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Anyone who has been to Benihana knows that the real star of the show is the Benihana Fried Rice – but did you know you can make it at home? It is super easy and I am going to show you what their secret ingredient is!
Watch the Benihana Fried Rice Recipe Video Below!
Key Ingredient Tips for Benihana Fried Rice
INGREDIENTS TIPS
- SHRIMP – You can always sub with a different protein (or leave it out altogether for a vegetarian option)!
- RICE – Do not use freshly steamed rice! The rice should be at least one day old to avoid having too much moisture; too much moisture in the rice will make your Benihana Fried Rice soggy and mushy.
- MSG – This is always optional 🙂
- NEUTRAL OIL – My favorite neutral oil is avocado oil, but you can also use canola or vegetable oil! I don’t use olive oil when cooking Chinese food for two reasons: 1. It has a low burning point and 2. The flavor profile does not go.
- WHITE PEPPER – I get asked all the time if you can sub black pepper for white pepper – and my answer is, it depends BUT you need to watch the ratio. White pepper has a milder flavor profile than black pepper, so it’s a 1-1 substitute. I would start with less black pepper and add as you go. (But really, you should have white pepper in your pantry! It’s a staple in mine!)
GARLIC BUTTER
- THIS is the secret ingredient to Benihana Fried Rice! It is so simple to make (just butter, garlic, and light soy sauce) and the best part is that you can keep it in your refrigerator and use it in other dishes too!
Recipe Tips for Benihana Fried Rice
CUT YOUR VEGETABLES!
- I always recommend cutting your vegetables into similar sized pieces so they cook evenly – this little step makes a huge difference! In this recipe, I cut the carrots into small cubes so they would cook evenly with the peas.
CRUMBLE YOUR OLD RICE
- I like to crumble my rice (I’ve found that dried out rice gets clumpy) – this helps each rice grain get cooked and coated in all of the delicious flavors!
Cooking With a Wok (Alternatives)
By now, you know that I LOVE cooking with my carbon steel wok! It is my #1 most recommended kitchen tool, as I believe it is perfect for high-heat cooking and results in restaurant quality Chinese food!
If it is your first time cooking with a wok, make sure to read my “How To Season a Wok” post. There is a video included that shows exactly how to season your brand new wok and how to maintain it so it lasts for years.
If you cannot or do not want to use a wok, you can use a large pan, cast iron, or even a dutch oven.
My KEY TIP would be to avoid crowding your pan – crowding can lead to your Benihana Fried Rice not cooking thoroughly and becoming mushy. If you think your dish will be crowded, use a larger pan, cast iron, or dutch oven, OR cook in batches.Â
If you tried this Benihana Fried Rice or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
Benihana Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups rice, at least one day old (or dried out in fridge)
- 1 carrot, medium, chopped
- 3 scallions, chopped
- 1/4 onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp garlic butter, see below
- 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 1/4 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp msg, optional
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 eggs
Shrimp
- 1/2 lb shrimp, can sub with any protein of choice
- 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 1 tsp neutral oil, I used avocado oil
Garlic Butter
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 3 tsp light soy sauce
- 3 cloves garlic, grated
Instructions
- Cook your rice the night before and leave uncovered in the fridge to dry overnight or up to a day for best results.
- Soften 1/2 cup of butter and grated 3 cloves of garlic and add light soy sauce. Mix to combine and keep in the fridge to firm up until ready to use.
- Marinate your protein of choice with soy sauce, salt, white pepper and 1/2 tsp of neutral oil, then chop your carrot, onion, scallions and mince your garlic and set aside.
- In a pan over high heat, add 1 tbsp of oil and cook your protein, adding 1 tbsp of garlic butter for additional flavor. Remove and set aside.
- In the same pan, heat 3 tbsp of oil and fry your garlic for 15 seconds followed by your carrots, onions, and scallions for 1-2 minutes. Add your rice and continue frying, separating and combining until relatively dry (2-3 minutes).
- Push the rice to the side and add 1 tbsp of oil, then fry 2 eggs and cook until 90% done. Mix into the rice. Season with light soy sauce, white pepper, sugar, salt, msg, and 2 tbsp of garlic butter. Mix and fry for 1-2 more minutes and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Always a hit at our home. The garlic butter makes the difference!
Sooooo Good! We purchased a new flat top grill this summer and this was one of the very first recipes we tried on it. Recipe on repeat! Thanks CJ!!
I made this for my mom’s birthday dinner and she loved it! I had to make some more the next day for her!
I made this the first time for my son and myself. He raved about it to his mom that she requested I make for the family. Now it is in the dinner rotation and never will not be. Thanks for sharing this!!!
The BEsT fried rice recipe! Love that drying the rice makes such a huge difference. My family cannot get enough of this delicious dish! Thank you CJ for sharing your recipes.
fast and easy and taste just like it
This was absolutely delicious! My family loved it and we have eaten it many times. The butter is the absolute key! So wonderful!