Hibachi Chicken

What Is Hibachi?

Hibachi is a Japanese-style dish where proteins (like chicken, steak, or seafood) and veggies are cooked over high heat, and served with fried rice. I always see it cooked on a flat top grill at restaurants, but at home I just make it in a skillet or wok, like a chicken stir fry. You can serve it with yum yum sauce or my personal fave, spicy mayo.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Here I explain the best ingredients for my homemade hibachi chicken recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.

Hibachi Chicken:

• Chicken – I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but thighs work too if you like dark meat. Chop it into bite-sized pieces.
• Olive Oil – For sautéing the chicken, rice, and veggies. Avocado oil works, too.
• Coconut Aminos & Butter – These combine for sweet, savory, umami, and buttery flavor. You’ll need them for the chicken, rice, and veggies. Coconut aminos is my favorite soy sauce substitute and I prefer its sweet-and-savory taste, but low-sodium soy sauce works, too.
• Seasonings – I kept it simple with salt and pepper, but feel free to toss in garlic powder, paprika, or ground ginger. Sometimes I add cayenne when I want a kick.

VARIATION: Add other proteins!

I make a combo of hibachi chicken and steak a lot, but you could do chicken and shrimp, too. Just replace half of the chicken with one of the other proteins.

I do recommend cooking them separately because the timing can vary. Shrimp cooks in just 1-2 minutes per side, while steak depends on the doneness you like — see more about the timing and the slightly different cooking method I use in my new hibachi steak recipe.

Fried Rice:

• Cooked White Rice – Any cooked rice works here, but I recommend long grain rice (like jasmine or basmati), which separates better when stir frying. I also like that it’s lower in starch. For a lighter version, you can use cauliflower rice, or just make my cauliflower fried rice recipe.
• Frozen Vegetables – I went with frozen peas and carrots because it’s easy and classic. Fresh veggies work too if that’s what you’ve got.
• Garlic – Fresh garlic takes the flavor up a notch, and I highly recommend it! If you’re in a pinch, use jarred minced garlic (about 1 teaspoon) or even a little garlic powder.
• Eggs – For classic flavor, texture, and protein.
• Toasted Sesame Oil – Optional, but I love it for that restaurant-style flavor. It can’t handle high heat, so I don’t recommend it for cooking the hibachi chicken, veggies, or rice — only add it at the end.

Hibachi Vegetables:

• Zucchini – Yellow squash works well here, too. When summer squash is out of season, I throw in other stir fry vegetables, like broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, or snow peas.
• Onion – Yellow onion is my go-to for its mild, slightly sweet flavor. Feel free to use white or red onions for more bite, or Vidalia onions for more sweetness.
• Mushrooms – I went with cremini mushrooms (a.k.a. baby bellas), but regular white button or even shiitake mushrooms work just as well.

How To Make Hibachi Chicken

I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.

The Chicken:

1. Toss everything into a skillet. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet, then add the chicken, butter, and coconut aminos. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Cook until golden and juicy. Stir the hibachi chicken occasionally to brown all the sides. Transfer to a plate, cover to keep warm, and wipe the skillet for the rice.

Fried Rice:

1. Sauté the peas and carrots. Heat more olive oil in the same skillet, then toss them in. Cook until nice and soft.
2. Add the garlic. Saute until it smells amazing.
3. Scramble the eggs. Push the veggies aside, crack in the eggs, and scramble until cooked.
4. Fry the rice. Add the cooked rice, butter, and coconut aminos, and cook until warm. Stir in the sesame oil (if using), transfer to a bowl, and cover. Wipe the skillet again.

Hibachi Vegetables:

1. Add the vegetables to the pan. Heat more olive oil in the same skillet. Add the zucchini, onions, mushrooms, butter, and coconut aminos.
2. Stir fry until soft. I prefer to stir occasionally rather than constantly, to get some browning.

Plating:

Arrange the hibachi chicken, fried rice, and vegetables on a plate. I like to garnish with green onions and sesame seeds, but you don’t have to. I do recommend serving it with my 5-minute spicy mayo recipe for dipping!

More Asian Inspired Chicken Recipes

If you like my hibachi chicken, you might enjoy my other ways to amp up your chicken with Asian flavor:

Almond Chicken

Chicken Broccoli Stir Fry

Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai