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Garlic and butter are the two most used – and beloved – ingredients in the world.
Both of these possess great flavors and lots of dishes cannot go without either of both of these two.
You have to know something about this recipe name, though. Benihana is not some magical or special name, just the name of the Japanese restaurant that makes this heavenly garlic butter.
This Japanese restaurant has done a remarkable job at infusing these ingredients, and by the way, they got popular partly because of this butter.
Let’s be honest, all garlic butters are delicious, and if you’re a fan of Benihana, you know theirs is especially to die for. It’s creamy and savory, and makes anything it graces melt-in-your-mouth good.
Benihana’s garlic butter is so good, in fact, I couldn’t risk coming up with a copycat of my own! It’s not quite the same, of course, but I think you’ll find it’s equally tasty.
So without further ado, let’s make this creamy, savory and almost tangy garlic butter. I won’t judge if you eat it straight from the bowl.
How to Use Benihana Garlic Butter
Benihana garlic butter is something you can use for many dishes.
I am addicted to this one, so I use it all over my cuisine – I serve it with pork, fried rice, and even smear it on toast sometimes. It pairs wonderfully with any kind of food, even simple cooked veggies. You could also try throwing it on chicken.
A little garlic butter can transform any meal or snack in a second.It’s a quick and easy way to make dinner great when you’re out of ideas.
When it comes to Benihana’s garlic butter, it pairs with anything and turns any meal or side into a tasty savory treat.
Preparing Your Ingredients
What’s a recipe without ingredients? This Benihana garlic butter is fairly straightforward and only needs a few ingredients, but there are still a few things you should know when gathering them.
Which Butter Should I Use?
Plain, unsalted butter is all you need, although for this recipe I used whipped butter.
If you don’t have whipped butter or a way to get it, don’t worry, as it is very easy to make.
To make whipped butter, all you have to do is bring your butter to room temperature (1 cup in this recipe) and add 3 tbsp of room-temperature milk. Then beat with an electric mixer.
And that’s it! Your whipped butter is done. It will taste the same and have the same texture as any pre-packed whipped butter.
I use unsalted butter because this recipe also calls for soy sauce. Soy sauce is salty enough already, so adding more in the butter would overpower it.
But if you really want to, you can always add more salt and adjust the seasoning to taste.
How to Prepare the Garlic
The secret of this recipe is the garlic – specifically, a delicious roasted garlic that is turned into a paste.
There are different ways to roast the garlic, but I like to roast mine in a plain old muffin tin. The tin holds the garlic bulbs in place, keeping them from moving around.
First, cut the garlic bulb top and place the garlic in the muffin tin. Drizzle the garlic with olive oil and cover with a pieces of aluminum foil. If you leave it uncovered, it may burn and you will have quite bad taste.
Second, roast the garlic for 30 minutes at 350 Fahrenheit.
Third, let the garlic cool and then separate it into cloves. Squeeze each clove in a bowl. I tried once squeezing the entire garlic bulb at once, and sadly a lots of roasted garlic was left inside. I advise you that you squeeze one clove at the time.
Fourth, once all the garlic is in a bowl, mash it with a mortar and pestle, or fork. You can also puree with an immersion blender, whatever is comfortable to you.
I made the garlic butter a bit rustic, as I really like the small pieces of garlic butter. If you want to make your butter extra smooth, though, you should puree the garlic at this stage to get a smoother paste.
What Else Can I Add?
If you are looking for that UMAMI flavor, you can add a few drops of lemon juice. The lemon juice will give a nice balance and make a butter that perfectly pairs with seafood.
Do not go overboard with lemon juice, however, as it will overpower the butter and you will not get the desired results.
So remember: just a few drops and that’s all!
How to Store Your Benihana Garlic Butter
Store the garlic butter in an airtight container. It will keep the butter fresh and capture all its flavors, without transmitting the aroma through the fridge.
I recommend using it within a few days.
Sometimes, just because it is cold in the fridge, your butter may become a bit grainy. To fix this, I like to add 1-2 tbsp of fresh whipped butter and just whip it all again. It will fix the butter and make it smooth.
How to Make Benihana Garlic Butter
Step 1
Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit.
Cut the garlic bulb tops and place on a muffin tin. Drizzle the garlic with some oil and cover the top with aluminum foil.
Roast the garlic for 30 minutes.
Step 2
Let the garlic cool down a bit, and squeeze each clove into a small bowl.
Mash the garlic until you have a paste.
Place the whipped butter in a bowl. Add garlic paste and stir to combine.
Step 3
Add soy sauce and stir again.
Finally, add black pepper and whip briefly.
Serve butter as desired.
Benihana Garlic Butter Recipe
Yield: 1 cup
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
This creamy, savory and almost tangy garlic butter is almost as good as the restaurant version!
Ingredients
- 3 garlic bulbs
- 6oz. whipped butter
- 3 tbsp light soy sauce
- ½ tsp black pepper
- Drops of lemon juice (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Cut the garlic bulb tops and place on a muffin tin. Drizzle the garlic with some oil and cover the top with aluminum foil.
- Roast the garlic for 30 minutes.
- Let the garlic cool down a bit, and squeeze each clove into a small bowl.
- Mash the garlic until you have a paste.
- Place the whipped butter in a bowl. Add garlic paste and stir to combine.
- Add soy sauce and stir again.
- Finally, add black pepper and whip briefly.
- Serve butter as desired.
Notes
You can make your own whipped butter by beating 1 cup of plain unsalted butter with 3 tbsp of milk (both at room temperature).
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8Serving Size: 1 oz
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 158Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 48mgSodium: 533mgCarbohydrates: 1gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 1g
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