Simmered Chicken and Egg Rice Bowl

Inspired by techniques from Serious Eats.

Donburi · Chicken and egg · Japanese

Thin slices of chicken thigh and onion simmer in a sweet-salty dashi broth, then a stream of beaten egg is poured over and set just until glossy and barely firm. Everything is spooned over hot rice so the broth soaks in as you eat, the way this everyday Japanese rice bowl is meant to be served.

Prep10 min
Cook20 min
Total30 min
DifficultyEasy
Per serving641 kcal
FreeHigh ProteinLow saturated fatLow sugarsDairy-free
Servings2Recipe makes 2
Allergens (EU 14)
GlutenCrustaceansEggsFishPeanutsSoybeansMilkTree nutsCeleryMustardSesameSulphitesLupinMolluscs

Always check the labels of the products you use.

Method

  1. 1

    Make the broth. Combine the dashi, water, soy sauce and sugar in the frying pan and bring to a simmer over high heat; adjust the heat to keep it at a strong simmer.

  2. 2

    Cook the onion. Stir in the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it's half tender, about 5 minutes.

  3. 3

    Add the chicken. Add the chicken and cook, turning the pieces occasionally, until cooked through and the broth has reduced by about half, 5-7 minutes. Stir in half the scallions, then taste the broth and add a little more soy sauce or sugar until the sweet-salty balance is right.

  4. 4

    Set the egg. Reduce the heat so the broth is barely simmering. Pour the beaten eggs in slowly in a thin, steady stream over the chicken and onion, sweeping chopsticks or a fork back and forth over the surface as you pour so the egg spreads into lacy ribbons rather than one sheet. Cover and cook to the doneness you like, about 1 minute for runny eggs or 3 minutes for medium-firm.

  5. 5

    Serve. Divide the hot rice between two bowls. Spoon the chicken, onion and egg over the rice, pouring any extra broth from the pan on top. Scatter over the remaining scallions and the togarashi, and serve right away.

Storage

Best eaten the moment it's assembled, while the egg is still glossy. Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to a day; reheat gently in a pan or the microwave until steaming hot. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).

Why this label?

High Protein

54.2 g protein for 641 kcal = 8.5 g per 100 kcal, so protein gives about 34% of the energy. High Protein needs at least 20% (5 g per 100 kcal), the condition in the Annex to EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. How we decide

EU nutrition claims

  • Low saturated fat: 1 g saturated fat per 100 g, 7.6% of energy (limits ≤ 1.5 g and ≤ 10%)
  • Low sugars: 2.2 g sugars per 100 g (limit ≤ 5 g)

Per 100 g of the finished dish, worked out from the nutrition per serving and the lowest likely cooked weight (about 534 g a serving), so the true values are, if anything, lower. Thresholds from the Annex to EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. How we decide

Free sugars

Sugar (daily guide)

7.5 g per serving

15 % of the 50 g daily maximum · 30 % of the ideal 25 g

Free sugars under 50 g a day, ideally about 25 g, based on WHO free-sugar guidance (not endorsed by WHO). The share shown is the share of one serving. WHO

Equipment

  • chef's knife
  • chopping board
  • 25 cm frying pan with a lid
  • ladle
  • chopsticks or a fork

Nutrition per serving (estimated values)

Per servingAmount
Energy641 kcal
Protein54.2 g
Carbohydrate62.2 g
of which sugars11.8 g
of which free sugars7.5 g
Fat17.9 g
of which saturates5.4 g
Fibre1.9 g
Salt2.27 g

Protein per 100 kcal

8.5 g meets High Protein (≥ 5 g, 20% of energy)

Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values