Benihana Garlic Butter
Benihana garlic butter is a 3-ingredient compound butter made with fresh garlic, Kikkoman soy sauce, and real unsalted butter. This is the exact method the restaurant uses, adapted for home kitchens without a food processor. Two batch sizes included.
Servings 24 tablespoons
Calories 100kcal
Equipment
- 1 Whisk
- 1 Blender or food processor for restaurant-size batch only
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 3 sticks unsalted butter
- 6 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp Japanese soy sauce Kikkoman
Instructions
- Peel 6 to 8 garlic cloves and trim the root ends. Finely chop the garlic by rocking your knife over it, then press down on the side of the blade and drag the tip across the chopped garlic. Keep chopping and dragging until you have a smooth paste.
- Add the garlic paste and Kikkoman soy sauce to a container with a tight-fitting lid. Shake vigorously for 30 seconds to 1 minute until well combined.
- Using a whisk or spatula, slowly fold the garlic-soy mixture into the softened butter. Add a small amount at a time, making sure each addition is fully incorporated before adding more.
- When there's no liquid remaining at the bottom of the bowl, transfer to a covered container. Refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 6 months.
Video
Notes
Why does Benihana use margarine? Benihana's teppanyaki grills reach 430°F. Regular butter smokes at 302°F, so they use Sunglow European Style Butter Blend Margarine to avoid burning. At home, you have more control over the heat, so real unsalted butter produces a better-tasting result.
Restaurant-size batch: Use 6 sticks (690g) unsalted butter, 15 cloves garlic, and ¼ cup (60 ml) Kikkoman soy sauce. Blend the garlic and soy sauce in a food processor or blender instead of making a paste by hand, then fold into the softened butter the same way.
Freezing tip: Portion into tablespoon-sized amounts before freezing so you can pull out exactly what you need without thawing the whole batch.
Nutrition
Calories: 100kcal