My Japanese fried rice tastes just like it came from a hibachi grill, but is really super easy to whip up in your own kitchen. Made with crispy rice drenched in a savory sauce, veggies, and smoky baked tofu, it's absolutely scrumptious and simple enough to throw together on a busy weeknight!
There are lots of delicious ways to do fried rice, and frankly, I love them all...or at least all of the vegan versions. From my basic vegan fried rice to my kimchi fried rice, pineapple fried rice, to my vegan nasi goreng, each one has it's own unique taste, and they're all delicious. Japanese fried rice — the kind you get at a hibachi grill — has always been one of my absolute favorites, and I decided it was a about time to come up with a recipe for it.
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A couple of key ingredients, like vegan butter and sake, give this fried rice a distinctive, savory flavor. Traditional Japanese fried rice also often features pork, so I've included a a smoky baked tofu in this vegan version, taking the flavor absolutely over the top, while also adding protein and making the dish substantial enough to make a meal of!
Ingredients You'll Need
- Soy sauce. Need an alternative? Try liquid aminos or tamari. You can keep the entire recipe gluten-free by choosing a gluten-free tamari.
- Maple syrup. You can use another liquid sweetener, such as agave or coconut nectar, if needed,
- Liquid smoke. This is a completely vegan product that adds smoky flavor. Look for it near where barbecue sauce is sold at your grocery store.
- Extra-firm tofu. I like this variety of tofu best for baking, because it has a nice firm texture, but can still soak up lots of marinade. Firm tofu will also work. Super-firm tofu can be used, and you won't need to press it, but it may not hold as much marinade, giving you a less flavorful baked tofu.
- Sake. This is optional, but adds so much flavor! I highly encourage you to include it in your version of the dish. Most brands of Sake are vegan, but there are exceptions, so check with Barnivore before you buy.
- White pepper. This will add a lot of flavor and a little kick to your fried rice. Most grocery stores sell white pepper in the spice aisle.
- Vegan butter. We're using this for stir-frying instead of oil in this recipe. It will give your fried rice that classic hibachi grill flavor. Look for it near where the regular butter is sold at the supermarket.
- Onion.
- Carrot.
- Garlic.
- Cooked rice. Make sure to use rice that's a day or two old, and use it cold, straight from the fridge. Leftover rice has had some time to dry out, so it crisps up better than freshly cooked rice. Just about any variety of rice will work, but you'll probably get the best results with a long grain rice. I'm a big fan of jasmine rice in this dish.
- Frozen peas.
- Scallions. Also known as green onions.
How It's Made
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
Start by marinating your tofu. Combine the soy sauce, maple syrup, and liquid smoke in a shallow dish, then add pressed and diced tofu. Let it marinate for about 30 minutes. The method we're using here is very similar to the one in my smoked tofu recipe.
Arrange the tofu cubes on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, then pop it into the oven.
The tofu is done baking when the pieces have shrunken and darkened, which should take about twenty minutes.
Melt your vegan butter in a wok over medium-high heat, then add sliced onion. Stir-fry the onion for a few minutes to start softening it up.
Add diced carrot to the wok. Stir-fry the carrot and onion for about two minutes, until the carrot becomes tender-crisp.
Tip: No wok? No problem! A skillet will work just fine. Make sure it's capable of withstanding high heat. You may also want to increase the heat level to high, since flat bottomed skillets don't trap heat as well as woks do.
Now push the carrots and onions aside and add minced garlic. Sauté the garlic briefly, stirring constantly to prevent it from burning.
Add your cooked rice to the wok, along with the soy sauce mixture. Stir fry everything for a few minutes, until the rice starts getting crispy.
Finally, add your baked tofu, thawed frozen peas, and chopped scallions to the wok. Give the mixture a toss and cook it briefly before removing the wok from heat.
Your Japanese fried rice is ready to enjoy! Serve it up right away, while it's nice and hot.
Variations
- Switch up the veggies. You can swap out the peas and carrots with just about any stir-fry veggies. Try broccoli, cauliflower, snow peas, napa cabbage, or shiitake mushrooms. Keep in mind that firmer veggies will require longer cook times, while softer veggies will cook faster.
- Switch up the protein. Not a fan of smoked tofu? Try pan-frying some seitan or tempeh instead. Or try another type of tofu, like my easy fried tofu.
- Add some heat. Turn up the heat by adding some of your favorite hot sauce to the soy sauce and sake mixture.
Leftovers & Storage
Store your leftover Japanese fried rice in an airtight container and it will keep in the fridge for about three days, or in the freezer for about three months.
To reheat it in the microwave, transfer it to a microwave-safe bowl and cover it with a damp paper towel. Zap the fried rice in one minute increments, stirring in between, until it's hot. Alternatively, you can reheat it in a lightly oiled wok or skillet over medium-high heat, stir-frying until hot.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you don't normally cook with sake and don't feel like buying a bottle, you can try subbing a dry vermouth or white wine. If you want to keep the dish alcohol-free, simply leave the sake out.
You can. Simply mix the tofu and marinade together, then transfer the tofu to a rimmed baking sheet. Pour any excess marinade over the tofu before baking it. It may not come out as flavorful, but it will work in a pinch!
Most of the sodium content comes from the soy sauce, so try using a reduced sodium variety.
You can cut the amount of vegan butter in half, which will lower the calories a bit. If you're really concerned about the calories, try experimenting with cauliflower fried rice.
More Vegan Japanese Recipes
Like this recipe? If so, please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you try it! Also be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter for more recipes like this one!
📖 Recipe
Hibachi Style Japanese Fried Rice with Smoky Baked Tofu
Ingredients
For the Smoky Baked Tofu
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
- 7 ounces extra firm tofu, (half of a 14-ounce package) drained, pressed, and cut into ½ inch cubes
For the Japanese Fried Rice
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons sake (optional, but highly recommended for flavor)
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter
- 1 small onion, cut in half, then thinly sliced
- 1 large carrot, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 cups leftover cooked rice, chilled
- ½ cup frozen peas, thawed
- 2 scallions, chopped
Instructions
Make the Smoky Tofu
- Stir the soy sauce, maple syrup, and liquid smoke together in a shallow dish. Add the diced tofu and let it marinate for at least 30 minutes (Note 1).
- Preheat the oven to 400° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the tofu cubes on the baking sheet and bake the tofu for about 20 minutes, until they've shrunk and darkened a bit.
- Leave the tofu on the baking sheet to cool while you prepare the fried rice.
Make the Japanese Fried Rice
- Stir the soy sauce, sake, and white pepper together in a small bowl.
- Melt the butter in a large wok over medium-high heat (Note 2). Once the butter has completely melted, add the sliced onion. Stir-fry the onion for about 4 minutes, until it has softened up and is starting to brown in spots.
- Add the diced carrot to the wok. Stir-fry the carrot and onion for about 2 minutes, until the carrot is tender-crisp and has brightened in color.
- Push the carrot and onions to the sides of the wok, then add the garlic. Sauté the garlic for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly, until it becomes very fragrant.
- Add the rice to the wok, then carefully pour the soy sauce mixture over the rice. Use caution and do not pour the liquid directly onto the hot cooking surface (see Note 3 for precautions). Stir-fry everything for 3 to 4 minutes, until the sauce has dried up and the rice starts to form crispy spots.
- Add the baked tofu to the wok, along with the peas and scallions. Stir fry everything briefly, just heat up the ingredients that you just added and combine everything. Remove the wok from heat.
- Divide onto plates and serve.
Notes
- You can marinate the tofu for up to 24 hours if you'd like. Be sure to cover the dish and place it in the fridge if marinating it for more than 2 hours.
- A large skillet capable of withstanding high heat can be used if you don't have a wok.Â
- Because the wok is very hot, the sauce can sputter if it hit it. There's also a risk of the sauce catching fire, since it contains alcohol. Use caution. Stand back and pour it over the cold rice instead of directly onto the hot wok. Have a lid handy to put out any flames, should the mixture catch fire.
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Quite delicious! I made it with tempeh instead of tofu. Excellent!
So I only made the tofu because I was already planning on making stir fry with noodles. This really is one the best tofu recipe that I have made. I was concerned it would be sweet which I really did not want but all of the flavors were very well balanced. Thanks so much!
Love this recipe.
Glad to hear it!
Can the sake be replaced with rice wine vinegar? Thank you.
You'd be better off to just omit it. It adds flavor, but the rice will still be delicious without it!
I made the rice only and it was quite delicious. I will try it with tofu next time!
Glad you enjoyed it!