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Benihana Garlic Butter is THE ingredient that makes all of the dishes at the famous Japanese restaurant chain so delicious (especially their famous Benihana Fried Rice)! The shocking part is how easy it is to make at home – it only requires 3 ingredients that you already have in your pantry!

Watch the Benihana Garlic Butter Recipe Video!
Table of Contents
Ingredient Tips

I wasn’t kidding when I said that this recipe only requires 3 ingredients that you already have at home! This is even simpler than my popular Compound Butter recipe!
- unsalted butter – I recommend using unsalted butter so you can control the salt level in the final dish. Soy sauce is already salty, so you may find that you don’t need to add any more salt. You can always add more salt but it’s much more difficult to reduce saltiness.
- light soy sauce – this is also known as all-purpose soy sauce.
- garlic, grated – you can grate the garlic or use a food processor and blend the garlic and soy sauce together before adding it to the butter. This is up to you! Using a food processor will result in a smoother garlic butter.
How to Make Benihana Garlic Butter
1. Mix the Soy Sauce and Garlic
Place the butter on the counter to come up to room temperature and soften. If you’re in a rush, you can also place the sticks of butter close to your chest and let your body temperature soften it up.
In a large bowl, add the light soy sauce, then grate in the garlic. Use a whisk to whisk the soy sauce and garlic together to allow the flavors to meld.
If you are using a food processor, add the soy sauce and garlic into the food processor and blend together.

2. Mix the Garlic Soy Sauce with Butter
Add the softened butter to the bowl and fold it into the garlic soy sauce mixture, until fully incorporated and the garlic soy sauce mixture is evenly spread throughout the butter. Don’t rush this, as you want your butter and garlic soy sauce to be mixed as evenly possible.
If you are using a food processor, add the butter and pulse until the butter and garlic soy sauce is mixed well.


Place the Benihana Garlic Butter in an airtight container and enjoy! Use it to make Garlic Noodles or Air Fryer Chicken Skewers. Top off your Pan Seared Steak, Pan Seared Salmon, Grilled Steak, or Air Fryer Salmon with some butter right before serving!
I love it on top of roasted vegetables like Honey Roasted Carrots, Roasted Cauliflower, Roasted Brussels Sprouts (or Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts) and Roasted Green Beans with Bacon. Sometimes I’ll even add a scoop on top of my Mashed Potatoes!
PRO TIPS
CJ’s Tips + Storage
- Use a high quality unsalted butter – I prefer Tillamook or Kerrygold. I highly recommend using unsalted butter so you can control the salt content in your Benihana garlic butter. You can always add more salt but you cannot take it away from the butter!
- The butter needs to be soft and pliable if you are not using a food processor. (This could take several hours at room temperature.) If you are short on time, I highly recommend using a food processor to blend the ingredients together.
- You can grate the garlic or use a small food processor to blend the garlic and soy sauce together before adding it to the softened butter.
- Storage – Store your Benihana Garlic Butter in airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Do not leave it on the counter – since it has fresh, raw garlic mixed into it, it will go bad if it is not stored in the refrigerator.
- Use a clean utensil to scoop out the butter before using – try to avoid cross contamination, to keep the butter as fresh as possible.
If you tried this Benihana Garlic Butter Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
Benihana Garlic Butter

Equipment
- 1 Food Processor optional
Ingredients
- 2 cups unsalted butter, 4 sticks
- ¼ cup light soy sauce
- 12 cloves garlic, grated
Instructions
- Place the butter on the counter to come up to room temperature and soften until it is pliable. This can take several hours, so I recommend using a food processor if you are short on time.
- In a large bowl, add the light soy sauce then grate in the garlic. Use a whisk to whisk the soy sauce and garlic together to allow the flavors to meld.If you are using a food processor, add the garlic and soy sauce and pulse until mixed well.
- Add the softened butter and fold it into the garlic soy sauce mixture until fully incorporated and evenly spread throughout the butter.If you are using a food processor, add the butter and slowly blend until fully incorporated with the garlic soy sauce mixture.
- Place in an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or freeze the butter for up to 3 months.
Notes
- Use a high quality unsalted butter – I prefer Tillamook or Kerrygold.
- I highly recommend using unsalted butter so you can control the salt content in your Benihana garlic butter. You can always add more salt but you cannot take it away from the butter!
- The butter needs to be soft and pliable if you are not using a food processor. (This could take several hours at room temperature.) If you are short on time, I highly recommend using a food processor to blend the ingredients together.
- Store your Benihana Garlic Butter in airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Do not leave it on the counter – since it has fresh, raw garlic mixed into it, it will go bad if it is not stored in the refrigerator. You can freeze the butter for up to 3 months.
- Use a clean utensil to scoop out the butter before using – try to avoid cross contamination, to keep the butter as fresh as possible.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.