Hibachi Chicken Fried Rice With Yum Yum Sauce

What Makes It "Hibachi"

Takeout fried rice leans on oil, soy, and sometimes oyster sauce. Hibachi-style rice is richer: butter goes in at each stage, there's plenty of garlic, and the seasoning stays simple so the butter comes through. Cooking the chicken first and setting it aside keeps it juicy, and letting the rice sit untouched for a minute or two gives those crisp, golden bits you get from a steakhouse flat-top.

What You'll Need

• Chicken. Breast or thighs, cut into ½-inch pieces so they sear fast.
• Unsalted butter. The signature flavor. Unsalted, because soy sauce brings the salt.
• Cold cooked rice. Jasmine or long-grain white, cooked the day before.
• Eggs. Scrambled right in the pan.
• Onion and frozen peas and carrots. Fast and classic.
• Garlic. Fresh, and plenty of it.
• Low-sodium soy sauce and toasted sesame oil. Soy seasons the rice; sesame oil goes in at the end for aroma.
• For the yum yum sauce. Mayonnaise, tomato paste or ketchup, melted butter, sugar, garlic powder, paprika, and a splash of water.

How to Make It

Stir the yum yum sauce together, thinning it with water until it drizzles, and refrigerate it. It thickens a little as it chills.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil and a tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook the chicken 5–6 minutes, stirring once or twice, until browned and 165°F inside. Move it to a plate.

Add another tablespoon of butter with the onion and peas and carrots and cook 2–3 minutes, then add the garlic for 30 seconds. Push everything to the side, pour the eggs into the empty space, and scramble until just set.

Add the cold rice and the last tablespoon of butter. Break up any clumps, spread the rice out, and leave it alone for 1–2 minutes so it crisps. Toss, add the soy sauce, and cook 2 more minutes until it's hot and evenly colored. Stir in the chicken and sesame oil, top with green onions, and serve with yum yum sauce.

Cooking on a Flat-Top Griddle

A griddle gives you more surface area, so the rice fries instead of steaming. Heat it to medium-high and keep everything moving between zones.

Troubleshooting

• Mushy rice. Fresh rice is too wet. Use cold, day-old rice, and let it sit in the hot pan before stirring.
• Soggy and salty. Too much soy sauce. Start with 3 tablespoons and add more at the end only if needed.
• Steamed, not fried. The pan was crowded or not hot enough. Cook in two batches in a smaller skillet.
• Bland. Taste at the end. It usually wants a splash more soy or a pinch of salt.

Variations

• Shrimp. Sear peeled shrimp 1–2 minutes per side until pink and opaque, or see this shrimp fried rice.
• Steak. Use diced sirloin, seared 3–4 minutes.
• Vegetable. Skip the chicken and add zucchini, mushrooms, and broccoli.
• Spicy. Stir sriracha into the yum yum sauce.
• Garlic butter shortcut. Mash 2 tablespoons softened butter with 2 minced garlic cloves and use it for the rice.

Building a Hibachi Night

Serve it with hibachi-style zucchini and onions cooked in butter and soy, plus miso soup or a ginger-dressed salad. For a takeout-style spread, pair it with crockpot beef and broccoli or sheet pan teriyaki chicken. If you want the same savory flavors in a lighter bowl, try ground turkey egg roll in a bowl or teriyaki turkey meatballs.

Storing Leftovers

Cooked rice needs quick cooling. Spread leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (sooner is better). They keep 3–4 days. Reheat in a hot skillet with a teaspoon of butter for 3–4 minutes, or in the microwave with a splash of water, until steaming hot (165°F). Fried rice freezes well for up to 3 months and can be reheated straight from frozen in a skillet.

Keep the yum yum sauce in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Cook's Tips

• Cool fresh rice fast. No leftovers? Spread just-cooked rice on a sheet pan, let the steam roll off for a few minutes, then refrigerate it uncovered for 30 minutes.
• Break up clumps first. Wet your hands and crumble the cold rice before it hits the pan.
• Prep everything before you start. Once the pan is hot, it moves fast.
• Use a wide spatula. It scoops and flips rice without mashing it.