Steak Hibachi at Home

Hibachi is one of my favorite meals to go out for. It can be a fun way to celebrate a loved one’s birthday, or just for a fun friends’ night out. However, it can be extremely expensive (the average Hibachi Steak Dinner costs around $50!), especially for college students like myself, so I decided to make my own version at home! 

Note: I used steak, but this can be made with any form of protein (chicken, tofu, etc.). This recipe could also be adapted to be made with noodles instead, sort of like a lo mein dish. 

Ingredients 

• 1 Strip Steak 
• 2 Packages of Rice
• 1 Package of Frozen Peas and Carrots
• 1 Zucchini
• 1 White Onion
• 2 Eggs
• Teriyaki Sauce
• Garlic (I used jarred garlic for this recipe, but you can also use fresh garlic chopped up)
  • If using fresh garlic, chop about 4 cloves, depending on how much garlic you like.
•  Yum Yum Sauce (Optional but definitely a must-try with this meal!)

Other Potential Inclusions

• Mushrooms
• Green Onions
• Water Chestnuts
• Sesame Seeds
• Broccoli

Prices & Where I Got the Ingredients:

• 1 Strip Steak → ALDI for $8.20 (price varies depending on weight/cut of steak)
• 2 Packages of Rice → Walmart for $2.84 ($1.42/pack)
• 1 Package of Frozen Peas and Carrots → Walmart for $0.97
• 1 Zucchini → Walmart for $1.05 ($1.47/pound)
• 1 White Onion → Walmart for $1.27 ($1.68/pound)
• 2 Eggs → Walmart for $2.86 (6 pack)
• Teriyaki Sauce → ALDI for $2.45
• Jarred Garlic → Walmart for $2.16
• Yum Yum Sauce → Walmart for $3.72

Total cost for all ingredients (or about 3-4 servings ): $25.52

Total cost for one serving: $6.38

Instructions:

1. First, gather all ingredients, a cutting board, and a large pan.
2. Also grab 2 other pans for later.
   1. If you don’t have 3 pans, you can wash and reuse the zucchini pan for the steak.

Preparing the Meat and Vegetables

3. Rinse off your zucchini, and dry it off with a paper towel.
4. Cut the zucchini into bite size pieces.
5. Chop the onion into small pieces, around the same size as the zucchini. 
6. Put the chopped zucchini and onion to the side. 
7. Cut your steak into smaller chunks, these pieces can vary in size depending on your preference. 
8. Season the steak with whatever seasonings you’d like. For this recipe, I’d recommend just salt and pepper. 

Cooking the Vegetables and Rice

9. Microwave your carrot and pea mix, following the instructions on the bag (times depend on the wattage of your microwave).
10. Set the carrot and pea mix aside. 
11. Break down the large chunks of rice through the bags, and tear the bags about 2 inches in at the top.
12. Stand up the rice bags in the microwave, cooking for 90 seconds. 
13. Remove the rice from the microwave, and add all of the cooked rice and carrots/pea mix to a large pan, setting the stove to low-medium heat.
14. Mix in about 3 tablespoons of teriyaki sauce, or however much to taste, until all the rice is browned and consistently covered. 
15. Add your chopped garlic to the rice as well and let simmer.
16. In a separate pan, begin sauteing your zucchini and onions on medium-high heat with a bit of butter and some teriyaki sauce.
    1. I typically eyeball the sauce and butter, but starting with 2 tablespoons of teriyaki and adding as you taste it is a good measurement.  
17. Once the vegetables are done cooking, or your zucchini is slightly tender and your onions are translucent, let both simmer on low heat to keep them warm while you cook your steak. 
18. Crack 2 eggs into your rice and carrot/pea mix and scramble into the rice.

Searing the Steak

19. While your eggs are cooking in your rice, put your steak bites into a separate pan with some butter and cook to your desired temperature, making sure to sear all sides of the steak bites.

Assembly

For this part, I wanted it to seem like a true Hibachi experience, so I kept all the different components separate, but you can absolutely mix everything together for more of a “Steak Fried Rice” type of dish. Additionally, I served this dish in a bowl, but it also works fine on a plate. Yum Yum Sauce is optional, but definitely gives the meal that traditional “Hibachi” vibe because they typically give you a side cup of it at Hibachi restaurants. 

20. Get out a bowl and add your rice with carrots and peas. 
21. Add a scoop of the zucchini and onion mixture to one side of the bowl and your steak bites to the other side. 
22. Either pour the Yum Yum Sauce into a small side cup, or drizzle over your bowl. 
23. Enjoy!