the variety is using rice that has been cooked and completely cooled. Day-old refrigerated rice is especially good because it has lost some moisture, which helps the grains stay separate and crisp in the skillet.
Yes, but cool it completely first. Spread freshly cooked rice out on a baking sheet so it cools faster, then refrigerate it until cold before frying. Warm, moist rice is more likely to clump and steam in the skillet.
Hibachi Rice Recipe
Hibachi Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 Cloves garlic, minced
- ¾ Cup frozen vegetables, peas and carrots
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 3 Cups white rice, cooked and cooled, preferably leftover
- ¼ Teaspoon salt
- ½ Teaspoon black pepper
- ½ Tablespoon sesame oil
- ¼ Cup soy sauce, plus more to taste
- 1 Tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- green onions, chopped, for optional garnish
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil and 1 Tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the onions and sauté for 3 or 4 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 to 60 seconds.
- Stir in the frozen peas and carrots and cook for 3 minutes or until heated through.
- Push the veggie mixture to the side and add the eggs to the pan. Use a rubber spatula to scramble the eggs and cook, stirring occasionally, until mostly set.
- Add the cold cooked rice, breaking up any large clumps. Spread it evenly across the skillet and cook undisturbed for 2 minutes so some of the rice can crisp.
- Add the remaining butter, salt, black pepper, toasted sesame oil, soy sauce, and rice wine vinegar. Toss until everything is evenly combined and heated through, then taste and adjust the seasoning.
- Serve immediately, garnished with green onions if desired.
Notes
Give the rice some room: Use your largest skillet so there’s enough hot surface area to actually fry the rice rather than steam it.
Let it sit: Once I add the rice, I leave it alone for about 2 minutes before tossing it. Those little crispy spots are one of my favorite parts.
Break up clumps first: Separate any large clumps of cold rice before adding them to the skillet. It’s much easier than trying to break them apart once everything else is in the pan.
Taste before adding more soy sauce: The recipe already uses ¼ cup, so taste the finished rice before adding any more.
Nutrition
Hibachi fried rice is one of my favorite uses for leftover rice because cold rice actually gives you a better result here. Give it a couple of minutes against the hot skillet without stirring so some of the grains can crisp, then finish it with the butter, soy sauce and toasted sesame oil. Serve it alongside your favorite hibachi-style chicken, steak or shrimp, or add a protein directly to the rice.
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Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
I’m obsessed with this hibachi fried rice recipe! It’s so easy to make, and it tastes just like my favorite Japanese restaurant. Definitely my go-to for leftover rice now!