How to Make Hibachi Steak Just Like Benihana

I am so excited to share how to make hibachi steak on a Traeger Flatrock or any flat top griddle. This post is for the hibachi steak recipe, but you will find tips and recipes for everything you need for a great hibachi dinner at home. 

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Bringing the Hibachi Steakhouse Home

I love hibachi restaurants for all that they have to offer. I love the delicious food and it comes with a fun show. A great Japanese steakhouse like Benihana really is a special meal to share with friends and family. But... sometimes I just want that hibachi dinner in the comfort of my own kitchen, without the hibachi price tag. 

The Essential Hibachi Steak Ingredients

When it comes to cooking hibachi steak, we need to start with the right kind of steak for cooking on a flat top griddle. Look for a cut that is tender and lean. Sirloin steak is the most popular because it is the right thickness for even cooking and has great flavor. Other options include filets or strip steak.

Rib-eye and NY strips are less common, but you could use them. Just keep in mind that the thicker the steak is, the more you are going to need to sear the steak whole, remove it and cut it into pieces, and return it to the flat top to finish cooking. 

For seasoning our hibachi steak, we keep it surprisingly simple. The great flavor from the steak gets to shine through and comes with a delicious dipping sauce. 

To prepare the steak, you will need:

• garlic butter
• black pepper
• vegetable oil
• sesame oil

Get the recipe for copycat creamy mustard hibachi sauce.

Important Cooking Equipment and Supplies

• Outdoor Cook Top such as Traeger Flatrock or cast iron skillet
• large stainless steel spatula
• tongs
• plates or small trays
• large cutting board
• sharp knife 

Do's and Dont's for Hibachi at Home

DO make sure you manage the heat for your cook top. Turn on all three cook zones even if you don't need to use the entire flat top surface so that you don't lose heat to a cold area of the griddle.

DO stay organized and have all your ingredients ready to cook once your cook top is ready. Also, have plates available for finished food so you can remove it from the cook top quickly.

DON'T crowd any area with too much food. We want the outside of our food to brown and develop a nice crust. That can't happen if steam is created by crowding our cooking zones. 

DON'T cut your protein into bite-sized pieces before you cook it. This will also prevent browning and pulls too much liquid out of the steak. This is also a sure fire way to overcook your steak.

Managing your source of heat

One of the best parts about hibachi cooking at home is that you can cook all of this on one huge flat top griddle. Whether you are using a Traeger Flatrock, a Blackstone Griddle, or some other large surface you want even heat across the entire flat top. If you don't have a flat top griddle, you can use large cast iron pans on the stove top and you will get great results as well.

When you get started, preheat all three cook zones of the Flatrock to medium high heat. We do this even if we only need a portion of the cook top so that we don't lose heat to a cold side of the cook surface.

Staying organized

When hibachi chefs roll their cart of ingredients out, they have everything ready to go. Each tray is loaded up with all of the prepared ingredients because once you start cooking, it goes fast. We don't want to be unprepared and accidentally overcook one hibachi dish because we were pulled away for something. 

Garnishes and Presentation

I think part of what makes good food into great food is the extra details. 

• Serve the dipping sauce on the side in small dishes or ramekins.
• sprinkle toasted sesame seeds over the hibachi steak and chicken if you that also
• garnish the fried rice with thinly sliced green onions

How to Cook Hibachi Steak at Home

1. Start by preparing all of your ingredients, especially if this is the first time you are making this recipe. 
2. Heat up your flat top grill to medium-high heat in all three cook zones. 
3. After the cook top has preheated for 6-8 minutes, drizzle it will your cooking oil and spread it around with a large stainless steel spatula.
4. When the oil stops smoking, it's time to get your steaks on. Season the steak with salt and pepper.
5. Check the steak in 4 minutes just to see how it's doing. You want a nice crust on the outside. When it pulls away from the griddle easily, you can flip it.
6. Cook the steak for an additional 4 minutes.
7. Remove the steak and cut into bite sized pieces. If your want your steak a little more well-done, get it back on the cook top for an additional minute or two. 
8. Serve the hibachi steak with rice, veggies, and dipping sauce.

Sauces to Serve With Hibachi Steak

Every good steak needs a sauce. There are two that work perfectly with a medium-rare well seasoned steak: teriyaki sauce or creamy mustard dipping sauce.

Usually, hibachi restaurants will sear a steak on both sides and cut it into bite sized pieces right on the cook top. Then they give a generous squeeze of the house made teriyaki sauce and toss that around. The sauce will reduce and cling nicely to the steak.

If you are using the creamy mustard sauce (or yum yum sauce if that's your preference), the steak will get sliced into bite sized pieces so you can dip your steak bites into whichever sauce your heart desires.  

How to Make a Complete Hibachi Meal

When I do hibachi steak at home, I do it all. It feels like a lot of prep to get ready, but once that is done everything cooks quickly. My must have hibachi recipes include:

• hibachi chicken and hibachi shrimp - cooked with hibachi better, low sodium soy sauce, and lemon juice
• fried rice - hibachi rice is made with cooked white rice, diced onion, diced carrots, hibachi butter and soy sauce
• hibachi veggies including zucchini and onions - fresh vegetables are cut into bite size pieces and cooked with hibachi butter and a little bit of soy sauce
• creamy hibachi mustard sauce - this super easy recipe combined mustard, soy sauce, toasted sesame and cream for a delicious dipping sauce
• Japanese ginger sauce

Can I Make Hibachi Steak on the Stove?

You most certainly can. Before I got my Traeger Flatrock, I would cook this in my cast iron skillet over medium heat. Cast iron is great for steak because the heavy cast iron holds heat very well. Let the skillet preheat and follow along with me.

Saving and reheating leftover hibachi

If you're fortunate enough to have food leftover, transfer it to an airtight container. I recommend saving the sauces separately, but you can store the hibachi steak with the other side dishes and hibachi vegetables. Save it in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. 

More Hibachi Recipes

• Hibachi Chicken and Shrimp
• Hibachi Garlic Butter
• Mustard Dipping Sauce
• Japanese Ginger Salad Dressing
• Fried Rice or steamed rice 

Hibachi Steak Recipe Card