Hibachi Chicken on the Griddle (Easy Blackstone Hibachi Recipe) (2024)

Whether you call it hibachi chicken, teppanyaki chicken, or that fantastic teriyaki chicken that you get at a Japanese steakhouse is up to you, but this easy Blackstone hibachi recipe will be your new favorite thing to cook on the griddle!

Most commercial kitchens use a griddle to serve up hundreds, if not thousands, of meals a day. But few restaurants actually put those griddles front and center for the customers to watch their food being prepared. The counter-service at Waffle House and the cook-in-front-of-you experience at Japanese steakhouses, however, put griddle cooking on display like no others.

So if you have a Blackstone griddle or other flat top grill, then I’m sure that chicken hibachi is probably on your list of top 5 griddle recipes to make.

Not to mention, making hibachi at home on your Blackstone griddle saves you about a hundred bucks versus going out to your favorite Japanese steakhouse. And once you perfect this Blackstone hibachi and the perfect griddle fried rice, you can invite friends and family over for your own dinner and a show… but I don’t recommend trying that onion volcano.

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Here’s how to make Blackstone chicken hibachi at home… So good that your family will swear it was prepared by a teppanyaki chef!

And be sure to check out my authentic Hawaiian beef teriyaki for another awesome Blackstone teriyaki recipe!

Hibachi Chicken or Teppanyaki Chicken – What’s the Difference?

Most people refer to this Blackstone griddle teriyaki chicken recipe as “hibachi chicken”, because that’s what most Japanese steakhouses in the US call it. But actually, the dish commonly referred to as “hibachi” is technically made on a “teppanyaki” grill. Here’s the difference:

What is Hibachi?

Both hibachi and teppanyaki cooking involve cooking food over an open flame, but that’s where the similarities end.

The word “hibachi” is Japanese and means “fire bowl”. Think of a hibachi grill as a portable charcoal grill, often with a cylindrical shape of cast iron and grill grates on top.

What is Teppanyaki?

A teppanyaki grill is what you actually find at Japanese steakhouses. It resembles most residential griddles with a large flat steel surface that is heated underneath by propane flames.

The main difference between the commercial teppanyaki grills that you find at your local Japanese restaurant and the Blackstone griddle sitting on your back deck is the type of steel that is used. Commercial grills are typically constructed of stainless steel, and they don’t require seasoning. That means that you can cut your chicken directly on the grill surface without worrying about scratching into the griddle seasoning that you worked so hard to achieve.

In contrast, Blackstone griddles and most other residential flat top grills are made with a rolled steel cooking surface. So you’ll definitely want to cut your proteins into bite-sized pieces before cooking them on the griddle. And I’d steer clear of attempting your own open-flame onion volcano, too.

But since the popular chicken teriyaki dish that you get at most Japanese steakhouses in the US is commonly referred to as “hibachi chicken”, that’s what I’ll call it also.

Ingredients for this Blackstone Hibachi Recipe

If you’re looking for a chicken hibachi recipe, then chances are that you want to make the full Japanese steakhouse dinner that comes with fried rice and vegetables also. Because let’s face it, the griddle fried rice covered in that slightly sweet, mayo-based shrimp sauce is really the best part.

Here’s what you’ll need for a full Japanese steakhouse hibachi dinner at home (minus the appetizer shrimp):

The Meat and Veggies

Most chicken hibachi dinners that you get at Japanese steakhouses come with sautéed zucchini and onions. Depending on which restaurant you visit, the dish may also be served with broccoli, shredded carrots or cabbage. But in my experience, most hibachi chicken teriyaki meals are served with a side of zucchini and onions, and the chicken is not mixed with any other vegetables.

And speaking of the chicken, you can use boneless skinless chicken breasts or boneless skinless chicken thighs for your chicken hibachi at home.

The Rice

You can’t have Blackstone hibachi chicken without the fried rice, right?! I’ve got a full post all about making Blackstone fried rice to go with your hibachi chicken.

The Hibachi Sauce

The best part of chicken hibachi, in my opinion, is the sticky sweet sauce that gets cooked right on the griddle with the protein. And though this hibachi sauce may be a bear to clean off your Blackstone, it’s worth it when done right. Here are the ingredients that I use to make the sauce for chicken hibachi:

• soy sauce
• brown sugar
• honey
• ground ginger – I’m a HUGE fan of this squeezable bottled ginger… I always have it in my fridge for making sauces, dressings, or marinades.
• minced garlic

How to Make Hibachi Chicken on the Blackstone Griddle

Making a full hibachi chicken dinner at home is actually easier than you think. Though this iconic Japanese steakhouse dish has many different components, and it may not be the best griddle recipe for a beginner to tackle on their first cook, it can be done easily if you prepare ahead of time and focus on each individual component so that you don’t get overwhelmed.

And like most griddle recipes, this Blackstone hibachi recipe cooks pretty quickly, so you’ll want to mise en place – a fancy French term for measuring out and preparing all of your ingredients before you begin cooking, so that they’re ready when you need them.

Here’s how to make the best Blackstone hibachi chicken:

Step 1: Cook the fried rice on the griddle.

If you’re going to be preparing a full Japanese hibachi dinner at home, then you’ll want to start my making the rice because it takes the longest time to cook. Head over to this post to see how to make fried rice on the griddle.

Then, when your rice is almost done cooking, you can move it to the cooler side of the griddle and continue on to the next step.

Step 2: Make the sauce for hibachi chicken teriyaki.

While the rice is cooking, make the quick teriyaki sauce that you’ll use later for the chicken.

