Soboro Don (Ground Chicken Bowl)
Craving a quick and comforting meal? Try Soboro Don, sweet-savory ground chicken and fluffy scrambled eggs over a bowl of rice. It’s a simple bento lunch classic that’s just as delicious over hot rice for a weeknight dinner. The best part? It’s ready in only 30 minutes.
Instructions
- 1
Before You Start: Have 2 servings cooked Japanese short-grain rice ready. You can use a rice cooker, pot over the stove, Instant Pot, or donabe. Gather all the ingredients.
- 2
Grate 1 inch ginger in a ceramic grater until you have 1 tsp grated ginger with juice.
- 3
With the heat still off, combine 1 tsp grated ginger, ½ lb ground chicken, 1 Tbsp sake, 1 Tbsp mirin, 1–1½ Tbsp sugar, and 2½ Tbsp soy sauce in a medium saucepan.
- 4
Turn the heat to medium-low. Using 3 pairs of long cooking chopsticks, stir constantly, breaking the meat into fine crumbles, about 3–4 minutes.
- 5
The chicken will release its juices as it cooks. Continue cooking until most of the liquid has evaporated and the chicken is glossy and glazed, about 2–3 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- 6
With the heat still off, combine 3 large eggs (50 g w/o shell), 1 Tbsp sugar, and ¼ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt in another cold medium saucepan. Beat the eggs with long cooking chopsticks until the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture is uniform. Nami's Tip: See Notes at the end for why we use saucepans.
- 7
Turn the heat to medium-low. Cook the egg mixture, stirring constantly with 3 long cooking chopsticks, scraping the cooked egg from the bottom and sides of the saucepan.
- 8
The eggs can overcook quickly—watch closely. Break up any large curds as you stir, cooking until the eggs are just barely set and look moist, not dry. Remove from the heat immediately.
- 9
Divide 2 servings cooked Japanese short-grain rice between two donburi bowls. Spoon the ground chicken over half of the rice and the scrambled eggs on the other half. Arrange 2 Tbsp green peas in a line down the middle. Garnish with pickled red ginger on top, if you'd like. To see how to pack this in your lunchbox, see my Soboro Bento recipe.
- 10
Keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days or in the freezer for a month.
Ago's Notes
- Adjust salt to taste based on your canned goods.
Let the flavors mingle like a quiet conversation between old friends-each bite a testament to the care you've poured into balancing sweetness, umami, and that subtle kick of ginger. Enjoy it slow, as it deserves.
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