How to Make Delicious Shrimp Hibachi at Home

Hibachi shrimp is a popular Japanese-inspired dish that is often served at teppanyaki restaurants where chefs theatrically prepare food on large hot grills right in front of customers. The combination of tender shrimp, colorful vegetables like zucchini and onion, savory sauces, and fluffy fried rice makes for an exciting and flavorful meal.

The good news is that while eating hibachi shrimp at a restaurant is fun, you can easily recreate this dish at home With just a few simple ingredients and cooking steps, you can have restaurant-quality hibachi shrimp without leaving your kitchen.

In this article I’ll walk through everything you need to know to make shrimp hibachi from ingredients and equipment to step-by-step cooking instructions. I’ll also share tips to get authentic restaurant flavors and textures, as well as serving suggestions and storage advice. Let’s get cooking!

Overview of Shrimp Hibachi

Hibachi shrimp is typically comprised of a few key components

• Shrimp – The star of the show! Butterfly shrimp are commonly used.

• Vegetables – Onions, zucchini, mushrooms and carrots are popular choices.

• Rice – Fried rice is a must for soaking up the delicious flavors.

• Sauce – A quick soy sauce and butter sauce adds signature flavor.

• Condiments – Ginger dressing, yum yum sauce and sriracha add even more flavor.

The shrimp and vegetables are quickly stir-fried over high heat to sear in the flavors. The rice is cooked separately and mounded on a plate, then topped with the shrimp and veggies. Finally, flavorful sauces are drizzled over everything or served on the side for dipping.

Hibachi vs Teppanyaki

While the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, hibachi and teppanyaki actually refer to two different, yet related Japanese cooking styles.

Hibachi refers to a small charcoal grill, essentially a bowl of fire. Teppanyaki refers to ingredients cooked on a large flat iron griddle. At Japanese steakhouses, teppanyaki grills are commonly used where chefs prepare food in front of customers.

So for our homemade shrimp hibachi, we’ll be using a large skillet or griddle to mimic teppanyaki-style cooking. A grill pan also works well. This allows us to cook at the high heat needed to sear the shrimp and vegetables properly.

Ingredients Needed

Part of what makes shrimp hibachi so tasty is the combination of fresh, high-quality ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need:

For the Shrimp:

• Shrimp – Raw, peeled and deveined shrimp are best to get the proper sear while keeping the interior tender. Go for large shrimp or prawns.

• Butter – Adds rich flavor when cooking the shrimp. Use salted or unsalted.

• Soy sauce – For the signature Japanese flavor. Low-sodium is fine.

• Mirin – A sweet Japanese rice wine that balances the soy sauce.

• Garlic – Minced or grated garlic amps up the flavor.

• Honey – A touch of honey rounds things out.

For the Vegetables:

• Onion – Sliced yellow, white or red onion all work well.

• Zucchini – Cut into strips or slices. Helps make it colorful.

• Mushrooms – Meaty mushrooms like shiitake or portobello taste great.

• Carrots – Julienned or cut into thin strips.

• Butter – For cooking the veggies.

• Soy sauce – To season the vegetables.

• Oil – For cooking, like canola, vegetable or olive oil.

For the Fried Rice:

• Leftover cooked rice – Chilled rice makes the best fried rice.

• Butter

• Garlic

• Soy sauce

• Egg

• Frozen peas

• Other veggies like carrots and onion (optional)

For Serving:

• Yum yum sauce – Classic Japanese mayo-based sauce.

• Sriracha – For extra heat and flavor.

• Ginger dressing – Bright, gingery dipping sauce.

Necessary Equipment

You don’t need any fancy equipment to make great shrimp hibachi at home. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Large nonstick skillet or griddle – To cook the shrimp and vegetables over high heat.

• Wok (optional) – A wok is great for stir-frying and making fried rice.

• Spatulas and tongs – For tossing and flipping the ingredients.

• Large plate – To serve the finished hibachi over fried rice.

• Small bowls – For the dipping sauces.

And that’s it! Simple kitchen tools you likely already have on hand. Now let’s get to the fun part – the cooking!

Step-by-Step Cooking Instructions

Follow these simple steps for restaurant-worthy shrimp hibachi:

Cook the Rice

1. In a wok or skillet, heat butter and garlic over medium-high heat.

2. Add cold, cooked rice and break up any clumps. Fry 3-5 minutes.

3. Add soy sauce and continue frying until rice is heated through.

4. Push rice to sides. Add beaten egg to center and scramble until set.

5. Stir egg into rice. Add frozen peas and cook 1-2 minutes until heated through.

6. Remove fried rice to a plate and cover to keep warm.

Prepare the Shrimp

1. Pat shrimp dry with paper towels. This helps them sear properly.

2. Season shrimp all over with salt and pepper.

3. In a skillet over high heat, add oil. When very hot, add shrimp in a single layer.

4. Cook 1-2 minutes per side until opaque and seared. Remove shrimp to a plate.

Cook the Vegetables

1. In the same skillet, melt butter over high heat.

2. Add onions, zucchini, mushrooms, carrots and cook 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Add soy sauce and garlic and cook 1 minute more.

4. Remove vegetables to a plate.

Make the Sauce

1. If needed, wipe skillet clean. Over medium-high heat, melt 1 tbsp butter.

2. Add soy sauce, mirin, garlic and honey. Bring to a simmer.

3. Let sauce reduce and thicken slightly, about 2-3 minutes.

4. Add seared shrimp and vegetables back to the skillet.

5. Toss everything together until shrimp and vegetables are glazed and coated in the sauce.

Bring It All Together

1. Place fried rice on a large plate or shallow bowl.

2. Top with shrimp and vegetables.

3. Drizzle over any remaining sauce from the skillet.

4. Garnish with sesame seeds and scallions if desired.

5. Serve immediately with yum yum sauce, sriracha and ginger dressing for dipping.

And that’s it – restaurant-worthy shrimp hibachi made totally from scratch at home. The key is cooking over high heat to get that crisp sear while keeping the ingredients tender inside. Let the foods do the work to create a wonderful meal.

Cooking Tips for Best Results

Here are some helpful tips to ensure your homemade shrimp hibachi tastes as close to the restaurants as possible:

• Use the freshest shrimp and vegetables you can find. Quality ingredients make a difference.

• Make sure your skillet or griddle is very hot. You want it ripping hot to recreate the teppanyaki sear.

• Dry the shrimp thoroughly before cooking. Otherwise they’ll steam instead of searing.

• Don’t overcrowd the skillet when cooking the shrimp and veggies. Cook in batches if needed.

• Cut the vegetables into similar sized pieces so they cook evenly.

• Use cold, day old rice for the fried rice. Freshly cooked rice turns soggy in the skillet.

• Cook the sauce down slightly to thicken it. This allows it to cling nicely to the shrimp and vegetables.

• Work quickly and keep ingredients moving in the skillet. The fast cooking gives great flavor.

• Let people serve themselves the dipping sauces, so they can control the amount of heat and flavor.

Serving Suggestions

Shrimp hibachi tastes great on its own, but you can round out the meal a few different ways:

• Start with miso soup and a house salad with ginger dressing.

• Add a shrimp and vegetable tempura appetizer.

• Serve garlic-buttered edamame on the side.

• Finish with ice cream mochi for dessert.

• Offer hot green tea or Japanese beer to drink.

Having the multiple components lets your diners customize their ideal hibachi experience. Set up a DIY sauce bar with the yum yum