In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, minced garlic, minced ginger, and honey. Then, set it to the side.

You can also use a store-bought teriyaki sauce if you wish, but it really is easy to make your own.

Step 3: Cook the zucchini and onions on the Blackstone griddle.

After you’ve moved the fried rice to the cooler side of the griddle, add a bit of butter and avocado oil to the hotter area of the griddle and spread it around a bit with your spatula. Then, add the cut zucchini and onions to the butter and oil and begin sautéing the vegetables.

After a few minutes, add garlic powder and salt and pepper to the vegetables, followed by a bit of soy sauce. Mix together and continue to sauté the vegetables on the hotter zone of your Blackstone until they’re about halfway cooked through. I personally like my vegetables to have just a little bit of “bite” to them, rather than them being completely soft, but you should cook your zucchini and onions to your desired doneness.

You can also adjust the soy sauce and seasonings up or down a bit to suit your taste. However, I do recommend watching the amount of added salt that you use when making this Blackstone hibachi recipe, because the soy sauce contains quite a bit of salt.

When the vegetables are about halfway done cooking, move them to the side of the griddle to start on the teriyaki chicken. But remember to stir your veggies frequently while the chicken is cooking so that they cook evenly.

If your vegetables finish cooking before you’re done with the rest of the meal, feel free to transfer them to a serving platter, but they should also be fine keeping warm on the cooler side of your griddle.

Step 4: Cook the hibachi chicken teriyaki on the Blackstone griddle.

After you’ve moved the vegetables to the side of the griddle and you’ve allowed the main part of your griddle to build back up the heat that was lost, it’s time to start cooking the final component of your Blackstone hibachi dinner – the chicken teriyaki.

Start by adding the cubed chicken breasts to the griddle, making sure that each individual piece has room to get a good sear like this… You can also see what my griddle looked like at this stage to get an idea of the sequence and pace of the cook. (Notice how I’m continuing to stir the vegetables while the chicken is cooking and the fried rice is pushed to the far side of the griddle to keep warm.):

Then, after the chicken has cooked untouched for about 2-3 minutes, add a good pat of butter like this:

Toss the chicken and the butter together until mixed well, and continue to sauté the chicken until it’s almost all the way cooked through. Then, when the chicken is almost done cooking, it’s time to add the hibachi teriyaki sauce that you made in step 2.

Slowly pour the sauce over the chicken. Then toss the chicken and sauce together until all of the chicken pieces are coated like this:

The sauce will thicken pretty quickly as it heats up on the griddle, and the sugars from the honey and brown sugar will quickly turn sticky and burn if you leave the sauce sitting in one spot on the griddle for too long. That’s why it’s important to not add the sauce until the last few minutes, when the chicken is almost done cooking.

Once you add the sauce, you’ll want to constantly mix and sauté the chicken until it’s cooked through, but don’t worry, this will happen fast! After about 2 minutes, your hibachi chicken should look something like this… Notice how the sauce has thickened and the chicken is a nice golden brown color:

Step 5: Plate and serve your Blackstone hibachi dinner!

When all of the individual Blackstone hibachi dishes are done cooking, it’s time to serve up your Japanese style dinner! Just plate the fried rice, zucchini and onions, and teriyaki chicken, and serve immediately.

You can also top your dinner with your favorite sauces like yum yum sauce or siracha.

FAQ’s about Making Blackstone Hibachi

Even though the teppanyaki chefs at your local Japanese restaurant make it look so easy, you may be a bit intimidated to try this popular Blackstone griddle dinner. Here are some frequently asked questions about making hibachi at home, so you can feel better prepared:

How do I clean my griddle after making teriyaki chicken?

The biggest drawback to making hibachi chicken on the Blackstone is the sugary, sticky mess that is left behind. Sugars and hot griddles don’t mix well, but don’t let that deter you from making the best Japanese hibachi chicken at home.

The key is to “clean as you go”, which is something that I preach and show you how to do in many of my YouTube videos. During the cooking process, use your bench scraper to scrape all of the food debris and sticky residue off of your griddle and into the grease trap. You can move your fried rice, vegetables, or teriyaki chicken to a clean area of the griddle, scrape down the dirty section and then move your food back. This helps to alleviate some of the stress of having to clean the griddle later.

I also recommend that after your hibachi chicken is done, remove it from the griddle and immediately clean the griddle top while it’s still warm. If you’re worried about your dinner getting cold, you can tent it with some aluminum foil.

Just squirt a good amount of water onto the warm griddle surface. The water will turn to steam which helps to loosen and release some of the stuck-on food residue. Then, carefully scrape your griddle top clean with your bench scraper. You can see some of my favorite griddle accessories here!

I don’t want to make my own sauce… Can you recommend a good store-bought hibachi sauce?

Yes! There are a ton of different bottled teriyaki sauces that you can buy at your local grocery store. I’ve tried probably a dozen different brands over the years, and one of my favorites to use for chicken hibachi sauce is this Japanese barbecue sauce.

Can I make hibachi at home without a griddle?

Absolutely! If you don’t have an outdoor griddle, you can still make this easy hibachi chicken recipe in a large skillet on your stovetop. If you’re going to cook hibachi chicken at home in a skillet, you may need to cook it in batches or use multiple skillets at the same time. You can make the fried rice in one skillet, sauté the zucchini and onions in another, and cook the chicken teriyaki in a different skillet.

I hope you and your family enjoy this Blackstone hibachi recipe! And be sure to print it out using the recipe card below:

Blackstone Hibachi Recipe

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