Benihana Teriyaki Chicken
Benihana teriyaki chicken uses the exact method and ingredients from Benihana's teppanyaki kitchens. Chicken breasts are butterflied into thin cutlets, seared whole for a golden crust, rested, and then sliced into julienne strips before being tossed with hibachi garlic butter and Benihana's signature teriyaki sauce. The technique is nearly identical to hibachi chicken with two changes: the julienne cut and teriyaki sauce instead of lemon juice. This recipe is adapted for a home stovetop using a standard nonstick pan.
Servings 2 servings
Calories 400kcal
Equipment
- 1 Deli Containers for holding cooked mushrooms
- 1 Measuring Cups for teriyaki sauce
- 1 Measuring Spoons for garlic butter
Ingredients
- 1 chicken breast tenderloin and skinny end removed, butterflied into 2 cutlets
- 4 white button mushrooms sliced into 6-8 slices, or quartered and halved
- 1 tbsp garlic butter see Benihana Garlic Butter recipe
- 1/3 cup Benihana teriyaki sauce use up to 1/2 cup (80-120 ml); see Benihana Teriyaki Sauce recipe
- kosher salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- safflower oil or any neutral oil (vegetable, canola)
- sesame seeds for finishing and garnish
Instructions
Prep the Chicken
- Remove the tenderloin from the chicken breast by making cuts down the length of the breast. Set the tenderloin aside for another use.
- Trim off the tapered, skinny end of the breast for more uniform cutlets.
- Place the breast smooth-side up, lay your hand flat on top, and make a horizontal cut approximately halfway through. When you've almost reached the other side, open it up and cut directly down the middle to create two cutlets.
- Set the cutlets aside in the refrigerator until ready to cook.
Cook the Mushrooms
- Heat oil in a nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add the sliced mushrooms with a sprinkle of salt.
- Cook until the mushrooms have released all their liquid and are completely cooked through. Transfer to a container and set aside.
Sear the Chicken
- Wipe out the pan and add fresh oil over medium-high heat.
- Season each cutlet with kosher salt. After the oil is hot, add the cutlets to the pan and cook for 3-5 minutes per side until you have a golden-brown sear on both sides and the chicken is cooked through.
- Remove the chicken from the pan and rest for 5-10 minutes. This lets the juices redistribute for a juicier result than cutting immediately on the heat.
Slice and Sauce
- After resting, cut each cutlet in half lengthwise, then make cuts across the grain to create thin, bite-sized julienne strips.
- Wipe out the pan and return it to medium heat. Add the sliced chicken and mushrooms along with the garlic butter. Season with salt and pepper.
- Once the butter has melted and coated the chicken, pour in the teriyaki sauce.
- As soon as the sauce is heated through, turn off the heat and stir in sesame seeds. The sugar in teriyaki sauce scorches quickly, so don't leave it on heat any longer than needed.
- Plate and sprinkle additional sesame seeds on top for garnish.
Video
Notes
Sub-Recipes: This recipe uses Benihana Teriyaki Sauce and Benihana Garlic Butter. Both need to be made ahead of time.
Mushroom Cut: There are two prep methods used at Benihana depending on which cook is working. The standard cut is slicing each cap into 6-8 thin slices. The alternate cut is quartering each cap and halving each quarter for chunkier pieces.
Why Cutlets: Butterflying the chicken breast into thin cutlets lets you sear the outside without overcooking the inside. Cutting chicken into small pieces before cooking causes the meat to release moisture and sit in its own liquid instead of getting a sear.
Julienne vs. Cubes: Teriyaki chicken uses thin julienne strips, not cubes. This is the main difference from hibachi chicken, which uses small cubes with a lemon juice finish instead of teriyaki sauce.
Oil Substitute: Benihana uses safflower oil on their teppanyaki grills. Any neutral oil with a high smoke point works at home, including vegetable or canola oil.
Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in a skillet over medium-low heat with a splash of water or additional teriyaki sauce. Not recommended for freezing because the sauce gets watery after thawing.
Nutrition
Calories: 400kcal