How To Cook On A Teppanyaki Grill To Get Those Amazing Dishes
Cooking on a teppanyaki grill usually comes with different cooking and temperature settings, so if you don’t want it too hot to burn everything, that’s the first thing to learn.
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What temperature does the Teppanyaki grill need to be?
The griddle works best when you heat it up to 300 degrees Fahrenheit, or 150 Celsius, and add a small amount of vegetable oil.
You can rub that in on the griddle surface with a soft cloth so that it’s rubbed right into the cooking surface of the teppanyaki plate.
This seals the surface and helps to make it non-stick.
Then, you have to wipe away excess oil and repeat it until the cooking surface appears shiny.
Remember to preheat the griddle 10 minutes before cooking, cut up the food prior to cooking, and not cut directly on the teppanyaki cooking surface.
Initially, place the food onto the preheated surface toward the back of the griddle, that way you can cook your food almost the same as on a skillet. With the large surface though, you can stir it in a continuous motion.
It works just like a stovetop since this gadget is like a skillet and a grill, all in one. They are also very portable with their easy-grip carry handles.
You can’t use pots and pans on it and over time the shiny surface may get some scratches from regular use.
But, cleanup is pretty simple – all you have to do is wipe it down with a rag dipped in a little hot water. You can also rub a scraper over the top surface to remove any burned food that might still be on there.
However, it is best to just go ahead and clean the top coating with a commercial-grade cooking cleaner and rinse well.
Off and on, you must rub a light coating of vegetable oil over the surface of the grill to prevent rust when not in use.
Teppanyaki comes in many varieties and sizes. In regions with hot temperatures and a lot of bad weather or rainy seasons, you just don’t have to worry because it is like a stainless-steel grill that you can keep outside all the time.
You don’t even have to cover it.
This disruptive invention has truly transformed the way cooking is done at home.
Not only does it facilitate partying and having a good laugh with your friends, but it also adds flavor to the food by enhancing cooking quality.
Teppanyaki grilling indoors
The most common grilling method over the centuries has been directly cooking over a flame.
This was the basis for Japanese housing which had a multipurpose fireplace that served both in domestic chores as well as cooking.
The fireplace was ideally located at the center of the main room which was a gathering place for the family.
With time, approximately 2000 years or so, charcoal derived from wood became the most used source of fire in Japan.
This was convenient since it facilitated the evolution of grilling methods to the ones which we know currently.
The Teppanyaki grill is widely used to prepare foods in most restaurants just in front of the diners.In the United States, restaurants that have this custom are known as Japanese Steak Houses.
Although the Teppanyaki grill has a flat top griddle cooking surface, it still is often mistaken for a Hibachi grill. But that has an open grate surface.
Hibachi grills have their heat derived from sources not essential to the Teppanyaki grill such as charcoal.
Cleaning and using your Teppanyaki grill
- To remove food residues, add some water around the cooking station. Reheat until there is some clear bubbling in the water going on.
- Tongs should be used to grasp a paper towel or rag since the surface and liquids are still hot. Continue cleaning until all remaining food particles are gone.
- The stubborn stains should be removed when the surface is cold. Utilize a non-scratch nylon mesh cleaning pad.
- Scrub the cooking section while moving along the direction of the grain from one edge to the other. Avoid moving in concentric circles. Use a wet cloth to rinse.
- Make a paste to remove difficult stains. Let it sit on them for about 60 seconds and rub gently. Rinse well afterward. Remember all work should be done edge to edge following the direction of the grain, and on a cold surface.
- Lemon juice can remove heat discolorations. Cut a lemon in half and rub it gently on the discolored part. A better shine is obtained if you use vegetable oil and a rag.
- Non-stick cooking spray can be applied on the surface or on a paper towel to avoid over application.
- Remove all oil remnants using a paper towel or a clean rag to avoid staining your clothes.
General maintenance
Ensure that you clean your cooking station regularly since even the smallest stains can have an impact on the stainless steel with time.
Also, do not use common steel pads, wire brushes, or scrapers since they might alter the integrity of the invisible shield making it susceptible to corrosion.
Some griddles are strong and you can use special Teppanyaki scrapers (find the essential Teppanyaki accessories reviewed here) without scratching the surface.
