CopyCat Benihana Hibachi Chicken

Ingredients

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast cubed into 1-2” bite-size pieces
2 tbsp peanut oil
¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
3 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tbsp fresh garlic grated
1 tbsp fresh ginger grated
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp toasted sesame oil

Vegetables:
1 tbsp peanut oil
2 cups mushrooms quartered (Baby Bella or Button mushrooms)
2 cups zucchini sliced into half circles
1½ cups yellow onion sliced
1 cup fresh carrots sliced into half circles

Fried Rice:
3 cups cooked jasmine rice (cooked and cooled according to package directions)
¼ cup peanut oil
¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp fresh garlic grated
1 egg scrambled
¼ cup + 2 tablespoons green onions chopped and divided (You will garnish with the additional 2 tablespoons)

Garnish:
Bottled Sweet & Spicy Yum Yum sauce

Directions

**While your chicken and vegetables are cooking in one skillet, you will cook your fried rice in a second large skillet so that all your meal components are finished and hot at the same time. You will have 2 skillets going at the same time for this recipe, so you will need to read the complete directions before starting to prepare this dish.**

In a small mixing bowl, stir together the ingredients for the sauce of the hibachi chicken. Combine the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, grated garlic, grated ginger, sesame oil, granulated sugar, and rice wine vinegar.

Place the cubed skinless-boneless chicken breast into a large mixing bowl and pour the sauce over the chicken pieces and stir together to coat all the chicken pieces.

To cook the chicken, you will use a very large, heavy-duty skillet on high heat, and add the 2 tablespoons peanut oil. Once the oil gets hot, add the chicken and sauce in a single layer. *Do not move the chicken pieces for at least 2-3 minutes to allow the chicken to start to caramelize* Continue to cook the chicken, stirring occasionally, for another 3-4 minutes or until cooked through.

Transfer the cooked chicken, using a slotted spoon or fish spatula, to a large plate and set aside.

Turn the heat down to medium-high and add the 1 tablespoon peanut oil to the hot skillet that the chicken was just cooked in and removed from, then add the carrots and onions and cook for 2-3 minutes before adding the mushrooms and zucchini to the skillet. Continue to saute for an additional 3-5 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked to a crisp-tender texture. Make sure to stir the vegetables occasionally to prevent burning.

Transfer the cooked vegetables to a large plate and set them aside.

To cook the fried rice, add the ¼ cup peanut oil into a separate large skillet on medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the scrambled egg to the hot skillet and cook the egg for 20-30 seconds before adding the grated garlic and green onions. Cook for another 30 seconds before adding the pre-cooked jasmine rice. Stir to combine the rice with the other ingredients, then spread the rice mixture into an even layer and allow the rice to fry in the pan, undisturbed, for 3 minutes. *This allows the rice to start to get a nice crisp to it*. Give the rice a good stir from that point every 2-3 minutes for a total of 10 minutes.

Add the ¼ soy sauce to the crisp rice, stir to evenly coat all the rice with the soy sauce. Allow the rice to fry for an additional 4-5 minutes or until the rice is nice and fried. *You will garnish your fried rice with a sprinkle of the additional 2 tablespoons fresh green onions if desired*

Using a ¾ cup dry measuring cup, portion out the fried rice between 4 dinner plates. Add ¾ cup mixed vegetables and ¾-1 cup portion of cooked chicken to each plate, keeping the fried rice, mixed vegetables, and chicken separated on each dinner plate. Garnish each serving with a small bowl of the YumYum sauce to dip the chicken.