Easy Homemade Hibachi Steak (Benihana Copycat) (2024)

Published: Oct 18, 2021 · Modified: Feb 14, 2024 by Sunena Anand · This post contains affiliate links. I make a commission from sales. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. · 1 Comment

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This easy homemade hibachi steak recipe is a Benihana copycat easy recipe that brings your favorite Japanese steakhouses to your own kitchen! Without any fancy equipment, and with a few pantry staple ingredients, it has never been easier to make a “special occasion” meal any day of the week. All you need is a skillet, some delicious steaks, and 25 minutes!

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Table of Contents hide

Why You'll Love This Recipe

Ingredient Notes

Substitutions

Variations

Step-by-Step Instructions

Expert Tips

Serving Suggestions

Recipe FAQs

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Easy Homemade Hibachi Steak (Benihana Copycat)

Why You'll Love This Recipe

The steak cooks quickly:Hibachi-style cooking uses high heat, so these bite-size pieces come together in under 15 minutes, just like at the restaurant.
No special equipment needed: You do not need to have a flat-top grill or flat surface griddle in your home to get restaurant-quality results. A good, heavy skillet gets the job done. You can even get that good old-fashioned onion volcano done in a skillet!
Easily customizable:This base recipe works for making a mix-and-match combo dinner, with hibachi shrimp and chicken, just like at Benihana!
Restaurant-style side sauce:Most hibachi restaurants serve their entrees with a few different dipping sauces. I ditch the ginger sauce because, for me, it's all about the creamy dipping sauce! One of the most popular creamy dipping sauces is yum yum sauce, which is so easy to make at home.

Ingredient Notes

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Striploin steak:Striploin, New York strip steak (NY strip) is the best steak for hibachi. The balance between meatiness and fat keeps the steak juicy and moist while cooking quickly. Top sirloin steaks tend to be on the leaner side, which is easier to dry out when cooking at home. 1-1 ½ inches is the perfect thickness.
Unsalted butter:Unsalted butter is a better choice for this recipe, as the soy sauce adds more than enough salt to the dish. It also allows you to control the salt levels to your taste.
Soy sauce:You will want to use regular light soy sauce in this recipe. This is the soy sauce you will most commonly find in your local grocery store. You can use low-sodium soy sauce if you prefer.
Fresh garlic:I highly recommend using fresh garlic for this recipe. The base of the hibachi sauce is freshly made garlic butter, so you want the flavors to be as bright, fresh, and zesty as possible.

A full list of ingredients with measurements is located on therecipe card, below.

Substitutions

Striploin steak:Hibachi restaurants usually offer a filet mignon option, which would be delicious with this recipe. You can also use a more marbled ribeye steak, which will have great flavor! Ultimately, you can use whatever kind of steak you have on hand or that you prefer. I do suggest leaning toward a more tender steak since this is a quick-cooking easy steak recipe.
Soy sauce:Coconut aminos or liquid aminos can be used in place of soy sauce.
Unsalted butter:You can use salted butter if that is what you have on hand. Be mindful of adding additional salt or soy to the sauce to keep the salt levels in check.
White pepper:You can use black pepper if that is what you have on hand.

Variations

Spicy:Mix in or top with sriracha or chili oil for a kick. For a fun fusion twist, add use homemadeIndian-Chinese chili garlic sauce!
Deluxe:Beef and mushrooms are the perfect match—Saute cremini mushrooms with the steak for more hibachi goodness.
Flat top:If you have an outdoor flat top grill like a Blackstone griddle or a griddle on your stove, you can use it to make this hibachi steak. This will also give you a more authentic feel!
Extra garlic:If you want to add some variation of garlic flavor to the hibachi marinade/sauce, try adding a touch of garlic powder.
Sesame:Add a drizzle of sesame oil with the neutral oil when cooking, and sesame seeds as a garnish, for a subtle sesame flavor.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Prep Work Before Cooking

Collecting all ingredients: This will make cooking so much easier. Gather all the spices you will need, and keep them nearby.

Bring the steak to room temperature: Take the steak out of the fridge 10-15 minutes before searing. Pat the steaks dry with a paper towel before searing, to get the best crust.

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Using an immersion blender or a food processor, blend the garlic cloves with the soy sauce and lemon juice. The garlic should be mostly broken down into a paste with no visible chunks. Add the garlic and soy sauce paste into the softened butter, and mix until fully combined. Set aside.

Place a 12” cast iron skillet on medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoon of neutral oil, such as canola, peanut, or vegetable oil. Avocado oil can also be used if you prefer.

Season the striploin steaks generously with salt and white pepper on both sides. Place the steaks in the heated skillet, and leave them alone for 2 minutes, to get a good sear on the first side. Flip the steaks and sear for another 2 minutes.[photos 1&2]

With the steaks still in the skillet, use a small knife to cut the steak into bite-sized pieces. The steak will still be almost raw in the center, and that is normal. Try to keep the small pieces in a single layer.[photo 3]

Add the garlic butter, and teriyaki sauce to the hot skillet, and toss to coat the steak bites. For medium doneness, the steak will only need to be cooked in the garlic butter for 2-2 ½ minutes.[photo 4]

Remove from the heat, and serve while hot. Optionally, garnish with chopped green onion over the top when serving the steak.

Expert Tips

Be sure to preheat:You want the pan to be very hot, to replicate the high-heat teppanyaki surface. This will also give the steak that hard sear in a very short cooking time.

Leave the steak alone:Once the steak is in the pan, avoid turning it or tossing it unnecessarily. The only way to get the hibachi char is by letting the steak sit.

Use a large skillet:A large skillet is important for this recipe, as the larger surface area will retain heat better. It will also help the steak sear and char. A small skillet will cause the heat to drop, and steak could potentially 'steam'.

Prepare the sauce: Make the yum-yum sauce the night before and let it sit in the fridge for the flavors to meld. This is important - the sauce will not taste the same if served right away.

Make Ahead & Storage

The soy garlic butter can be prepared up to 1 week in advance. Store in an airtight container in the fridge. Be sure to bring the butter to room temperature when you are ready to cook.
The homemade yum yum sauce can be made 3-5 days in advance of serving. Store in an airtight container in the fridge, and keep chilled until you are ready to eat.
Leftover cooked hibachi steak can be stored for 2-3 days in an airtight container once cooled to room temperature. Keep in the fridge until you are ready to eat.
Reheat leftovers in a skillet over medium heat. Be sure to heat the steak through, but do not overcook the bites. They can overcook quickly, so keep an eye on them.

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Serving Suggestions

Serve this hibachi steak with plain white rice if you’re trying to save time, or with homemade pineapple fried rice or hibachi rice too.
These garlic green beans are an untraditional vegetable side dish that goes perfectly with the garlicky steak. If you prefer, you can serve it with hibachi vegetables, or even simple air fryer frozen broccoli for a more classic take on a hibachi dinner.
If you prefer bang bang sauce to yum yum sauce, you whip up a batch of homemade bang bang sauce.

Recipe FAQs

How long do you cook hibachi steak?

Medium-rare steak: Approximately 2 minutes.
Medium steak: Approximately 3 minutes.
Well-done steak: Approximately 5 minutes.

Is hibachi steak the same as teriyaki?

Hibachi and Teriyaki steak are slightly different. Hibachi steak is cooked with more savory ingredients, whereas teriyaki sauce is sweeter. Teriyaki sauce is usually thick like a glaze with the addition of sugar or sweet mirin.

Is hibachi steak spicy?

Not at all - Hibachi steak is vary savory, but also very mild. If you prefer things spicier, you can adjust the flavors based on your preference.

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