Bleaches are also advised against. These can be chlorine bleaches, Ajax, or any abrasive and household acids since they also damage the stainless steel properties of the Teppanyaki Grill.
Foods like:
- beef
- chicken
- fish
- prawns
- and chopped vegetables
They all taste fabulous when cooked on the Teppanyaki Grill.
Just check out this video with the tabletop grill:
The non-stick surface means not much oil is required while cooking.
Also, the drainage holes coupled with an oil drip tray ensure that your food stays fat- and grease-free, so actually the food cooked Teppanyaki-style is way healthier and retains its natural nutrients and flavor better.
You would simply love all these great meals that you can cook with a flat top grill plate.
Electric teppanyaki grills are designed for indoor use, while the gas ones are for outdoor grilling.
Teppanyaki uses very light seasoning and it mostly relies on using very fresh ingredients that are just full of flavor in and of themselves.
This style of cooking relies heavily on the ingredients and tries to enhance, instead of adding to the original flavor of the ingredients used.
Seasonings are however limited to:
- wine
- vinegar
- soy sauce
- salt and pepper
- and garlic, which is the main flavor when making stir-fried bean sprouts, or meat and chicken breast.
Benefits of using a Teppanyaki grill
- It adds inventiveness and presentation to cooking: The Teppanyaki grill is very suitable for parties and is very fun to cook with.
- It can be used both indoors and outdoors: Since all of the electric components are well fixed and are also well insulated, the Teppanyaki grill is safe for use anywhere. Other features such as high-quality stainless steel make this kind of grill durable and useable in all climates.
- Heat maximization: All the heat generated is only transferred to the food and nothing else. Food is always in direct contact with the heat of the cooking surface and cooks regardless of the temperature.
- Cooks a vast number of dishes: A Teppanyaki grill can cook anything according to the conventional Japanese way of cooking. Vegetables, meats, and even seafood can be conveniently prepared. The number of dishes that can be cooked on a Teppanyaki grill is immense (you can even make Teppanyaki icecream!).
- Multi-functional space saver: A Teppanyaki grill can be used as a warmer or extra space for preparation when there is nothing cooking.
- Energy-saving: The Teppanyaki grill requires just a single source of heat and all the heat is directed to the food.
- Healthy: Since all food cooked is freshly prepared, and you need little oil on the cooking surface, it is mostly very healthy.
- Universal design: There is no need for lifting and moving pans and other stuff to and fro the kitchen. This also allows even the physically challenged to prepare a meal within a short time.
- No chemicals and low maintenance: The cooking surface is easily cleaned with available kitchen stuff like cooking oil, no toxic material is used. Wiping regularly before and after use increases its efficiency.
Everyone can help to grill Teppanyaki at home
Gone are the days when you have friends coming over and you’re doing all the cooking, and they’re doing all the partying!
Now, you can cook food and kick it at the same time. And, this has all been made possible by teppanyaki.
You can stir fry your vegetables; in fact, all your friends can each get their own little portions that they want to do and cook all on their own.
It allows for cooking your fried meals all on one appliance with a minimum of hassle.
So, if you don’t want to stay trapped in the kitchen when everyone else is having fun, take the food and make it part of the party with something like this, and you’re good to go!
By and large, teppanyaki grilling is perfect for traveling, especially for camping and caravanning holidays.
Most teppanyaki grills also feature adjustable temperature control and a removable oil drip tray. They are easy to clean with their non-stick coated surface and have a large cooking surface.
It’s very much like a stovetop on a dining table, all in one. It lets you be a chef and a host at the same time, without even leaving your seat.
You would like this grill a lot for preparing your dinner over the weekend. It lets you entertain your guests and it’s fun for others too. The grill can be safely used outdoors or indoors since it has no open flame and uses electricity instead of gas.
It’s easy to assemble and can use it on porches, decks, and patios almost anywhere.
Since all you need to operate it is a power source, you plug it in, turn your heat on and you’re set.
The center can reach up to 430 degrees, which is just the right temperature to sear meat fast. Whereas, a stove or gas grill would have to be much hotter than that to get the same results.
But ideally, you want a good grill that heats the whole cooking surface evenly.
