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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!
Ingredient Tips
- Shrimp – Use raw, deveined and peeled shrimp in any size (as it’ll get cut into smaller pieces). You can always substitute with a different protein of your choice, 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. When I know I am making fried rice, I like to dry it out in the refrigerator on a baking sheet.
- MSG – I like to use msg in moderation as a flavor enhancer. This is always optional
- Neutral oil – My favorite neutral oil is avocado oil, but you can also use canola, vegetable, peanut, or grapeseed oil. I do not recommend using olive oil or sesame oil for making fried rice – both have low burning points, and olive oil in particularly does not go with the flavors in the dish.
- 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 is NOT 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! I recommend using unsalted butter (my favorite is Kerrygold) to prevent the garlic butter from being too salty.
Recipe Tips
Cut the Vegetables into Similar Sizes
- 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.
- Alternatively, you can use frozen vegetables, as they’re always consistent in size.
Crumble the Old Rice
- Dried out rice (which is exactly what we want for this recipe) tends to get clumpy. Adding it directly to the pan in clumps means you’ll have to work harder to break up the clumps while cooking. (And if you don’t break up the clumps, some of the old rice will stay white and not cooked!) I found that it’s much easier to take handfuls of clumped up rice and crumble them into grains. This helps each rice grain cook evenly and get coated in all of the delicious flavors of Benihana Fried Rice!
Save the Garlic Butter
- Store any leftover Garlic Butter in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1 week. (Technically it should be safe to consume for up to 2 weeks but I noticed I prefer the flavors in the first week.) This recipe will make more than you need and luckily the garlic butter tastes delicious on EVERYTHING – I love it not only in this recipe but also on top of different proteins (like steak, salmon, or chicken) or tossed into stir-fries for added flaver.
Storage and Reheating
- Store any leftover Benihana Fried Rice in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. You can reheat it in the microwave or give it a quick fry in a nonstick pan on the stove (this is my preferred method).
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.
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
This copycat Benihana Fried rice is just as good as the restaurant! The soy garlic butter takes this fried rice to the next level and the dish is versatile enough to add whatever protein you like!
Ingredients
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!
Notes
Protein – I used shrimp for this recipe but you can use any protein of your choice (or leave it out altogether).
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. I recommend crumbling your rice as you add it into your wok or pan – I’ve found that dried out rice oftentimes gets clumpy, so crumbling it helps each rice grain get cooked and coated in all of the delicious flavors.
MSG is always optional but I like to use it sparingly as a flavor enhancer.
Garlic butter is the secret ingredient to Benihana Fried Rice – and it’s so simple to make! It’s just garlic, butter, and light soy sauce. You can store any leftover garlic butter in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 1 week. (You can technically store it up to 2 weeks but I’ve found that it tastes better in the first week.)
Make sure to cut the vegetables into similar sized pieces so they cook evenly – this little step makes a huge difference!
Nutrition
Calories: 1124kcalCarbohydrates: 122gProtein: 42gFat: 52gSaturated Fat: 31gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 2gCholesterol: 468mgSodium: 2473mgPotassium: 775mgFiber: 4gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 6932IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 198mgIron: 4mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tried this recipe?Mention @cj.eats_ or tag #cjeatsrecipes!
This is the best fried rice recipe. It’s simple and easy. I made one batch and should have tripled recipe as it was sooooooo very good
Thank you Diane!
Is the 1.5 cups of rice a dry measurement? So I need 1.5 cups dry rice?
Yes that’s correct!
This was delicious. I had leftover roast beef and used that. I could have eaten twice as much. I will make this again.
Thanks Carolyn! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!