Benihana Copycat Recipes
Benihana's teppanyaki cooking made hibachi a household word. Our copycats cover the Yum Yum Sauce, garlic butter fried rice, hibachi steak, and garlic shrimp — all doable on a cast-iron at home.
5 recipes
Benihana was founded in 1964 by Hiroaki 'Rocky' Aoki in New York City. The restaurant popularized teppanyaki-style dining in America: cooking on a large iron flat-top griddle at tableside with theatrical technique. The Yum Yum Sauce (also called White Sauce or Shrimp Sauce) is mayo-based with tomato paste, butter, paprika, sugar, and garlic — it should be pale pink, mildly sweet, and not taste heavily of ketchup (a common substitution that throws off the color and sweetness balance). Benihana's fried rice is cooked on a very hot dry griddle: the flash-dry method removes moisture and creates the lightly charred, separate-grain texture that steaming can't produce. Garlic butter is added in the final 30 seconds. The Hibachi Steak — sirloin or New York strip — is sliced against the grain into bite-sized pieces and cooked over high heat to the guest's requested doneness. Our Benihana copycats cover the Hibachi Steak, Chicken Fried Rice, Garlic Butter Shrimp, and Yum Yum Sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's in Benihana's Yum Yum Sauce?
The base: 1 cup mayonnaise, 2 tbsp water, 2 tbsp melted unsalted butter, 1 tbsp tomato paste, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp cayenne. Whisk together and refrigerate at least 2 hours — the flavor needs time to meld. Don't substitute ketchup for tomato paste; ketchup has vinegar and sweetener that make it too tart and too pink. The sauce keeps refrigerated for 2 weeks.
Can I make Benihana-style fried rice without a flat-top griddle?
Yes. Use a cast-iron skillet or carbon steel wok on maximum heat. The critical steps: (1) use day-old refrigerated rice — fresh warm rice steams instead of frying; (2) cook in small batches (no more than 2 cups at a time) so the pan stays hot; (3) let the rice sit undisturbed for 30 seconds before tossing so it develops a light char. Add garlic butter in the last 30 seconds only.
What temperature does Benihana cook Hibachi Steak to?
The chef asks each guest at tableside. Temperature targets: rare 125°F, medium-rare 135°F, medium 145°F, medium-well 155°F, well-done 165°F. The steak is sirloin or New York strip, sliced against the grain into 1-inch cubes before cooking — cutting against the grain shortens the muscle fibers and makes each temperature tender. High heat, 2–3 minutes per side for medium-rare cubes.
What's the garlic butter formula for Benihana-style cooking?
Real unsalted butter (not margarine) with fresh minced garlic — not powder — cooked for 30 seconds at the end of each item's cook time. The butter should foam and just barely begin to brown (nutty, not burnt). For the fried rice, add about 1 tbsp of garlic butter right before plating and toss 3–4 times; more than that makes the rice greasy.