As we have seen from above, many grills can cook such meals. So why is a Teppanyaki grill so special?
- First and foremost, a Teppanyaki grill assists you to cook food very quickly, and this makes the grill ideal for individuals who are always in a hurry or anyone cooking food for the family or at a party. Therefore, this allows you to avoid having ready food sitting on a grill for long before people start eating it.
- Teppanyaki grills are suitable for individuals having cookouts or camping trips. Even though you might be forced to serve one person at a time, you don’t have to make each person wait for long.
- Teppanyaki grills are made of durable and strong material. In addition, it is very easy to clean the grills because of their design and the material used to design them. You can easily scrape off food from a Teppanyaki grill compared to scraping off food from a BBQ. Lastly, most Teppanyaki grills are smaller than BBQs, which makes it very easy to grease them up again for seasoning.
- Because it is very easy to clean a Teppanyaki grill, you don’t have to worry about cleaning your Teppanyaki grill after using it as you would worry about cleaning your BBQ. If you fail to clean your BBQ after using it, the food particles can harden, which makes it even harder to clean the grill. However, the food residue is very easy to clean when it comes to a Teppanyaki grill. In fact, most of the Teppanyaki grills come with a drip tray or grease tray for catching oil and grease dripping from food. This makes your cooking experience even better.
- It is very easy to use a Teppanyaki grill in your home kitchen. They are the perfect cooking accessories for cooking seafood like prawn and shrimp, skewers, beef, vegetables, and other meals. In addition, Teppanyaki grills are perfect if you want to have an additional meal course. Let us say you are hosting a party and all your vegetables get finished. You can easily cook an extra batch of vegetables long before anyone notices it.
- This makes a Teppanyaki grill the ideal cooking partner for parties or big social gatherings. This is because you don’t have to worry about cooking excess food since you can always prepare something when people get hungry.
- Another distinctive feature of a Teppanyaki grill is the unique taste of the food you cook. One thing you should know about using cooking using a Teppanyaki grill is that it allows you to use spices, which still using fresh food products to prepare your food. When you combine this with the Teppanyaki cooking style, you get the opportunity to enhance the flavor of the food you prepare instead of destroying it because of the spices and seasonings.
Teppanyaki grills usually use beef as their primary source of meat. In addition, they use dark-leafy green vegetables as well as onions and carrots for their vegetables.
Popular foods cooked on a Teppanyaki grill
Food cooked on the Teppanyaki grill is made in front of the guests after making their orders. There are a variety of meat dishes, vegetables, and seafood that can be made on this grill.
If you like seafood, you’ll enjoy how good it tastes on a teppanyaki grill.
Steak, fillet, and beef mignon are some of the meats: these are cut into suitable sizes, and sauces are added during, but mostly after preparation (try these two recipes for Teppanyaki sauces for your next cookout).
Yakitori skewers are also very popular and they can be made with chicken, offal, fish, beef, and pork.
Veggies include onions, zucchini, and much more.
Meals include steamed or fried rice, salad, and soup. It is important to have prepared the vegetables before cooking them.
Teppanyaki grills are not only reserved for commercial places but can also be used privately indoors. Only use electric or stovetop plates when grilling indoors.
What type of oil can I use?
When grilling your meat and vegetables on a grill plate, like with Teppanyaki, you need to use some type of oil to put on the plate.
Here’s the best oil to use:
Soybean oil is the most chosen oil to stir fry the ingredients on a Teppanyaki grill. Often times stir-frying noodles or cabbage with sliced meat is prepared with vegetable oil or animal fat and you see the use of a mixture of both fat and vegetable oil a lot.
Soybean oil is used more often than you think and is not limited to its use in Japanese cooking. It’s also an ingredient in many salad dressings and baked goods.
It’s available all year round and it’s low in saturated fats. I buy mine from Amazon and have it delivered to my house.
Also read: these are the best teppanyaki grills for home use reviewed
Check out our new cookbook
Bitemybun's family recipes with complete meal planner and recipe guide.
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Joost Nusselder, the founder of Bite My Bun is a content marketer, dad and loves trying out new food with Japanese food at the heart of his passion, and together with his team he's been creating in-depth blog articles since 2016 to help loyal readers with recipes and cooking tips.
