Hibachi Chicken Bowls (Japanese Steakhouse Copycat)

These hibachi chicken bowls bring the full Japanese steakhouse experience home in one large skillet. You get juicy pan-seared chicken, buttery fried rice, and tender-crisp vegetables finished with creamy yum yum sauce, all made from scratch in 35 minutes without a flat top grill or any special equipment.

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Total Time35

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Japanese

Keyword: hibachi chicken bowls

Servings: servings

Author: Jean Choi

Ingredients

1¼ lb skinless boneless chicken thighs or breasts cubed
Sesame seeds for garnish
Yum yum sauce

Hibachi Sauce

1/4 cup tamari sauce or soy sauce
2 tbsp sesame oil
6 garlic cloves
1 inch fresh ginger grated
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Vegetables

1 tbsp avocado oil or any neutral flavored oil
1 onion sliced
1 zucchini halved lengthwise and sliced into half moons
4 oz mushrooms sliced
Salt and pepper to taste

Fried Rice

1 tbsp butter
1/2 cup diced carrots
1/2 onion diced
2 eggs
2½ cups leftover cooked white rice cold
1 green onion sliced

Instructions

Make the hibachi sauce by stirring together all the ingredients.
1/4 cup tamari sauce, 2 tbsp sesame oil, 6 garlic cloves, 1 inch fresh ginger, 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Mix half of the sauce with chicken. Set aside the other half of the sauce.
1¼ lb skinless boneless chicken thighs or breasts
While chicken is marinating, heat avocado oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the vegetables and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until veggies are tender-crisp. Remove from heat and set aside.
1 tbsp avocado oil, 1 onion, 1 zucchini, 4 oz mushrooms, Salt and pepper
Heat butter in the same skillet, and add carrots and onion. Stir cooking until the carrots are softened and the onions are translucent, about 4-5 minutes
1 tbsp butter, 1/2 cup diced carrots, 1/2 onion
Push the vegetables to the side of the skillet, and crack two eggs. Break the yolk, then scramble until halfway cooked.
2 eggs
Add rice, green onions, and the remaining hibachi sauce to the skillet. Cook stirring for 2-3 minutes while breaking up the rice until heated and coated evenly. Remove and set aside.
2½ cups leftover cooked white rice, 1 green onion
Add the marinated chicken to the same skillet, and cook stirring until golden brown and cooked through.
Assemble the chicken, fried rice, and veggies in a bowl. Garnish with sesame seeds, then drizzle with or dip in yum yum sauce. Enjoy!
Sesame seeds, Yum yum sauce

Notes

Cold rice is non-negotiable for good fried rice. Rice cooked and refrigerated overnight loses the extra steam and moisture that would otherwise make it clump. If you only have fresh rice, spread it in a thin layer on a sheet pan and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before using. It's a small bit of planning that makes a real difference.
Keep components warm in the oven. Cooking each component separately means the first one off the pan will be sitting while you finish the rest. Hold finished components in an oven set to 200°F so everything stays warm and you're not serving a bowl with cold fried rice under hot chicken.
Chicken thighs over breasts for this one. Thighs are more forgiving at high heat and stay juicy even if they cook a minute or two longer than planned. If you use chicken breasts, cut them into smaller pieces and pull them off the heat as soon as they're cooked through.
Store components separately. If you're making this for meal prep or storing leftovers, keep the chicken, fried rice, and vegetables in separate containers. The rice absorbs moisture from the vegetables if they're stored together, and it reheats better on its own.

Nutrition