Teppanyaki is all about direct contact between heat and ingredients. Thinly sliced meat, vegetables and seafood cook quickly, retain their texture and develop light caramelisation without losing their natural flavours. This style of cooking works surprisingly well on a GrillRing BBQ, where different heat zones naturally form around the fire.
While a traditional teppanyaki plate often runs on gas, cooking on a GrillRing over a wood fire adds extra depth. The heat is drier, fats react differently to the steel and ingredients develop a subtle smoky flavour without becoming overpowering. Especially during long evenings of outdoor cooking, this creates a style that closely resembles Japanese teppanyaki cooking while being perfectly suited to an open fire.
For anyone who enjoys interactive cooking, a GrillRing is also incredibly practical. Everyone gathers around the fire, ingredients cook right in front of you and small portions can be enjoyed straight from the GrillRing without constantly heading back to the kitchen.
Why a GrillRing works so well for teppanyaki-style cooking
A GrillRing BBQ naturally has many of the qualities needed for teppanyaki-style cooking. The steel cooking surface retains heat evenly and reacts quickly to fats, marinades and moisture from ingredients. This creates the same direct cooking method that defines cooking on a Japanese teppanyaki plate.
The main difference lies in the heat distribution. Close to the fire, temperatures are high enough to quickly sear meat or prawns. Further towards the outside, the temperature is lower, allowing vegetables to cook without burning. This makes it easier to prepare several ingredients at the same time.
The size of a GrillRing also works to your advantage. There's enough space to cook small portions side by side without all the flavours blending together. Especially when social cooking, this keeps the pace relaxed.
Which ingredients work best
Teppanyaki-style cooking is less about large cuts of meat and more about speed, texture and control. Thinly sliced ingredients or foods that naturally cook quickly therefore work best on a GrillRing.
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Thinly sliced sirloin steak or flank steak
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Prawns and scallops
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Chicken thighs cut into small pieces
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Pak choi, courgette and shiitake mushrooms
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Fried rice or noodles around the outer edge of the cooking surface
Fat also plays an important role. A small amount of oil on the steel not only prevents sticking, but also helps create the light crust that is characteristic of teppanyaki cooking.
Cooking with different heat zones
One of the biggest advantages of a GrillRing is its natural range of temperatures. When cooking teppanyaki-style, you can use these different heat zones deliberately instead of preparing everything on the hottest part of the surface.
The centre of the cooking surface is ideal for quickly searing thin cuts of meat or seafood. Towards the outside, the temperature remains more stable and gentle. This is where vegetables can cook more slowly or ingredients can be kept warm without drying out.
During longer outdoor cooking sessions, this creates a natural flow. Ingredients can continuously be moved around the surface depending on how you want them cooked. It's a more flexible way of cooking than constantly opening and closing a lid, as you would with many traditional BBQs.
Which oils and sauces work well on steel
Not every sauce works well on a hot GrillRing. Marinades with a high sugar content can burn quickly on steel directly heated by a wood fire. Lighter sauces with soy, sesame oil, garlic or citrus tend to perform better at high temperatures.
Your choice of oil also makes a difference. Neutral oils with a high smoke point offer more control when cooking at high temperatures, and a small amount is usually enough. The steel cooking surface retains heat for a long time, helping ingredients cook evenly without sticking as easily as they might on a traditional grill grate.
If you want to add extra flavour, try using small amounts of butter on the cooler outer edge of the GrillRing. This works particularly well with mushrooms, scallops or fried rice.
Timing is more important than technique
Many people associate teppanyaki with impressive knife skills and theatrical movements, but on a GrillRing, timing matters far more. Ingredients only need a short time on the hot steel and are moved regularly. This helps vegetables retain their bite and keeps meat juicy.
Preparation is especially important when cooking over a wood fire. Make sure all your ingredients are sliced and ready before you start, and cook in small portions. Overcrowding the surface immediately lowers the temperature, turning searing into steaming.
The same applies to seafood. Prawns or scallops often need less than two minutes on the hottest part of the GrillRing. They can then be moved straight to a cooler zone.
Teppanyaki-style cooking is made for social cooking
This way of outdoor cooking works particularly well when you're cooking together because dishes are prepared in small, continuous portions. Instead of having one moment when everything needs to be ready at once, you keep preparing and sharing different ingredients around the fire.
Guests can enjoy small portions straight from the cooking surface while the next ingredients continue to cook. It creates a relaxed rhythm throughout the evening and works perfectly with the open setup of a GrillRing BBQ or fire bowl BBQ.
For anyone who regularly cooks over a wood fire, teppanyaki-style cooking feels surprisingly natural. Not because of the show, but because steel, fire and direct heat provide exactly what this cooking style needs.
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